Forster Civic Centre new council library to open at Enyoc Solaris Lake Street development on Mid-North Coast

A huge and long-awaited Mid-North Coast project beset by delays and controversy will enter a new chapter early next month. Take a sneak peek inside.

Part of a long-awaited and controversial development at Forster, that was approved back in 2017 and has been beset by delays ever since, will soon open to the public.

The Solaris development at Forster will enter a new chapter when the town’s new library opens early next month.

Solaris was touted as offering a revitalisation of the CBD, but designs have been back to the drawing board on several occasions – there was once plans for a nightclub and cinema.
In late 2020, construction work stalled.
Developer Coyne Graham and his company Enyoc cited the Covid pandemic as the main disrupter.

Inside one of the completed apartments in tower one at the Solaris development at Forster.

Finishing touches going in at the shops on the bottom of Solaris in late August. Picture: Janine Watson

Forster Civic Centre. Picture: MidCoast Council.

Solaris is a joint private-public venture between MidCoast Council, the Federal government and the developer.
Shops and cafes accompany civic facilities like the library, which is set to open doors on October 9.

On the upper levels are apartments set to be built in stages – most with water views of either Wallis Lake or the Pacific Ocean.
Enyoc design director Paul Signitzer said more than 50 apartments have already been snapped up in tower one of four.

Non-payment claims disputed

The completion of the first tower and civic spaces comes as contractor, CHT excavation boss Craig Walker, claims he is yet to be paid.

“A lot of things have gone wrong, but it’s not my place to speak about that,” he said.
“I have had hundreds of people contact me saying they have done work and found it hard to get paid and not just at this site.”

He took to Facebook, calling for contractors to band together to mount a class-action lawsuit.
It prompted MidCoast Council’s general manager Adrian Panuccio to issue a statement asserting the council “is not associated with any non-payments”. He welcomed a probe into the issue.
“Those who have not been paid were subcontracted to a contractor to the builder employed by the developer,” he said.

Craig Walker's Facebook post generated a lot of attention and prompted a response from MidCoast Council.

However, Coyne Graham firmly denies any non-payment to subcontractors.

“The idea that we’re not paying our subcontractors isn’t true,” he said.
“Enyoc has, as of the end of August, settled accounts with over 150 subcontractors and suppliers.

“A few, currently in their final defects or handover stages, are set for immediate payment upon completion.”

Mr Graham said that CHC Excavation was facing its own financial challenges and urged the public to view with Mr Walker’s claims “with discernment”.

The pool at Solaris apartments on Lake Street, Forster.

Concerns about car park safety

Concerns have been raised in national media about the development’s basement car park.

It’s been reported on TV program A Current Affair and more widely that work is required to rectify potentially hazardous carbon dioxide levels before public use.

In response, Mr Graham said a “minor exhaust fan issue” needs to be resolved.

“The team is actively rectifying this with the aim to resolve it by month’s end, ensuring the safety and functionality of the car park prior to its opening,” he said.

Overhead shot of the stalled Forster Civic Precinct development in late 2020.

New library a long time coming

Plans for a new library to service the Forster- Tuncurry area have been in motion for decades – well before the merger of three former councils.

MidCoast Council was formed in 2016 through the merger of the former Great Lakes, Greater Taree and Gloucester Shire councils.

The local government body takes in Forster, Gloucester, Taree, Stroud and Tea Gardens.

The amalgamation and move to the new centralised administration building in Taree lead to more changes for the Solaris project over the years.

New civic facilities to open include a visitor centre and customer service point to support the Forster-Tuncurry area.

The huge Solaris development at Forster will have shops and civic facilities including the new Forster library at the bottom and apartments above.

Open from Monday to Saturday each week, the new library is twice the size of the old one.

The existing library at Breese Parade will shut for three weeks before it opens again in the new space.
A pop up library will operate at the nearby Stockland Shopping Centre in the meantime.

The new civic centre also has conference and function rooms cater for hundreds of people.