Fight The Power

Catho Hill Bay might not look like this much longer.

Catherine Hill Bay (just South of Newcastle) is a jewel in the Central Coast surfing crown, waves for days, friendly locals, pristine beaches. Alas, it's under huge pressure from developers with dollar signs in their eyes.

The Catherine Hill Bay Progress Association is a group of locals who've banded together to fight beachfront development. "The Catherine Hill Bay Progress Association is not against development," Sue Whyte told ASL on their behalf. "We just say pull development back from the coast. There are laws and policies in place to protect our coast. The Coastal Protection Act; the NSW Coastal Policy 1997; the NSW Coastal Design Guidelines. Our local Council, the Lake Macquarie City Council, doesn't even want development at Catherine Hill Bay. However the developer, the Rose Group got their proposal pulled up to the State level under a planning law called Part 3A which allows the Minister to overrule everything." Seems with finite resources scummy developers will do whatever they can to pass legislation.

2006 proposal that got rejected.

The people at Catho Bay have been fighting beachfront development for years, and until now they've been winning. "One huge problem we have with this new proposal is that it's even worse than the one former Minister for Planning, Frank Sartor rejected in 2006," says Sue. "Once you allow a developer to destroy a part of the coast you have lost it forever. What is happening at Catho and Moonee is an example of what is happening along the entire coast of NSW and people have to say NO!"

New bigger proposal.

The Catherine Hill Bay Progress Association is organising a Surfers Paddle Out on Saturday 5th February at 10:00 am. If you're in the area paddle out and help the Catho locals halt the destruction of the coast.

Want more info email Sue from the Catherine Hill Bay Progress Association This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it