EMOTIONS boiled over at Port Stephens Council last week in debate about a new plan of management for Boomerang Park.
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The plan will enable more diverse use of the Raymond Terrace park and make provision for development of a men’s shed and seniors housing.
But the plan has met staunch opposition from community members and certain councillors.
“It’s been all about what you’ve wanted, Mr Mayor, since 1997,” Cr Peter Kafer shouted before a packed gallery.
He proceeded to rip the plan in half.
“As far as I’m concerned this plan of management isn’t worth anything.”
The act drew cheers from the gallery and a swift response from the mayor, Cr Bruce MacKenzie.
“Get you’re facts straight, I wasn’t on council in 1997,” he said.
But he was.
In the article, Housing plan for Boomerang Park: Councillors call for report on idea (September 3, 1997) Cr MacKenzie said that developing a “minor part” of the park would allow the rest to be improved.
“Boomerang Park is where this council’s chambers ought to have been,” he said.
“If the ward councillors want a bit of quick money the eastern side of the park would make beaut residential spots.”
He went on to say the park was a “hot, dusty heap of garbage” in summer.
The plan of management was adopted 6-3. Councillors Peter Kafer, Geoff Dingle and John Nell were against.
Members of the Boomerang Park Action Group shouted, “shame, shame”, “you’re a bunch of puppets”, and “worst council in history”.
The group maintains the park has vast European heritage, and it has produced Aboriginal artifacts from the site that speak to the site’s indigenous history.
Port Stephens Council received a letter from the Office of Environment on Heritage on April 19 after the Aboriginal artifacts were brought to its attention.
The council acknowledged the letter in a supplement to Tuesday night’s agenda.
“The OEH suggests that council amend the ‘Review of Boomerang Park Heritage Significance and Aboriginal Heritage Due Diligence Assessment’,” the supplement read.
The council added this phrase to the plan of management: “Aboriginal objects that had been removed from Boomerang Park in the 1970s and 1980s were recovered by OEH in March 2016. These Aboriginal objects are now in the care of Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council and their current location and provenance is registered on the Aboriginal Heritage Information Management System.”
