Central Coast Council staff are heading back out to the community to talk all things Gosford.
CEO David Farmer said during the recent consultation on the Gosford waterfront revitalisation, Council received an overwhelming response from the community asking about the future development of the city.
“The Central Coast is a vibrant and rapidly growing region, with Gosford set to become the geographic centre of Australia’s first global city region – a region where six cities come together to become a world-leading place for education, employment and community,” Farmer said.
“Several major government and non-government projects proposed to revitalise Gosford City are approved or are working their way through the planning process.
“As identified by the NSW Government, Gosford is the chosen city for the proposed new university and TAFE campuses, upgrades to the stadium, development of the regional library, and the NSW Government’s faster train proposal.
“Let’s Talk Gosford will bring Council directly to our local community to discuss and receive feedback on Council projects planned for Gosford.
“These projects will support Gosford’s emergence as a city worthy of investment and support.
“Community feedback is crucial, and we are calling on the local community and businesses to share their thoughts and feedback on how they envision Gosford in years to come.
“This will assist Council in lobbying state and federal government support for the needed revitalisation of Gosford.
“It’s important that the community’s values and aspirations continue to be reflected in the direction and decision-making for Gosford.”
A Let’s Talk Drop-in Information Day will be held on Thursday, March 30, at Parkhouse Gosford in Kibble Park.
Two separate sessions will be held – for businesses and collaborators from 10am to noon and for the broader community from 1pm to 4pm.
There will also be a Public Hearing from 5pm to 7pm on the same day at Central Coast Stadium on the proposed reclassification of land at 73-75 Mann St, Gosford, to support development of the proposed new TAFE campus.
Projects on show include: the Kibble Park Place Plan, the Central Coast Street Design Manual; the Central Coast Local Housing Strategy; the reclassification of Council-owned land in Mann St to make way for a new TAFE campus; the Safer Cities: Her Way program; the waterfront revitalisation; Gosford Regional Library; water and sewerage works; roads and drainage projects; and the Coastal Management Program: Hawkesbury-Nepean River System.
The Kibble Park Place Plan
Council began consultation on the revitalisation of the park in 2020 and wants to know if its refined draft Kibble Park Concept Design gets it right.
The Central Coast Street Design Manual
The manual and the accompanying set of standard drawings and technical specifications are a first for the Central Coast.
It supports consistency across the regions’ town centres through street design, amenity and functionality while also supporting the unique character each place has.
The Central Coast Local Housing Strategy
Council’s draft strategy explores the challenges associated with housing such as continuing rapid population growth, the shortage of low-cost rental accommodation and the lack of diversity within the existing housing stock and identifies a vision and key objectives to address these challenges.
Reclassification of Council-owned land
Reclassification of land including the former Gosford council chambers building is required to support development of a new TAFE campus on the site.
Safer Cities: Her Way
This is one of five project streams under the Safer Cities program by the NSW Government which is investing $30M over the next two years to trial place-based approaches.
It looks at how we can improve safety for women, girls and gender diverse people when travelling to, through and within public spaces and transport hubs.
Gosford Regional Library
The vision for the new Regional Library is to create an iconic building in the heart of Gosford CBD.
The development application for Gosford Regional Library has been approved by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment.
The next step is to award the tender of the project to begin construction of the new library.
Gosford waterfront revitalisation
The project is intended to present a world-class destination with outstanding health, education, entertainment and lifestyle facilities with opportunities for businesses, visitors and the community.
Water and sewer projects
Council has nine water and sewer upgrade packages planned for Gosford over the coming years.
They will set the foundations for Gosford to become an iconic waterfront city and will allow for increased capacity across the water and sewer network.
Roads and drainage projects
Council has 81 roads and drainage projects planned for Gosford over the coming years.
These projects will further support the infrastructure requirements for Gosford to fulfil its role as the capital of the Central Coast and a thriving city.
The Coastal Management Program: Hawkesbury-Nepean River System
Council, in collaboration with five other councils, is developing a Coastal Management Program (CMP) for the Hawkesbury-Nepean River System which includes the Brisbane Water.
The CMP will set the long-term strategy for the management of and actions to protect and enhance the waterway.
Information on all the projects and an option to have a say can be found at yourvoiceourcoast.com/waterways.
Source:
Media release, Mar 15
Central Coast Council
The text under Gosford Waterfront Revitalisation doesn’t mention building lots of residential on the waterfront with it’s inherent parking issues, but that seems to be at the heart of the proposal. Instead it should have public picnic areas and attractions, like Brisbane Southbank or Townsville, with landscaping to shield it from the main road.