Winney Bay Cliff Top Walk: design changes made to stage 2

Some people call it a huge boost to tourism, others fear it’s an environmental disaster waiting to happen. Now council has backed down on its grand plan for the Winney Bay walk.

The bridge has been axed in altered designs for Stage 2 of the Winney Bay walk

MILLIONS of dollars in grant funding could be lost after significant changes were made to the Winney Bay Cliff Top Walk project.

Central Coast Council has changed the design to stage 2 of the project, which has a $4.6 million State Government grant, including narrowing the width of the pathway, removing the bridge and market stall spaces and relocating the lookout.

Terrigal state Liberal MP Adam Crouch issued a statement this morning, describing the changes made at last night’s council meeting as “an act of petty politics”.

The bridge has been deleted from the plans

“Given the significant design changes, this decision will likely force $4.6 million from the Regional Growth Environment and Tourism Fund to be handed back to the NSW Government,” Mr Crouch said.

“Such an act could be humiliating for our region.”

The project to improve the Winney Bay walking track for the 5 Lands Walk has been mired in controversy since land clearing started earlier this year.

Council halted work, with stage 2 of the project going out for a second round of community consultation.

A council report of the latest consultation revealed 53 per cent of respondents were in favour of the stage 2 design.

Many locals were concerned about the land clearing during stage one of work. Picture: Troy Snook

Labor councillor Jeff Sundstrom successfully passed the changes, saying it was the result of “disquiet in community” regarding the size and scale of stage one of the works which included 500m of staircase and pathway.

“We have opportunity to ensure intent of 5 Lands Walk is respected,” he said.

The stage 2 design changes include reducing the pathway from 3m to a maximum of 2m using materials “with least impact”, relocation of the lookout to the southern side of the former proposed bridge and deleting market stalls and the bridge. An accessible viewing platform will be placed in the area where the bridge would have started.

Stage one of the clifftop path has been constructed at a cost of $875,000.

Local resident John Oates said the stage 2 designs dishonoured the people of Copacabana and the vision of the 5 Lands Walk.

“I call on council to do the honourable thing, no bridge, no new lookouts on the eastern point and to have a look at more appropriate options for a pathway,” he said.

Copacabana resident Patrick Spedding said a majority of Copacabana residents were in favour of the project, with the minority action group trying to keep the area in the 1950s.

“We need these kinds of forward thinking initiatives,” he said.

Mr Spedding said the issue had been blown out of proportion.

“This is not Bouddi National Park, it’s a weed infested bush area leading down to a sewerage outlet which just happens to have some of the most amazing views in Australia if you can get to them,” he said.

Councillor Troy Marquart said council’s decision was “embarrassing”.

“People just try to pander to a noisy minority,” he said.