Push for Onkaparinga Council to finish coastal path at Witton Bluff
RESIDENTS and business owners from neighbouring southern suburbs will lobby their local council to finish a walking and cycling linking them via the coast. Here’s why they want it.
RESIDENTS and business owners will lobby Onkaparinga Council to finish a walking and cycling trail along the coast to connect Christies Beach and Port Noarlunga.
About 50 people attended a public meeting at Rotary Park on Sunday to show their support for renewed calls to complete the Witton Bluff Base Trail.
Most of the 1.2km trail, which runs along the cliff edge between the two suburbs, was built in the 1980s.
However, a 300m stretch was never finished because of construction challenges, including difficulty accessing its location, potential erosion from waves and cliff stability.
Reynell MP Katrine Hildyard and Kaurna MP Chris Picton held the meeting on behalf of the Christies Beach and Port Noarlunga business and tourism associations.
Christies Beach association chairwoman Gail Pounsett told the meeting the path would be a drawcard for visitors to the area, helping to reinvigorate it.
“Businesses in this street are struggling so we need to generate business,” Ms Pounsett said.
“This would become a destination (and) because of that, then there would be more people and businesses would be more successful.”
She said the group would continue lobbying the council until the trail was completed.
Port Noarlunga association chairwoman Jeanette Howell said the boardwalk would complement the growing connection between the two suburbs, including events and tourism opportunities.
“Both surf life saving clubs will (also) benefit from easier access between the two clubs,” Ms Howell said.
It was agreed at the meeting that the associations would lobby the council at its January 24 meeting to earmark funding in its 2017/18 budget to finish the trail, and lodge a petition with about 1000 signatures they have collected in support of the project.
Mid South Coast ward councillor Bill Jamieson spoke at the meeting, saying calls to finish the trail had been raised many times but he had never seen “this much muscle around” for it.
The trail would make up part of the State Government’s 75km Coast Park path plan, which aims to link North Haven to Sellicks Beach with a 3m-wide shared pedestrian and cycling path.
Councils can apply for State Government funding towards construction of their sections of path.
Onkaparinga labelled the project a “low priority” in 2013 based on the challenges and cost of building it.
The council had designs drawn up in 2009 to finish the trail, which showed it would cost more than $3 million to build a boardwalk, prompting elected members to sideline the project.
Ms Hildyard and Mr Picton as well as Kingston MP Amanda Rishworth have said they would lobby the State and Federal governments for funding.
Onkaparinga Council was not able to respond by presstime.
Visit the Witton Bluff Base Trail Facebook page for more information or to sign the petition.