Council wants developer to build beach toilets and showers

POLL: Do you think the developer should pay for public amenities at Sharpes Beach?

The Coastal Recreational Path at Sharpes Beach.

BALLINA Shire Council is calling on developer Intrapac Property to build a much-needed toilet and shower block at a popular Skennars Head beach.

Sharpes Beach is a quick walk from Intrapac's residential housing development Aureus, and for years it has been unpaved and without amenities.

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In a recent livestream to residents council's general manager Paul Hickey said they were calling on Intrapac to foot the bill, otherwise the amenities block would remain unfunded in council's long-term plan.

"As you all know Sharpes Beach is getting more and more popular, we're getting more and more people using it, and we are getting that residential estate put there," Mr Hickey said.

"Council would waive development contributions if Aureus would provide that infrastructure.

"Unfortunately we've been in court cases with Aureus or Intrapac for a number of matters.

"We are still hopeful at some point in time we can reach an agreement."

He called on the public to make a submission if this project was important to them.

However, Intrapac's chief operating officer, Maxwell Shifman, said they had already offered to pave the car park and build amenities at the outset of the project.

The new Aureus residential development at Skennars Head is progressing. Picture: Intrapac Property

"I'm scratching my head about this," Mr Shifman said.

"I can tell you before we got our DA in we said, 'We are going to be doing quite a bit of work at the roundabout, why don't we upgrade the carpark and get a bit of an offset on the contribution?'

"Council said no."

Now Intrapac has paid its contributions and adhered to open space requirements, Mr Shifman said they were under no obligation to build amenities at Sharpes Beach.

He said their position had nothing to do with the company's legal battles with council.

"Our team is trying to get things done," he said.