COUNCILLORS voted at Nambucca Valley Council’s general meeting last month to move the proposed footprint for a new amenity block at the end of Princess Street and River Street to the parking lot on the western side of the existing structure.
In January of 2024, NOTA reported that Council had decided on a location and resolved to engage an architect for a new River Street/Princess Street amenities block for which a grant of $474,060 had been received from the Stronger Country Communities Fund.
However, now it appears that little has been accomplished since this decision and Council staff have instead brought to the attention of councillors that the proposed site for the new facility would result in the complete destruction of a memorial garden and mature tree planted in 2009 to commemorate Joan Beaney.
The new site is lower, liable to flooding and would result in the loss of several parking spaces for the Macksville CBD but the Joan Beaney Memorial Garden would be retained as is.
“The relocation of the River Street toilet block is a grant driven process, so we have tight deadlines,” explained acting General Manager Matthew Sykes.
According to a report to council on the project delivered at this meeting, the funding has a deadline for finalisation of 31 December 2025.
Council resolved to adopt an alternate building footprint adjacent to the western side of the existing structure within the current car parking area which aligns with the intent of the adopted Macksville Foreshore Concept Master Plan.
It further resolved to proceed with detailed design activities to construct the footprint for a prefabricated amenities structure which complies with BCA requirements and to engage an architect to assist with prefabricated structure selection of the proposed new amenities and report preference back to Council
By Ned COWIE
