Gosford Council has adopted an amendment to the Gosford Development Control Plan 2013 relating to Wamberal Beach properties.
The purpose of the amendment is to remove development exemptions relating to development on Wamberal’s beachfront as an immediate response to the unclear interpretation of the Development Control Plan, especially given the uncertainty of the building of a revetment wall at Wamberal. “The amended clause will provide an immediate approach for the determination of development applications on the Wamberal beachfront,” Gosford Council minutes said. This approach will provide development clarity until the Coastal Zone Management Planning process is progressed and Council’s future strategic direction is amended. The Development Control Plan as amended will not permit certain types of development seaward of the 2045 hazard line. “The proposed revetment / Terminal Protection Structure for Wamberal Beach has not yet been able to be funded or constructed in the 20 years since it was first proposed,” a Gosford Council notation to the amendment said. “It requires redesign to meet the updated coastal processes hazard information provided by the Open Coast and Broken Bay Beaches Coastal Processes and Hazard Definition Study endorsed by Council on Tuesday, March 25, 2014. “Council will only consider reintroduction of the special exemption for Wamberal Beach once updated and appropriate design has been finalised; and full funding is guaranteed for construction and ongoing maintenance of the revetment wall; and once relevant approvals have been obtained as required by legislation. “Until there is certainty about the construction of the proposed revetment wall, Wamberal Beach will be subject to the same controls as other coastal beaches. “Council will not permit buildings or building structures to be constructed on, over or below the land which has been identified by the Coastal Management Plan for Gosford City Open Coast Beaches as subject to designated coastal hazards.”
Minutes, 9 June 2015 Gosford Council