A total of 132 ideas were posted to the State Government’s Planning for the Economic Future of the Central Coast website.
Public comments closed at 8am on January 25 and are now being assessed.
Ideas included suggestions for Graduation Groves where graduating students plant trees; a light rail link from Gosford train station to the beaches; transport links on Brisbane Water and a petrol station on the water for easy access to refilling boat fuel tanks.
The State Government asked for community feedback on six initial areas of interest that it said could help stimulate the economy and create local jobs on the Central Coast.
The first idea was to locate a university campus in Gosford city centre to bring greater learning opportunities to the region, stimulate the economy and create local jobs.
The second idea was to expand health services in Gosford to support the Central Coast’s growing population and generate local jobs.
The third idea was to facilitate faster transport connections to and from regional centres to foster economic growth and new jobs on the Coast.
The three final ideas were to Increase the amount of serviced industrial lands on the Central Coast to support and expand industries such as food technology and advanced manufacturing; streamline planning processes to help remove barriers, such as uncertainty and wait times, for businesses looking to locate on the Central Coast; and to establish a high-speed internet network to attract new, diverse businesses to the Central Coast and remove any existing barriers for growth related to digital connectivity.
Some commenters said the focus was too concentrated on the southern end of the region.
A quick poll on the page attracted 269 voters.
They were given four choices and asked to pick which one was key to the coast’s economic future.
More jobs closer to home attracted 35 per cent of the vote; followed by attracting new business on 23 per cent, only one per cent more than better transport connectivity on 22 per cent; education and training opportunities on 16 per cent.
Better connectivity attracted only four per cent of the votes.
The Government says the final report will be tabled this year.
Merilyn Vale