September 2009 Cover Story

Traditionally a tourist destination attracting a low-yield visitor, The Entrance has failed to capitalise on the opportunities presented over the years. In 1997, Wyong Council spent $12 million on a significant upgrade of The Entrance Town Centre and waterfront. It was supposed to be the catalyst to attract investment and set the stage for The Entrance to become the centre of the Central Coast's tourism industry. It was certainly a most ambitious and far sighted project and a credit to Wyong Council.

However, it very nearly didn't happen. Wyong's Mayor at the time, Tony Sheridan had to use his casting vote to get it through. Most of the businesspeople at The Entrance were against it as were half of the councillors. Attitudes have only partly changed since.

To a large extent, hope for investment and development has occurred although in a somewhat haphazard way. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been invested in medium- and high-rise residential apartment developments which have led to a glut in supply. Some developments have been shoddily built and are competing with those where developers wanted to set a very high bar.

Unit prices down 25 per cent

Right now there are over three hundred vacant unsold units on the market in The Entrance. Apartments are selling at prices from as low as $240,000 with values having dropped by up to 25% over the past few years. One well-known property valuer used an example of a Sydney banker who bought a unit in a development in Boondilla Street, The Entrance, off-the-plan for $350,000 in November 2003 and recently offloaded it for $240,000. There are numerous similar examples.

In another case, The Hariott development in Ocean Parade was built to the highest standards and set a new benchmark in design and finish at The Entrance. It was completed in November 2008. Of the twenty-two units, only the sub-penthouse has been sold to date and that was to an overseas buyer.

Tourism going nowhere

The desired boost to tourism has not eventuated. The Entrance remains dominated by an old-guard of residents, business owners and politicians who are unable to come to grips with the opportunities that Sydney's sophisticated tourist market offers. Nor do they understand the extent of competition from other regions for the tourism dollar. Instead, they opt to see the future in terms of how The Entrance was in the past where families would come by train and bus for the school holidays and stay in camping areas or cottages and spend their time fishing and playing bingo. Outside school holidays the place was dead. Meanwhile Wyong Council, to its credit, remains convinced there is a future at The Entrance.

A new dawn?

A few months ago, on July 8, Wyong Council adopted The Entrance Peninsula Planning Strategy (TEPPS) which will see new Local Environmental Plans (LEP) prepared for the future development of The Entrance Town Centre, The Entrance North waterfront and Long Jetty Village Centre. This new Strategy follows on from The Entrance Strategy 2000, which Council adopted following The Entrance Precinct Study 1998, and was subsequently reviewed by Council officers in 2003. This review found that there was a lack of a maritime focus on coastal design in medium- to high-density developments, as well as a need to encourage vitality in the town centre and tourist hub to achieve an appropriate mix of uses and more activities, and in maximising long term investment for a high quality, functional built environment.

During 2004 Council started work on a new strategy for The Entrance, which would encompass The Entrance North and Long Jetty precincts, with public consultations throughout 2005 and 2006. Now, in mid 2009 - nine years after the introduction of the 2000 Strategy and six years after deciding to review that Strategy - a new Strategy has emerged.

What The Entrance Peninsula Planning Strategy means

• Expanding the role of The Entrance Town Centre Management Corporation. Originally set up in 1997 following the completion of the upgrade, this organisation manages the town's cleaning and security and runs events to attract visitors as well as communicating with local businesses and property owners and other community groups. It has had a succession of managers, some highly experienced and successful at managing town centres. All have left disillusioned at the local politics that plague the area. Their expanded role will include developing comprehensive tourism strategies, obtaining grants, providing business coaching and mentoring and liaising with various stakeholders to come up with solutions to improve The Entrance Road Corridor through Long Jetty.
• Improving planning controls including changes to zoning, building heights, floor space ratios and introducing a coastal design principles criteria. In addition there will be more flexibility encouraging developers to be more innovative.
• Improvements to the streetscapes, landscaping and provision of outdoor furniture, lighting, signage etc.
• Roads and transport changes with emphasis on The Entrance Road through Long Jetty and improving the public transport network and facilities. A tourist bus route through the area is envisaged along with express bus services between the major centres and transport nodes.
• In respect to tourism, the Strategy sees improved identification and marketing of The Peninsula including; directional signage and branding with additional tourist attractions and facilities.
• The Strategy also recommends and increased number and variation of activities for people of all ages and establishing mechanisms to develop comprehensive tourism strategies.

Unfortunately none of this addresses the issue of employment for those people who live at The Entrance or Long Jetty. Lack of employment opportunities and a poor public transport service have resulted in the extremely high unemployment rates, particularly with young people where the unemployment rate is around 32%.

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