In what community groups are hailing as a major win for people power, Central Coast Council will abandon its plan to sell part of the Austin Butler Reserve at Woy Woy to the neighbouring Peninsula Plaza.
Council Administrator Rik Hart adopted a staff recommendation to scrap plans to re-zone the site for the prospective sale at the November 28 meeting, after a community survey showed overwhelming support for retention of the reserve in public hands.
In September, Hart announced the issue would go back out for public consultation, with residents asked to choose between Council proceeding with a re-zone and sale (with money raised to be used for a greening program on the Peninsula), or the land remaining in public hands.
A report from staff presented at the meeting recommended the sell-off plan be scrapped.
While the report said an independent survey found the community quite split over the mooted sale (49 per cent against, 46 per cent in favour), an open community survey conducted via the Your Voice Our Coast website produced a very different outcome.
Held between October 16 and November 13, it attracted 2,000 users, almost 80 per cent of whom took part in the poll.
A total of 1581 responses were received, with 92 per cent of these expressing a preference to retain the site in Council ownership.
Thirty two letters were also received, 78 per cent of which opposed the sale.
Hart, who had vowed to be guided by community feedback in the ultimate decision, had little choice but to scrap sale plans.
He stressed that the findings of the independent survey varied greatly from the community poll, which he said had been successfully influenced by a “campaign group”.
He said independent surveys were critical in obtaining the views of “more of a cross-section of the community” and mentioned that another survey independently conducted by Peninsula Plaza had seen a majority in favour of the sale.
But at the end of the day, Hart said it was his opinion that the majority of the community was in favour of retaining the land and endorsed the staff recommendation.
The decision has been welcomed by Member for Gosford Liesl Tesch, activists and ecologists and 13 community groups which combined to oppose the sell-off.
Tesch said the decision reinforced that the people’s voice counts.
“The community’s voice on this issue is clear and strong,” she said.
“In the online poll, Central Coast residents expressed their overwhelming preference to retain the site in Council/community ownership.
“I applaud Rik Hart’s commitment that the future of the site will be completely guided by the community’s response to the formal consultation process.
“The community has said loud and clear that they oppose the destruction of this beautiful stand of mature trees.
“As I said) earlier this year, I believe that investment in greening of our community should not be dependent on the destruction of dozens of mature trees, which are home to native birds and animals.
“Greening of our community should not be contingent on the destruction of our mature natural landscape.
“The choice is clear and the community has spoken loudly.”
Community Environment Chair Gary Chestnut said the group was delighted that Hart had “finally accepted” that the community wants to keep the treed reserve in public ownership.
“In terms of ecologically sustainable development, this is the best outcome for the Woy Woy Peninsula now and into the future,” Chestnut said.
“The mature native trees on the land … are important habitat for birds and microbats; they provide shade for the community now.”
Chestnut said the concept of sacrificing the reserve for a future greening project had never been a “fair exchange”.
“Central Coast Council has an obligation to provide a liveable environment on the Woy Woy Peninsula into the future as it continues to allow high rates of tree removal as single dwelling lots are redeveloped for multi-dwelling and medium density housing,” he said.
“Mr Hart’s statements last night that one noisy group campaigned to stop the sale … were simply incorrect.
“An alliance of groups including Grow Urban Share Trees, Peninsula Residents Association, Save Our Woy Woy, Wildlife Arc, WIRES, Residents for Responsible Ettalong Development, Koolewong Tascott Point Clare Progress Association, Pearl Beach Progress Association, CEN, Save Central Coast Reserves, and the Australian Conservation Foundation Central Coast Community Group hardly represents a small squeaky wheel.
“Those groups gathered over 3000 signatures; they even took out full page newspaper ads.
“CEN would now like to see Council maintain the reserve properly as a reflection of its value to the community.”
Environmentalist Joy Cooper applauded the decision but said Austin Butler should never have been part of the asset sell-off program.
“It was community land, with mature native trees and flood prone,” she said.
“Mr Hart and then interim administrator Dick Persson promised they would not sell community land so they immediately broke that promise.
“I believe Council staff and both administrators did not do their due diligence when they initially selected Austin Butler as an easy asset to get rid of.
“The support for keeping the trees in Austin Butler has been long-running and strong.”
Cooper said neither Peninsula Plaza nor Council had supplied evidence that there were safety issues in the plaza car park.
“I believe the strong alliance of community groups who came together to protect Austin Butler will continue to work together to make sure the Council properly maintains this valued public asset and keeps its commitment to greening the Peninsula,” she said.
Cooper also criticised Council for spending money on a community poll when residents had already made their feelings clear, with 3,000 signatures on a petition opposing the sale.
Perhaps seeing the writing on the wall, Peninsula Plaza advised Council prior to the meeting that it had withdrawn its offer to purchase.
Terry Collins
This is fantastic news