Six years  ago the motel at the end of the estate decided it wanted to make extensions to its business, change it into a hotel with alcohol and gambling facilities. The community did not want this.

We wrote submissions, employed some lawyers and presented our stories to a sitting of the Land and Environment Court.

The court verdict came down on our side. Power to the people.

 They agreed that this community had enough gambling and alcohol outlets, and that all research shows that the more of these you have, the higher the rate of crime and domestic violence.

Recently we learnt the new owners seemingly now want to do the same as before, only much bigger, and also include a petrol station and a 24-hour food outlet with a drive-through.  

The houses that live very close to the motel will have their peaceful existence ruined.

The owners will say that is not what will happen, but if they are investing $2.5 million, that is exactly what they need to happen in order to recoup their investment in my opinion.

The two big fig trees that grow out the front of the property, having been planted more than 100 years ago, will likely be severely damaged by the construction and then by the compaction of the soil surrounding them by the big increase in trucks and cars crossing the surrounding land.

So, the community takes up the battle again.

Is this democracy in action?

Faye Clark

Heatherbrae

Boomerang Park has been nurtured by the Port Stephens Community into a beautiful public open space.

Hundreds of trees have been planted since the 1960s.

These overlays of plantings respected the people, the town and the environment.

The year 2000 saw the implementation of the Boomerang Park Plan of Management which reinforced Port Stephens Council’s commitment to caring for our environment and our iconic koalas stating that “the subject site shall be promoted and valued as habitat for koalas” and “[it] is important that existing koala habitat in the park is protected and that additional koala habitat is restored via re-vegetation”.

So why is the council so intent on ignoring our vulnerable species and destroying Boomerang Park?

The damage to date is three koala food trees lost to the senior citizens carpark, three koala food trees and two habitat trees to another threatened species for the playground.

Future planned developments including the Men’s Shed, six trees initially and potentially 20, nine for the croquet lawns, 86 for the residential subdivision and then there is the 100 carpark spaces – doesn’t leave much park for the community or the vulnerable species does it?

Boomerang Park is an extraordinary unique green open space that must be cared for, protected and valued by our community for future generations. Decades of valuable growth cannot simply be replaced.

Removing any trees in a heritage listed public park that contains threatened species is short sighted, unacceptable and just plain wrong.

Remember the song My Boomerang won’t come back?

Once it’s gone your Boomerang Park won’t come back.

To get involved please email  info@boomerangpark.org or you can see for yourself on our Facebook page, Boomerang Park Action Group, the amount of work residents have achieved in the park.

Alternatively, you can phone 0448 295 237 or 0407 015 867 if you want further information or to participate in the park’s preservation.

Jillian Lye

Raymond Terrace