Councillor John McNamara has outlined a bold vision to get commuter traffic out of Gosford and open up more community space near Central Coast Stadium.
His plan includes: a tunnel from Gosford train station to Erina Fair for electric buses; another tunnel for cars starting somewhere on the West Gosford side of Brian McGowan Bridge (south of Central Coast Stadium) to Avoca Dr; a pedestrian green space from the Brian McGowan Bridge over the rail line to Gosford station; and expanding the Coastal Open Space System into the southern end of Brisbane Water.
McNamara outlined his plan last week and was quick to explain it was his personal vision, not the view of Council.
He said the tunnel would see traffic bypass Gosford waterfront.
It would go under Rumbalara (the mountain behind Gosford to the east) and could include a parking station underground somewhere near the former Gosford Council chambers in Mann St.
“The only way I can see that we take through-traffic out of Gosford is to have tunnels,” Cr McNamara told the Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) Central Coast branch meeting on June 5.
The extra open space on the waterfront would open up Brisbane Water for community open green space.
“I think this would be a great space for everyone,” McNamara said.
“Maybe (there could be) car access via the current roundabout and then parking from the bridge around to Drifters.
“Also an ‘Eat Street’ with many different small cafes and restaurants from the bridge to Drifters which will leave plenty of open green space.”
McNamara’s vision builds on ideas raised in the past.
In 1996, the then Gosford Council published a light rail feasibility study which talked about light rail from Gosford to Terrigal and along the Woy Woy peninsula.
“Opportunities for light rail public transport exist within the Gosford City Council area,” the report said.
“Although bus services could easily accommodate likely demand in all corridors for many years, introduction of light rail services would provide a faster, more attractive and user friendly alternative.
“The nature of likely light rail services, being largely off-street or prioritised, would attract users to public transport that would otherwise have used cars and added to traffic congestion.”
Even in 1996, the conclusion was that “current levels of patronage will sustain light rail services in both the Woy Woy to Umina and Gosford to Terrigal (via Erina) corridors”.
“Revenues would balance operating costs at 15 minute frequencies during the peak and half-hour services off peak,” the report said.
“Services to Ettalong would also be justified if or when a ferry terminal servicing a JetCat from Sydney became operational.”
The report said that an economic evaluation revealed cost-benefit ratios favoured the projects especially if road capacity was not increased.
In a 2002 appraisal of that report, Council said its approach had been to review the likely capital cost of one of the lines (Gosford to Terrigal) at $125M and convert that into an annual Community Support Obligation (CSO) to be paid by Council over 20 years.
If it had taken two years to build, the 20 years would have passed by now.
Even earlier, in 1975, Council had a Structure Plan which showed a freeway interchange near Reeves St, Somersby, and a bypass route to Springfield.
Indeed, it is believed land was zoned for the road in Springfield.
Years later, Council said the east-west bypass remained part of Council’s strategic position.
“The corridor integrity of the proposed long-term east-west bypass around Gosford needs to be preserved to ensure that alternative options are maintained in line with the overarching objectives for the city centre and other Central Coast strategic locations such as Erina, Terrigal and The Entrance,” a Council report circa 2013 said.
Council put on public consultation a Masterplan for Gosford Waterfront while under administration in 2022 and faced criticism from community groups about plans for units on the waterfront.
The State Government promised more than $8M for feasibility studies and a business case but then later gave the project to the Hunter Central Coast Development Corporation.
The Gosford Erine Business Chamber started 2025 with a call for a local community focused development corporation to take on the job, saying there was widespread concern about the Hunter Central Coast Development Corporation’s handling of the project.
McNamara also spoke at the UDIA luncheon about Council’s plans for turning Gosford into a Special Entertainment Precinct for Night Time Entertainment.
Merilyn Vale
UDIA NSW CEO Stuart Ayres, Councillor John McNamara and 24-Hour Commissioner Michael Rodrigues
Are you serious? That is a terrible idea. Every development with a view to the water over the last many many years has planned for the water view that you want to wipe out. No thank you. What about park land and green space on the old bowling club if you are not going to renew the lease?