Case of missing Bateau Bay stairs continues

Following Central Coast Council’s controversial decision to remove stairs allowing access to a popular Bateau Bay reserve, Council has now barricaded the remaining set of stairs allowing access from the beach to the reserve.

The decision by Council in early September to remove the main stairs at the top of the reserve, located between Blue Lagoon Beach Resort and Shelly Beach, sparked outrage in the community.

A Council spokesperson said an inspection had revealed the timber stairs were unsafe and beyond repair and there was no other option other than to remove them.

A petition launched by the Save Our Stairs committee calling on Council to urgently fund and rebuild the stairs has attracted well over 1,000 signatures.

The Council had been advising people wanting to access the reserve to go through the Blue Lagoon Beach Resort, on to the beach, walk along the beach and use a set of stairs from the beach to the reserve.

Days later, residents were shocked to see those stairs boarded up, resulting in no access at all to the reserve.

“So basically, there is now no access to the reserve via steps,” Bateau Bay resident Lee Mowbray said.

“You can walk through Blue Lagoon in the hours they have the gate open, or you can slide down the hill from Bateau Bay Rd, or clamber up dune vegetation, which an elderly person or a mum with a pram would find very difficult.

“So here ends the public access to the reserve – so sad and so wrong.”

A Council spokesperson said the Council was currently having the beach stairs assessed by appropriate personnel to ascertain what, if any, opportunities there might be for their repair or replacement. 

“Unfortunately, leaving them open in their present condition presents a significant safety risk to members of the community who might choose to use them,” the spokesperson said.

“Council is also currently assessing options of establishing a new beach access point between the beach and the reserve, in an effort to re-establish access ahead of works to the eastern beach stairs.

“Council is also engaging with the proprietor of Blue Lagoon Beach Resort and Caravan Park to see if they would provide interim access to the reserve to the general public via their property. 

“Council is pleased to advise that the owners of Blue Lagoon Beach Resort have indicated a willingness to provide public pedestrian access through the park to the reserve between 8am and 6pm daily, noting no dogs are allowed in the park.

“They have committed to do this until such time Council is able to reinstate a safe access point to the reserve from the beach which Council is currently actively working towards.”

“Council is awaiting a response to this proposal from the owner.”

She said Council was liaising with community members to keep them informed on the actions Council was undertaking, with the aim of finding a practical solution.

Denice Barnes