PORT STEPHENSNews Of The Area
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Not For Sale By Marian SAMPSON
CONCERNS have been raised around the potential sale of 615 lots of land within the Port Stephens Local Government Area. This comes off the back of a newly launched Government Property Index which lists all land owned by the NSW State Government. The index includes National Parks, Crown land including foreshore spaces in Port Stephens, such as the parkland on Beach Road at Little Beach. Member for Port Stephens Kate Washington told News Of The Area, “Prior to the 2019 state election, Premier Berejiklian promised on national television that
there would be no more privatisations. “She said ‘No, no, no, and if we were we would have told you’. “The Premier has broken that promise. “And now, 615 parcels of public land in Port Stephens have appeared on a government website seeking privatisation proposals. “Local school grounds are on the list. “Precious public foreshore land is on the list. “Parts of our local cemeteries are on the list. “It’s a disgrace. “Our community will never forget the Government’s terrible track record selling Mambo Wetlands to a property
Jet Ski Angst By Marian SAMPSON
JET SKIS are a popular form of leisure craft, one that raises contentious issues. These range from noise pollution to illegal operation of the craft. The issues peak in school holidays when tourists flock to the region to access the Port with their craft which are banned on Sydney Harbour. Tomaree Residents and Ratepayers Association (TRRA) has received reports on the increasing impacts of jet skis on marine animals including dolphins, whales, turtles and little penguins. These animals find it difficult to take evasive action due to the low underwater noise emitted by approaching jet skis. There are also threats to swimmers on the many heavily used beaches around the Bay, and noise pollution affecting both residents and visitors. TRRA President, Ben van
Thursday, 20 May, 2021
der Wijngaart said, “TRRA recognises that most jet skiers are responsible members of their communities and that to obtain a license, operators must be aware of restrictions
developer for $250,000, then being forced to buy it back for twice the price. “This week in Parliament I sent a clear message to the Government: we simply will not put up with this. “Port Stephens is not for sale.” Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Taylor Martin told News Of The Area, “This claim that there are 615 parcels of public land for sale in Port Stephens is just plain wrong, and the Labor party are lying to the public. “Kate Washington is peddling another scare campaign. “The Government Property Index is an online portal where the community is able to search for NSW Government-owned property and planning-related information in one online
and responsibilities which apply to their craft. “However, some users fail to observe the rules and more resources are needed to guard against erratic and high-speed manoeuvring and inappropriate operation in proximity to other water
location. “The public deserve to know what land in their area is public space and making this information accessible is simply about transparency. “This increases transparency on what the government owns, and encourages more ideas on how the land could be better utilised. “For example, a Community Housing Provider might use the tool to identify latent government land which could be suitable for more housing to support vulnerable people. “Or a community group might identify an unused property which would be
users. “At this stage we are not calling for an outright ban on jet skis, but there needs to be a greater consideration of the residents and ratepayers and the impact on our huge water-based tourist and recreation industry focussed
q Jet Skis are a fun way to explore a waterway - but some residents have concerns about the impact that they are having on the environment. Photo: Henk Tobbe.
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better utilised as a community hall. “Having community input in regards to government land use is welcomed by our Government - even if putting this information in the public domain gives rise to a false Labor scare campaign,” he said. Perhaps this list is an opportunity for the community to identify land such as the hard fought for Mambo Wetlands parcel and to seek protections rather than having to fight for a future buyback. q A concerned Kate Washington believes that the NSW Government is planning to sell off 615 parcels of land in Port Stephens. Photo: Marian Sampson.
on marine life,” said Mr van der Wijngaart. The organisation is seeking a review of jet ski operations on Port Stephens, examining existing rules and the effectiveness of their enforcement. NSW Transport tells us that, “In restriction zones, PWC must not be used for 'irregular driving' within 200m of a river bank or shore. “This means they must be operated generally in a straight line within 200m of the shoreline.” Irregular driving includes activities like; driving in a circle or other pattern; weaving or diverting and surfing down or jumping over or across, any swell, wave or wash with penalties applicable if the rules are broken. In NSW PWC restriction zone rules apply to these waters (including tributaries): Avoca Lake; Botany Bay; Brisbane Water; Broken Bay; Bulbararing Lagoon; Cockrone Lagoon; Cooks River; Dee Why Lagoon; Georges River; Hawkesbury River; Manly
Reservoir; Manly Lagoon; Narrabeen Lakes; Nepean River; Port Hacking; Prospect Reservoir; Terrigal Lagoon; Wamberal Lagoon; and the Woronora River but not on Port Stephens or the Myall River or Myall Lakes. Interestingly, Jet Skis are also banned in Cape Byron Marine Park, however the Port Stephens Great Lakes Marine Park has no such protection. Kate Washington Member for Port Stephens told News Of The Area, “Since COVID hit our shores, the number of jet skis on our beautiful waterways has risen noticeably. With that, noise impacts and safety concerns have also risen. “I’ve reported residents’ concerns to the Minister for Transport and Roads. “Unfortunately the response simply recounted the government’s inadequate rules and a hotline residents could call. “I thank the TRRA for their advocacy and look forward to meeting with them next week to discuss solutions to ensure everyone can safely enjoy our pristine waterways,” she said.
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