As the newly appointed City Commissioner for the Central Coast on the Greater Cities Commission, Robyn Parker is determined to see the region thrive as part of the Six Cities mega-region.
A Coastie for the past eight years, Parker has a wealth of public and private sector experience spanning roles in Child and Family Services, as a TAFE teacher, and as CEO of Ageing and Disability Services.
She served in the NSW Parliament for 12 years, first as a Member of the Legislative Council, followed by four years as the Member for Maitland.
She has chaired many Parliamentary Inquiries and was the NSW Minister for the Environment and Minister for Heritage from 2011-2014.
As Environment Minister, Parker introduced some of the toughest environmental laws in Australia and delivered the largest waste and recycling program in Australia at the time.
She helped create nine new parks and two new national parks.
Since leaving politics, she has been appointed as a non-executive director to a number of conservation, agricultural, education and for-purpose organisations and is also the Deputy Chair of the NSW Heritage Council.
“After selling our small farm in Maitland, we decided to downsize to the Central Coast eight years ago, first living at Terrigal and since 2020 at The Entrance,” Parker said.
“Every morning when I wake up I think – why would we live anywhere else?
“I have been fortunate enough to travel extensively around the world but haven’t seen anywhere I would rather live.”
Parker said one of the prerequisites for the appointment of commissioners from each of the six cities was that they had to be local to the area they were representing.
“I think that is really important,” she said.
“It’s important to understand what it is to live here and the strengths and challenges that presents.
“Our lifestyle on the Central Coast makes us unique.
“The pandemic saw lots of people moving here.
“All of us want to maintain the uniqueness of being a regional city but we also need to create a region that gets the best for our residents.”
Parker said the commissioners serve as the “connective tissue” between state and local government and will facilitate conversations and empower stakeholders to set common goals for their respective cities.
The recently released Six Cities Discussion Paper, she said, is about what the future is going to look like and how the six cities can become a connected network of regions which “lift each other up”.
“The plan gives more opportunities for each city to maximise its assets,” she said.
She said housing supply and jobs were at the top of the list of goals for the Coast, along with leveraging transport, social infrastructure and growth that is strategic and connecting innovation districts.
“We have an opportunity now to really crack on and get things done – and this is the process to do that,” she said.
She said a summit to be held later this year, probably in November, would give residents an opportunity to provide input to help shape a plan specific for the Central Coast.
“This localised plan will outline what needs to be done to open up housing and transport links and will feed into the Six Cities Plan, along with other regional plans,” she said.
“Underpinning all will be a strategy for economic growth on the Coast.
“The plan should maximise the advantage of being part of a global city in achieving faster rail and better transport links so if people do have to work outside the region they can do so efficiently.
“We need more employment opportunities close to where people live and we will be encouraging opportunities for businesses to establish in the region.
“Then we need to ensure a diverse housing supply to cater for that.
“The Central Coast Plan will be tailored to the specific needs of the region and we want to give people the opportunity to give input so we make sure we get our Central Coast vision working.
“This gives us a chance to get stakeholders working together for the greater good of the region.
“There are so many positives to living on the Central Coast – and we want to make it even greater.
“This is how global cities work, bringing the advantages of the cities together while they each retain a unique identity – it’s working together with other cities rather than being in a bubble.
“It’s time to work together.”
Terry Collins