No location for multi-purpose centre

COFFS Harbour City Council has added a multi-purpose centre for the Northern Beaches to its list of projects for Regional Development Australia funding.

COFFS Harbour City Council has added a multi-purpose centre for the Northern Beaches to its list of projects for Regional Development Australia funding but has stopped short of nominating a location.

Alister Milroy from the Northern Beaches Multi-Purpose Community Facility Committee addressed the most recent meeting of the council and pleaded for the councillors to support the project.

Coffs Harbour City planners had recommended the council retain its existing list of RDA projects, which did not include the multi-purpose centre.

Councillors and planners agreed to inform the committee members the council's preferred site for an indoor sports centre was West Woolgoolga and the committee be encouraged to consider the feasibility of developing a youth centre on the existing youth centre site.

The West Woolgoolga site currently has access issues and a Centennial Reserve site, nominated in principle last year for a multi-purpose centre, needs major drainage work.

A community survey of 288 residents saw 55% of respondents against the Centennial Reserve site and only 42% in favour.

Mr Milroy asked why the council had approved the Centennial Reserve land for such a use in principle if it had no interest in including the project in the planning process.

He said it was unfortunate feedback that council planners had described his committee's draft budget for the proposed multi-purpose centre as “very optimistic and unachievable”.

He said the area was not asking to be put ahead of other parts of the city but simply wanted to “join the queue”.

“The community of Woolgoolga and the Northern Beaches feels slightly let down,” Mr Milroy said.

Originally published as No location for multi-purpose centre