YOUR SUBMISSIONS NEEDED BY 26 MAY 2026!
Foreshore For All is opposed to Property Development NSW’s planning proposal, however it is still necessary to comment on the suitability of this VPA. This deal is not good enough. The community deserves certainty and public benefit must come first.
Voluntary Planning Agreement – What is This About
A Voluntary planning agreement (VPA) is negotiated between a planning authority (like the City of Coffs Harbour) and a developer. VPAs are legal agreements made in connection with a planning proposal (PP) or development application (DA).
In this case, the Jetty Foreshore VPA is between the City of Coffs Harbour Council and PDNSW (Property Development NSW) and is being used to determine the amount of funding the State Government will contribute towards improvements to the existing Jetty Foreshore open space, should the rezoning go ahead, and the conditions that apply to the payment of those contributions.
FFA has examined the detail in the Jetty Foreshore VPA and has identified shortcomings and ambiguous information. FFA believes the VPA will not deliver the improvements as promoted in the Rezoning Proposal displayed in June 2025, and will not provide the outcomes that the Coffs Harbour community demands and deserves. Read on for information to include in your submission and how to lodge your submission.
WHY THIS DEAL DOES NOT DELIVER FOR COFFS
Remember when the community was asked to support PDNSW’s Coffs Harbour Jetty Foreshore Draft Masterplan?
We were presented with all the pretty pictures of parklands, water play areas, sports courts and a wonderful boardwalk. We were asked if we would give up vacant land for a row of multi-storey dwellings, if it meant that we were provided with these improvements to the existing parklands.
1. No guaranteed commitment to parkland and other improvements.
None of what was shown in the proposal pictures is guaranteed in the Voluntary Planning Agreement. There is no guaranteed water play area, no guaranteed Regional Park, no guaranteed sports courts. The likelihood of the mentioned improvements ever arriving is low, considering the small amount of funding PDNSW is contributing towards these works. PDNSW only have concept plans, not binding commitments. Nothing is set in concrete. The community is being asked to accept certainty when it comes to development, while being offered uncertainty when it comes to public benefit.
2. Car parking now included in the $8.2 million for parkland improvements. The $8.2m offered by PDNSW in the VPA will now cover car parking as well as water playgrounds and other improvements.
Part of the publicly exhibited planning proposal documents identified infrastructure items to be delivered in the precinct, staged in line with development over the next 20 years. This report detailed $8.2 million for local infrastructure works at the North Park, Central Park and the Village Green and open space embellishment. This report also detailed public car parking spaces (approximately 1596 spaces) as development costs to be delivered as part of the development – that is, as a separate item, not part of the $8.2 million offer. Now the VPA includes the construction of the public car parking spaces as part of the $8.2 million, leaving a hole in the funding that is supposed to deliver any improvements for the Coffs Harbour community.
Another detail found in the VPA: The Parties may, by agreement in writing, vary the Contribution Value allocated to any individual Work item in Part B of Schedule 1, provided that the aggregate of all Contribution Values for Works in Part B of Schedule 1, as so varied, does not at any time exceed $8,200,000. So, for example, if the public domain works for North Park exceed $1.9 million, money can be taken from the Jetty Hub area or the Village Centre – meaning the community may miss out on the potential water play area or regional park.
3. Previously proposed infrastructure items have been removed from the proposal.
The southern boardwalk and the pedestrian walkway over the railway connected to the activity hub have formed part of the PDNSW Coffs Jetty Revitalisation since at least 2021. These community consulted and exhibited pedestrian connections, integral to the foreshores, are now proposed to be delivered by Government funding/grant funding – not by PDNSW as part of the development. There is no guarantee they will be delivered at all and certainly not by PDNSW as part of the development.
4. Land potentially fenced off and inaccessible for many years or decades before any improvements are delivered.
The first Foreshore area for improvement appears to be the North Park area (the current gravel car park). Here we are apparently getting a formalised car park (some 200 spaces) and a new open space/recreation area. That’s shown as Stage 2A in the Staging Plan. This works package has to be completed prior to the issue of the final occupation certificate for the North Park residential building. This means that even the first car parking area could be many years or decades away.
Next is the Jetty Hub and Car Park – getting rid of two current car parks and building a new car park west of Jordan Esplanade, Improving existing open space and POTENTIAL water play area. These works are to be completed prior to the issue of the final occupation certificate for the Stage 3 residential/tourist accommodation buildings.
Last is the Village Centre – Improvements to the central portion of the existing open space with a POTENTIAL new ‘regional’ playground. Realigning Jordan Esplanade to create a village green. These works are to be completed prior to the final occupation certificate for Stage 4 of the development.
We have been told that this is a 20-year project. Given that statement, let’s say each development stage could take 4 years, though it could be much longer, we have no idea what Stage 5 of the staging plan is. It doesn’t seem to rate a mention.
Many people out there would have had it in their minds that improvements to the foreshore parklands would be one of the first things done. A bit of goodwill perhaps. Unfortunately, it would seem that these improvements won’t be seen for some years. You could almost be forgiven for thinking that, in light of the staging plans, that the improvement to the parklands are being done for the occupants of the buildings, not for the community.
In the meantime, once the land is rezoned and put up for sale then we assume the various lots will be fenced off. This denies the public a considerable amount of land that is currently used for parking and other activities. Though we might like to think things will happen fast, a recent report in the SMH detailed the 48 blocks sold by the State Government to date having only received 5 Development Applications. The Jetty developments will be expensive and difficult build projects, so any purchaser will need to feel they can gain definite returns. Is this possible in the current economic climate? If a purchaser is not inclined to take on the development immediately, the Coffs Community will be left with no improvements at all and the loss of valuable open public recreation space, potentially for many years or decades.
The VPA’s staging plan makes it evident the timing of improvements will more than likely be staggered over many, many years, if they happen at all. The community’s wishes have been ignored again. The VPA must include commitments with firm timelines to provide infrastructure for the community benefit.
WHAT OUR COUNCIL SHOULD BE INSISTING ON
- That the southern boardwalk and pedestrian walkway over the railway connected to the activity hub be included in the VPA as Public Domain Works and costed accordingly.
- That public car parking spaces for the North Park and Jetty Hub be excluded from the draft VPA offer of $8.2 million public domain works, these works to be undertaken separately by PD NSW and delivered as part of the development in accordance with the exhibited infrastructure schedule FPD Planning 27 February 2025.
- That all Public Domain Works plus public car parking spaces be completed prior to issue of the first Subdivision Certificate (ie, prior to the development lots being offered for sale). This would see immediate community benefits and use of the revitalised foreshore precinct rather than a drip feed over several decades.
- Clearly outline exactly what the community will receive for the $8.2m contribution, with firm commitments to a timeline.
- A commitment that ratepayers will not have to pay for completion of works when the $8.2m runs out.
Preservation of RE1 Public Recreation land.
Your Submission needs to reach council by Tuesday 26th May 2026.
LET THE CITY OF COFFS HARBOUR COUNCIL AND PDNSW KNOW WHY THEY NEED TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND GIVE US A FAIR DEAL
How to Lodge Your Submission
- Online: Have Your Say – Coffs Harbour Council
- Email: coffs.council@chcc.nsw.gov.au
- Post: Locked Bag 155, Coffs Harbour NSW 2450
Help Us Get The Word Out
Share this as far and wide as you can!
We hope to be at the Sunday Foreshore Markets on Sunday 17th and 24th May (weather permitting) and will have flyers there for you to collect to distribute to friends and family.
Flyers will also be available at The Happy Frog from Monday 18th May.
NB: If you are putting flyers in letterboxes PLEASE respect No Junk Mail signs and do not put a flyer in those boxes. Many thanks for all your continued support.
HAVE YOUR SAY. DON’T LET THIS OPPORTUNITY GO BY.
