The Brunswick Heads Progress Association is holding a public meeting to give resident the opportunity to have their say on the preferred options for the redevelopment of the Brunswick Heads Boat Harbour.
The meeting will be held on 21 April at Memorial Hall from 7pm.
Association president John Dunn said it was imperative for residents to complete the state government’s survey on the matter to ensure the master plan for the boat harbor reflects the wishes of the whole community, not just commercial, tourist or special interest groups.
‘While the boat harbour needs to be upgraded to facilitate current usage and safety standards, it is important that any changes do not detract from the low-key charm that defines Bruns and makes it so appealing to both residents and visitors,’ Mr Dunn said.
The community is being asked to comment on various options for the harbour itself, the main boat ramp, and the future re-development of the Fishermen’s Co-op site.
One of the main concerns that the Association has is the large amount of parkland that could be turned into parking, which is linked to the size and nature of the commercial development of the Co-op freehold land and the potential increase in boat traffic on the river.
Options in the report include 68 boat trailer parking spaces and 160 car parking spaces, effectively turning most of the open space into carpark.
Stage one of the marina development allows for the relocation of larger vessels onto floating finger wharves while stage two will double the capacity of the marina to around 65 berths.
The options for the re-development of the Co-op include a mix of retail/commercial facilities and could include up to 40 boutique tourist apartments. The crown land will have to be rezoned to permit commercial development of the site.
The Association’s Boat Harbour Master Plan representative Leone Bolt states that she can’t stress enough how important it is at this stage for the community to familiarise themselves with the plans and then complete the survey.
The plans are available for viewing in the Brunswick Library, the Visitor Centre and the Co-op.
Maps and reports are also available online at: http://www.crownland.nsw.gov.au/about crown land/publications/exhibition and information/masterplans2/brunswick heads boat harbour master plan.
At the request of the Association the exhibition period for the Master Plan options has been extended to Tuesday 26 April 2016.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
