With submissions now closed on Central Coast Council’s ambitious plan to revitalise the Gosford waterfront, two large community groups have slammed the proposal as premature and are pushing for the CBD to be revitalised before any development starts on the waterfront.
Both the Community Environment Network (CEN) and the Gosford Waterfront Alliance (GWA) are pushing for an extended consultation and submission period.
In a comprehensive submission sent to both Council and the Greater Cities Commission’s Central Coast Commissioner on the waterfront proposal, CEN says the Gosford city centre is “a wreckage of its former self … depressed and depressing”.
“We encourage Council to reconsider its latest ‘push’ to redevelop the waterfront as we believe it is premature – a bit like icing a cake before the cake is baked,” the submission says.
“We urge you, instead, to complete the economic and social revitalisation of the Gosford city centre (the cake) commenced in 2018 when the Coordinator General was appointed.”
CEN says Council and the NSW Government have failed to deliver on their promise to revitalise the Gosford city centre and the release of the waterfront concept plan is an unnecessary diversion from the work that remains to be done in the CBD.
“The ongoing stagnation of the Gosford city centre needs to be addressed expeditiously and there is no evidence that activating the waterfront will, in turn, fix the stagnation in the city proper.”
community environment network
“This is especially the case given that the current concept plan for the waterfront fails to tackle the most critical issues standing in the way of a sustainable future for the waterfront: environmental protection; adaptation for sea level rise; traffic management; social infrastructure; and adequate connectivity between the city centre and the waterfront.”
The submission says it is disappointing that Council did not exhibit the three options it developed and considered for the revitalisation and makes 12 recommendations.
It suggests Council extend the consultation period until the end of February 2023, hold more drop-in sessions and online info sessions, and place on exhibition the “extensive analysis of the three options” which resulted in the decision to select Option 1.
“We also request that more information be made public about the entire planning process including changes to the SEPP and UDF, additional land uses and the specifics of intended height limits and floor space ratios as part of the extended exhibition period,” the submission says.
CEN also wants to see a new authority created to oversee the sustainable activation of Gosford city centre, to be jointly overseen/advised by the Central Coast Council, the Greater Cities Commission and a new Community Reference Group.
It would like to see incentives for owners/developers of key sites to scale back proposed developments to more sustainable levels and include renewable energy and water saving initiatives, with fast-tracking of staged development or completion of scaled down projects to be rewarded.
The submission calls for the revitalisation of the waterfront, with the exception of solving connectivity with the city centre, to be postponed until 75 per cent of approved developments in Gosford City (as of 31 December 2022) are at construction certificate stage.
It calls for more traffic studies and a land bridge over Dane Dre or alternative east-west/north-south bypass prior to any revitalisation planning.
It says a more strategic approach to the revitalisation needs to be taken and master planning broken down into smaller and more achievable/staged developments.
The submission calls for more environmental studies and says any future development on the waterfront must be adaptable to sea level rise.
“Any proposal for a new seawall or changes to the existing seawall must be undertaken as a stand-alone project and should not go ahead without extensive analysis of end effects and the potential to worsen flooding in nearby areas including West Gosford and Point Frederick,” it says.
The submission says a comprehensive community transport plan for Gosford City Centre should be completed before further increasing the city’s residential footprint with development on the waterfront.
Priority should be given to fast-tracking of the regional library, reinstatement of the cultural precinct in Mann St or master planning for a new waterfront cultural precinct including a performing arts centre.
“Leading with social infrastructure will build community and investment confidence in Gosford,” the submission says.
In its submission, GWA reinforces many of the points made by CEN.
“Clearly the Central Coast Council and the NSW Government have failed dismally to deliver on their promise to revitalise the Gosford city centre, and the recent release of this waterfront concept plan is an unnecessary diversion from the work that remains to be done in the city centre,” the submission says.
“In fact since the Coordinator General’s proposal, the Gosford CBD is more derelict and in greater need of a revitalisation than when that project started.
“It beggars belief that any reasonable person would consider placing unit blocks on the Gosford Waterfront would revitalise the CBD.”
gosford waterfront alliance
“There is no evidence that the Gosford waterfront proposal will, in turn, fix the stagnation in the city proper.”
The submission says the concept plan fails to consider environmental protection, adaptation for sea level rise, traffic management, social infrastructure and adequate connectivity between the city centre and the waterfront.
The group has also called for: public exhibition of all three options for the waterfront redevelopment; more information to be made public on zoning changes which would be needed to make way for the work; the inclusion of a community group comprising residents from Gosford and surrounding suburbs to be included in consultations; and detailed traffic and pedestrian flow studies.
“It beggars belief how the Council can claim that the public will gain ‘more open space’, especially considering the sell-off of the Gosford. Bowling Club and the land between the stadium and the rail line, along with the proposal for units will result in reduced open public space,” the submission says.
“It is disappointing in this concept plan, that there is no consideration to ensure there is public art and aesthetic designs for these structures.”
Terry Collins
Well put CEN. In particular the urgency of a strategic approach that, as you point out, incorporates the revitalisation of the appalling, neglected and wasteful CBD. Perhaps the proposed tax on owners of long-vacant shops, who by all accounts are simply land banking, might also hasten the redevelopment. And on that note, take a look at the parlous state of the verandahs over the footpath along the length of the CBD – collapsing, degraded, filthy; note the absence of any remediation works of the footpaths themselves, the roads, and missing maintenance of the verges – even right outside the council’s own premises. As to consultation, arriving at a decision and then presenting that as consultation, is laughably inadequate.
I completely agree that the Gosford CBD should be improved as a priority. There are too many derelict building sites, that have been that way for 5, 10 years or more. As for the Gosford waterfront, it would be better to make it more family and tourist friendly, like Brisbane South Bank or Townsville waterfront. We don’t want residential there. More shade, an enticing swimming area and tourist attractions would be good. I didn’t get too worried about the current proposal because I believed it depends on state government finance, which probably won’t happen.
The Gosford Waterfront plan is amazing and most locals in Gosford want the plans to go ahead. Every time there is a major upgrade to Gosford Waterfront these few minority people pop up and block progress and that is the real problem in Gosford. The same thing happened with the Terrigal Boardwalk but it still went ahead. Having a Darling Harbour in Gosford with walking tracks that extend from Point Claire across the water, and all the way down past Gosford CBD provides enormous recreational and entertainment value that will benefit the whole of Gosford CBD. Of course, it will activate Gosford CBD, because people want to buy apartments and live near a world-class waterfront. The walkability of the new Waterfront is outstanding, and the community has added many ideas to make it even better. Let’s continue with the current planning process and get it done.
I’am a local and agree with Peter, we want the Waterfront plans to proceed. The waterfront will benefit Gosford tremendously and is key to the uplift of Gosford.