What makes up the foreshore area?
The foreshore area is bound by the ocean and an estuary entrance to Wallis Lake and includes;
- Forster Main Beach
- Surf Life Saving Club and carpark
- Coastal rehabilitation area
- Pilot Hill
- the breakwall
- Marine Rescue building, surrounding area and facilities
- the boat harbour and marina precinct
- John Holland Park including the playground and family retreat
- Town Park
key features of the plan
View the PLAn
To view the document in full-screen in the interactive PDF viewer above, select the bracket icon at the bottom-right side the toolbar to enable full-screen.
If you are having trouble viewing the document in the interactive PDF viewer, you may also download the Forster Foreshore Plan of Management.
How your input shaped this plan
Exhibition period
The draft plan was on public exhibition for community feedback from 9 September to 17 October 2024. We received 17 formal submissions.
The feedback received from the community was considered and some changes were made to the draft document.
The plan was adopted by the elected Council at the 26 February 2025 Ordinary Meeting.
Community feedback
We received 17 submissions during the public exhibition.
Submissions included requests to update plans to reflect the footprint of the new surf club, incorporate an outdoor café area, ensure all-ability access to the water, remove the jetty, create a new pathway, install fitness equipment stations, and provide new amenities and bins.
Additional submissions raised various concerns: one requested a review of park benches and signage, another addressed ramp and jetty maintenance, and one questioned the need for a second bridge connecting Forster to Tuncurry. Concerns were also raised about the car park near the Ronald McDonald Family Retreat, opposition to converting part of the current car park into a public space with a beach promenade and shaded lawn area, and the requirements for boating infrastructure.
One submission made suggestions that can be addressed following the adoption of the plan, specifically around seeking grant funding for projects within it.
Further feedback relates to other Council strategies and plans for nearby sites and facilities. This was unrelated to this strategy and is covered in other Council plans.
Changes made based on your feedback
Based on the feedback received, the following actions have been updated and can be viewed in the attached change register document:
- Updating the surf club’s image to reflect the footprint of the new building.
- Some wording in the Plan has been amended.
- The copy has been amended to say: ‘create a car park in the lot immediately east of Ronald MacDonald Family Retreat with appropriate screen planting (3 - 10years)’
- The copy has been amended to say: ‘extend marina jetty and other boating infrastructure noted in the MidCoast Recreational Boating Infrastructure Plan to attract new boating clientele’.
FAQs
The draft plan allows Council to lease, licence and hire the crown land and any facilities and buildings on the land. It also states where Council can develop and build on community land.
Community land cannot be sold, and cannot be leased, licensed or have any other estate granted over the land for more than 30 years.
Stakeholders provided information on their use of specific facilities and the functionality of the foreshore area. They identified key issues and improvements for the area and supported Council’s Main Beach master plan.
