North Wall Car Park Upgrade Project

Hi Local. Yes. The concept designs for the North Wall Car Park Upgrade were forwarded to the Coffs Harbour and District Local Aboriginal Land Council and the Yandaarra Aboriginal Advisory Committee for review and comment, prior to finalisation of the designs.

Thank you for your question CH. The car park design and traffic management gives consideration to the traffic movements and needs of the site, and has been designed with input from NSW Police, traffic engineer and approved by the Coffs Harbour Traffic Committee, which includes representatives of emergency services. Council does not manage the railway land.

Hi Lindy.The Coffs Harbour Local Government Area offers numerous locations where people can sit in their vehicles to watch the ocean. There is abundant parking with views at the southern side of the Harbour, offering views from car parks facing the Harbour and also at Gallows Beach, facing the ocean. The North Wall Car Park is being relocated and expanded, to include two dedicated accessible car parking spaces and additional general parking. Relocation opens the foreshore up for passive recreation so that more people - tourists and locals - may enjoy the ocean views from that particular location. A small number of trees are to be removed and there will be compensatory replanting to replace them.

Thank you, Andy. I will advise the Team re consideration of prevailing winds - while N/E and S/E winds are prevailing winds in Spring and Summer, North Wall beach is a preferred swimming/surfing location in a Southerly wind, as the wall provides protection for the ocean. 

Hi Terry. Thank you for your question.

Under the NSW Local Government Act 1993, Council is required, as Crowns Lands Reserve Manager to: Maintain the foreshore area as a transition area between the aquatic and the terrestrial environment, and to protect all functions associated with the foreshore’s role as a transition area, and; to facilitate the ecologically sustainable use of the foreshore, and to mitigate the impact on the foreshore by community use. 

While it is recognised that the existing small car park serves as a viewing location, this is for a small number of vehicles only. The new car park will provide additional parking, including parking for people with a disability. By relocating the car park, we open up that foreshore area to be more accessible to a greater number of people to enjoy the views and participate in recreational activities. 

Four new short-term car parking spaces are proposed in the Concept Design, on Marina Drive and close to the North Wall for quick surf checks of the North Wall conditions.

Car lights are required to be used by motor vehicles during night time for vehicular and pedestrian safety. The new car park design is located west of the current car park, further from Muttonbird Island than the existing car park, and the new parking configurations diversifies parking orientation. Demand for parking in this new location is not expected to be at peak during periods of low light or at night time when lighting is required for safety. It should be noted that any birds flying towards land from Muttonbird at night would sight a variety of lighting from homes and other structures, passing traffic and street lighting. Fixed lighting at the new North Wall Car Park is designed with the same principles for downlighting that are approved and in use at the new Jetty4Shores precinct completed in recent years. Thank you for your question.

Car headlamps are required for pedestrian and motorist safety at night time. Vehicle headlamps are among a variety of lights present in Coffs Harbour at night. National Parks and Wildlife Service has been advised of the plans for the car park upgrade. Thank you for your question.

Hi Tammy. Thank you for your comments and questions. The land marked Railroad Lands is the property of the Australian Rail Track Corporation. The land that is identified for the North Wall Car Park Upgrade and foreshore enhancements is part of the Jetty Foreshore Crown Reserve (Crown Lands), managed by Council as Crown Lands Manager for that area. The North Wall section of the Reserve is named as the North Wall Foreshore. The concept designs for North Wall have been forwarded to relevant NSW Government agencies and to the NSW Government's Jetty Foreshores Community Project Advisory Steering Committee, which informs the NSW Government's planning for the overall Jetty Foreshores. Landscaping for North Wall Foreshore is to feature species endemic to the North Coast.

Hi Gabrielle. Thank you for your question. It is planned that we will remove 8 x mature trees to allow for the car park footprint and construction works. Where possible all mature trees are being retained. Any that will be removed will be replaced in the upgrade, as a minimum on a 1:1 basis, with locally sourced native species appropriate to the site conditions. The planned upgrade includes the provision of 1 x picnic table with shelter, and additional tree planting strategically placed to provide shade to seating areas. Council is limited on the construction of additional formal shade structures due to the presence of the Sewer Rising Main.  

Hi Stan. The slipway is a NSW Government project and not under the management or control of Coffs Harbour City Council.