The Central Coast Environmental Advisory Committee is set to meet with Central Coast City Commissioner Robyn Parker in the hope the community’s voice will be heard as planning proceeds for the Six Cities project.
The new committee was formed following a meeting in May between various community groups and Parker, at which she outlined the Six Cities Region plan and its intention to transform the Central Coast into a Global City and a SMART City.
In September 2022, former Premier Dominic Perrottet unveiled the Six-City plan, which will see the Central Coast incorporated into a mega-city stretching from the Lower Hunter and Newcastle in the north to Illawarra-Shoalhaven in the south.
Spokesperson Kate Mason said the committee’s immediate goal is to try to get a clear understanding of what exactly the plans are and what the implications could mean for the Central Coast.
“We have brought many groups together and are in talks with others to join our committee,” she said.
“So far we have formed an alliance with members of the National Indigenous Party, Coast Environmental Alliance, Animal Justice Party, Community Voice Australia – Central Coast, and Traditional Custodians of the Central Coast.”
“We are hoping the meeting will help us to establish that Ms Parker, and those she represents, will work closely with our committee to ensure that local concerns are heard and addressed by Local and State Government, Public Private Partnerships, and other Government agencies.”
The recently released Greater Cities Commission Report states the next level of engagement will commence mid-2023.
It says Government, First Nations, Industry, Peak bodies, Youth surveys and Stakeholders will be consulted.
“We want to ensure that the local community – the people who live, work, and raise families on the Central Coast – are involved and acknowledged,” Mason said.
“So far there have been no measures taken to ensure that our precious environment will be represented as this moves forward, so our committee is very hopeful that this meeting will be productive and give us some peace of mind.
“The plan mentions ‘sustainable and resilient housing’.
“We would like to understand what this means in practice and which land is earmarked for development.
“We are also interested in the financial modelling of the Affordable Housing scheme, which companies are involved, and where profits will go.
“Moving tens of thousands of new residents into our area will add enormous pressure to our already strained infrastructure, whilst potentially threatening some of our most treasured and vulnerable wild places.
“While we certainly see this meeting as a positive first step in what will potentially lead to a good working relationship, we are proceeding in an optimistic but considered manner.”
Source:
Central Coast Environmental Advisory Committee
I hope all parties are aware of bungaree.org