Have your say on the future of Laurieton town centre

THE third rendition of the Draft Laurieton Town Centre Master Plan has officially gone on public exhibition.

Residents are now being encouraged to carefully review the document and make formal submissions as debate around the town’s future intensifies.

The latest draft became publicly available on Monday, 20 April and will remain on exhibition until Friday, 5 June, giving the community 45 days to consider the proposed direction for the town centre and provide feedback to Port Macquarie-Hastings Council.

The draft has a long and often contentious history.

The first version was released in September 2021 following initial consultation with the community, however it was met with significant criticism and failed to gain broad support.

A second version followed in 2023, but after further negative reception it too was not ratified.

Now resurfacing for a third time, the revised draft contains elements that some stakeholders view positively, while other aspects have already prompted concern among business owners, residents and community groups.

Among the most discussed issues are proposals that would reduce parking on Bold Street by approximately 50 percent, convert Seymour Street between Bold Street and Lake Street into a one way thoroughfare, and divert heavy vehicle traffic through Lake Street.

These proposals have become key talking points in early community discussions, particularly among those concerned about accessibility, traffic movement and the practical impact on day-to-day business activity within the town centre.

Questions have also been raised about long term maintenance obligations associated with any future upgrades, particularly in light of known local government budget pressures.

Some stakeholders have pointed to concerns around whether streetscape improvements can be properly maintained over time if additional infrastructure is introduced without clear long term funding commitments.

Camden Haven Chamber of Commerce President Luke Hadfield said it was important that community discussion remained measured and focused on practical outcomes.

“There are elements of the draft that people will support and elements that will attract concern, and that is normal in a document of this scale,” Mr Hadfield said.

“What matters is that the conversation remains respectful and focused on practical outcomes for Laurieton’s future.”

Mr Hadfield said the Chamber had already begun gathering feedback from across the community through direct conversations with local businesses, historians and individual residents, while also meeting with various Council staff to begin relaying themes emerging from those discussions.

“We have already spent considerable time speaking with people from different parts of the community, because it is important that our submission reflects a broad range of local views rather than just one perspective,” he said.

“That has included conversations with business owners, local historians, residents and meetings with Council staff so that early feedback can start being communicated in a constructive and organised way.”

He said the Chamber’s role was to help turn general concerns into practical feedback capable of being properly considered.

“People are often clear on what they feel uneasy about, but part of our role is helping shape that into feedback that is useful, specific and capable of being properly considered.”

The Chamber had previously advocated for a longer public exhibition period, arguing that the significance of the document warranted greater time for review.

That push was successful, with the exhibition period extended from the original 28 days to 45 days.

“The extension to 45 days was important because this is not a document people should rush through,” Mr Hadfield said.

“It affects businesses, residents, traffic movement and the future character of the town, so giving people more time to review it properly was the right outcome.”

Mr Hadfield said formal submissions would ultimately carry more weight than informal commentary.

“The Chamber’s message has been simple: if people have concerns, ideas, or questions, now is the time to put them forward properly,” he said.

The Seymour Street precinct remains a frequently referenced example in current discussions.

Elements of that precinct were delivered in line with concepts that appeared in earlier, unratified versions of the master plan.

While the works were supported through State grant funding, community sentiment around the final result has remained mixed, with some residents critical of the visual finish and faded road markings that have since emerged.

For many, that project has become a point of comparison as they consider what broader town centre changes could mean for Laurieton in the years ahead.

Over the course of the 45 day exhibition period, Council is expected to undertake a range of community engagement activities aimed at explaining the draft and gathering feedback from residents and stakeholders.

The Chamber of Commerce will also conduct its own engagement process as it prepares a formal submission, with discussions already underway across sections of the business and wider community.

Residents can access the Draft Laurieton Town Centre Master Plan through Council’s exhibition portal, with submissions remaining open until 5 June.

By Rachael THORPE