Letter to the Editor: Who’s paying at the foreshore?

DEAR News Of The Area,

A SUBMISSION was made to Council at the time of the State Government’s advertising of its foreshore rezoning proposal pointing out that the business plan for the proposed development had not been made public.

Without this there is nothing to explain how the roads and services infrastructures for the project are to be funded or how the promised upgrades to community facilities are to be procured.

In short, what was actually in it, if anything, for Coffs Harbour?

Cynics among us suspected this might be because the government’s business plan is to rezone the land, sell it for as much as they can get and bank the proceeds as consolidated revenue.

This unworthy thought could have been laid to rest by the Department of Development or their supporters in Council clarifying these central issues.

Months later a deafening silence prevails.

Why does the State Government want the dividends for the City to remain in the realm of politicians’ promises?

And do we face the double indignity of losing much of our foreshore to a property developer and underwriting that developer’s profit?

Regards,
Frank SCAHILL,
Coffs Harbour.