Have your say via the Protect Oxley Beach Port Macquarie survey
Protect Oxley Beach is a community-led group providing publicly available information, documents and evidence about the proposed Port Macquarie Ocean Pool at Oxley Beach.
Our website brings together information about the proposed development, planning proposal PP-2025-1474, C2 Environmental Conservation zoning, coastal hazards, environmental values, Birpai cultural heritage, accessibility, traffic and parking, whale activity, project costs, funding and potential long-term impacts on the Oxley Beach precinct.
Our aim is to help residents, visitors and the wider Port Macquarie-Hastings community access relevant information and participate in an informed discussion about the future of Oxley Beach.
Explore the evidence, review the public documents and understand the issues surrounding the proposed Oxley Beach Ocean Pool.
Protect Oxley Beach, Port Macquarie also has additional online platforms in Facebook page, Instagram page, and a YouTube Channel
Artwork by Birrbay artist Angela Marr. Copyright © Angela Marr
Protect Oxley Beach Port Macquarie is a community-led grassroots volunteer community group focused on the future of Oxley Beach and cultural, heritage, and financial responsibility. Explore publicly available documents and information about the proposed Port Macquarie ocean pool, planning controls, environmental values, coastal hazards, accessibility, traffic, parking and cultural considerations.
Protect Oxley Beach Port Macquarie is a community-led grassroots volunteer group campaigning and advocating for evidence-based planning, environmental protection and responsible public investment in the future of our coastline.
From Birpai cultural heritage and 500-million-year-old geology to the Port Macquarie Coastal Walk, discover the natural, cultural and community values that make Oxley Beach special
Oxley Beach forms part of Birpai Country. Learn why the Birpai Traditional Owners voices, cultural authority, Native Title and Aboriginal land interests matter in decisions about the future of this culturally significant coastline.
Explore the geological heritage of Oxley Beach and the Port Macquarie Coastal Tract
A community survey of 1,102 respondents highlights what people value about Oxley Beach—from walking and recreation to family, wellbeing, culture and connection with nature.
Oxley Beach is largely protected by C2 Environmental Conservation zoning. Discover what that zoning means, what it protects and how Planning Proposal PP-2025-1474 could change the planning framework.
Port Macquarie is famous for its annual whale migration and close coastal whale encounters. But could construction of the proposed Oxley Beach ocean pool, including heavy machinery, piling and underwater noise, affect how whales use our coastline?
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council's Coastal Management Program is examining coastal hazards, vulnerability, recreation and long-term coastal change. Here's why the CMP matters for Oxley Beach and the proposed Ocean Pool.
The proposed Oxley Beach Ocean Pool could involve more than $13 million in construction costs and an estimated $430,000–$500,000 in annual operating and maintenance costs. Is Oxley Beach the right location for such a long-term public investment?
Parking is only part of the challenge. Explore the traffic, pedestrian safety, accessibility, cycling and parking issues surrounding the proposed Oxley Beach Ocean Pool.
A truly accessible ocean pool needs more than an accessible pool entry. Explore wheelchair pathways, 1:14 gradients, landing requirements, accessible parking and the challenges of providing universal access at Oxley Beach.
The Port Macquarie Ocean Pool Committee site selection compared ten locations across six beaches. However, a review of the published assessment indicates that several assumptions underpinning that ranking have since changed, while other important planning, environmental, cultural and accessibility considerations were either underweighted or not fully assessed.
Many people believe Council has approved or endorsed the project because it voted to progress the Planning Proposal to the NSW Government for Gateway Determination. This is not what Council resolved.
Want to help protect Oxley Beach Port Macquarie? Find out how to complete the community survey, volunteer, contact decision-makers, attend events, share the campaign and support informed community participation.
The proposed Oxley Beach ocean pool is subject to the NSW planning and approval process. Protect Oxley Beach provides publicly available information and documentation to help the community understand the proposal and its potential implications.
Protect Oxley Beach Port Macquarie is a community-led, volunteer organisation focused on preserving the natural, cultural and environmental values of Oxley Beach for current and future generations.
The main issues raised by Protect Oxley Beach include planning controls, environmental impacts, coastal hazards, Birpai cultural heritage, accessibility, traffic and parking, construction requirements, ongoing costs and long-term coastal resilience.
Source: Port Macquarie-Hastings Council / NSW Planning Portal / relevant report.
Protect Oxley Beach maintains a library of publicly available documentation relating to Oxley Beach and the proposed Port Macquarie ocean pool, allowing residents and the wider community to review the information underlying the debate.
Oxley Beach is described by Protect Oxley Beach as one of Port Macquarie's natural beaches, with environmental, scenic, conservation, cultural and recreational values.
Acknowledgement: Jeanette Cartwright
There's a quiet magic to Oxley Beach, the kind you only feel when your feet hit that familiar rock path, worn smooth by generations. This is more than a stretch of sand, it's a playground, a classroom, a sanctuary.
Contact
Acknowledgements
Taisha Steep (homepage artwork)
Thirtyonezeroeight Pty Ltd (website host)
Media
Port News 09/07/26
(Port News paywall)
The Mid North Coaster: Where's the money coming from - 13/08/26
Port News 19/08/26
(Port News paywall)
Page updated 9th October 2026