A disinterested Council and State Government

This month we report on another significant loss in the Land and Environment Court for Central Coast Council

Stevens Group’s Development Application for a residential subdivision on the Old Mardi Farm site that will see 182 homes built that Council refused was approved by the Court.

Again, as in most cases, Council’s Ecologist had used every trick in the book to block this development, which actually goes back almost 20 years to the days of the old Wyong Council.

In this particular case the property was originally a cattle farm, and the owners regularly slashed it every year as a bush fire precaution. Spurious claims that the Green-Thighed Frog, Powerful Owl and Sooty Owl plus the various varieties of trees would be affected were rejected by Commissioner Horton.

Meanwhile there are another 42 cases before the Court and in all probability, all will be approved.

The cost in terms of planning staff time and legal costs must be astronomical and it will be interesting to see how Council reports this in due course.

Currently there are 724 outstanding DA’s in the system of which 111 are older than 12 months.

The point about all this is that Council, by refusing these developments, are denying first home buyers and others looking to build a new home, a place to live.

Additionally, and just as importantly they are denying people who work in the building industry jobs.

For over 50 years the building industry has been the backbone of the Central Coast economy.  Apart from providing homes there is a huge flow-on effect in the economy.

OOO

Last month the NSW Treasurer handed down the State Budget highlighting the Government’s priorities that do not include the Central Coast.

It proves beyond doubt that this Government’s total focus is on Western Sydney.

One could say that they have treated this region with absolute contempt and shows that our local Members are not being listened to or have no sway in convincing the Government of the needs of the region.

Two road projects that have been ignored is the Pacific Highway upgrade through Wyong Town Centre, a $420 million that received $8.1 million towards planning.

There ae numerous other road projects as well that have been ignored.

In Gosford the redevelopment of the Gosford TAFE,  which studies show would be cost neutral after selling the old TAFE building for residential development has been totally sidelined.

Similarly, any suggestion that the Government will support planning for the redevelopment of the Gosford Waterfront is of no interest to this Government.

With a string of safe Labor Seats on the Coast we can now safely say that complacency has set in with the Minns Government.