Brunswick Heads Rant!

February 3rd, 2025

Brunswick Heads Rant!

2025-02-03 10:01

There is lots to love about Brunswick Heads. What’s not to love about Simple Pleasures? However, there are a couple of things that need some attention.

 

Brunswick Heads Fish Coop

I spent some time at the Brunswick Heads Boat Harbour and Marina over the Xmas break. What a sorry state it is in. Eight years ago, it was closed for redevelopment, but nothing has happened since. When there are overlapping government departments, a demanding developer and stakeholders resistant to change, things can get bogged down. Anyone who has visited the marinas at Bermagui or Port Macquarie will know what a good boat harbour facility can look like. In Bruns, many moored boats look like hulks, and I worry for the occupant’s safety. Since the toilet block is closed, are all those sedentary sailors releasing raw sewage into the river? I am not swimming at Torakina anymore. That is a simple pleasure I will do without.

 

South Beach Road, Brunswick Heads

The council has released the plans to redo South Beach Road – from the bridge to the Lifesaving Club. Unfortunately, the plans released are all about car traffic and parking, but many pedestrians and bikes use that route to the beach. People I have talked to who know about these things explain that bikes and pedestrians will now have “shared access” on the road in a 10km zone. That would be fine, but apparently, there is no money to differentiate the look of the road to drivers, and it could be a safety risk.

 

Brunswick Heads Surf Lifesaving Club

Visitors to Bruns Beach will see that the Lifesaving Club is also about to be pulled down and rebuilt. This has been a long time coming, and the existing building has passed its use-by-date. Unfortunately, the Clubbies only have enough to build the ground floor and will need another $2.5 million to finish the first floor. This is for the restaurants and facilities that generate income. Here is the website, but the donate page link is not functioning. It would be great if someone could inform them, as I am sure they are missing out on donations.

 

Saddle Road and Mullumbimby Road intersection.

The proposed development site at 66 Saddle Road Brunswick Heads is creeping along slowly. This 125-acre site has been approved for residential and social housing through Group Homes and an industrial “Business Park”. The site has been earmarked for some development since the original LEP in 1988, so this is not an overnight sensation.

The contentious issue is the access road where Saddle Road meets Mullumbimby Road, which is on a crest with terrible sight lines. Most drivers are looking at the tip of Mount Chincogan as you crest the hill – a sight I never tire of. Finding an alternative access off Gulgan Road with a roundabout is proving difficult. The other argument against this development site is that we should build on a ridgeline and keep preserving the rural look of the shire. I sympathise with this view, but what do we do if we can’t build on floodplains or ridgelines? We probably need to accept more medium-density developments on suitable sites. That is a conversation well overdue.

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