Rodney Stevens
Access to some of the Valley’s stunning beaches at Yamba and Minnie Water will be audited to assist progressing delivery of Clarence Valley Council’s Disability Inclusion Action Plan and ensure our beaches are accessible to everyone of all abilities.
At the February 27 council meeting, Cr Karen Toms moved her motion, which was seconded by Cr Debrah Novak that council:
- Engage Accessible Beaches Australia, a registered charity and a leading authority on beach access, to conduct an accessible beach audit on Main Beach Yamba, Main Beach Minnie Water and Turners Beach to assist in progressing council’s delivery of accessible beaches.
- Report back the audit findings and recommendations to Council’s Access Advisory Committee and Council’s Ordinary Council meeting on or before 27 May 2024.
- Fund the project from the current year General Fund and endorse the variation of up to $15,000 to be reported in the Q3 Quarterly Budget Review Statement to the April Ordinary Meeting.
Cr Toms said she had been on council’s Access Committee since 2008, she was passionate about ensuring access to our beaches for the disabled and during a review of council’s 2023-2026 Disability Inclusion Action Plan DIAP 66 per-cent of people said it was important for them to access beaches.
She said the idea of a beach access audit had been raised previously by council, including by former Deputy Mayor Jason Kingsley and it hasn’t progressed.
“I understand why that is, because most of our beaches, and we have 100km of beaches are high wave action beaches and its very difficult to put infrastructure there to assist people with a disability to get down onto the beach,” she said.
“This is a very small amount of money, possibly $10,000 maybe up to $15,000…but it could actually save us money…this audit could possibly be the difference and it might actually make us successful if grants come along about accessibility.”
Cr Toms said Australia has more than four million people with a disability and we need to do what we can to make sure they are included, so if they want to go to the beach they can.
Clarence Valley Council has free wheelchairs the community can access at Brooms Head Holiday Park, Minnie Water Holiday Park and Calypso Holiday Park, Yamba.
The audit will examine the components that make a beach accessible like accessible parking in a well-located position close to access points, wide clear pathways, accessible bathrooms as well as direct beach access from the pathways.
Speaking for the motion, Cr Debrah Novak said council would not be able to apply for grants to improve beach access unless this audit is done.
The motion was passed eight votes to one, with Cr Ian Tiley voting against.