Minister for Lands, Tony Kelly, says the funding will go to the Bellinger Heads Holiday Park Trust for improvements at the North Beach and Urunga Heads parks.

“A loan of $425,000 will go towards upgrading the car parks, installation of boom gates and the establishment of a cycleway/footpath at the Urunga Heads Holiday Park,” the Minister said.

“North Beach Holiday Park will receive a $19,000 grant so a management plan can be formulated.”

The planned upgrading of Morgo Street Reserve will commence in early February.

The first stage works include

• A new children’s playground in the reserve area opposite the Ocean View Hotel

• Reconstruction and sealing of the 2 main carparks

• New electric bbqs to replace the old wood fired bbqs, and

• The first section of the Kalang Riverside Walk, a 2 metre wide pathway along the foreshore of the river from the Carpark opposite the hotel to the boardwalk

• Improved beach access signage

A key feature of the plan is that public access to the car park at the start of the boardwalk is retained.

The works will significantly improve the area for public recreation, and enhance the suitability of the reserve for community events and festivals. The pathways will also provide a better connection to and along the river foreshore.

Reconstruction of the car parks includes the installation of bollards around the perimeter to prevent vehicular access onto the reserve areas, providing a safer environment for reserve users, and improving the health of the existing trees by limiting compaction around the root zone.

The work which aligns with the Development Approval issued by Bellingen Council is to be funded from Loans to be re-paid from holiday park operations. It will be undertaken in stages to limit impacts on reserve users and is programmed to be completed by the end of June 2010.