Protect Oxley Beach Port Macquarie is a community-led grassroots volunteer group campaigning advocating for evidence-based planning, environmental protection and responsible public investment in the future of our coastline.

Protecting Oxley Beach for Future Generations

Oxley Beach is one of Port Macquarie's most valued natural coastal places. It is a place for recreation, connection, community and appreciation of the coastline—and it forms an important part of the character of Port Macquarie.

Protect Oxley Beach Port Macquarie is a community-led grassroots volunteer group committed to preserving the natural, cultural and environmental values of Oxley Beach for current and future generations.

Our campaign is not against the concept of an ocean pool.

We believe the community deserves high-quality public recreation facilities, including an ocean pool if the right location can be found. Our concern is whether Oxley Beach is the right location for such a significant and permanent development.

We believe any major public investment should be located where it can be delivered responsibly, sustainably and in the long-term interests of the entire Port Macquarie-Hastings community.

Why Are We Concerned About the Proposed Oxley Beach Ocean Pool?

Following extensive research into the proposed Ocean Pool at Oxley Beach Port Macquarie, we believe the site presents significant environmental, cultural, financial and planning challenges that require careful consideration.

Our concerns relate to the location—not the concept of an ocean pool.

Based on publicly available planning documents, Council reports, technical studies, legislation and community consultation, we believe a number of important questions remain regarding the proposed development.

These include:

genuine and ongoing Traditional Owner support and unresolved Aboriginal land interests
development within C2 Environmental Conservation land
potential impacts on threatened species, biodiversity and coastal ecology
coastal hazards and long-term climate resilience
construction, maintenance and future renewal costs
strategic planning justification and site-specific merit
accessibility for people of all ages and abilities
parking capacity, traffic management and pedestrian safety
the extent of engineering required to construct and maintain the facility
potential impacts on existing recreational, cultural and community uses of Oxley Beach
the permanent loss of one of the few remaining natural beaches within the Port Macquarie town centre.

These are significant issues.

We believe they deserve transparent, evidence-based assessment before irreversible changes are made to an environmentally and culturally significant section of the Port Macquarie coastline.

Protect Oxley Beach: A Growing Community Movement

Protect Oxley Beach began in late February 2026, when a small group of local residents came together to better understand proposed planning changes affecting Oxley Beach.

Since then, the campaign has grown into a diverse community movement involving people from across the Port Macquarie-Hastings local government area.

Our supporters include:

local residents and ratepayers
families with young children
older members of the community
people living with disability
carers
environmental and conservation advocates
surfers, swimmers, fishers and recreational users
Birpai Traditional Owners and Aboriginal community members
professionals with experience in planning, engineering, environmental science, geology, ecology, heritage, law and governance.

People have joined the campaign for different reasons, but they share a common concern: ensuring that decisions about Oxley Beach are carefully considered and deliver the best possible outcome for both the community and the coastline.

Protecting Natural, Cultural and Environmental Values

Oxley Beach is more than a potential development site.

It is an existing natural coastal landscape with recreational, cultural, environmental and community value.

For many people, its importance comes from its openness and natural character. Protecting that character means considering not only what a proposed facility might provide, but also what could be permanently lost.

The question is therefore bigger than whether Port Macquarie should have an ocean pool.

It is also about where an ocean pool should be located, what environmental and cultural values may be affected, how public funds should be invested, and whether a proposed site is capable of supporting the facility over the long term.

We believe these questions should be addressed through robust evidence, transparent assessment and meaningful community participation.

Independent, Community Funded and Non-Political

Protect Oxley Beach Port Macquarie is an entirely volunteer-run community organisation.

We receive no government funding, political funding or corporate sponsorship.

Our work is supported by local community members who contribute their time, knowledge, skills and, where possible, small financial contributions to help with research, community engagement and advocacy.

We are politically independent and non-partisan.

Our supporters come from across the political spectrum and are united by a shared interest in protecting Oxley Beach, supporting good planning, encouraging responsible public investment and promoting transparent decision-making.

Our advocacy is guided by evidence, planning policy, environmental legislation and respect for community consultation—not political affiliation.

An Evidence-Based Approach

Protect Oxley Beach Port Macquarie is committed to informed and respectful community discussion.

Since the campaign began, we have undertaken extensive research into the proposed planning changes and the proposed ocean pool development.

We have engaged with Traditional Owners, residents, technical specialists, community organisations and government agencies to better understand the issues associated with the proposal.

Where concerns have been identified, we have sought to present them transparently and support them with publicly available information and planning documentation.

We believe good planning decisions require more than a vision for a new facility. They require careful consideration of environmental impacts, cultural values, engineering requirements, financial sustainability, accessibility, strategic planning and the needs of the broader community.

We Support Public Recreation—In the Right Location

Protect Oxley Beach is sometimes characterised as being opposed to a tidal/river/ocean pool.

That is not our position.

We believe the Port Macquarie-Hastings community deserves quality public recreation infrastructure, and we support the development of an ocean pool where it can be delivered in an appropriate location.

For us, the important questions are whether the location is:

environmentally appropriate
culturally respectful
financially responsible
accessible to the community
strategically justified
resilient to coastal hazards
capable of being constructed and maintained responsibly
suitable to serve the community for generations.

A community can support better recreation facilities while also asking whether a particular location is the right place to build them.

Our Vision for Oxley Beach and Port Macquarie

Our vision is for a Port Macquarie-Hastings community that continues to invest in high-quality public recreation while protecting the natural places that make our coastline unique.

We believe Oxley Beach already holds exceptional value as a natural coastal landscape.

Its cultural heritage, environmental significance, geological importance and community character are assets worth protecting.

Preserving these values is not simply about protecting the coastline today. It is about ensuring future generations can experience and enjoy the natural character of Oxley Beach as part of the Port Macquarie community.

At the same time, we believe future investment in public recreation should be welcomed when it is appropriately planned, responsibly funded and located where it can provide lasting community benefit.

A Long-Term Decision for the Port Macquarie-Hastings Community

Decisions about major coastal infrastructure can have consequences for decades.

Once a natural coastal landscape is substantially changed, restoring it may not be possible.

That is why we believe the proposed Oxley Beach ocean pool deserves careful and transparent consideration of all available evidence before any irreversible decision is made.

This is not simply a debate about an ocean pool.

It is a conversation about planning, environmental stewardship, cultural values, public investment and the kind of coastline we want future generations to inherit.

Join the Conversation About Oxley Beach

Protect Oxley Beach Port Macquarie is a community movement focused on ensuring that decisions about this important part of the Port Macquarie coastline are made in the long-term public interest.

We believe the best outcomes come from:

Evidence over assumptions.
Good planning over short-term decisions.
Meaningful consultation over division.
Environmental stewardship over irreversible impacts.
And community benefit over political agendas.

Together, we are working to ensure that the future of Oxley Beach is considered carefully, transparently and respectfully.

Protect Oxley Beach Port Macquarie. Protect our coastline. Protect it for future generations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Protect Oxley Beach Port Macquarie against a tidal or ocean pool?

No. Protect Oxley Beach Port Macquarie is not opposed to the concept of a tidal or ocean pool. The campaign's concern is whether Oxley Beach is the appropriate location for a major ocean pool development and whether the environmental, cultural, planning, financial and community impacts have been adequately addressed.

Who is Protect Oxley Beach Port Macquarie?

Protect Oxley Beach Port Macquarie is a community-led, volunteer organisation advocating for the protection of the natural, cultural and environmental values of Oxley Beach.

When did Protect Oxley Beach begin?

Protect Oxley Beach began in late February 2026, when a small group of local residents came together to better understand proposed planning changes affecting Oxley Beach.

Why is Oxley Beach important?

Oxley Beach is a valued natural coastal landscape in Port Macquarie with environmental, cultural, recreational and community significance. The campaign believes these values should be carefully considered when assessing any major development proposal.

What are the main concerns about the proposed Oxley Beach ocean pool?

Concerns include environmental and biodiversity impacts, cultural and Aboriginal land interests, coastal hazards, climate resilience, planning justification, construction and maintenance costs, accessibility, parking and traffic, engineering requirements and potential impacts on existing community and recreational uses.

What does Protect Oxley Beach support?

Protect Oxley Beach supports high-quality public recreation facilities, including an ocean pool if an environmentally appropriate, culturally respectful, financially responsible, accessible and strategically justified location can be identified.

Is Protect Oxley Beach politically affiliated?

No. Protect Oxley Beach Port Macquarie describes itself as politically independent and non-partisan. The community states that it receives no government funding, political funding or corporate sponsorship.

Page updated 9th October 2026

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