| Hardys Bay Central Coast, New South Wales |
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| Population: | 234 (2006 census) | ||||||||||||
| Postcode: | 2257 | ||||||||||||
| Area: | 0.9 km² (0.3 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Location: | 10 km (6 mi) SSE of Woy Woy | ||||||||||||
| LGA: | City of Gosford | ||||||||||||
| Parish: | Kincumber | ||||||||||||
| State District: | Terrigal | ||||||||||||
| Federal Division: | Robertson | ||||||||||||
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Hardys Bay is a south-eastern suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, located on the Bouddi Peninsula. It is part of the City of Gosford local government area. Hardys Bay, Pretty Beach, Wagstaffe, and the Bouddi Peninsula are collaquially & locally known as Killcare.
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Hardys Bay was named after Harry Hardy, who kept a small vineyard and sold wine to local residents.[1] It is home to local shops and cafés, an RSL Club and a marina. The history of Hardys Bay and the surrounding areas of Wagstaffe, Killcare and Pretty Beach are closely linked. Prior to the arrival of European Settlement, Aboriginals from the coastal Guringai (Ku-ring-gai) tribe lived in and around Hardys Bay area. Evidence is to be found today in rock carvings and middens found in numerous locations around the area.
On June 6, 1789 Governor Arthur Phillip sailed north and entered Broken Bay and explored the surrounding coastline, signalling the first European landings in the area.[2] The first recorded white settler was a Mr James Mullen (or Mullin) who was granted temporary occupation of 250 acres (1.0 km2) in 1824 for grazing [3] and by the 1829 Census is recorded as having "50 acres (200,000 m2) of land, 10 acres (40,000 m2) cleared, 10 cultivated and having 3 horses and 115 cattle.[4]
In 1859, Captain Daniel Joyce from New Zealand purchased a 50-acre (200,000 m2) grant from Mallen. (This is the land on which the Hardys Bay R.S.L. is currently located.) Joyce subsequently defaulted on his debt which forced the mortgagees to sell his land in Brisbane Waters which was purchased by Mr Robert Hardy, Farmer.[5]
Access to Hardys Bay and the surrounding peninsular was via ferry until 1936 when the Scenic Road was opened. Electricity arrived in 1939 and town water was connected in 1980.[6]
Large scale rutile mining took place over the hill at Putty and Killcare beaches in the 1960s and stripped the beach of its large sand dunes and destroyed many native plants, molluscs and animals. Miners had agreed to revegetate the area which they did with the noxious pest bitou bush (Chrysanthemoides monilifera), which the various land care groups are now trying to eradicate.[7]
Over the last 30 years property values in the area have reached into the millions of dollars as it is a prime location for holiday houses and retirement, like many other coastal areas within close proximity of a major city.
Some heritage sites, including the Ferry Masters cottage at Wagstaffe have been illegally demolished and developed despite council attempts to prevents this; prosecution of the developers was unsuccessful due to a technicality.[8]
In late 2007 a scheme to develop the existing marina was presented to the community by the Marina's CEO, Michael Sparks.[9] This $13 million development would see the existing marina as well as the historic Hardys Bay wharf replaced by a much larger structure containing: 100 car parks over the water; an increase in the number of berths from 23 to 100; additional retail, cafe and restaurant space; as well as providing a 7 day a week boat maintenance facility.[10] Additionally, any applications for new or upgraded marinas must include the provision of a 24 hour sewerage pump-out facility.[11]
Sparks also advised that this marina project application would circumvent the local council approval process and utilise what is called the Part 3A method of approval. This is a reference to the new provision in the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act which reduces the involvement of the community in the original decision making process. The decision makers for applications made by marinas under this law are the Minister for Planning and Director General, Department of Planning.[12] While the developers maintain that there will be little environmental impact, a stand of Grey Mangroves (Avicennia marina) will have to be removed to make way for the structure, and degradation of the beds of sea grasses is also possible.
Following a presentation to the Hardys Bay Resident Group on 19 February 2008 by Sparks, the group rejected the redevolpment plan.[13] In March 2008, the Wagstaffe to Killcare Community Association also announced that they could not support the current proposal.[14] In early 2008 the plan was rejected by the Department of Planning after numerous complaints from as far away as Slovenia.
In September 2008 plans [15] were lodged with Gosford City Council for a major re-development of the site in Araluen Drive currently occupied by the fish and chip shop (currently closed), Yum Yum Eatery and an adjoining residential development. The proposed development included a large, seven level building covering three blocks of land and requiring the removal of over 100 large trees. Four new commercial properties were proposed and nine terraced apartments were to step up the slope behind the retail premises. Underground parking for 34 cars was to be provided. The initial plans received over 600 objections and was rejected by Gosford City Council. An amended plan was lodged and received over 700 objections. Accordingly, the council rejected the development as being out of character with local planning requirements. In late 2009 the developers (Bespoke Properties P/L) subsequently appealed to the Land and Environment Court of New South Wales seeking a review of the Council’s decision to disallow that development at Hardys Bay.[16] Hearings commenced on the 2nd March,with an onsite visit attended by the court, legal representatives and over 200 local residents. The appeal was dismissed by Commissioner Brown on Monday 8 March.[17] Reasons cited for disallowing the development included;