Last Friday around 11am mayor Paul Hogan got a call from the Office of Environment and Heritage. It was Jane Gibbs from the coastal panel secretariat delivering the news that the minister for the environment, Rob Stokes would approve council's Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) subject to minor amendments, but would not support the additional idea to construct a rock revetment wall.

The news shocked mayor Hogan and he told Ms Gibbs that he needed another call.

"I don't want to hear it from you, I want to hear it from the minister," Mayor Hogan said.

About four hours later Mayor Hogan got that call from minister Stokes and the conversation confirmed the rock revetment wall was off the table.

Mayor Hogan says council was not expecting this decision.

"It wasn't expected to be knocked on the head, council was waiting for it to be ticked off. That's the impression that we (council) felt when dealing with the previous minister - that it was going to happen," Mayor Hogan said.

"One minister was very keen to work with us, to find a solution and the rock revetment wall was the solution, we were even pushed towards it."

Mayor Hogan believes it is the advice of the NSW Coastal Panel that destroyed council's plan to try to protect Old Bar from relentless erosion.

"The Old Bar community would feel very disappointed that the State government has refused to protect Old Bar," Mayor Hogan said.

Minister Stokes contends that "through detailed research, we know the option to construct any protection structure at Old Bar is likely to transfer the problem to future generations to deal with, which is unacceptable."

"In addition, the cost of the revetment wall was estimated at $50 million with a lifespan limited to about 50 years, leaving the community and council with the same problem in the long term."

Mayor Hogan says he wants more information about how the office evaluated the cost against community benefit.

"I haven't seen any of the paperwork that reveals why it is not cost-effective, perhaps they've done the sums, let's say there's $10 million in properties against a $50 million investment, so they've decided it's not worth it. I don't know but I want answers," Mayor Hogan said.

Mayor Hogan and senior council staff will meet this week with staff from the Office of Environment and Heritage and Department of Planning and Environment.

He says some of the questions that will be on the table from council will be, what about the school? What about property owners? What about compensation? What about planning lines on local environment plans? What about planned retreat ... do you just let the normal coastal recesssion happen?

The meeting will be the first step, according to Mayor Hogan, but adds that council is "back in troubled waters again."

"It was a resolution of council to do something. It's alright for the minister to say, take it (the revetment wall) out but that means we have to debate it again as a council to remove it. Now some councillors may not want to remove it and so we are back in troubled waters again," he explained.

Mayor Hogan says he will be looking to member for Myall Lakes, Stephen Bromhead to support council and deliver more information explaining why the State government "has refused to protect Old Bar".

"I haven't heard any offers of help from Mr Bromhead to this date," Mayor Hogan said.

"We had a discussion with Mr Bromhead yesterday (Monday) and his words were that the department was coming up to talk to you (council). Nothing further.

"The member for Myall Lakes together with the previous minister was fully supportive of our rock revetment wall for Old Bar, so I would expect Mr Bromhead to be very disappointed at the events that have happened.

"He was supportive of it under one minister, if it was taken out, he should have fought for it to be retained and not removed."

Mayor Hogan says the minister is directing the Office of Environment and Heritage to be available to assist council in revising the document. He welcomes the assistance but adds that he will be looking for more.

"I'm looking forward to them being involved in this because if we have to go back and talk to the community again, I'm not going to stand-up on my own representing council, they need to be there, we (council) resolved to do something to help and now all we have is more questions."

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