Central Coast Council is forging ahead with the reclassification of 10 Council-owned properties from community land to operational land despite a push from the Community Environment Network (CEN) to defer a decision until the region has elected councillors later in the year.
Council says the sites to be reclassified were reviewed in 2023 and the choice of sites was streamlined to ensure that only sites with the highest level of community benefit were included.
Most of the sites will continue to remain in community ownership in the future, being either retained in Council ownership or transferred to well-established locally based community organisations that provide valued recreational, sporting or accommodation facilities, a Council spokesperson said.
One property will be sold on the open market with the proceeds of sale being used to fund a new community centre.
Both the property to be sold and its replacement are located at Norah Head.
The reclassification of some of the other sites will allow vital road upgrade projects to proceed in the fast-growing northern sector of the region.
The 10 properties will be on public exhibition until March 18, with public hearings to be held in April to further inform a decision by Council.
Director of Environment and Planning Alice Howe said it was important that Council land was classified appropriately.
“In a fast-growing area like the Central Coast, it is essential that the mix of community and operational land is reviewed regularly to ensure that the community is receiving the best value that it can from all the land in public hands,” she said.
“The key characteristic of community land is that it is managed for long term public benefit and there are significant restrictions on the way that it can be managed.
“On some occasions, the restrictions applied to community land get in the way of efficient land management.
“For example, if a major sporting or recreational club is willing to invest millions of dollars in new community facilities, it must have the certainty of either freehold ownership or a long-term lease.
“Neither of these options is available under a community land classification.”
The Community Environment Network (CEN) has questioned the need to complete any further public land classifications when the Central Coast is months away from its first local government election in seven years.
“We remain concerned by the intention behind some of these proposed reclassifications,” CEN Chair Gary Chestnut said.
“CEN questions whether it will be the Central Coast community or private enterprises who will ultimately benefit from some of these properties being reclassified and rezoned.”
Chestnut outlined specific concerns on several of the lots proposed for reclassification.
A site at 18 Dane Dr, Gosford, is proposed for reclassification to support the Gosford waterfront and stadium revitalisation by allowing additional uses of the land.
CEN says this land is better known to the community as Gosford Bowling Club, which has been offered an extended lease as a “sweetener” while Council pushes the reclassification through.
“The community has been told this reclassification is necessary to fulfill the council’s ‘vision’ for the redevelopment of the stadium and waterfront.” Chestnut said.
“CEN remains deeply concerned that, following the announcement and exhibition of a masterplan for the stadium and waterfront in Gosford, it seems that a process of stakeholder consultation is ongoing with no community input.
“The community currently owns this land.
“What will the long-term dividend be for its reclassification for use as something like a private boutique hotel?”
Two sites in Wallarah Rd, Gorokan will be reclassified to rationalise use of land by the adjoining club either via sale or long-term lease.
A site at 75 Bungary Rd, Norah Head, will be reclassified for sale via open market to part-fund development of a new community centre at Norah Head.
Reclassification of Part 2-4 Park Rd, The Entrance, will enable rebuilding of The Greens Bowling Club, either via sale or long-term lease.
Chestnut said the massive piece of public land in the heart of The Entrance is also subject to a rezoning at the same time it is being put forward for reclassification even though Council is not supposed to pre-empt the outcome of the reclassification.
Reclassifying two lots in Yaralla Rd, Toukley, will enable inclusion of the land in Council’s affordable housing sites portfolio, either via sale or long-term lease.
A small sliver of land at 49-51 Mann St, Gosford, was inadvertently omitted from the recent reclassification of land to support sale of the former Council chambers at Gosford to TAFE.
CEN says with negotiations on the TAFE project appearing to have stalled there are fears the entire site might be sold to a private developer.
“The NSW Government does not seem to be acting with any urgency to acquire this land for TAFE so why can’t this reclassification wait until after the local election?” Chestnut said.
A lot at 50W Parraweena Rd, Gwandalan, will be reclassified to allow the land to be dedicated as public road reserve, long term-lease or sale to achieve the full commercial potential of the business centre to the north.
At Lake Munmorah, the reclassification of part of 6W Kemira Rd will allow the land to be available for dedication as public road reserve.
Land is planned to be reclassified at part of 20 Summerland Rd, Summerland Point, to be offered to the owner of Sporties on a long-term operational lease to allow for upgrades.
Chestnut said this was yet another large piece of public land that includes a recreation club.
“What is Central Coast Council’s intention in relation to the need to reclassify this land?” he said.
“As the northern reaches of the Central Coast are opened up to higher levels of development, we are going to need to retain as much green space and natural bushland as possible.
“If the intention is to sell or enter a long-term lease for this land, the reclassification should be held over until after the local government election.”
In addition to the reclassifications, Council is proposing to rezone 3 sites (4 lots) from RE1 Public Recreation to RE2 Private Recreation.
These sites are: 48w Wallarah Rd, Gorokan; 191 Wallarah Rd, Kanwal; and Part 2-4 Park Rd, The Entrance.
CEN also has concerns about these proposed rezonings.
“The prime piece of land at 48W Wallarah Road, Gorokan, separates the Wallarah Bay Recreation Club from the foreshore of Tuggerah Lake,” Chestnut said.
“It has been described by Council as a ‘ stranded asset’ but it is, at the moment, a public reserve.
“Council cannot legally pre-empt the outcome of the reclassification by stating whether it intends to sell the land or lease it over a long term.
“Either way, the intent is to privatise the land and council’s track record for securing a reasonable dividend back to its residents and ratepayers has been poor ever since it embarked on its public land sell-off in 2020.”
Two public hearings will be held in relation to the Planning Proposal on: Tuesday, April 9 (time to be advised) at the Erina Centre; and Thursday, April 11 (time to be advised) at Council’s Wyong Administration Centre.
They will be chaired by a person who is independent of Council.
Council Administrator Rik Hart said the move was not about Council in any way taking the “community” out of community land.
“The majority of the sites will remain for community use and benefit, either through continued Council ownership or sale to a community-minded organisation in our local area,” he said.
“This is all about ensuring that the local community derives the greatest benefit from what they own now.“
For more information and to have your say visit: https://www.yourvoiceourcoast.com/RPP
Terry Collins