Edgar Adams' Editorial

The Australian Reptile Park is celebrating its 60th year this year and while we have people running around wanting to promote the Central Coast name, no one ever bothers to think that this very famous zoo has been doing just that for all these years.

While Eric Worrell got it off the ground and was responsible for building ‘Ploddy’ the dinosaur that helped make the Park famous, I believe that it was, and still is, the unbounded passion, energy and vision of John Weigel who has seen it survive. And survive is the word. The Park has been through some traumas as you will see when you read our cover story on the Park this month. But it is still there and I firmly believe that it is something that we all take for granted.

Man-made attractions are expensive to build and even more expensive to operate. Worse still, they are prone to the vagaries of the weather. Today the Central Coast has only one such attraction. The Australian Reptile Park is the only reason millions of Australians have ever come to the Central Coast over all these years. Because the Park is a business, we all see it in that light and never stop to think about what it means for our region.

Let us get something very straight about tourism in our region. Visitors don’t come here to lock themselves in hotel rooms. They want to do things. The Australian Reptile Park is recognised nationally as a top tourist attraction but let’s not forget that it is our region’s only real tourist attraction.

While we are on anniversaries, ADC KRONE at Berkeley Vale is celebrating its 25th year on the Coast. This company is a leading Central Coast manufacturer, but more to the point, it is a leader in innovation. Its research and development department is recognised for designing new and highly advanced products for the telecommunications industry along with the machinery to manufacture these products. It is one of the reasons ADC bought the company a few years ago and made it their Centre of Excellence for the Asia Pacific region.

This month we also feature the Hunter Region. It is an overview of the region leading into 2010. While the NSW economy is a basket case the Hunter Region is one ray of light. As Peter Shinnick, CEO of the Hunter Business Chamber puts it, “The Hunter is positioned to continue to be the economic driver for the State.” Apart from its industrial diversity, the billions that are being poured into infrastructure is further cause for optimism. Some Central Coast businesses have already seen the light and are taking advantage of being so close to an energetic and growing market.

Finally, The Gosford Challenge is moving closer to finalisation of a Masterplan for the City. The final plan will be announced towards the end of this month. We have to congratulate the Director of this project, Gosford Council’s Colleen Worthy-Jennings for getting this whole project of community consultation, appointment of design partners and development partners through in accordance with a timetable the team struck only a little more than eighteen months ago. And we have to congratulate Gosford Councillors for keeping out of the process – apart from supporting it.

Because everyone is going in the one direction and no one is seeking to score political points, the State Government through the Lands Department (known these days as Land & Property Management Authority) has got on board totally. Minister for Lands, The Hon Tony Kelly MLC has announced that the Gosford CBD area including the waterfront will come under the control of the Festival Development Corporation for planning and development purposes.

The nuts and bolts of how this will work is still to be done but everyone in government is highly supportive and enthusiastic about this project. This will give investors and developers the confidence they need to come to Gosford.

We can now be very confident of the future of Gosford as a regional city, and sooner rather than later.

Edgar Adams
Editor

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