Maitland: Save Walka Reserve Community Alliance calls on mayor to hear concerns

Save Walka Reserve Community Alliance member Rachael King said the council is "digging its heels in" and ignoring public opposition to the project.

"Council are digging their heels in and don't appear to want to listen to the community in any forum, any way and are closely trying to manage the narrative but not in a public way," she said.

"We don't see anything in this at all, any benefit to the Maitland community.

"It would just spoil the entire place."

The council has secured $10 million in state government funding to 'revitalise' the site along with it's own contributions, money from Reflections Holiday Parks and Crown Lands for a total of $15.1 million.

The proposal is to install onsite accommodation with 10 to 12 cabins, 40 powered sites, a camp kitchen and barbecue area.

It will also partially restore the 1887 pumphouse building, including the eastern annexe which will reopen for weddings and functions.

Other works will see the car park upgraded, improvements to the pumphouse lawn as a wedding venue and event site and sewer, water and electrical works.

The alliance and community members will meet at Walka Water Works on Sunday, and have invited mayor Philip Penfold along to speak to the merits of the proposal.

Ms King said the slice of paradise is one of few remaining areas of native bushland in Maitland.

"With all the development happening, Maitland has really changed in the last 10 years," she said.

"Traffic is becoming an issue and people are really looking for an escape - not everyone can afford the zoo or paid excursions and this is a gentle, low impact area of recreation we can all access.

"We will fight not to lose it. Our history should be honoured and celebrated and council don't seem to see that at all."

Detailed planning for the site hasn't started yet, but the vision is to make it an "iconic" visitor attraction for the town both during the day and as an overnight destination for nature-based tourism, weddings and events.

Maitland City Council recently held a Facebook Live Q&A which attracted more than 1,400 views and addressed 84 questions from the community.

A council spokesman said it knows there are diverse interests and views about Walka, which is why it has opened up a number of opportunities for the community to participate in the process.

He said the council has also established a Community Liaison Group made up of users, community members, neighbours, business representatives and those with environmental or heritage interests.

"Despite this, one particular group has chosen to not engage with us on opening Walka back up to the community even after repeated offers of meetings to discuss their concerns," he said.

"Their claims about the staged reopening of Walka are misleading, given the vast majority (96 per cent) of the Walka site will still be freely, publicly accessible with improved amenity.

"We will also be enhancing the natural environment and protecting flora and fauna, improving access and restoring and reopening the historic pumphouse building after many years of it being closed, which will improve the heritage value of the site."

According to the council, the proposed works will also provide revenue sources to help sustain Walka into the future.

Alliance campaigner Ms King said she hopes the mayor attends their meeting.

"We really hope he does, our approach is to be respectful with all interactions with council, we would hope the mayor would come along and we are really pushing to have a public meeting about this," she said.

The group will meet at Walka on Sunday at 10.30am.

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