Posted in Editorial

We all accept that the 2016 forced merger of Gosford and Wyong Councils has been a disaster right from start. The first phase in the amalgamation of Central Coast Council saw the Administrator back off from anything contentious leaving it to the elected council. So the whole organisation virtually went into limbo for eighteen months until we ended up with an elected council. This council under Mayor Jane Smith, former CEO (part-time) of Community Environment Network, resulted in one of the ...

Two articles in this issue of CCBR highlight the region’s chronic need for industrial zoned land which is aggravated by Council’s reluctance to get the message and support developers trying to bring land to market. Our article on Page 17 – Warner Business Park hot property followed by a report on the recent Valuer General’s new land valuations on Page 20 – Industrial land values jump 46% in 12 months, should be all the evidence that Council needs to change their...

After twelve years in the wilderness the Central Coast could be coming in from the cold following the March 2023 State Election. From the time they were elected the Liberal government identified with Western Sydney and they threw billions at it.  But on election night it proved to be fruitless. Meanwhile the people of the Central Coast got the message that they were being neglected and further entrenched the region as a Labor stronghold. They went further. In the Terrigal Electorate, ...

An article in the Sydney Morning Herald of 9th February highlights where the Liberal and Labor Party’s priorities are, and they are not on the Central Coast. The article by Alexandra Smith says that ‘most evenings in the up-for-grab seats NSW Labor is holding focus groups to take the temperature of the electorates….” Winning western Sydney seats is necessary to put him (Opposition Leader Chris Minns) in power, she says. It’s a similar story with the Liberals ...

Welcome to the first issue of CCBR for 2023. As we move into the New Year and try to crystal ball how it will turn out there are some positive factors – but not enough to get the Central Coast economy moving. In Gosford, by the end of March there will be three major developments under construction: StHilliers’ Waterfront, ALAND’s Archibald and Alceon’s Rumbalara projects. The University of Newcastle’s new Campus should start construction in the latter part of ...