Port Stephens residents fight proposed beachfront concrete pathway

Residents and holiday home owners in Port Stephens are escalating their opposition to a proposed concrete pathway intended to cut through beachfront greenspace. The Shoal Bay Foreshore Community, supported by 130 co-signatories, has submitted a formal complaint to Council General Manager Tim Crosdale, requesting an immediate pause on all site works for the Halifax to Harwood path.

The project involves constructing a 500-metre, three-metre-wide path between Halifax Holiday Park and Harwood Avenue. Construction is scheduled to begin in October and last approximately three months. The proposed route would traverse a wide grassed strip parallel to the beach and a tree-filled park.

Local residents expressed concerns during a recent community meeting, arguing that the development will replace open recreational space used for activities like cricket and soccer with a ‘grid of concrete’. Additional concerns raised by the community include the potential for increased e-bike use, anti-social behavior at night, and the path's terminus in a busy gravel car park.