Beauty Point residents asking for more in-depth project updates

The West Tamar Council was granted $3 million in funding for the redevelopment in late 2020, allowing for more in-depth planning and design to begin.

The foreshore redevelopment aims to enhance accessibility and highlight the natural and cultural assets of the area.

The Beauty Point Foreshore Master Plan 2018-2028 provides updates of the redevelopment timeline and can be found on the West Tamar Council website.

However, community members gathered at a meeting on Tuesday night to call for more detailed progress updates from the council.

There are concerns that the delay of past and present projects of the foreshore redevelopment will set back future plans.

Don Sutherland, who is part of the Beauty Point Foreshore Redevelopment Group committee, said the council needed to "pay closer attention to the progress of the job so that it gets finished on time".

Mr Sutherland said community members were pleased that council representatives were at the meeting to clarify and provide some answers to questions.

"The council is, I think, trying to work out how to make that interaction work better," he said.

"It's a conversation - but at times there will have to be some level of directness between both the community and the council."

West Tamar mayor Christina Holmdahl said council remains committed to the ongoing redevelopment project.

"Additional features and structures will be installed in the coming months," Cr Holmdahl said, regarding the new playground.

"A number of tenders have already been accepted or advertised publicly, including the revetment section in November. Similarly, the tender for parking and the pathway from the toilet block to the wharf closed in December, while the tender for the next stage of the Esplanade and Flinders Street is expected to go to market shortly.

"Council will continue to look for funding opportunities for future projects as they present themselves and look forward to continuing our regular interactions with the BPFRG."

The Rotary Club of West Tamar and West Tamar Lions Club worked alongside the council to design the All Abilities playground, which was recently completed.

After the first play structure on the Esplanade, Beauty Point was initially deemed 'unsuitable' and removed in July, 2023, the installation of the new playground has been a "great success", according to Mr Sutherland.

"Every family who has been there and people who live on the Esplanade are saying how nice it is to hear children playing on the playground," he said.