Sharpes Beach Carpark Upgrade

Council has started pre-construction works to upgrade the Sharpes Beach carpark at Skennars Head.

Sharpes Beach attracts locals and visitors to this beautiful stretch of coastline year-wide. Once complete, this upgrade will provide essential infrastructure and embellishments that will improve the visitor experience of Sharpes Beach and enhance access to the popular Coastal Recreation Path.

Sharpes Beach Car Park is located partly on private land, partly on Crown land and partly road reserve.

The precinct upgrade works include:

Formalised car parking spaces (including disabled parking and spots suitable for long vehicles)
Accessible toilet and shower facilities
Accessible viewing platform
Enclosed storage space for Surf Lifesaving equipment
Landscaping and drainage improvements
Tree removal and restored native vegetation areas
Removal of the existing Surf Lifesaving observation tower.

Council invited community feedback on the draft design in 2023. Since then, the design has been reviewed by Councillors and progressed through a Development Application process, which included a further round of public exhibition.

This $1.3 million upgrade project is jointly funded by Ballina Shire Council and the NSW Government, with $1.05 million provided through the Regional Tourism Activation Fund.