THE Northern Beaches Residents Association (NBRA) and Northern Beaches Chamber of Commerce are very pleased to advise that over 400 submissions have been lodged for an ICONIC and SAFE Whale Trail.

We sought responses from the Community, visitors and tourists alike; happy to have their say.

We gathered submissions in the Woolgoolga CBD and Beach Reserve. Overall Safety is an incredibly important issue at the Carrington and Pollack junction.

The Whale Trail walkway should go through the vegetation for a short distance to ensure maximum pedestrian safety at this point. (Please see the Diagrams following).

Please refer to the BLUE LINE in Diagram 1 at this intersection.

Council needs to make sure that this corner is made safe for all users.

Diagram 1 shows an orange circle where stairs are proposed and in due course access ramps are proposed for those who are disabled and with prams etc.

This will leave this tight section without greenery, encroach upon the beach area and in effect be full of structures including concrete.

It is ugly and impractical.

It would be far cheaper, environmentally friendlier and more practical to have the access point to the Whale Trail by a gradually sloping path from Ocean Street along the western side of Carrington Street (eastern side of Surf Club).

The NBRA has had experts check the feasibility of this.

In short it can be done with relative ease.

The large majority of people prefer the pathway shown by the BLUE LINE as the Whale Trail.

This is as shown in each of the Diagrams.

The consensus is that Council’s funds (and not those from Kevin Hogan) should be used to build a footpath for the car park in Pollack Esplanade.

 

By Ray WILLING, President Northern Beaches Residents Association (NBRA) and Tony ROSS, President Woolgoolga and Northern Beaches Chamber of Commerce.