Confusion over the future Tocumwal Town Beach has muddied the waters, as stakeholders struggle to create a ‘‘safe space’’ for dissenting views.
Last week a series of posts were published on Tocumwal social media forums suggesting that the beach would soon close to campers.
Though unsubstantiated, it exposed an ongoing rift among Tocumwal residents.
While some were appalled at the mere suggestions of turning away campers, others supported the speculated move.
Though confirming there had been no decision to close Town Beach to campers, Berrigan Shire Council CEO Karina Ewer said there must be investment at the beach to meet standards that would allow camping to continue.
The level of investment required was identified during a review, following complaints last year regarding grey water disposal and visitor over population at the beach.
The Town Beach management committee credits campers and visitors with generating about $1.2 million towards the town’s annual tourism revenue.
‘‘We (committee members) always refer visitors to local attractions at the point of sale,’’ committee chairman Ross Bodey said.
‘‘We estimate that each visitor contributes an estimated $90 of daily spend back into the community.’’
But some want the site closed to campers permanently.
Now, Berrigan Shire Council claims it is struggling to accommodate the varying views within the community.
‘‘There has been a lot of significant change in legislation since that site was opened, and over the years we’ve heard a lot of complaints, and compliments, regarding town beach,’’ Ms Ewer said.
‘‘So it is clear to council that we do have to spend money in that area, but what we don’t know is what the town actually wants.
‘‘We can hear loudly from two groups of people, but we need to understand what the broader community actually want from that site.’’
The issue, Ms Ewer explained, is providing a safe and constructive forum to accommodate that feedback.
‘‘Council had intended to hold a public meeting on the subject, however the issue has become very emotive due to significant misinformation,’’ she said.
‘‘I cannot, therefore, provide a safe space for opposing views to have a real conversation, nor can I guarantee my staff wont be attacked regardless of the outcome.’’
The alternative, tabled as a last-minute addition to councils’ March meeting, was a short survey limited to Tocumwal residents and stakeholders.
‘‘We are keeping the responses to only Tocumwal people so that outsiders do not drown out the voices of the people council actually need to hear from — they are the ones most affected,’’ said Ms Ewer.
The brief survey asks just three questions.
The first confirms the respondent’s association with Tocumwal; i.e resident, worker or business owner.
The second asks respondents whether they prefer town beach be ‘‘an accessible campsite on the river’’ or, ‘‘a redeveloped space that provides residents and non-camping visitors with convenient access’’.
The third asks for written commentary and ‘constructive feedback’ regarding Town Beach generally.
Though Ms Ewer was hesitant to explain what council’s involvement would be moving forward, she did admit there were key facilities requiring change.
Among these were toilet facilities, waste management (including grey water disposal), and a new approach to managing visitor limits — which is required under current legislation.