A PROPOSAL by Maroubra Seals Sports and Community Club to establish a primitive camping ground adjacent to the Red Rock Bowling Club greens has stirred controversy in the village.
Maroubra Seals owns the bowling club and has plans to turn the vacant land into an area where up to 16 caravans and recreational vehicles can park for short periods of time.
Chairman of Maroubra Seals, Wayne Clare, said the proposed development was being undertaken to ensure the long-term financial viability of the club, which has been a part of Red Rock since the 1970s.
“There would be no camping or campfires allowed and patrons could use the facilities of the club,” he said.
“This is not a large-scale development per se, it is a low impact use of vacant land intended to have a minimal impact on the community.
“It is not a novel proposal. This type of facility has been pioneered in many other small villages and has proved popular with grey nomads who like staying overnight in a quiet location away from the main road.”
Maroubra Seals has invested “several hundred thousand dollars” in the club since taking over the insolvent operation two years ago.
Mr Clare has a life-long connection to Red Rock and plans to retire there.
“I don’t want to see the village change either, but if the club isn’t profitable, it will be closed and the land will be sold – most likely to a developer.
“Who knows what they will want to put there, but it will be too late to say ‘I wish we had agreed to the primitive camping ground’.
“If the club closes, 12 local people would lose their jobs, the Red Rock Multi Use Centre would no longer receive a donation to cover their insurance and the local surf club would no longer have any financial support from the club.”
He said the parent club, Maroubra Seals, returns more than $500,000 to community and sporting groups every year.
“We would like to see that continue to include the Red Rock local area into the future.”
The vice-president of the Red Rock Preservation Association (RRPA), Stephen Ottaway, said the association represented about 70 people, not all of whom live in Red Rock.
“The association put in a submission to City of Coffs Harbour Council when the club first lodged the development application,” Mr Ottaway said.
“After consulting members in the limited time available, the RRPA’s submission neither supported nor objected to the proposal.
“While some members objected and others supported the proposal, the majority of members did not express a view, which we took to mean they didn’t have a strong opinion one way or the other.
“Council reportedly classified the RRPA submission as being supportive of the proposal – clearly, it was not.”
Public submissions into the primitive camping ground closed on Monday this week.
Of the 50 or so submissions received, nearly two-thirds supported the development application, with around a third against.
Those against cited a range of reasons for their opposition, including:
– noise, drunkenness and the proximity of the campground to neighbours
– the existence of other caravan parks at Red Rock and nearby
– environmental concerns, including the loss of native habitat
– lack of community consultation
City of Coffs Harbour Council is expected to vote on the proposal at an upcoming meeting.
By Mike HELY
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