The Gold Coast City Council is currently asking local residents to have their say on a proposal to build a new section of the Tugun to Bilinga Oceanway.

The Tugun to Bilinga Oceanway helps make up part of the larger Gold Coast Oceanway network, a 36km stretch of shared use pathways that run from the Gold Coast Seaway (The Spit) to the Point Danger Lighthouse (here in Coolangatta).

The current proposal is to build a 1.7 kilometre section of new Oceanway that will connect existing Oceanway pavements at Bilinga Surf Life Saving Club to O’Connor Park in Tugun.

The key benefits, features and issues concerned with the Tugun to Bilinga Oceanway proposal are listed below, as outlined on the Gold Coast City Council website:

Benefits
·    Use of the Oceanway network represents a healthy and active Gold Coast lifestyle alternative for beach visitors
·    Improved connectivity along the southern foreshores
·    Promotion of foreshoreway accessibility for all members of the community, people with disabilities and elderly visitors
·    Separation of pedestrian and motor vehicle transport corridors, promoting a higher level of safety for pedestrians
·    Reduction of coastal footprint by defining sustainable transport corridors
·    Green mode transport corridor encouraging multiple slow speed transport options
·    Ability for all members of the community to enjoy the Gold Coast’s natural coastal assets in a sustainable way
·    Promotion to visitors of the city’s beauty
·    Outcomes in line with the city’s Bold Future responses
·    Decreased pressure on city parking demands by promoting lineal coastal connectivity
·    Formalised access along beaches promoting dunal regeneration

Features
·    3.5 metre wide concrete pavement
·    Existing vegetation along the foreshore is important for its amenity value (shade, character) and its environmental value (stabilising dunes, habitat)
·    Accessible pavements promoting access for all community members
·    Pavements meet disability compliance standards
·    Secondary pathways connecting street pavements with the Oceanway pathway
·    Provision of beach showers at street ends
·    Oceanway path lighting system
·    Design consistent with Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design principals (CPTED)
·    Oceanway waterside furniture suite including bench seats, bins, drinking fountains, signage
·    Dune vegetation improvement works to further increase resistance to coastal erosion and improve dune vegetation ecosystems
·    Directional signage upgrades providing way finding and safety information
·    Vegetation improvements will eradicate noxious weeds such as Singapore Daisy infestation

Issues
·    Part of Oceanway pavement is located seaward of the boulder wall line and may be exposed to coastal erosion
·    Possible security improvements required for adjacent private properties
·    Perceived loss of some privacy for beachfront properties
·    Review of the number of informal beach access points
·    Increased passive surveillance from Oceanway users
·    Security improvements may be required for adjacent private properties

The Gold Coast Oceanway overall is one of the key features of living on the Gold Coast and so it is important that the local community is involved in helping to  make sure that it remains a public space that can be used and enjoyed by everyone.

If you would like to have your say on the proposal than you can head to the Gold Coast City Council website, where you will also be able to find further information on the project.