CABARITA Beach and Bogangar residents have called for a review of council planning rules for their district in the wake of continuing alarm over moves for a huge council caravan park on the beachfront.

Cabarita Beach/Bogangar Residents’ Association formally presented copies of their own interim community plan to Tweed Shire councillors at Thursday’s community access meeting which was addressed by their consultant, Griffith University researcher Dr Kerrie Foxwell-Norton.

Dr Foxwell-Norton was commissioned to talk with the community and draw up the plan following protests against
partly secret plans by the council and the NSW Land and Property Management Authority to build a 200-site caravan park on the beachfront.

Sssociation spokesman Ashley Baldry yesterday said the group was calling for a review of the council’s Development Control Plan for the area which was five years out of date.

He said that would result in a locality plan for the village “that includes ideas such as a research and education facility at Camp Wollumbin that could be a key economic driver for the local area and certainly a much better alternative than a 200-site caravan park on an environmentally-sensitive dune system”.

Dr Foxwell-Norton said consultation with residents in focus groups found none supported the council’s plans for a tourist park and nearby residential development.

“Focus group participants were unanimous in their criticism of local government and its motivations which participants identified as short-term profits to suit developers,” she said.