New housing estates should remain east of the M1 Motorway, said Central Coast Council in its response to the State Government’s review of the Central Coast Regional Plan (CCRP).
It also wants clarity on the future of the proposed Warnervale train station.
Council staff have compiled a list of suggestions it wants to send to the review, which is open for public comment until March 4.
Administrator Rik Hart was expected to adopt the recommendations at the February 22 ordinary meeting of Council-under-administration.
The Council report said that, while it supports improved coordination of land release and infrastructure provision, planning for greenfield release areas and infill around existing town centres should remain east of the M1 Motorway.
It said urban development west of the M1 Motorway could pose significant risk on the Central Coast’s water supply.
“Based on current residential land supply and demand, the Central Coast has sufficient residential growth areas east of the M1 Motorway to accommodate housing targets over the life of the plan (20-plus years),” Council said.
“As such, introducing actions to investigate growth west of the M1 Motorway is not supported.
“Supporting these future growth areas west of the M1 Motorway would contradict the objectives of the draft CCRP 2041 which speaks of consolidation within existing urban environments and creating walkable 15-minute neighbourhoods.
“Rather, the draft CCRP 2041 should represent a balance of infill and greenfield development east of the M1 Motorway – with the M1 representing a logical boundary for future greenfield development.
“The future growth areas at Jilliby, Alison and Mardi are also situated within water supply catchments,” the report said.
This appears to contradict the Regional Planning Panel’s decision to approve a residential development on the site of the Old Mardi Farm.
“Future development of these areas could pose significant risk to the Central Coast’s water supply.
“Due to this significant risk, Council has always maintained a strict policy position of not promoting urban development in water supply catchments.”
And with infill areas, Council said, until such time as the Central Coast Highway upgrade is designed and funded, the Karagi Growth Area should focus on The Entrance only and not include Long Jetty or Bateau Bay.
“As transport is a significant land use planning issue for the Central Coast, transport planning objectives should be included in the Plan,” the report said.
Council wants CCRP 2041 to confirm the future of the proposed Warnervale Town Centre local train station to allow existing planning to continue, or alternatively confirm its removal entirely and allow land use planning in the vicinity of the proposed station to be revised accordingly.
“The Warnervale Town Centre has been designed based on the proposed train station, however TfNSW have not progressed the development application and are suggesting it will be withdrawn.
“Neither TfNSW nor DPE have indicated the strategic intent.
“It is considered the most appropriate outcome would be for the CCRP 2041 to confirm the strategic need for a local station to enable the current planned town centre to proceed.
“Alternatively, the CCRP 2041 should confirm the station is not proceeding and land use planning in the vicinity of the station location be revised accordingly.”
Council does not support the separation of the Tuggerah-Wyong Corridor and the elevation of Tuggerah to a Strategic Centre.
It said the CCRP should be made in consideration of Council’s existing Tuggerah-Wyong Economic Corridor Strategy and said Tuggerah-Wyong should be a strategic centre.
It called for any extension of the Central Lakes Planning District across the Central Coast LGA and Lake Macquarie LGA to be clearly defined with regard to responsibility.
It said any mapping should be amended to describe “open space’ land more accurately and warned that regional biodiversity connectivity should not be compromised as part of future growth plans for the Central Coast.
“… and the plan should have strong references to ensure biodiversity issues are addressed early in the rezoning process,” Council said.
It said biodiversity corridors across agricultural land should be reviewed to consider any potential impacts on agricultural production.
It called for population, dwelling and job projections to be included in the plan and that residential density targets should be guided by the future Central Coast Local Housing Strategy.
“The draft CCRP 2041 does not contain any population, dwelling and job projections like the CCRP 2036,” Council said.
“These need to be included within the draft CCRP 2041 to provide transparency and clarity on the level of growth being planned for in this iteration of the regional plan.”
Council also wants more focus given to resolving issues for an existing 1,103Ha of undeveloped employment zoned land rather than including additional employment land at Somersby, Charmhaven and Wallarah.
The Central Coast Regional Plan 2036 (CCRP 2036) is the NSW State Government’s current land-use plan for the Central Coast.
It is a key strategic document that Council, other state agencies and private organisations use to drive sustainable growth on the Central Coast.
Regional Plans generally have a planning horizon of 20 years and are reviewed every five years.
It has been five years since the CCRP 2036 was approved, with the Department of Planning and Environment undertaking the review and preparing a new draft that will extend to 2041.
The draft CCRP 2041 was released for public comment on 8 December 2021 and is due to close on March 4.
Merilyn Vale