Carols' Stairs

Pedestrian access to Harold Reserve and Carols Wharf, is by a path and stairs from the road way. An unmade pathway through the reserve was created some time ago and over time, with additional use by quad bikes and motorbikes, hasbecome severely eroded.

Pittwater Council, who has care and control of Harold Reserve, deemed this incompatible with the management and preservation of the area, as well as a risk to public safety, and reinstated the post and rail fence alongside the stairs closing access through the reserve. A section of this fence was recently vandalised on two separate occasions and Council apparently reported both incidents to the Police.

The core issue appears to be that the “staircase only” access arrangement makes it harder for people with shopping trolleys and similar wheeled hand carts to go between the road way andCarols Wharf – unlike Bells Wharf stairs which have a paved “step free” path running beside the stairs.

Construction of a similar pathway at Harold Reserve Carols Wharfbeside the stairs to allow for easier access has been costed at approximately $35,000 and not within budget resources for this financial year. In addition, this project would need to be established within the context of an overall management plan for the area.

Such a plan is being developed for Cargo Wharf–Leahvera Reserve following a Community Forum held by a “Cargo Wharf Users Group” in September 2013. It now guides improvement Carols trackpriorities, volunteer initiative and seeks Council support to manage the area.

The formation of a “Carols Wharf Users Group” would seem to be a more creative and collaborative approach to solving the access issue rather than continued vandalism.

SIRA’s Parks and Reserves Subcommittee would be happy to facilitate such a process.

Tim Turpin (Chair SIRA Parks and Reserves, Wharves and Marine Subcommittee)

3 replies
  1. Margaret Stanley
    Margaret Stanley says:

    I live next door to Carols and I can see that water from the road and stairs causes the erosion (making the “path” carved through the reserve virtually unusable). Speaking as a hands on gardener who has often coped with drainage problem I believe that It would not be too difficult or expensive to to direct that water across the park to the water course – or even down the steps to the sea.. Some repair work would need to be carried out on the heavily eroded areas – again not so difficult . I have found that so much can be achieved by simple, natural looking methods eg open dish drains lined with rock – mounds of soil/rock/plants thoughtfully placed.

    Having done that, would it be acceptable to have a removable bar in the fence that can be taken up and down by those who need to access the water front through the park.? Very few people seem to need to use this option so the potential for future and continuing erosion damage could be negligible.

    Reply

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