A draft planning proposal seeking to rezone parts of a huge site at Somersby has been submitted to Central Coast Council, aimed at paving the way for a major revamp of Old Sydney Town (OST).
The plan was first mooted last year, when owners of the land World Culture Tourism Village (WCTV) announced a proposal to incorporate some of the remaining OST buildings into a mixed-use tourism resort and entertainment hub.
Following “extensive consultation with the community”, a spokesperson for WCTV said the company would work with Council on progressing the proposal and developing a “place-based strategy”.
WCTV bought the 120ha site, which incorporates both OST and the Reptile Park, in 2018, with CEO, Guben Huang, saying the company was committed to working closely with the community as it developed a detailed concept plan.
Huang said at the time the redevelopment would include a performing arts area, indigenous tourism and other entertainment and attractions; a bookable community facility or space for community and public events; boutique, dynamic exhibition and retail shopping opportunities; hotel and clubhouses, creative employment spaces; eco conservation areas and a food and beverage precinct.
It would also look at water-based activities, residential living opportunities and a potential large format international retailer, he said.
But spokesperson for the Save Old Sydney Town Facebook group (with 9,000 members), Jake Cassar, said while members appreciated community consultation which had taken place, they felt their concerns hadn’t really been listened to.
“As it currently stands, only a small portion of Old Sydney Town would be restored and reopened,” Cassar said.
“Also, there’s no guarantee that visitors wouldn’t be able to see the housing estate from Old Sydney Town, and this would really take away from the original concept of going back in time to 1788.
“I’m really hopeful that we can find a mutually beneficial middle ground that allows the owners to do some suitable and sustainable development but ensures that we receive a new and improved Old Sydney Town.”
The WCTV spokesperson said if the planning proposal were endorsed by Council to proceed to the NSW Government’s Gateway process, it would be placed on public exhibition for further community consultation.
“The reimagining and redevelopment of Old Sydney Town represents a compelling and unique opportunity for the Central Coast, with significant investment, major new employment opportunities and delivering a major boost to the social and economic infrastructure for the region,” the spokesperson said.
“Importantly, the current proposal seeks to not only maintain but improve the Australian Reptile Park to create a unique Australian learning and recreational centre with improved amenities, conservation and tourism experiences.”
A spokesperson for Council confirmed a Request to Prepare a Local Environmental Plan (LEP) Amendment to rezone the former Old Sydney Town and current Australian Reptile Park sites had been received.
“The request seeks Council’s support to prepare a Planning Proposal to rezone the land from E4 Environmental Management to a mix of land use zones, including: E2 Environmental Conservation; RE1 Public Recreation; R2 Low Density Residential; R3 Medium Density Residential; B5 Business Development; B7 Business Park; and SP3 Tourist zone,” the spokesperson said.
Terry Collins