In April 2016 Council undertook a process of rezoning part of Albert Ryan Park on Beach Road in Batemans Bay to enable the sale of the land. They said that "Parts of the park have potential for development opportunities in the form of medium density housing or tourist and visitor accommodation, and funds from the sale could be directed toward community infrastructure improvements." They invited members of the community to provide comment on the Albert Ryan Park rezoning proposal by June 2016. On the 28th of June Council resolved to not proceed with the proposal to amend the Local Environmental Plan 2012(LEP) to rezone and reclassify Lots 10 and 11, DP 236342, being part of Albert Ryan Park, Beach Road, Batemans Bay. Prompted by community feedback, an examination of the land dating back to 1974 shows that the land is under Council care and control, not ownership. Given that the intent of the Council resolution of 12 April 2016 was to seek community views before considering whether to proceed, and community views being overwhelmingly opposed to proceeding, it was recommended that Council did not proceed with the proposal.
At the council meeting of the 28th June 2016 it was recommended that the motion for the rezoning and sale of Albert Ryan Park be withdrawn.
Now comes the issue of the toilet block. Leah Burke, representing the Albert Ryan Park Committee presented the following to the Council meeting of December 13th, 2016
PSR16/018 REZONING AND RECLASSIFICATION OF ALBERT RYAN PARK E16.0196 Firstly I would like to thank council for the opportunity to speak today. My name is Leah Burke and I represent the Albert Ryan Park Committee.
The land is currently under utilised with primary use currently being the housing of a public toilet and overnight camping. The Recreation and Open Space Strategy (2010) recommended that the toilets be investigated for disposal and the Public Toilet review (2015) , adopted by Council on 12 May 2015, recommended that the public toilets be decommissioned.
Our committee would like the motion to decommission these toilets be rescinded and a further motion put forward for the Albert Ryan park toilets to remain functional.
Our committee has monitored these toilets and they are used frequently by tourists and locals alike. The nearest public toilets being at the Bay Foreshore Park or at Corrigans Beach, neither of these toilets having as easy an access as the Albert Ryan Park toilets.
One of our aims is for these toilets to be eventually upgraded to benefit the disabled, which through community effort and grants this could be achieved with minimal cost to council.
We have many locals who are prepared to work on this park, and with guidance from council this workforce can be utilised to everyone’s benefit.
So today we would like to commence our efforts to improve Albert Ryan Park the first step being to keep the toilets in commission.
