Update from Annie Fraser of Friends of Gordon Falls & Leura.

Coaches in Gordon Falls Precinct and Toilets in the Middle of the Park Gordon Falls Precinct Draft Plan

Please Look at the latest draft plan at https://yoursay.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/gordon-falls-mp in written and plan form. This is our last chance to influence how our Precinct is developed. Council is accepting feedback letters or email till December 18th 2022. The response of the Council to our letters of concern in the latest draft have positively addressed many matters but there are 4 very concerning issues that are not well dealt with and which will change the park dramatically if they become set in stone in the Master Plan.

1. Coaches
It is proposed that large Coaches be accommodated in this Precinct, entering the area via Gordon Road and then narrow Lone Pine Ave with the 90 degree turn. Parking is then provided in Olympian Pde for them with no apparent limit in number. This is a residential street and not appropriate to have coaches parked there any day of the week. This area is not a suitable large coach area. This point needs to be stressed and in both the car parking issue and the accommodation of coaches we need to see the traffic consultation report upon which this outcome was based.

2. Remodelled Car Parks
The Median strip proposed to block cars backing onto Olympian and Lone Pine roads with the remodelled southern car park will block emergency vehicles from access, particularly worrying during times of fire threat. Both northern and southern car parks are very fiddly to use and will cause no end of problems.

The proposed over flow car parking space at Leura Oval with linking pathway seems totally unnecessary and impractical.

3. The toilets
We have been given only 2 location options for upgraded toilets :

• on the north side of the current northern car park, adjacent to the playground or
• as you enter the park from the southern car park on the right of the concrete path.

All residents’ letters in the last response begged to leave the toilets in their current position where they are discrete. There has never been any problem with them in their current position in all these years. It would change the lovely nature of the park to have them so central and so obvious.

4. Olympian Close
Upgrading the access way to Olympian Rock Lookout to a tarred road, ‘Olympian Close’ - which ends before the steps, has to incorporate a turn around for cars and in doing so accommodates only 1 car space. This is for disabled users who can’t use the steps down to the lookout and no other car space is possible. What is the point of this expensive upgrade?

Other Issues

1. A coal bin in the picnic area? This is a flame zone area.
2. Opening up the heritage mock rock structures to increase visibility. Kids love these structures. You take away half their appeal.
3. A pedestrian ‘ramp’ leading from Olympian Pde path to the park. Very vague as to how this would work.

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