Winney Bay track: council votes for new plan, loses $4.6M funding

The Labor-independent alliance within Central Coast Council has kissed goodbye to the region’s largest ever tourism infrastructure grant — and left a $1 million set of concrete stairs in the middle of nowhere — after voting to reject the Winney Bay Cliff Top Walk project.

• Why council refused millionaire’s fence
• Call for action to fix Terrigal’s dirty water

The Labor-independent alliance within Central Coast Council has kissed goodbye to the region’s largest ever tourism infrastructure grant — and left a $1 million set of concrete stairs in the middle of nowhere — after voting to reject the Winney Bay Cliff Top Walk project.

Despite a community survey which found the majority of residents were in favour of the design that included a disability-access bridge and a spectacular a north-facing lookout, council voted to push ahead with its amended plans and reapply for funding.

An artists impression of the proposed north-facing lookout that was rejected by council in favour of a smaller lookout facing in the same way as the existing Captain Cook Lookout.

Council will now proceed with plans for a path to be reduced to 2m-wide, no wheelchair access bridge and a lookout that faces in the same southerly direction as the existing Captain Cook Lookout only a short distance away.

In a statement following the meeting, Mayor Jane Smith said the results of the community consultation showed the majority of the community supported the walk with some with some modifications to the concept design.

“We came up with a compromise solution that still delivers a lookout, an upgraded and accessible walk, is more compatible with the local environment and better protects Coastal Open Space System lands,” Ms Smith said.

Artists impression of the wheelchair access bridge, which was knocked on the head.

However the survey found 53.2 per cent of respondents were in favour of the project but without the original plans for large 4m by 4m market stalls.

Terrigal Liberal State MP Adam Crouch said the $4.6 million in funding would have still been available, without the market stalls, because Infrastructure NSW would have considered their omission only a minor modification to the original plans.

“On behalf of our community I condemn the poor decision-making which has seen our region’s largest ever tourism infrastructure grant get trashed,” he said.

The $1 million federally-funded stairs already constructed for stage 1 will go nowhere for the foreseeable future with council voting to go back to the drawing board. Image: supplied

“In a single vote the Labor-independent alliance have burnt bridges with the Darkinjung Aboriginal Land Council, Regional Development Australia Central Coast, the 5 Lands Walk Committee, and our own community.

“This has caused significant `reputational risk’ for Central Coast Council.”

Mr Crouch said is was also “appalling” that councillors Greg Best, Chris Burke and Bruce McLachlan were refused the opportunity to even speak at Tuesday’s meeting.

“Here we see a total failure of community representation,” Mr Crouch said.

“The unholy alliance of Labor-independent councillors will be forever remembered as responsible for our community losing $4.6 million. At a time when every region is benefiting from record levels of funding from the NSW Liberal Government, this Labor-dominated council throws it away.”