Workgroup sees a future for The Entrance

Wyong Council, for its part, is making an effort although it is constrained by a culture that relates too closely to the low income market – both residents and tourists. This is not helped by an extremist attitude to environmental issues versus the world we live in.

As a starting point, the health of Tuggerah Lake and the entrance to the lake system is grounded in a blind following of green attitudes that is seeing the lake become a swamp and the entrance close up. No consideration is being made for the decades of silting up due to intense residential development around the whole system that simply cannot be wound back. In spite of all the so-called government edicts that no breakwaters and training walls should be built anywhere on the NSW coast, the Lake Illawarra Authority on the south coast has, over the past five years, built training walls to improve the lake’s health and the entrance to it. This project has been very successful and yet no one on the Central Coast wants to discuss it.

Another factor of major concern is the high level of youth unemployment. Finding a solution has everyone coming up with theories and ideas but in the end it is the public transport issue that keeps coming up. A new group that is focused in revitalising The Entrance, Revitalise The Entrance Workgroup, has seen that residents in and around the area are deprived of public transport and without a motor vehicle are unable to get work in Gosford or Wyong or even Sydney. This Group, with the help of their Chairman, Michael Milman, has negotiated with The Red Bus Co. to run a regular express early morning and evening service to Tuggerah Railway Station – a half hour journey, with a subsidy from the Ministry of Transport.

Meanwhile, Mr Milman’s group – which is made up of property and business owners – is presently reviewing The Entrance Peninsula Planning Strategy.  So far they say there is clearly a lack of commercial understanding and reality on the part of the authors. “Nothing will happen while they judge themselves on process and not outcomes,” said Mr Milman. He said that a master plan approach for The Entrance needs to be put in place prior to creating any planning limitations in order to achieve the best outcomes. “Such a master plan needs to clearly demonstrate and include attractions to increase visitation, providing tourist based activities in a mix of permanent residential and short term holiday accommodation,” Mr Milman said. “This master plan needs to show people what The Entrance can look like. There will need to be incentives for investors and a positive vision.”

The Workgroup is actively looking at other considerations, particularly in respect to The Entrance Road corridor through Long Jetty. “The town needs to be looked at in precincts: top-of-the-town precinct, a retail precinct, cultural precinct which includes a convention centre, a food precinct and waterfront precinct,” said Mr Milman.

\Presently the owners of Lakeside Plaza are preparing a master plan for their property which includes a brand new, larger, shopping centre with residential included. Mr Milman said that the Council must listen and not dictate. “We need to lift the offer at The Entrance and remember we are all competing for the same Sydney dollar as other regions. Places like Mudgee, Blue Mountains, Ulladulla and Bowral have all lifted their game,” he said.

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