Crescent Head community unite to say 'no' to a ring road

Colan Ryan, Secretary Manager Crescent Head Country Club (CHCC)

• Golf commenced at the Crescent Head golf course in the 1930s.
• There was no mention of a ring road in the Plan of Management (POM)that went on public exhibition and received 1286 public submissions in the support of the POM and CHCC obtaining a new Lease
• Mr Ryan handed Councillor Wyatt written signed submissions from 27 Businessesand nine community groups in Crescent Head who all oppose the road.
• The current lease runs out in 2027, however, the club still requests a renewed 21-year-lease before that in order to plan for the future in regard to asset purchases, construction works, government funds granted and future grant applications. "When running a business and making plans certainty is crucial on many levels."
• In response to comments on traffic and congestion, Mr Ryan said "the only time there is ever any traffic on Reserve Road is during peak holiday time on a Saturday, changeover day, and the traffic is caravans. So, it is not a Crescent Head problem - it is a Caravan Park problem, which is a Kempsey Shire Council problem."
• "The choice is simple, do you want a road or do you want a golf course?"
• "Crescent Head Country Club will continue to do everything possible to ensure the Crescent Head golf course is respected, reserved, enjoyed and remains in community hands."
• "The road would see the loss of competitive golf and would mean the lease would be un-viable for the Country Club."
• "There are many things that could be fixed in Kempsey [Shire], but when I walk out on our magnificent six-hole golf course with an Australian rating, and look out over a national surfing reserve, I do not see anything that needs fixing."

Cara Dale, Project Manager, C2 Hills Consultancy, representative of CHCC

• Project manager of the Evacuation and Emergency Centre and Social Hub
• CHCC has put up to $5million of cash and bank loans toward the $4million grant from the government.
• The club has been working on getting a renewed 21-year lease from KSC for eight years.
• Losing the golf course would be 'priceless'; "How do you put a price on something everyone enjoys?"
  
• "Once a green space is gone, it's gone."
• Reduced borrowing capacity and forecast of revenue resulted in revised drawings of the planned upgrades being announced on April 4, instead of a sod-turning day.
• The $4million grant is in jeopardy. As it stands, the upgrades need to be completed by March 31, 2025.
• "When you have a project and $4million that you need to spend before March 31^st of next year, every day counts."
• Believes the loss of the golf course will result in a reduction in tourist numbers.

Michael Kemp, local MP, Member for Oxley

• Part of his role as politician is management of State Government assets, such as Crown Land.
• "My office does receive some complaints about the traffic...and certainly there's more [complaints] in relation to parking."
• Crown Land must be there for everyone, not just Crescent Head, but for NSW as a whole.
• Increase in cost of crown land - under the State Government, they do expect that it is at 'market rent'.
• Councillor Anthony Patterson is Michael Kemp's' representative on the Traffic Committee - "I do believe that is the absolute correct area to bring it up, we're talking about an issue that involves parking or flow through of traffic."
• "We cannot represent something that's not there" referring to the over 1200 submissions made in support of Plan of Management, however in the POM, there was no mention of a ring road at all, so it's only an assumption that these letter of support were due to support of no ring road (which CHCC claim).
• Has received two emails regarding the benefits of the ring road, and two conversations on the same topic. There is support of a ring road out there, however, it may not be the majority.
• Wants to consider the traffic management of Crescent Head foreshore for the future and supports a proper investigation into a ring road.
• " I certainly support an investigation, but...some of the conditions that come from my office would be that it must be able to be done without affecting the PGA rating of the golf course. That's very important to me."
• In response to Ms Dale's concerns of possibility of losing the grant due to timelines, KSC General Manager Craig Milburn has said council can get a report on the ring road (pros and cons) back within three months as a fast-track.
• Tourism money-making capacity remains important, "It is an iconic surf break and we need to make sure we have a presentable foreshore in the future."
• Supports improvement to infrastructure but not at the expense of viability of business, PGA-rating, or community support.
• "I don't think you can get a PGA rating if you put the link road through, but I'm not an expert, so I do have to wait for someone who is a PGA expert to tell us that would be affected."
• "I implore Kempsey Shire Council to sign a new lease as soon as possible."

Councillor Anthony Patterson

• Has been on the Traffic Committee for approximately 12 years, where he represents the wider community.
• "It's council's position is to enter into a 21-year lease with the country club, with a PGA rated 6-hole golf course. No issue."
• "There is no agenda here and I find it offensive that I've been ridiculed that there may be an agenda."
• "I'm here to represent the community. That community goes out to the back of Bellbrook, it goes all the way to Stuart's Point and it goes down to Tele Point. That's the community I represent."
  
• Council is the Crown Land manager, so it must represent NSW community, too.
• Called the meeting 'fantastic' because it is part of getting community feedback
• Cleared up the fact the motion that he proposed was that council wishes to receive a report back from the General Manager of the pros and cons of a possible link road. "Now no-one here, including myself, knows exactly what the road looks like...whether it's possible or not."
• "I support that that golf course stays as a six-hole PGA rated course, no question."
• "We need to look for the future."

Councillor Alexandra Wyatt

• Asked for a rescission motion from the March meeting and she was "flabbergasted" by the mention of a report into a ring road.
• Is concerned about the transparency between council staff and councillors.
• Has 30 years professional experience in land management.
• "How much change, how much hardening of our places, of these outdoor, recreation, leisure, natural places, how much change are we willing to tolerate or accept to meet our needs?'
• Carrying capacity of the land - how much can the landscape tolerate?
• "I walk around the [Crescent Head] foreshore, and you may think I'm crazy...and I can feel that this foreshore, this landscape, is tired."
• "No I don't know what a road would look like because I'm not an engineer, but I am an ecologist, and I am an environmental scientist, and I am a protected area manager and I do know what a road would look like."

Kempsey Shire Mayor Leo Hauville

• Supported the original recommendation, not the motion.
• Called the report into a ring road an idea that doesn't float.
• Hopes as a result of community representation, that there will be a unanimous decision to vote on the original recommendation to enter negotiations of a new lease with the club.
• It's not a cost free decision to investigate a ring road, it will cost staff time, and will take staff away from other important matters.

Kyle Arnott, representative of Figure it Out KSC

• "It baffles me that at a time when we've been repeatedly told that council is facing financial constraints that they are considering spending tens of thousands of dollars toward a project the community has clearly voiced opposition against."
• The financial forecast of council prompted Special Rate Variation Application to IPART, because there wasn't enough money to cover essential services and needs of the shire, yet they will spend money on an investigation into a road that "nobody in our community wants or needs."
• Called it a waste of precious resources and an unnecessary endeavour.
• "It's disheartening to witness such a disconnect between the priorities of our elected councillors and the needs of the people they serve."
• "Instead of investing in projects that would truly benefit our community and address pressing issues, we find ourselves on the brink of allocating funds to something that lacks public support and relevance."

Tim Cross, representative of Crescent Head Golf Club

• He believes that a ring road would result in a modified course of moving two greens and three tees
• It's the only six-hole course in Australia that has an Australian Golf Union rating.
• Coaching clinics are at risk

Ken Scotton, Crescent Head Resident

• He does not believe a ring road is future proofing Crescent Head, but instead will take away from the iconic scenic views of the village and golf course area, while impacting local businesses.
• Concerned about potential traffic in Rankine Street if the ring road would run through there.