Hundreds sign Lake Cathie petition for Ocean Drive plan

Petition organiser and Lake Cathie resident Claire Briggs said the signatures accumulated in three weeks.

“For a small community like ours, that is an overwhelming response and an emphatic NO to four lanes through Lake Cathie village,” she said. 

Port-Macquarie Hastings Council produced preliminary concept plans for a proposed upgrade of Ocean Drive between Miala Street and Ernest Street in Lake Cathie.

Community members were encouraged to have their say on the plans, and to give advice on which section of the road should be upgraded first.

Mrs Briggs said Lake Cathie residents only became aware of the plan to push a four-lane road through the village four weeks ago.

“This unwelcome news led to several residents launching a petition to have this ‘highway’ removed from the concept plan,” she said. 

“They felt this was buried within the good news of an upgrade to an isolated section of Ocean Drive.”

On Tuesday, September 25 Ocean Drive residents Claire Briggs and Sue East met with Mayor Peta Pinson and Councillor Lee Dixon. 

“We wanted to discuss the concept design and present Cr Pinson with the petition signatures,” Mrs Briggs said. 

“There are many aspects of the concept plan that make no sense, whether two lane or four.

“The interim two-lane plan sends traffic to the outer edges of the road corridor, making it unsafe for residents exiting driveways and bringing noise and vibrations unnecessarily closer to homes.

“Meanwhile we would be staring at a useless seven-metre wide median separating the lanes.”

Mrs Briggs said residents are concerned the proposed upgrade plan puts the safety and quality of life of Lake Cathie residents as the lowest priority.

“We will be keeping a close eye on all facets of this concept plan to ensure it moves in the best possible direction to benefit local residents,” she said. 

“We have left a list of questions with council to answer in relation to the Ocean Drive road corridor.

“We look forward to hearing answers and to being kept in the forefront of council staff members’ minds when they come back with a better plan.”