MEETINGS held on January 10 and 14 at Bulahdelah Central School turned into an outpouring of anger and concern for the town’s future. The meetings were called to discuss the NSW Planning Department’s Mid North Coast strategic plan.
The government’s proposed strategy is to channel resources and growth into the area’s four major regional centres – Grafton, Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie and Taree – and six major towns – MacLean, Woolgoolga, Bellingen, Macksville, Kempsey and Forster-Tuncurry for the next 25 years.
Although not yet finalised, growth area maps are expected to be the government’s blueprint for local planning.
Under the proposal, councils will only be able to earmark land for settlement if it falls within a specified growth area or if it meets sustainability criteria.
Great Lakes Council planning department’s Roger Busby told the first meeting that council is “100 per cent behind” the growth of Bulahdelah and its population who mainly work in service jobs.
Critics blasted the proposed plan, saying the government is leaving Bulahdelah to wither.
“The plan would mean zero growth for the town. [The government is] trying to push the population to other centres,” Bulahdelah Visitor Information Centre’s Allan Freihaut said.
With plans for the Pacific Highway to bypass the town already in motion, the council-approved Down Under Brewery Resort had been hailed as a town saviour. Supporters hope the brewery will create 160 jobs, manufacturing boutique beer mainly for the export market.
The development came to a grinding halt when the NSW Department of Planning blocked land rezoning for a 200-lot subdivision on the brewery site. Great Lakes Council has already approved the rezoning, but it was railroaded by the State Government.
According to backers Brewery Australia Development, this subdivision underpins the whole project and provides the capital needed for the project to proceed.
The company had also planned a tourist complex with conference rooms, restaurants, 206 hotel suites, 105 serviced apartments, a chapel and recreational facilities.
Mr Freihaut said the government’s strategic plan put the brewery development in danger.
“The brewery will need 160 people working there at the start, and soon it will need 220,” he said.
“That might be 100 families, but there’ll be nothing here for them if the government lets it become a little ghost town.”
He pointed to Karuah as a precautionary tale.
“When Karuah was by-passed two years ago, two of the three [service stations] were closed within 24 hours,” Mr Freihaut said.
“They always told us ‘Your town will survive because of tourism.’ It’s not being allowed to survive, and we’re at the point where we’re going to block the Pacific Highway. I had to talk a few blokes out of it last week.”
The Bulahdelah Community Focus Group, of which Mr Freihaut is a member, is desperately seeking a meeting with Myall Lakes MP John Turner and the NSW Planning Department.
Email a friend