Kingscliff Foreshore Revitalisation

The new central foreshore park in Kingscliff has been named in honour of a former local Surf Life Saver who lost his life serving in Afghanistan.

The park has been named Rowan Robinson Park in tribute to the popular Kingscliff High School graduate and Cudgen Surf Life Saving Club patrol member.

Tweed Shire Council Manager Recreation Services Stewart Brawley said naming the park for Mr Robinson was a fitting culmination to the $22 million foreshore project.

“This project is all about protecting and preserving what is good about the Kingscliff community while at the same time creating a space that will help define its future,” Mr Brawley said.

“In that spirit naming the park for a vibrant young local man whose life ended too soon in defence of our way of life is more than appropriate.”

Sapper Robinson was killed by insurgents on his second tour of Afghanistan on June 6 2011 and according to his wishes his ashes were scattered out near the Kingscliff bombies where he loved to surf.

Away from the beach Rowan was a talented singer and guitarist as well as a gifted athlete across a variety of sports, attending regional competitions for swimming, cross country, basketball and athletics.

A particular highlight of his sporting career came in the Grand Final of the NSW State Rugby Knockout Championship where he scored three tries to lead Kingscliff High School to victory.

The idea to name the park in his honour was put forward by a number of people in the community after calls went out from Council in November for suggestions for the new park’s name.

Another popular suggestion, Dreamtime Park, was rejected by the Aboriginal Advisory Committee as it was not a traditional name, however a commitment has also been made to acknowledge the local Goodjinburra Clan in some way.

In their supporting letter the Returned and Services League - Kingscliff Sub Branch, who have been requested to prepare a plaque for installation in the park, said there could not be a more worthy choice.

“The proposal is not about honouring war, it is about honouring the life of a young local lad who lost his life after serving his country and his connection to Kingscliff.”

Mr Brawley said Council is getting closer to naming an opening date for the park as final safety checks and approvals are sought to connect power to lighting and barbecues on the site.

The new Kingscliff holiday park started taking bookings this week and will welcome guests starting March 22.

Kingscliff residents will get a surprise early Christmas gift with the partial opening of their new central park this weekend.

From Thursday residents will be able to access the beach and the new concrete beachfront steps through the new park, just to the North of the Cudgen Headland Surf Club.

Mayor of Tweed Shire Councillor Katie Milne said the $22 million foreshore redevelopment project is nearing completion and the decision was made to open up the new beach access in time for the holiday period.

“Anyone having a peek over the fence can see that the park is rapidly taking shape but there are still a number of key elements which need to be finalised,” Cr Milne said.

“The power to the park is not connected yet so there is no lighting or barbecues, they are still waiting for some of the pavers and showers to arrive and the turf has just been laid so needs time to knit before it is ready for heavy traffic.

“The concrete steps, the area around the cenotaph and the beach access just south of the bowls club can be safely opened though which is great news.

“Everyone who has worked on this project has done an outstanding job and I know the community is excited to take ownership of their new park.”

Temporary lighting will be set up in the area for safety while closed areas of the park will remain fenced off as the site shuts down between December 22 and January 8.

The foreshore redevelopment, which includes the new central park and beach access along with a seawall and a complete redevelopment of the holiday park has been specifically designed to create a link between the beach, the park and the central business district of the Kingscliff community.

The protection of the foreshore from coastal erosion is expected to be a significant economic boost for the area and is expected to act as a catalyst for further public infrastructure and attract private sector development.

The President of the Kingscliff Chamber of Commerce Mark Humphries said the early opening will be a great gift for café and restaurant owners along Marine Parade.

“The new access is sensational and will make for a wonderful experience with views of the beach and the water,” said Mr Humphries.

“With the bridge being closed and then the park fenced off for the past year there has definitely been an impact and we have spent $20,000 of the chamber’s funds to run TV ads in the area telling day trippers we are still open for business.

“We have been big supporters of the Council’s plans from the beginning though and the final design has more than exceeded our expectations.

“I have no doubt Kingscliff is on the cusp of greatness and this will make a huge difference for locals and tourists alike.”

Work has begun on the eastern wall of the Kingscliff Community Hall, as part of a hall refurbishment to make the building more functional and a more integral part of the central park.

The reconstructed eastern wall will include doors that open up into the park, to capitalise on the building's picturesque surrounds and enable the hall to be better used for events in the park.

One of the more creative elements of the new central park has been nicknamed the 'Gaudi wall' because it reminds project team members of the distinctive styles of famous Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi.

The feature wall provides a striking visual element in the space and ties in the two levels of the park, which were necessary to retain a number of existing mature trees.

It is covered in many mosaic tiles that glow at dusk and combine with the wall's flowing lines to give the structure its 'Gaudi-esque' look.

The wall doubles as benches and is also decorated with tiles created by students from Kingscliff Primary School, featuring fish designs modelled on the students' hand prints.

Could this be the most stunning table tennis table?

Large turf sections have been laid in the new central park during the past few days.

With many of the park's features finished or nearing completion, the inclusion of lovely green turf is providing a much clearer picture of how the finalised park will look.

The first four cabins were delivered and installed in Kingscliff Beach Holiday Park this week.

They will soon be accompanied by additional cabins of varying sizes, including an all-access version.

The cabins are consistent in style to the holiday park amenity buildings that have already been constructed.

The construction of concrete pads for caravans and RVs is also well underway.

A section of safety fencing along the new central park was moved east this week to allow public access to the cenotaph in time for this Saturday’s Remembrance Day ceremony.

The cenotaph is a centrepiece of the new central park and its paved surrounds have been expanded to accommodate the large crowds that consistently gather for Anzac Day and Remembrance Day ceremonies.

The installation of amenities buildings in Kingscliff Beach Holiday Park has begun.

Construction of internal roads is also underway, as part of the upgrade and modernisation of the holiday park.

Kingscliff new central park is scheduled to open in March 2018 and Council is inviting community members to suggest possible names for the park.

Council’s meeting last Thursday resolved to consider renaming the park to give it a title which represents the character of the area and to invite submissions from the Tweed community and the Aboriginal Advisory Committee.

Proposed names must meet a few criteria outlined in the Naming of Council Public Parks and Sportsfields Policy.

Under the assessment criteria, if a park is named after a person, that person must have:

· made a significant and long-term contribution to Tweed Shire

· a documented historical link with the locality or made a significant contribution to the social, economic, sporting or cultural development of the community

· lived in Tweed Shire

In accordance with the Geographical Names Board, names of people still alive cannot be considered.

Names can also refer to locally occurring indigenous flora or fauna or other descriptive elements that relate directly to Tweed Shire.

Suggests can be emailed to tsc@tweed.nsw.gov.au, with the subject ‘Kingscliff Foreshore Park naming’, or sent by mail to:

Kingscliff Foreshore Park naming

General Manager

Tweed Shire Council

PO Box 816

Murwillumbah 2484

A notice formally calling for submissions will appear in the 7 November Tweed Link and submissions will close on Tuesday 5 December.