Catherine Hill Bay Precincts Master Plan

The Catherine Hill Bay Community Working Group (established specifically for the Precincts Master Plan project) met for the fourth and final time via Microsoft Teams on Tuesday 16 August 2022.

Apologies were received from: Kim McEwan and Wayne Phillip.

The key aim of the meeting was for the Community Working Group to receive a broad overview of the themes received during the exhibition period for the draft Catherine Hill Bay Precincts Master Plan and to be advised of the next steps. The meeting was also an opportunity to seek feedback from the Community Working Group in relation to the project engagement processes.

Key areas of discussion following the exhibition period included:

• General support for the exhibited draft master plans
• Ensuring the rich mining history of the local area can be recognised via specific visual markers and interpretive elements
• Providing for facilities necessary to establish and integrate the community garden area
• Ensuring a focus on the acquisition of land required to implement the master plans
• A desire for the implementation process to proceed as rapidly as possible and to pursue all funding opportunities.

It is expected the draft master plan will be the subject of a report to Council in September recommending adoption.

The priorities for implementation include land acquisition processes across both precincts and investigative studies to inform the detailed design required for the community hub at the Middle Camp precinct.

The Community Working Group has been an integral part of this project and Council looks forward to continuing to engage with the community as the master plan is progressed.

Apologies were received from: Damien Hawcroft, Virginia Ryan and Kate Hill.

The aim of this meeting was to further discuss the draft concept plans as part of the second round of community consultation.

Key discussion points were:

• Support for parking at the SLSC precinct and although National Parks and Wildlife (NPWS) indicated that it was not available, there was still a desire for overflow or coach parking on the NPWS land.
• Preference for a café, opposed to a basic kiosk, at the SLSC. The Avoca SLSC was cited as a good example of a café layout.
• Need for play opportunities, including natural play elements at the SLSC precinct.
• Strong support for the community hub at Middle Camp and the smaller scale of buildings that are sympathetic to the adjoining houses. There was some discussion on the potential uses of the community buildings including artists, a men’s/women’s tool shed.
• Support for the opportunity presented in the concept plans to reimagine the former bowling green as a community space. Overall, it was thought that the scale and vernacular has been well considered at Middle Camp.
• Disagreement with the extent of car parking proposed at Middle Camp and that this could create a precedence for the developer who owns the adjoining land. If the extent of car parking at Middle Camp was to occur, this was noted as the areas between labels ‘11’ and ‘15’ could come at a later stage, if needed at all. There were comments that the car parking along the access road at labelled ’17’ is not needed, although toilets in the vicinity, possibly at the cemetery, would be welcome
• Outdoor showers at the SLSC, although it was noted that this would not be indicated on the Concept Plan but looked at as part of the detailed design phase.

The Catherine Hill Bay Community Working Group met at Catherine Hill Bay SLSC on Wednesday 25 May 2022.

Apologies were received from: Kate Hill and Kent McTyer.

The key aim of the meeting was for the Community Working Group (CWG) to receive the outcomes of the second phase of community consultation on the concept plan which was took place during March - April 2022, and to enable discussion around how the consultation outcomes could inform the draft Master Plan.

The CWG were pleased with progress and looked forward to the next stages of the project.

It is expected the draft Master Plan will be the subject of a report to Council in July recommending public exhibition of the draft Master Plan. The CWG will meet again following the exhibition of the draft Master Plan.

After every meeting, Council will continue to provide an update of the CWG meetings, so that all members of the community are kept in the loop.

Council looks forward to continuing to engage with all members of the community as well as the CWG in the development of the Catherine Hill Bay Precincts Master Plan.

The Catherine Hill Bay Community Working Group met for the first time on Wednesday 9 February. The Working Group, consisting of 10 community members that live or have a direct association with the Catherine Hill Bay area, spent the evening getting to know each other and setting a direction for how the group will work together over the coming months.

The Working Group discussed its purpose including to provide meaningful, representative input and feedback related to the two precinct areas at Catherine Hill Bay and discuss the project with other community members.

An overview was given of the key themes emerging from the initial consultation phase and the Working Group discussed the community outcomes that the project should aim to deliver.

The Working Group will meet again in late March during the second phase of community engagement, to review and provide feedback on the draft concept plans.

After every meeting, Council will upload an overview of the Community Working Group meeting, so that all community members are kept in the loop.

Council looks forward to continuing to engage with the community, as well as the Community Working Group, in the development of the Catherine Hill Bay Precincts Master Plan.

The members of the Community Working Group are:

• Kent McTyer
• Sue Whyte
• Wayne Phillip
• Damien Hawcroft
• Gary Brooks
• Linda Ross
• Virginia Ryan
• Kate Hill
• Kim McEwan
• Sarah Lipar