Spectacular coastal walk set for $1.8m facelift

A 3km section of Ballina’s coast will soon have a safe and more accessible walking track.

ON THE RIGHT PATH: Ballina Council upgrade 3-kilometre section of the Coastal Recreational Walk from Sharpes Beach to Pat Morton.

BALLINA Shire Council is about to start works to upgrade the 3km section of the Coastal Recreational Walk from Sharpes Beach to Pat Morton Lookout.

The works are expected to commence in the coming weeks and will include a new boardwalk at Boulder Beach, as well as improvements to large sections of the existing path to improve accessibility.

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"This walk will be a great asset for our local community and help attract visitors to the Ballina Shire," Mayor David Wright said.

"Once complete, it will allow walkers to access and enjoy our unique coastline and provide additional infrastructure to support our local tourism industry."

The $1.8 million investment has been funded by the State Government's Restart NSW program through the Regional Growth Environment and Tourism Fund to the value of $750,000, with Ballina Shire Council providing the additional $1.05 million.

ON THE RIGHT PATH: Ballina Council upgrade 3-kilometre section of the Coastal Recreational Walk from Sharpes Beach to Pat Morton.

 

The council's focus of the walkway is to preserve the natural and organic landscape while providing the community with a safe and more accessible walking track.

Once complete, the walkway will retain sections of existing grass, plus include new sections of gravel footpath and boardwalk.

Works are expected to commence in early June and be completed by the end of the year. Access to the existing track will be reduced over the coming months.

Last year the council commenced work to complete the final link of the Coastal Shared Path, along The Coast Road from Skennars Head roundabout to our iconic Pat Morton Lookout at Lennox Head.

"The projects will deliver two iconic pathways, one to enjoy the diverse range of coastline environments, and the other a pedestrian and cycling path alongside our local roads, making the commute between Ballina and Lennox Head safer and easier," Cr Wright said.