Decision makers behind rezoning of Coffs jetty foreshore asked to meet with Gumbaynggirr elders first

Government planning ministers have been asked to walk on country at the Coffs Harbour jetty foreshore alongside Gumbaynggirr elders before making any final decisions about a contested rezoning proposal.

What happened: City of Coffs Harbour councillors voted unanimously during a November 27 meeting, agreeing to write to Paul Scully, Minister for Lands and Public Spaces and Stephen Kamper, Minister for Lands and Property, about the importance of meeting with elders to discuss a jetty foreshore rezoning proposal while connecting to country and listening to traditional owners.

What’s the reason: Councillor Tony Judge brought the Notice of Motion to council, saying the Garlambirla Guuuyu-Girwaa elders have expressed their “strong opposition” to private residential development at the Jetty Foreshore Precinct on Gumbaynggirr country, and “their voices must be heard”.

• "We talk about reconciliation,” Judge said. “The problem with reconciliation is that it's a noun, not a verb. It requires action.”

Why it matters: Judge said the motion was about getting the two responsible ministers to visit Coffs Harbour and “walk on country” with Gumbaynggirr elder, Reg Craig “as a representative of the Garlambirla elders”.

• “What [Reg Craig] is asking is for the ministers, instead of sitting behind a computer or listening to public servants or consultants, to actually come up here and walk with a representative of the Indigenous community here. To spend some time down there, to feel a breeze on their face, to walk along the jetty foreshores, to hear what he has to say about the sacred sites down there, to actually look at them and understand them,” Judge said during the meeting.

• Concerns noted during the meeting on behalf of the elders include the impact of a major light source on nesting mutton birds in the area, as well as a sacred site near Muttonbird Island.

Councillor Jonathan Cassell spoke of having elders’ perspectives pointed out by Craig while walking on country he hadn't previously seen.

• “They see the land differently…. they've got a different connection,” Cassell said.

Quick refresh: The Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure first received a Rezoning Proposal from Property and Development NSW (PDNSW) for the Coffs Harbour Jetty Foreshore Precinct under the State Significant Rezoning Policy. 

• The proposal aims to amend the Coffs Harbour Local Environmental Plan 2013 to rezone the area and develop approximately 250 homes and 200 tourist accommodation rooms, as well as commercial spaces and public open space.

Nationals leader backs the foreshore: Speaking to the Mid North Coaster, leader of the NSW Nationals and Coffs Harbour MP Gurmesh Singh said he has been “a strong supporter” of the project from the beginning.

He believes the redevelopment will improve economic opportunities, helping young people to stay living and working in the area.

Singh believes the project is something Coffs Harbour needs.

“We've got a foreshore area that's very undeveloped at the moment. It used to be an industrial site going back 40 years. It's sat there doing nothing for the last 40 and finally, we have a plan that limits development to six storeys. It activates the area. It'll bring some new tourist accommodation to the space. It retains a massive parkland,” Singh said. 

Acknowledging strong community views on both sides of the argument, Singh said the planning proposal develops the land that is the “least desirable for recreation” next to the train tracks.

What next: Councillors agreed they would write to the ministers late December if a meeting had not yet taken place. Judge said he believed both ministers had given assurance they’d visit by the end of the year.

• “I just think the weight of a letter from council will help,” Judge said.

Final say sits with the government: The Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure will determine the rezoning proposal, not the local council.

• The Department is now reviewing the feedback provided during the public exhibition, which ran between May 19 and June 30.

• The timeframe to assess submissions generally ranges from 6 to 9 months. 

Once all submissions are reviewed, the department will request Property and Development NSW (PDNSW) prepare a response.

Thumbnail: Coffs Jetty Revitalisation Draft Masterplan artists impressions. NSW Government website.