Peninsula No 48
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News
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PAPER INC Print Post Approved PP255003/04388 13 August 2002
Minister's building density decision welcomed The decision of Planning Minister Dr An d r e w Refshauge's to reject Gosford Council plans to lower building densities on the Peninsula has been welcomed by Save Our Suburbs spokesman Mr Bryan Ellis.
The site for a new retail development in Woy Woy
New retail development for Woy Woy Gosford Council has approved a two-storey commercial development with underground car park on George St, Woy Woy, next to Deepwater Plaza. The first floor of the building will contain commercial floor space and the ground floor will comprise retail floor space and specialty shops to provide an active retail frontage to George St. The proposed underground car park will contain 66 car spaces
and the total development will have over 3000 square metres of floor space. Vehicle access to both the car park and loading dock will be from George St. The site comprises several allotments on the western side of George St, including the Brian Hilton Toyota and Challenge Electronics sites, and immediately adjoins the Deepwater Plaza shopping centre car park to the north and west.
The council allowed a variation to the minimum setback requirements and to maximum height requirements, because it considered the proposal satisfactory and consistent with the broader objectives of the Woy Woy town centre development control plan. Strict compliance with the height requirement was considered by council to be unreasonable and unnecessary in the circumstances. Council agenda DH.97, August 6
Tender moves for fast ferry wharf Gosford Council has invited expressions of interest from companies wishing to submit formal tenders to council for the construction of the fast ferry wharf at Ettalong, following the recent announcement of State Government funding. The council has been told that a series of meetings have been held between representatives of Transport NSW, Fast Ships Pty Ltd and council staff to progress the proposal. Transport NSW and Council
staff were reviewing the designs and estimates of cost prepared by Fast Ships since gaining development consent to the wharf and foreshore terminal building. They hope to confirm that the project can be delivered within the $4.3million grant budget announced. Council staff were also reviewing options for the management and maintenance of the facility once constructed. Transport NSW has proposed that the project proceed with a minimum of delay, suggesting
that Council invite expressions of interest from companies wishing to submit formal tenders for the construction of the wharf, foreshore terminal facilities and road works in adjacent streets. In inviting such expressions of interest, it would be indicated that State Government approval was still to be given to the project proceeding. The council decided to invite expressions of interest later this month. Council agenda EO.029, August 6
The Creepers On Friday 30th August 8:30pm FREE EVERGLADES COUNTRY CLUB
Rejection of plans to change some areas of the Woy Woy Peninsula from 2(b) zoning to the lower density 2(a) zoning, as a trade-off for high-rise in the Gosford CBD, will be welcomed by the majority of the City's residents who oppose the mayor's "monument-building exercise" in the Gosford CBD, he said. "The trade off for reduced congestion on the Woy Woy Peninsula m ust now be abandoned," Mr Ellis said. "Always a misguided attempt by our councillors, the refusal of the Minister will have little effect on the surging development that he is encouraging. "Put simply, there are few blocks of land on the Peninsula where it is not possible to build two three-bedroom units next door under current zonings. "The trend is for two storeys so that single storey houses or villas next door have no privacy in their open areas. "The recently adopted 'character statements' that were supposed to define future development in the context of what already exists eg. 'single dwellings with room for the kids,
gardens and trees' are revealed as merely a distraction to amuse the hundreds of residents that are concerned about the creeping over-development and congestion of their suburbs," said Mr Ellis. "The fact is that the population growth into multi-unit dwellings is changing the character of the area every day. "Unless we continue to send strong messages to the Minister and Council, the character and lifestyle of our suburbs will be lost to 'misguided governments and developers' in the words of Cr Brooks. "Minister Refshauge's comment that on the Central Coast 'There have been stresses but not system failures' at the recent 'Growing Pains' conference at Terrigal ignores the social breakdown that is evident to resident's daily and well reported in the local press. "The rail and road systems are approaching capacity and failures are not rare. "Is the State going to wait for the rail system to fail before they do something? "Will Council wait until the water system fails before they do more than fund another study? "Rapid and unplanned population growth is destroying all the qualities and values that most people came here to enjoy," said Mr Ellis. Save Our Suburbs meets on the second Saturday each month at 3pm at South Woy Woy Progress Hall.
Jetty application considered Gosford Council's environmental heritage committee has considered an application for a new jetty adjacent to the former site of the Ferrymasters Cottage in Wagstaffe. It would replace the existing structure which the owner recently said he did not want to keep and which he partly demolished. The current application is virtually the same as a previous development application which council refused on heritage
grounds. The Committee advised council that this application should also be refused. The committee report stated: "If a new private jetty is allowed by the Department of Land and Water Conservation in that location on Brisbane Water, any approval should be on condition that the new jetty be built on the northern side of the boatshed and in similar design and materials to the historic jetty." Council agenda EH.040, August 6
Authentic 50’s Rockabilly Band. Nominated Best Sydney Rockabilly Band Playing the great songs of legends:
Eddie Cochrane, Elvis, DUNBAN ROAD WOY WOY ~ PHONE : 4341 1866 I nf ormat ion f or members and their guest s