Residents hoping for State Government support in convincing Central Coast Council to buy back land at Ourimbah from Newcastle University have been disappointed by the refusal of Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig to intervene.
Formerly the site of a heritage-listed Nissen Hut which was demolished earlier this year, the block was donated to the university in 1992 by the Ourimbah School of Arts.
The hut itself was originally to be dismantled and re-erected on an alternative site at the Ourimbah campus, but the university deemed the building unsalvageable after dismantling began in April.
The university is now undecided on what is to happen to the prime block of land, with residents agitating for it to be returned to the community.
The university and Central Coast Council are in discussions on its future.
Member for The Entrance David Mehan, who has been championing the residents, presented an e-petition containing more than 500 signatures calling for the land’s return to the community to State Parliament in May.
Because there were more than 500 signatures, the Minister was compelled to give a response.
But his reply offers little joy.
Hoenig said the Local Government Act 1933 did not give him, or his office, wide-ranging powers to intervene in the affairs of individual councils.
“The act also does not provide me the power to direct Council to acquire or dispose of land holdings,” he said in his response.
“Councils are largely independent and self-governing bodies with discretions, rights and powers conferred by law.”
Hoenig said he had written to Council Administrator Rik Hart to advise him of the petition submitted to the House in order for Council to consider the community sentiment as he considered the best path forward.
“As the tier of local government closest to the community, councils are responsible for deciding how to (use) resources to best meet the current and future needs of the local community,” Hoenig said.
After the hut was dismantled, University Chief Operating Officer David Toll said the final stage of work on the site would be levelling the area and laying turf to improve the amenity and safety of the site for public use in the immediate future.
“The university continues to have very productive discussions with Central Coast Council around the longer-term use of the site, which we hope to be able to provide an update on over the coming months,” he said last month.
A Central Coast Council spokesperson confirmed that discussions were continuing with the University of Newcastle in relation to future of the site, with the aim to achieve the best outcome for the community.
“In the meantime Council can confirm that the public amenities will continue to remain open,” the spokesperson said.
The Ourimbah Region Residents Association (ORRA) has been pushing for public retention of the land.
President Di Willard said earlier this year that since the site had been given to the university by the people of Ourimbah, ORRA believed an arrangement should be made to keep it in public hands.
“We are suggesting that the site could be used as a carpark for overflow parking for the Ourimbah shops and/or a public recreation green space,” she said.
“We believe there is a moral obligation on the university to return this land to the people of Ourimbah.”
Terry Collins