Central Coast Council has been recognised for its Green Grid: Our Place in the 2022 Local Government Week Awards.
The Central Coast Green Grid is the first of its kind for regional NSW and was highly commended in the Planning Awards category for cultural change innovation and excellence in the Local Government NSW awards announced on August 4.
It establishes a framework for planning and identification of future projects to shape the future character of the region over the next 20 years and beyond through understanding current natural and built assets and how these can be connected in the future.
The aim is to improve urban ecosystems, biodiversity, resilience, urban amenity and connectivity between public spaces.
Overarching aims of the green grid include improving the liveability and walkability of local centres, improving climate resilience and supporting ecologically sustainable development.
The Plan identifies different components of the region and forms them into six grids: Ecological Grid; Recreational Grid; Hydrological Grid; Cultural Grid; Agricultural Grid; and Transport and Public Domain Grid.
The recreational grid aims to improve connectivity, accessibility and quality of open space.
This will be achieved through encouragement for participation in outdoor activities, improving opportunities for sustainable outdoor recreation within natural areas, including establishing the Central Coast as a destination for such activities.
The aim of the ecological grid is to improve resilience, protect and manage natural areas in response to increasing pressure from climate change, urban development and encouraging community behaviour to enhance ecological values.
Best practice management of natural waterways and coastline is covered in the hydrological grid while the agricultural grid covers rural lands with the aim of strengthening production, maintaining the rural landscape and connection to agricultural lands.
“This will be achieved through identifying important agricultural land zone for these uses, encouraging quality agricultural nature-based tourism ventures, to establish the region as a key destination for these types of activities such as farm tourism,” the plan says.
The cultural grid aims to conserve and interpret areas and items of cultural significance while promoting opportunities for cultural tourism and economic development.
The transport and public domain grid aims to provide green active transport corridors for more sustainable, active and connected local centres.
“This will be achieved through providing connectivity to centres and places of interest such as shorelines, beaches and public reserves,” the plan stays.
It will also improve environmental performance of public domain areas including during infrastructure upgrades such as considering lifestyle life cycle analysis of projects, addressing urban heat island effect and providing habitat for urban wildlife.
There are many projects already on the drawing board in the Green Grid plan to ensure the region’s long-term liveability and future funding for identified projects will be sought via a mix of Council funds, government funds or through grant funding.
The Green Grid: Our Place can be viewed at Council’s website YourVoiceOurCoast.com
Sue Murray