Coffs mayor Paul Amos critical of state government Jetty Foreshore process

Mayor Paul Amos says the process has been “flawed since day one” and questions why a major announcement was made just days after he told Coffs MP Gurmesh Singh he would be away.

Coffs Harbour’s mayor and deputy have slammed a state government report listing results from the latest round of community consultation on the Jetty Foreshore revitalisation.

Perhaps the most angry response was from mayor Paul Amos, who said the process has been “flawed since day one, ever since the advisory committee was set up”.

He is referring to the Jetty Foreshore Project Steering Advisory Committee, announced in December 2020, which he says is not representative of the wider community but stacked with business people.

Coffs Harbour mayor Paul Amos at the botanic gardens before council’s first meeting on February 10. Picture: Janine Watson

Deputy mayor Sally Townley has echoed these concerns in her response to the release of the report by Planning Minister Anthony Roberts on Thursday.

“It’s interesting that the language now is all about economic stimulus and growth. The passive recreation barely gets a look in,” Dr Townley said.

“This is reflected in the narrow line of questioning and also the stacking of the committee with mostly Chamber of Commerce and business representatives outnumbering those with purely community interests at heart.”

Dr Townley and fellow councillor Tony Judge both spoke at a love-in protest at the Jetty in June where Mr Judge told the crowd council would fight overdevelopment of the area.

He likened the battle ahead, to Council’s push for tunnels on the Coffs bypass.

“We fought back on the bypass, we can do this, we just need to mobilise,” Mr Judge said.

“To borrow from a great Australian fictional character – ‘tell ’em they’re dreaming’.”

Came as an ‘enormous surprise’

Mr Amos, who is on the advisory committee with fellow councillor Scott Wolgamot, has long been an advocate for retaining public space at the foreshore.

In June Coffs Harbour council voted to reject NSW government’s latest jetty foreshore plan.

The motion to reject the state government plan received the support of all councillors except Rodger Pryce, Tegan Swan and George Cecato.

Mr Amos said it came as an “enormous surprise” to hear an urgent meeting of the committee was called just a day-and-a-half after he told Coffs Harbour MP Gurmesh Singh he would be away on holidays.

Coffs Harbour MP Gurmesh Singh with mayor Paul Amos at the York Street Oval upgrade announcement in August. Picture: Matt Gazy

The urgent meeting was then followed by Thursday’s release of the report on the recent consultation which Minister Roberts says shows “overall” support for development at the foreshore to “breathe new life” into the precinct.

Mr Amos questions the latest report, saying there has been “some very creative interpretation of the results” and that a previous report, purported to reflect community consultation, did “not one little bit” reflect the raw data.

Again, Dr Townley backs this, saying it’s difficult to have any confidence in the results.

“We know the survey questions changed during the period and we know that it was possible to provide multiple responses,” she said.

“We also know that the questions focused almost entirely on development - the NSW government’s main focus seems to be how to monetise these important public parklands.”

Coffs Harbour City councillors at their first meeting in February 2022 including (at front left) deputy mayor Sally Townley, Tegan Swan, mayor Paul Amos and Greg Wolgamot who is on the Jetty Foreshore Project Steering Advisory Committee with Mr Amos. Picture: Janine Watson

Fears for a ‘spot rezoning’

Mr Amos will be back at work on Monday and says his next step is to “make sure we’ve got the pulse of the people right on this and I will be leaving no stone unturned to represent them”.

He fears there is a push for a “spot rezoning” of a four-hectare parcel of land at the foreshore to be sold off to private developers where a more appropriate course would be to preserve it for Coffs Harbour to grow into, as open space is required.