A Review of Environmental Factors (REF) put together for the demolition of the soon-to-be vacated library building in Gosford’s Kibble Park is not worth the paper it is written on, according to the Central Coast Community Better Planning Group (CCCBPG).
“Central Coast Council staff have used a major national consultancy to put together a 160-page document for a pretty straightforward building demolition – this REF would have cost ratepayers tens of thousands of dollars,” CCCBPG Chair Gary Chestnut said.
The Review of Environmental Factors or REF, a necessary step when undertaking works such as a building demolition, was dated October 2024.
“That means it preceded the elected Council’s resolution to review the decision made under administration to demolish the library building and that means the REF is now completely worthless,” Chestnut said.
He said a new REF will be needed if the Council does decide to move ahead with the demolition.
“The Council has now undertaken additional consultation and that will need to be included in the REF,” he said.
“You could say Council staff jumped the gun; they were so determined to demolish the existing Gosford library that they didn’t think a new incoming Council might have a different perspective.
“It just goes to show how little respect the executive leadership team at Central Coast Council has for local government democracy and inclusive decision-making.”
Chestnut said Council was required to conduct a review of the environmental impact of the building’s demolition so, to some degree, it has “done the right thing”.
But he said elements of Council’s approach were “mystifying”.
“Staff clearly wanted to ‘dot every I and cross every T’ in the REF for the building’s demolition but if you go looking for the document it’s not exactly easy to find on Council’s website,” he said.
“It feels like Council staff and the administrator made their decision and went full steam ahead to get rid of this historic building before the new elected councillors even had a chance to find their feet.
“If the elected Council decides to keep and repurpose the building or, even if the final decision is to demolish the building, the REF is a complete waste of money.
“I have written to the councillors to let them know our concerns,” Chestnut said.
it’s like the old fountain in Kibble Park, it needed to go. Too old and ugly. it might cost $$$$’s to remove the building but so is the maintenance of it.
Whatever your view is, the Council has done a terrible job of handling this. The way they’re acting, you’d think someone was bribing them to demolish the library.
If they keep it, by the way, it would definitely be rented/leased out for other uses. That alone would pay for most of the upkeep.
Someone remind me why council elections are every four years, not every three? We’ve got a long wait ahead of us for the next one…