Pump track, Alstonville trail, Sharpes Beach upgrade focus Ballina council  

A bevy of exciting Ballina Shire projects were pushed to be included in state funding arrangements, including a pump track, playground updgrades and more.

Every village wanted a piece of the funding cake as Ballina councillors fought for a host of new and possible community facilities.

A walking or riding trail near Alstonville’s Summerland Farm, a new pump track for the Kingsford Smith Reserve, the Sharpes Beach masterplan and an upgraded Cumbalum playground were all hot topics at council’s Thursday meeting.

At stake was a vote on priority projects for the Regional Tourism Activation Fund and the Stronger Country Communities Fund funding.

While most councillors agreed to include the estimated $1m to $1.5m Sharpes Beach upgrade, which would see improvements to the Surf Lifesaving tower, picnic tables and more, other projects were the source of much debate.

Sharpes Beach will be subject to a major upgrade if funding is provided by the NSW Government.

Councillor Jeff Johnson asked that an upgrade to the Cumbalum playground opposite the sports field be added to the wish list.

“There’s so many kids there - younger kids who are there with their siblings while they play sport, with really nothing to do,” he said.

“There really is a need for an area that doesn’t get a lot of facilities.

“There’s not even a shop out there.”

Cr Jeff Johnson discussed the need for an upgrade to the Cumbalum playground facility, beside the sports field. Picture: Tessa Flemming

Councillor Kiri Dicker agreed, calling it the “most dire” playground.

“I just think we cannot continue to endorse entire neighbourhoods in our shire that have no infrastructure for families and young people and to wait another four years at best,” she said.

They suggested funding submissions split money between the playground and the Kingsford Smith masterplan, with Ms Dicker suggesting a more basic pump track as a compromise.

“(The kids) want something basic, they don’t want $762,ooo facilities and I think we can kill two birds with one stone,” she said.

But councillor Phil Meehan shared fears it would “dilute” the submission to the NSW government.

“We don’t want to go second rate or not as good because we want to start dividing the grant funding up,” he said.

“Let’s do it as well as we possibly can at this point in time.

“It’s not just putting dirt down and putting something on top of it.”

A pitch to put forward two submissions, which would see a walking/hiking or riding trail along Wardell Rd near Summerland Farm included, was championed by councillor Simon Chate.

“That road is really dangerous, cars fly along that road and it’s really hard for people to walk along there, ” he said.

“It would be … extensively used by the plateau community and allow tourists a more relaxed and enjoyable experience around the whole Summerland Farm experience.”

But councillor Stephen McCarthy quickly shut down that idea.

“As has been pointed out there hasn’t even been the planning done for it yet so it’s not really workable,” he said.

Mr Meehan echoed that concern.

“Imagine if the Sharpes Beach masterplan didn’t get up and this walking track - we have no planning for - did,” he said.

“Think about what the community reaction would be to that, in regards to the thousands of people who use the Sharpes Beach carpark every week.”

An amendment to include the Alstonville trail was lost and the original funding submission voted through unanimously.