Terrigal Boardwalk: Council delays funding decision for engineer briefing

Plans for a boardwalk around Terrigal Headland has divided the community and now a vote to delay a funding decision for the project has lead to accusations of political bias.

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A Central Coast Councillor has accused colleagues of stalling a vote to fund Terrigal’s proposed multimillion-dollar boardwalk until after the May 18 Federal election.

Conservative councillor Troy Marquat accused mayor Jane Smith and Labor councillor Jeff Sundstrum of being politically motivated when they moved and seconded a motion to delay the vote until after an inspection and briefing with an engineer.

Artists impressions of the proposed Terrigal Boardwalk, November 2019

Cr Marquat said a briefing by an engineer would “do nothing” and council was in danger of a repeat of the Winney Bay walking trail debacle when council handed back $4.6 million in State Government funding after a backlash from the local community.

“This looks like a ploy by the mayor and a Labor councillor to push it out beyond the Federal election,” Cr Marquat said.

The majority of councillors however voted in favour of waiting for the briefing.

Cr Doug Vincent said he had been inundated with emails on the issue.

“I’ve never had so many emails on an issue and most are against,” Cr Vincent said.

“It’s not party political — we are spending public money and we should make sure we get it right,” he said.

Artists impressions of the proposed Terrigal Boardwalk, November 2019

Plans to build the boardwalk have divided the Terrigal community between those who say it will become a tourist attraction and boost business, and those who say it will ruin the natural beauty of Terrigal headland, prevent access to the rock platform and cost too much.

The State Government has committed to put almost $3m toward the project if council matched the funding. The $250,000 upgrade of Terrigal rock pool will still go ahead with a final decision on the boardwalk to follow.

Two Terrigal community members spoke against the plan during a public forum at the start of the council meeting.

Landscape architect Phillip Clegg said the proposal was “out of scale and out of character” and would diminish the beauty of the area.

Artists impressions of the proposed Terrigal Boardwalk, November 2019

He said it was not needed, was “expensive and extravagant” and fixing Terrigal’s water quality issues should be a higher funding priority.

Another resident Sally Jarmaine told councillors the headland was a place of calm beauty which gave children access to the rock platform.

“We don’t need a boardwalk to put us on the map,” she said.

Terrigal State Liberal MP Adam Crouch weighed into the debate on Tuesday, describing the decision as a “deliberate attempt to stall progress on the long-awaited Terrigal Boardwalk”.

Accusation of political bias have been made around plans for the Terrigal Boardwalk. (AAP Image/Sue Graham)

“Labor-independent Councillors voted to defer the project for a site visit and briefing, despite the Boardwalk’s long 23 year history. Council records also show 500 pages of design work and environmental studies has been completed at a cost of $930,000,” he said.

“This is nothing more than a last-ditch effort to take this project off the agenda prior to the upcoming Federal Election. I call on Labor’s candidate for Robertson to condemn the actions of her Labor colleagues and confirm her support for the Boardwalk.”