Gurmesh Singh MP

JETTY FORESHORES – GURMESH SINGH STATEMENT

I welcome the NSW Government’s decision to keep moving forward with the Jetty Foreshores revitalisation and to reject council’s offer to purchase the land at the Jetty Foreshores which would have halted any progress.

The NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure said the lack of detail in Council’s proposal was an important consideration in rejecting Council’s offer.

Today’s decision sends a strong signal that the State Government will continue with the progress that our city desperately needs.

The community also deserves answers on how council were able to make such an offer. Some 18 months ago, the City of Coffs Harbour deferred or removed over $55 million from their capital works budget. Some of the projects were funded by grants from the Commonwealth and State governments which have since been lost.

How can council now tell the Coffs community that they have the money for the Foreshores transaction, but not for the projects that have been cancelled. The $6.7m cost is in addition to the two CBD properties that have been offered as ‘gold-plating’ as well as the cost associated with moving the council laboratory to a new location.

The overwhelming majority of residents who took part in an extensive consultation process supported the draft Jetty Foreshores Masterplan.  I don’t believe that council has the financial resources to progress the Jetty Foreshores Precinct in the timeframe that our community expects.

I look forward to continuing to work constructively with Council to keep improving our city and our region.