Wollongong City Council voted unanimously last night to remove the Draft Master Plan for Bald Hill Reserve from exhibition to allow for further consultation and a new design to be drawn up.
Council has resolved to establish a charrette or workshop including Councillors, council officers, as well as representatives from a number of the different groups who have a stake in what happens at Bald Hill including residents, business owners and tourism bodies. This group will work on a new concept design for the site which will then go on exhibition for the whole community to consider.
Wollongong City Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery OAM said that the charrette would consider a number of issues in developing a new design for the site.
“The site attracts thousands of visitors and locals each year. Tourism Wollongong has found that on average during the 2010/2011 summer about 2,400 people visited the site each week. The current amenities are inadequate and require connection to Sydney Water,” Cr Bradbery said.
“Council has to ensure that the access to the site is available for all people. The current amenities are substandard and don’t meet accessibility requirements. Council has a duty to ensure that the toilets can be accessed by people with a disability.
“Regular parking conflicts occur between buses, cars and motorbikes visiting the site. We need to address these issues to ensure that the attraction of this site continues for both tourists and community members.
“There are a number of constraints on the site as there is only a small portion of the site that can be provided for car parking and tourist facilities. There is also the importance of ensuring that the flight of hang gliders and paragliders are not interrupted through any design works on the site.”
“I look forward to working with representatives of user groups of the site and the local community to develop a plan that will enhance the site for visitors and locals for generations to come.”
Council intends to convene the group before the end of the year with draft concepts coming back in early 2012 followed by further community consultation.