Edition 460
17 December 2018
Woy Woy designated as town centre like Gosford Woy Woy has been designated a “principal town centre” in a review conducted for Central Coast Council which was adopted at the December 10 council meeting.
The staff review has recommended a hierarchy for town centres that would see Woy Woy classified along with Wyong, The Entrance, Gosford and Terrigal as principal town centres. Umina and Ettalong, as well as Toukley, Long Jetty, Budgewoi, Avoca and Kincumber, would become “major town centres … all of which should have a targeted and coordinated place activation focus for Council”. “It is a key finding of this review that a more formalised and centrist approach is required within Council to ensure that we are properly servicing the identified principal and major town centres,” the review written by council staff said “To meet this objective, an expansion of responsibilities and staffing would be needed,” it said. The review also identified a “gap in the regional delivery of economic development for the Central Coast, particularly by Central Coast Council. “Key aspects of strategic economic development linked to the needs of expectations of the community, such as sustainability, jobs generation, transport planning and support of innovation and start up businesses, are not currently being adequately addressed,” the review said. The aim of the review was
to “focus on holistic place management and activation, effectively addressing the interdependencies between effective asset management, marketing and promotion, tourism, business development, economic development and delivery of quality events within key precincts. “The future management of town centres should aim to provide a strategic, streamlined and costeffective approach, to ensure priority service delivery of town centre management functions. “In a region as large and diverse as the Central Coast, the definition of a ‘town centre’ is important to establish, to ensure that coordinated resources are focused on areas that provide the best opportunity to achieve place activation, economic development and social connection to our community.” All commercial property owners within the former Gosford Local Government Area pay Special Rate Levies, but only Gosford has been serviced by a third party entity responsible for marketing, promoting, event delivery, business development and varying levels of asset maintenance. The review found that Council provided “limited and varying funding levels” which meant the town centres on the Peninsula struggled to get funding for events. “Little funding is directly targeted towards activities or projects,” the review said. “In the absence of a dedicated focus or town centre management team within Council, little coordination or strategic decision
is taken to ensure capital works projects, maintenance or events and activations meet broader objectives,” it said. Another finding was that aligned delivery of services such as security and cleaning would ensure best value and consistent service levels. The review recommended that Council request the CEO to investigate how to resource a dedicated team within Council to coordinate town centre management. Another recommendation was for Council to work with the NSW Business Chamber to develop a model to specifically support local economic and business development initiatives. Council will also establish an external regional model to provide a regional focus and direction for delivery of economic development, marketing and promotion, business development and attraction of major events for town centres across the Coast. A professional board for the regional model will be considered. The Place Activation section within Council will be expanded to ensure best practice internal coordination of assets, contract management, leasing, delivery of events and services. Central Coast Council Mayor, Clr Jane Smith, said th report back to Council should also “consider how we consult and engage with communities in those town centres”. SOURCE: Central Coast Council agenda 4.1, 10 Dec 2018 Jackie Pearson, journalist
Firefighters rescue trapped ducklings Firefighters from the Umina unit of Fire and Rescue NSW have responded to reports of a family of ducks trapped in a drain in Ettalong.
The firefighters arrived to find a distressed mother duck circling the drain. Upon inspection, it was
determined three ducklings had become trapped and an operation to retrieve them commenced. All three ducklings were rescued and found to be in good health and reunited with their mother.
SOURCE: Social media, 11 Dec 2018 Scott Kell, Fire and Rescue NSW Umina Unit
New planning controls to increase residential density Development controls included in a draft new planning scheme would permit higher density development in residential areas around Woy Woy.
The proposed change is directly at odds with the position of local community groups like Save Our Woy Woy. The draft Consolidated Central Coast Local Environmental Plan and Development Control Plan were placed on exhibition last week. According to the draft, the new objective for the R1 General
Residential zone is “to promote best practice in the design of multi-dwelling housing and other similar types of development; to ensure that non-residential uses do not adversely affect residential amenity or place demands on services beyond the level reasonably required for multidwelling housing or other similar types of development”. “Specific minimum lot sizes for multi-dwelling housing, residential flat buildings and attached dwellings are not set under the Central Coast Development Control Plan. “This form of housing can be
managed through other provisions of the DCP chapter applying to these forms of development such as building setback, floor space ratio, open space requirements etc. “The removal of this clause, for these land-uses, will allow greater flexibility to encourage higher density development within the R1 zone. “It will also reduce expectations of unfeasible development where greater lot sizes would be required.” The Council held its first information sessions on the proposed new development and
zoning controls in Wyong and Erina on December 11 and 12. It has said it will announce more information sessions in the New Year but it is unclear whether any sessions will occur on the Peninsula. Council representatives will be available at Deepwater Plaza, Woy Woy, on Thursday, January 17 from 10:30am and 12:30pm to give residents information about the proposed consolidated development controls. Submissions from the public will be accepted until February 28. The consolidated plan has been placed on public exhibition
two years after the new Central Coast Council resolved to prepare a planning proposal to consolidate the provisions of the Local Environmental Plans from the former Gosford and Wyong Councils. The draft plan standardises matters not dealt with under current controls. “The preparation of a Consolidated Central Coast Local Environmental Plan is the first step in the process to preparing a Comprehensive Plan,” according to details on the Council’s yourvoiceourcoast website.
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