Central Coast water sports: Council explore kayak, canoe and SUP tourism
The Central Coast has more waterfront than Sydney Harbour and is currently experiencing a boom in watersport popularity. Now the council is looking to capitalise on possible tourism opportunities.
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With more than four times the water frontage of Sydney Harbour, the Central Coast has the potential to lead the way when it comes to water sports tourism.
As the warm weather sets in, locals and visitors have been hitting the water for a variety of popular sports including kayaking, canoeing, sailing and stand-up paddle boarding.
Central Coast Council is keen to get their hands wet, endorsing a report on kayaking and canoeing tourism this week.
The report looks into promoting and supporting the growth of water sports tourism through improved signage and information, encouraging pop up promotional activities, as well as making waterways more accessible and user friendly.
It revealed that stand-up paddle boarding had exceeded kayaking/canoeing in popularity on the coast in recent years in the Tuggerah Lakes Estuary, while sailing was the prominent activity in Brisbane Waters.
“Feedback gathered from businesses operating in the area also included the growth of kayaking for fishing and the continuing popularity of stand-up paddle boarding across Central Coast waterways,” the report states.
Councillor Jane Smith said the report highlighted that the coast provided a clear point of difference, compared to other regions, when it came to our waterways.
However, Councillor Bruce McLachlan said while the coast has more water frontages compared to Sydney Harbour “our engagement and activities on the foreshore are very limited”.
“I couldn’t see much (in the report) about water quality,” he said.
“If you have to walk through sludge and slime to get your kayak in and out of the water, the report is not going anywhere.
“Our foreshores need destinations to kayak to and from. You can kayak all over Tuggerah Lakes and you will find it very hard to find somewhere along the waterfront and get a cup of coffee or a feed. Our foreshores do need activation.”
The Central Coast Destination Management Plan indicated the coast is “under-represented” in
outdoor adventure and nature-based products, and there are opportunities to grow visitors.
Locations identified as potential “key staging points” are in and around Wyong River, Ourimbah Creek, Tuggerah Lake, Spring Creek, Budgewoi Lake, Lake Munmorah, Woy Woy, Patonga and Erina Creek.
Mayor Lisa Matthews said activating coast waterways was a key focus for council.
“The opportunities identified will promote and boost tourism that celebrates the natural and cultural assets of the Central Coast in a way that is accessible, sustainable and eco-friendly, and deliver on what the community has asked for,” she said.
Council is in the process of building a new kayak launching facility off an existing jetty at Berkeley Vale for easier access to Tuggerah Lake.
The council’s report will now be provided to the Tourism Advisory Committee for its input into growing these tourism opportunities.