The Banksia Street Reserve is a small but important community park located at the intersection of Banksia Street and Elizabeth Drive in Vincentia—just steps from the stunning shores of Jervis Bay on the NSW South Coast. Now, this much-loved reserve is under threat of closure. Shoalhaven City Council is planning to sell the land for private residential development for no other reason than raising a touted $4 million windfall for Council coffers.

Background

Council resolved in 2024, that the Banksia Street Reserve should be closed and sold for residential development without any community input—failing to ask if the road should be closed, if the land should be rezoned for sale, or if it should remain in public hands, as it has for over 70 years. The decision wrongly assumed this land no longer serves a community purpose. 

Despite vocal opposition from locals who want the park preserved for public use, Council appears to be dismissing community concerns as irrelevant under the narrow legal framework of a public road closure. Locals see the move as a pre-determined, profit-driven decision that undermines community interests, and we are calling for the decision to be reversed.

Why this matters

Council’s decision to sell off this long-standing public reserve irrespective of community views is not just short-sighted—it’s irresponsible and unfair to the community that uses and values it. Losing this reserve would strip our neighbourhood of an irreplaceable public open space and erase an integral part of what makes Vincentia special.

Please support our petition

Our petition calls on the Shoalhaven City Council Mayor and Councillors to:

1. Reverse their decision to close and sell the Banksia Street Reserve.
2. Keep the land as public road reserve—so it remains available for current and future community use.

Please help us save our park. Sign this petition today and add your voice to the growing call to keep Banksia Street Reserve in public hands, as a protected community space and vital part of Vincentia’s coastal character.