Ex-HMAS Adelaide Mast: plan withdrawn for monument at Terrigal Haven

It has been more than 10 years since the ex-HMAS Adelaide was sunk off Avoca Beach and now it’s back to the drawing board for plans to erect the ship’s mast.

Plans to erect a monument to the Ex-HMAS Adelaide at Terrigal Haven have been pulled.

Central Coast Council’s withdrew its proposal prior to it coming before the Central Coast Local Planning Panel.

The $50,000 plan to erect the mast at the popular Terrigal destination received harsh criticism from an independent assessor who stated that the mast would look like a “ventilator shaft” and ruin ocean views.

The assessor recommended the panel reject the proposal, which has been in the wings for years.

The site of the proposed monument at the popular Terrigal Haven.

“The application was withdrawn prior to DA determination as there were a number of issues identified in the independent planning consultant’s report that led to his recommendation of refusal (including visual impacts),” a council spokeswoman told the Express.

“As Council is the applicant on behalf of the community group driving the project, council will now liaise with the group representatives to discuss and then decide on future direction.”

Council lodged the proposal on behalf of The Central Coast Artificial Reef Association (CCARA), which has been lobbying for the monument since the mast was gifted to the former Gosford Council by the State Government.

The mast has been gathering dust at a council depot for years.

The withdrawn proposal was to install the Ex-HMAS Adelaide mast at Terrigal Haven, specifically the “Broken Head” headland southern clifftop above the dog leash area. This area has direct views of the buoys positioned over the site of the ex-HMAS Adelaide site.

The 7.4m mast was to be installed onto a sandstone block plinth footing, surrounded by a sandstone retaining wall and garden bed.

The height of the memorial would be 9.5m and an access path would also be constructed linking the monument to the carpark.

Artists impressions of the monument on the headland.

The project, when eventually completed, will be a memorial dedicated to the crew of Ex-HMAS Adelaide which was scuttled on April 13, 2011 to provide an artificial reef and dive site.

The independent consultant stated there were a number of issues with the DA relating to visual impact, bulk and scale, traffic and safety and vandalism.

The consultant also said the plans were not in line with the Terrigal Haven Plan of Management and could increase the risk of coastal hazards such as erosion.

The planner said the monument could resemble a ventilator shaft.

“The project has the ability to provide enormous cultural, social, educational, and community benefits that will result from the memorial however not at the expense of impacting upon scenic view corridors from private and public land,” the consultant’s report states.

“A key concern raised has been that the purpose of the structure will not be identifiable and from a distance will appear as a ventilation shaft.”

Sixteen charges were detonated to scuttle the decommissioned RAN frigate ship HMAS Adelaide, 1.8km off Avoca Beach.

The former HMAS Adelaide has been on the sea bed off Avoca for 10 years. Picture: Sue Dengate

Sixteen charges were detonated to scuttle the decommissioned RAN frigate ship HMAS Adelaide 1.8km off Avoca Beach.

The ship was built in the United States and was commissioned in November 1980. It was the first of six Adelaide-class guided missile frigates to be delivered to the Royal Australian Navy.

CCARA spokeswoman Sue Dengate has been a vocal advocate for the monument, saying Defence personnel who served on the Adelaide have been eager to see the project completed.

“The service men and women who served this country on the ex HMAS Adelaide want to see the Adelaide mast prominent and proud at Terrigal Haven,” she said.