The Eden Cove community appears divided with the Eden Cove Residents’ Group announcing they are disbanding in letters to the editor (see below), delivered to the Magnet on Monday.

The group say “misleading information” from Bega Valley Shire Council caused the rift, which came to a head in “vitriolic” Facebook comments last week, that have since been removed.

The Facebook comments were a major factor in the residents’ group decision to disband.

At issue is the installation by Bega Valley Shire Council of pine log barriers across an unofficial foreshore access point, through private property, off Bonito Place.

Some residents, including Janine Chester, wrote to council unhappy about the barrier to foreshore access.

Council’s acting general manager, Wayne Sartori, wrote back and said the barriers were erected at the request of the Eden Cove Residents’ Group.

Not so, say the residents group, who say they have worked with Council for a barrier at the southern end of the foreshore to stop vehicles entering the Lake Curalo Walkway asset area, not at the northern end where the newly placed barrier sits.

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“It was blocked without anyone being notified, and that’s where the problem started,” Mrs Chester said on Monday.

“Putting [the letter from Wayne Sartori] on Facebook probably wasn’t a great idea, but it was taken down after the negative comments because we all want the community to work together to get what we want.

She said that she hopes the former Residents' Group re-form.

“I hope [the Residents' Group] come back and keep doing great work for the community.

“I think we just got our noses out of joint a bit, but we just want to find another way to get down there, because it’s a beautiful area and it’s great for families.”

Wayne Sartori stands by his response to Ms Chester.

“We have correspondence from a person calling himself the spokesperson for the Eden Cove Residents’ Group clearly requesting that vehicles be denied access to the foreshore area,” Mr Sartori said. 

“It was asked that Council take on board the problem of inappropriate use of the track by installing a barrier that prevents access to the vehicle track from three privately owned blocks of land.

“We took these requests on board and prevented vehicle access to the foreshore area to minimise the likelihood of further environmental damage and potential injury for recreational walkers on the track.

“This move was in accordance with the Eden Foreshore Reserves Plan of Management in which vehicle access to the northern foreshore of Lake Curalo is addressed.”

Mike Stebbings, the original convenor of the Eden Cove Residents group, denies making the request. 

“What we wanted was vehicle access through a different point,” the former group’s spokesperson, Mike Stebbings, said on Wednesday.

“The bottom line is that the discussion about the need for a new vehicle access point has been ongoing for a long time.

“We had a meeting with all nine Councillors and senior management at Eden Cove on November 13 last year, and that was one of the points that was looked at, and it was also one of the points raised in the initial petition that was supported by at least 160 Eden Cove residents.

"There have also been other meetings and correspondence since.

“The track that has now been blocked was never going to be a long-term option because, to get to it, people need to drive across privately owned blocks.

“As well as asking for the southern side to be blocked to vehicle, we recommended developing a new vehicle access point off KB Timms Drive, and John Walker has been working on behalf of the Eden Foreshore Committee on the same issue since 2002 (see letter above).”

The Eden Cove community have now been invited to a meeting at the Eden Golf Club on Friday, September 5 at 6pm, to have their say on the issues affecting the area and provide their input.

Kari Esplin, who says she is acting as a mediator and liaising with residents and the former Residents' Group, said she doesn’t want to see the group disband, and that most residents are simply asking for a chance to be given a greater voice.

“I don’t think anyone wants to see the group stand down; they have achieved a lot for Eden Cove,” she said.

“The residents that I’ve spoken to are just trying to get more consultation so that the committee is more representative of the community moving forward.”

Mr Stebbings said that while the group has disbanded, he will continue to push for a turning bay off the Princes Highway into Government Road, and that the Eden Cove Landcare Group, launched last month, will continue to operate.