Regional performing arts centre to be a priority for 2018

Looking across Leagues Club Field which has been chosen as the preferred site for the Regional Performing Arts Centre in Gosford Photo: Justin Stanley

The Member for Gosford and the Deputy Mayor have both greeted the New Year with a renewed resolve to fight for a regional performing arts centre on the Gosford waterfront.
Member for Gosford, Ms Leisl Tesch, said she would like to see the remaining former Gosford Public School land returned to the community.
It was sold to St Hilliers by Property NSW and is currently used for access and machinery storage related to the development of the State Finance building.
“I would love the remaining school land to be returned to the community or at least include a development dedicated to the community, but after the government sell-off of our community land, I am not confident that this is going to occur,” Ms Tesch said.
She said she was pleased that Central Coast Mayor, Jane Smith, had stated Council was discussing options with St Hilliers, the Central Coast Coordinator General, Ms Lee Shearer, and the Government Architect.
“Timing is critical, because the next NSW State Election is in March 2019, which is only a little over a year away, and depending on the outcome of the election, the pledged $10m for the regional performing arts centre could be lost,” she said.
“The next Federal election is also within the next two years, and could also be at any time, and that would be another $10m at risk.”
Ms Tesch said she hoped the New Year would also herald greater levels of transparency from the NSW Government-appointed coordinator general who has been charged with the revitalisation of the Gosford CBD.
“I have met the coordinator general and I have been told there would be more meetings down the track” she said.
“If the plan is to incorporate previous work and community consultation, including the segmentation of the CBD into precincts, then there needs to be more communication and a greater effort put into giving the community that information.”
Deputy Mayor, Chris Holstein, said progressing the promised delivery of a regional performing arts centre on the Gosford waterfront was also one of his priorities for 2018.
“The regional performing arts centre and what will happen on the Gosford waterfront is very much on my agenda, but there are a range of players down there,” Clr Holstein said.
“There are several things that will need to take place to ensure the project goes ahead,” he said.
“I am very supportive of the performing arts centre.
“There have been umpteen plans for the revitalisation of Gosford, some good and some bad, but there are components of all of that that will be beneficial, and that is what I hope that Coordinator General, Lee Shearer, will achieve,” he said.

Source:
Interview, Jan 12
Liesl Tesch, Member for Gosford
Interview, Jan 12
Chris Holstein, Central Coast Council
Jackie Pearson, journalist