Mr PETER BESSELING (Port Macquarie) [1.57 p.m.]: Like the beautiful city of Sydney that rests along the shores of the truly magnificent Sydney Harbour, the jewel in the crown for the Port Macquarie community is our magnificent foreshore. Though time and, more specifically, local development have changed the nature of the foreshore, it remains a relatively open public recreation area that attracts locals and visitors alike to enjoy its natural beauty from sun-up to sundown. At any given time during the day people are casually walking along the foreshore, running for fitness or they are out on the Hastings River on a ski, kayak or boat. The foreshore reserve continues all the way through to the magnificent Town Beach where surfboards and bodyboards rule the waves. The community affinity with the foreshore continues into the evening where fishers, diners and even budding astronomers make use of this marvellous community asset.

There have been numerous attempts to define and manage the Port Macquarie foreshore, including the latest incarnation put forward to the community for public consideration and comment by the Lands and Property Management Authority in March of this year and designed by the New South Wales Government Architect's Office. This plan of management references reports that date back as far as 1987 and shows that in 23 years, despite the dollars spent on consultants and reports and despite the efforts of the local community to protect and enhance the value of the foreshore, no one document has been produced that defines the future of Port Macquarie's greatest asset.
The most comprehensive plan that has been undertaken throughout this period, and the report upon which the latest draft plan of management was loosely based, was a report prepared by MacroPlan Australia in January 2009 for the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council titled "Port Macquarie Foreshore—Final Vision and Masterplan". The report outlined the proposed vision, character statements and the final Port Macquarie foreshore plan, and was the result of broad community consultation, including two workshops held on 13 June 2008, the Port Macquarie Foreshore Summit held on 19 June 2008, and a further focus group workshop held on 31 July 2008, which was attended by 30 representatives of key groups to provide comment and input on the revised vision idea and potential design options for the foreshore.

A community open day followed on 27 September 2009, and the public exhibition period ran from 27 September to 7 November 2008. More than 1,500 letters containing comments and feedback from Port Macquarie residents and businesses were received by Port Macquarie-Hastings Council. At the same time a petition with more than 16,000 signatures opposing the commercial development of Port Macquarie's foreshore was tabled in State Parliament. A further two-week exhibition period from 28 November 2008 resulted in the receipt of 52 submissions. On 17 December 2008, after assessment of all comments, the council made final changes to the Port Macquarie foreshore master plan.

The master plan was designed to be used as a framework for discussions with the Department of Lands in the plan of management process—a comprehensive community consultation process that should be respected by the Lands and Property Management Authority. Key elements of this process led to council adoption of the Port Macquarie foreshore master plan and administrator's minute of November 2008, with the future of Westport Park including the boat trailer and car park area of chief concern. It is the clear will of the community, the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council and all community members of the Minister's Foreshore Lands Advisory Group that the rezoning for commercial purposes of that part of Westport Park known as the "expression of interest site" is not supported.

The draft plan of management of the Land and Property Management Authority on public exhibition this year clearly did not reflect the wishes of the Port Macquarie community despite overwhelming consultation during the MacroPlan planning process. The Lands and Property Management Authority should provide clear direction on this and respect the obvious wishes of the general public. Ample opportunity has been had to gather information and opinion. The entire exercise is at risk on stalling due to paralysis by analysis. A total of 29 reports were referred to in the draft management plan of the Land and Property Management Authority, including 18 reports prepared for the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council and five reports for State Government departments, not including the current draft plan of management. I look forward to a final plan of management for the Port Macquarie foreshore that is comprehensive in its approach to protecting the future public use of the area and reflective of the wishes of the people of Port Macquarie.
 

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