Warneet resident and business owner Granger Burnett is unhappy about the decision to redevelop Tooradin’s port instead of Warneet’s.
By Melissa Meehan
THE Department of Sustainability and Environment has overlooked Warneet as part of the State Government’s plan to redevelop access points to Western Port.
At a meeting held last week, local groups discussed an overview of a plan to redevelop the future of boating facilities across the state, including an announcement of plans to upgrade Tooradin and Hastings to regional facilities.
Members from Warneet Water Ski, Warneet Association, Blind Bight Boat Owners, Warneet Yacht Club, Warneet Motor Yacht Club, Friends of Warneet Association and staff from Warneet Bait and Tackle attended the meeting.
Central Coast Board executive officer Jacqui McLeod said during the meeting that the board acknowledged a lack of funding for facilities had resulted in a large maintenance backlog across Western Port.
She said the board would be mindful of residents’ thoughts in relation to the development, a point which was hotly contested by the Warneet Association members.
Members accused the board of “wrecking the village” and demanded it “fix the mess it already made by causing massive increases in cars and boat trailers swamping Warneet” without providing infrastructure upgrades to deal with them.
Parks Victoria regional director Stuart Ord told the meeting that the board was aware road upgrades and parking provisions were needed to be included in the redevelopment of ports.
“As the Stony Point, Hastings and Mornington side of the peninsula jetties have become busier, more people are seeking to launch at Tooradin and Warneet – the problem of jetty overcrowding would only get worse,” Mr Ord said.
Warneet resident and owner of Warneet Bait and Tackle Granger Barnett said he was outraged that Warneet had been overlooked as a regional facility.
He said it was obvious that the regulatory bodies had not consulted locals when making the decision to upgrade Tooradin.
“Out of the 38 people who attended the meeting, only one said that they had been consulted about the plans, but that was over four years ago,” Mr Burnett said.
“We have 10,000 boats launch from Warneet each year.
“It’s hard for me to understand why Tooradin, that would probably have less than a quarter of those launches, would be chosen over Warneet.”
Mr Burnett believes Warneet would be a better regional facility than Tooradin because of its accessibility to the Western Port.
“We have a wide channel that is only three kilometres from the bay, but if you go to Tooradin you have to travel 13km to the bay. It’s a difficult channel to navigate, too,” Mr Burnett said.
Lisa Glover, the media adviser for Hastings MP Neale Burgess, said although the MP Burgess was pleased plans to upgrade access to Western Port had been put forward, he was disappointed that Warneet had been overlooked.
After the full plan was outlined at the meeting, residents were disappointed to learn the State Government had not allocated any funding to implement the redevelopments.
Presenters were unable to indicate where funding would come from, other than indicating that private funding would be encouraged.
