How the community is allowed to use public open space depends on how Central Coast Council categorises the land. It now has 160 new sites which are being categorised for the first time.
Council has drafted an update to its Plan of Management (POM) for Council Community Land to include the newly acquired land lots and to re-categorise some land already in the plan.
It includes 78 lots of operational land reclassified as community land in January 2024.
The change from operational land to community land necessitates the land be subject to the POM.
Residents and community groups are urged to read the list of sites and to make comments on the proposed categories for their areas.
They include in alphabetical order: land at Avoca Beach; Cresthaven Ave at Bateau Bay; 535 Empire Bay Dr, Bensville; numerous sites in Berkeley Vale; 1a Plane St, Blackwall; two sites in Blue Haven; two sites in Budgewoi; Buff Point; foreshore areas in Charmhaven; bushland at Chittaway Bay; Copacabana; Daleys Point; numerous blocks of land in Emora Ave, Davistown and other streets in Davistown; previously uncategorised areas in East Gosford mainly in Caroline St but also Wattle St and Wells St; Empire Bay; Erina; Forresters Beach; Glenning Valley; Gorokan; numerous sites in Green Point; Gwandalan; Hamlyn Terrace; Holgate; Jilliby; Kanwal; Kariong; Killarney Vale; Killcare; one site in Merro Cl, Lake Haven; Lisarow; Lakeside Dr, McMasters Beach; Mardi; 720 The Ridgeway, Matcham; Narara; Niagara Park; Noraville; Ourimbah; 17 Opal Cl in Pearl Beach; numerous sites in Welwyn Gr, Point Clare; Somersby; Springfield; Summerland Point; Terrigal; Tuggerah; Tumbi Umbi; Umina Beach; Wadalba; Wamberal; Warnervale; Watanobbi; Woy Woy; and one site at 325 Pacific Highway, Wyong.
Council owns a total of about 2,500 lots of community land which includes a wide variety of properties ranging from small recreation reserves to iconic parks, beaches, natural areas and community facilities such as sportsgrounds.
A POM categorises community land based on its characteristics and outlines how Council will manage the land and how it can be used by the community.
The categories are: natural area, park, sportsground, and general community use.
Natural area is further sub-categorised as bushland, escarpment, wetland, watercourse, or foreshore.
In the first half of 2023, Council adopted an area-wide POM for 230 lots of community land.
The one POM replaced multiple plans that applied to different categories of community land in each of the former Gosford City and Wyong Shire areas.
About 10 per cent of the lots were commented on in community submissions in 2023 and although they were included in the adopted POM, these are now being reviewed, as recommended in the 2023 decision.
“For most lots, the proposed categorisation was deemed unlikely to negatively impact land management in the short term,” Council said.
“However, it was recommended that the categorisation of the 10 per cent be reviewed in the future. “
Three public hearings in November are scheduled.
They are being held at Wyong Golf Club on Thursday, November 14 from 6pm-7.30pm; Breakers Country Club at Wamberal on Monday, November 18 from 6pm-7.30pm; and Gosford Golf Club on Thursday, November 21 from 6pm-7.30pm.
Residents can make a submission online during the public exhibition period from now until November 25.
See the maps and read more here: https://www.yourvoiceourcoast.com/sites/default/files/2024-09/pom_update_-_schedule_of_included_land_yvoc.pdf