An alliance of community groups, representing about 200,000 residents, has called on Planning Minister Paul Scully to reject a Central Coast Council rezoning that they say could destroy at least 300ha of bushland and result in the potential construction of at least 1,200 dwellings on conservation land.
Central Coast Council Administrator Rik Hart endorsed rezoning approximately 3,438 land parcels, mostly rural-residential, hobby farms and conservation lifestyle blocks, at the May Council meeting.
The vast majority of this land is currently zoned 7(c)2 – Scenic Protection – Rural Small Holdings or 7(a) Conservation.
The move is yet to be approved by the State Minister for Planning.
Community Environment Network Chair Gary Chestnut said community opposition to the rezonings was so deep that the groups have taken the unusual step of paying for a full-page advertisement in Coast Community News as an “open letter” to Scully.
“This is the last stand in a fight that has been going on since around 2011,” Chestnut said.
“The residents and ratepayers of the Central Coast are fed up with being ignored by a Council that has been under administration since 2020 and two successive tone deaf NSW governments.
“We will not, ever, accept the destruction of our green ridgelines which are the visual landscape that gives the Central Coast its unique character.
“We will not stop until we beat this misguided proposal.”
The open letter to Minister Scully in this edition includes a call to action for all Central Coast residents to write to the Planning Minister objecting to the proposal.
The alliance of community groups says if Scully approves Central Coast Council’s recommendation, it will: destroy the unique visual landscape, character and lifestyle of the Central Coast; eliminate extensive areas of threatened species habitat; fail to protect local Aboriginal cultural heritage; wreck wildlife corridors between National Parks, State Forests and reserves; and devastate the future of the region’s Coastal Open Space System (COSS).
The latter is a system of scenic bushland reserves owned and managed by the local council since the 1970s which is a one-of-a-kind and found nowhere else in NSW.
Chestnut said Central Coast Council had already ignored hundreds of submissions and emails from concerned residents opposing the rezoning of bushland, which the Council misleadingly described as “like for like”.
“Even more distressing was Council’s decision to ignore advice from the Biodiversity Conservation and Science Directorate (BCS) within the NSW Department of Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Water (DCCEEW),” he said.
“The DCCEEW concluded that this planning proposal would have a negative impact on biodiversity in this region and we believe Mr Scully has an obligation to follow the expert advice of his own government.
“The BCS said the conservation land that Council wants to downgrade to land use zones offering less protection and more development, should have the highest level of protection available outside a national park – the C2 Conservation Zone.
“How can the Minister ignore expert advice from the agency responsible for protecting biodiversity across NSW?”
The groups are calling for the Planning Minister to: reject the Central Coast Council recommendation; adopt the advice from the BCS to rezone the deferred 7(a) land to C2 Conservation; help to maintain the region’s biodiversity and green spaces; and retain the unique character and lifestyle of the Central Coast.
Groups objecting to the rezonings are: Community Environment Network; Central Coast Community Better Planning Group; Friends of COSS; Koolewong-Tascott Point Clare Progress Association; Kariong Progress Association; Macmasters Beach Progress Association; Springfield Residents Association; National Parks Association Central Coast; Peninsula Residents Association; Grow Urban Shade Trees; Copacabana Community Association; Australian Conservation Association Central Coast; Wagstaffe to Killcare Community Association; Gosford Waterfront Alliance; Voices of Central Coast; The Bays Community Association; and Ourimbah Region Residents Association.
Could you please show a map of the affected area or a link to the proposed rezoning. This is the first I have heard of this tragedy in the making and needs front page and ongoing coverage. Thank you.
just another reason Rick Hart an his financial led push has to go. these decisions need to be made by elected representatives who have the interests of our citizens and our unique environment at heart.
Despite a destroyed Regional democracy by the LNP; now the almost WALL to WALL Labor Representatives we hoped would help us in our stunning Region, we fail again to have a voice …. Our region has exploded in population ….Congestion ; lack of essential services is the end game it appears they wanted …. A ridiculous immigration program of permanent and temporary arrivals in the millions has sent our Government into Tokyo Mode … Developers have overrun Macquarie Street ; the end game is Concrete ; Congestion that NOT ONE Australian Voted for ….. Labor again fails to read the room ….
Thank you for this comprehensive summary -please can you run this article again and in the paper format too-including links on where to make a submission- more people need to know about this !
It’s a important story that many locals care about. FYI, it is in this weekly print edition.
This is essential news
Please make it more public & advise on our best action as residents of a sacred area.
I cannot believe this is happening. Can this be shared more widely with the community? Who stands to profit from this rezoning certainly not the environment or the community.