Gosford Central Community News
May 9, 2011
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New Gosford Commuter car park underway
Issue 007
Back to the future at Gosford Chamber t its recent board meeting, the Gosford Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc unanimously appointed David Humphries to its board of directors.
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he NSW Government Transport Construction Authority has announced that a new commuter car park will be established in Gosford with the planning and design phase already in progress.
The Transport Construction Authority bought the Booths Motor Group site on 253 Mann St, Gosford, from Mr Kevin Booth for $2.2 million after being in negotiation for two months. The site was on the market for two years and was previously offered to Gosford Council, who rejected the offer and went on to buy the Gosford Town
Centre for $ 11 million. The site has now been closed off and commuters and shop owners who were previously parking at the site are no longer able to do so. St Vincent de Paul retail supervisor Mr Clyve Moane said his employees were previously parking at the site and said he is now in discussion with the owners about alternate parking
solutions. “When the new owners put their signs up, that’s when we found out,” he said. “We’re parking on the roof above us which is for customers mainly to park, but there’s only a couple of us who can park up there, the rest of us have to park at the Leagues Club or the Town Centre,” said Mr Moane.
The Transport Construction Authority has begun work on the Gosford Commuter Car Park project after recently completing the Woy Woy Commuter Car Park which provided an additional 300 parking spaces, including 17 accessible spaces. Unlike the Woy Woy project, the Gosford Commuter Car Park will include a boutique car dealership on the ground floor level. Kaitlin Watts, 6 May 2011
Mr Humphries, no stranger to the workings of the Gosford Chamber, was for a decade its CEO, but resigned the post in March 2007, to eventually join the then local ALP member for The Entrance, Mr Grant McBride. “I went and worked for Grant McBride the member for the Entrance, I’d done the job for ten years or so and it was time for a change,” said Mr Humphries. “You know what life’s like, you need to move on and do other things.” Mr Humphries said he is pleased with the work the Chamber did in his absence but is glad to be back on board. “Gosford chamber is one of the most important chambers on the Central Coast and they looked in to lots of different projects and they were very interested in what happened in Gosford City itself and we need to keep that coming. On his appointment, Mr Humphries said he is keen
to once again levitate the Gosford Chamber back to where it should be; the leading chamber on the Coast. “I want to make Gosford City the number one place on the Central Coast “At this stage I think we need to look at all ideas, I don’t have one specific idea but there are lots of ways you can encourage businesses for the benefit of the City.” Vice President and long standing board member Ms Deborah Warwick, said of the appointment, “I am very excited on his joining and basically it nicely rounds out the skill base of the board”. “‘I look forward to working with him on this side of the table,” she said. Mr Humphries takes up his post immediately and said he is already working to improve the status of Gosford Chamber within the business community. Val Bridge, 4 May 2011
Gosford police receive state of the art technology risbane Water Local Area Command has received a state of the art mobile police command unit to aid in the fight against crime.
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The fully marked mobile police commands were purchased at a cost of $130,000 each as part of a $3.3 million investment by the NSW Government to provide police with the latest technology for law enforcement. The Brisbane Water Mobile Police Command is one of five new vehicles
across NSW which were unveiled by the new Police Minister Mr Mike Gallacher and NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione at Gosford Police Station on Friday, April 15. Superintendent Geoff McKechnie from Brisbane Water Local Area Command said the mobile police command is a welcome
addition to the area, boosting local resources and increasing police mobility. “They are equipped with the latest equipment including data terminals with access to the police database, a TV monitor, interview room and digital message board. “The Mercedes Sprinter
vans can comfortably seat five officers and will allow us to access more remote areas and provide a platform for officers to work out of while in the community. “These new vans are a fantastic resource and add to our ability to get out there and interact with the community,” said Superintendent McKechnie. Media Release, 15 Apr 2011 NSW Police Media
David Humphries Photo: Val Bridge