Access to the popular Little Austinmer Beach would be maintained despite safety barriers being erected along Lawrence Hargrave Drive, with gaps along the way, Wollongong City Council has said.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
But how and where this would happen won't be known until later in the design process - after public consultation has finished.
Plans for the next stage of the 70km Grand Pacific Walk have gone on public exhibition, and include fences and barriers to be constructed on the beach side opposite Glastonbury Gardens, an area used often by families and people walking their dogs.
The barriers would run alongside a 2.5m wide shared path through the suburb which would make transport safer for cyclists and pedestrians.
Little Austinmer is an off-leash area for dogs, and the council has erected signs closing the steep path down from the southern headland for fear it is unsafe.
The council's plans state the fencing around culverts needed to be made "compliant" for safety reasons.
The proposed fencing, coupled with the safety barrier near the Toxteth Ave corner, would extend all the way to the bus stop near Boyce Ave.
A council spokeswoman said details about gaps would be determined later in the process.
"Appropriately located gaps will be provided within the fence to allow access to the beach through this section of path," the spokeswoman said.
"The exact location and size of the gaps will be confirmed during the detailed design."
Other features included in the proposed seven stages of works would be a 10km/h shared zone with speed humps at Little Austinmer Beach, new table settings and a viewing platform, and a concrete barrier where the road turns around a steep bend
Nine parking spaces would be lost at the busy Austinmer beach, where parking is already over-full on summer weekends, but two new ones would be created nearby.
Wollongong City Council has opened the plans up for public consultation until December 14.
Austinmer mum Erin Harvey, out walking with her baby on Friday afternoon, said the shared path was a good move for cyclists' safety but hoped access would be preserved for pedestrians.
"I think it makes sense in terms of bikes - there are a lot of bikes on this road that come up and down and it can be dangerous for the bikes, anxious for the cars," she said.
"I suppose like if it's possible to leave any sort of gaps where there might be like at least one access way down to the beach, that would be nice."
The work is funded with $1.5 million from the NSW Government's Get Active NSW program.
The council's website says a new table setting will be installed on the headland near Toxteth Ave. This will be close to the road and would not affect the giant chair out on the headland.
A new viewing platform would also be installed next to the path at the underused Slade Park on Kennedys Hill.
People can visit the "Our Wollongong" page on the council's website to give feedback.