July 2010 Cover Story

Mr. Kelly said, “expansion of the role of the CCRDC will enable it to undertake the following roles:
•          Broker development in relation to strategic sites in the Central Coast region, including those lands already held by the CCRDC and lands identified within the area of the “Gosford Challenge”.
•           Facilitate the development and renewal of regional centres and renewals corridors as identified through strategic and regional planning documents
•           Asset and property management of public lands already held within the CCRDC Mt Penang site.

“This vehicle will be used to drive development in our region in a similar manner to that of the Hunter Development Corporation and the Honeysuckle Development Corporation in Newcastle,” Mr. Kelly said.

‘Initially, in addition to the land at Mt. Penang, all of the Crown Land in the Gosford CBD, including the foreshore will be brought under its control.”

“The Central Coast region is one of the key growth centres in NSW,” Mr. Kelly said.  “However, the region has stagnated in recent years.”

Mr Harris said the new organisation will help encourage private investment and promote economic growth in both Gosford and Wyong, which in turn will create more jobs.
“The CCRDC will foster ecologically sustainable development, creating new permanent jobs on the Central Coast and long term economic benefits for the Gosford and Wyong region of NSW,” Mr. Harris said.

By making these changes all development of government owned land within the Gosford Challenge area will in effect be taken out of Council hands thereby giving certainty to any company who is seeking to develop the Gosford foreshore area in particular.

Commenting on the announcement Gosford Council’s Director of City Centre Development, Colleen Worthy-Jennings said,
“This long awaited news cements the State Government’s commitment to the Gosford Challenge."

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