People of all ages use the foreshore which stretches about 1.2 kilometres from Evans Street to Illaroo Road.

Port Macquarie-Hastings Council adopted the Lake Cathie Foreshore Master Plan at its February 21 meeting after extensive community consultation.

The plan is a strategic vision for the foreshore space.

Features include a fenced playground, picnic areas, paths, new toilet block, parking facilities and family skate and recreation park.

Willhemina Wahlin spoke about the importance of inclusiveness.

She said including the skate park in the foreshore master plan meant the community would have an inclusive facility for all ages.

“We want young people to take ownership of this facility and take pride in its location within Lake Cathie,” Ms Wahlin said about the skate park.

Susan East opposed the skate park’s foreshore location and raised environmental concerns.

She called on the council to remove the skate park from the master plan and source another location.

“There’s always another location for the skate park but you can never get the foreshore back to what it was,” Ms East said.

The council endorsed the plan including the skate park component.

Environmental factors will be considered in future skate park detailed planning.

Lake Cathie Progress Association vice-president David Tooby said there had been broad community support for the plans.

He said the association believed the master plan would provide some needed improvements to the foreshore.

Cr Mike Cusato said it was time the council moved forward with the plan.

He said the council could not get government funding without a master plan.

Cr Rob Turner said he thought the consultation process was fantastic.

“I think the way the plan has been managed and the input from the community enables us to get straight to adopting this foreshore master plan here and now because the consultation has been done up front and the community largely have what they asked for,” he said.

Acting mayor Lisa Intemann said a master plan was needed to apply for funding assistance to deliver items in the plan.

Cr Intemann said the plan’s adoption meant the community could be assured of what was to come.