Draft planning scheme meets mixed reaction

Gosford Council's Draft Local Environment Plan has received mixed local reaction after it was released for public exhibition on February 10.

The draft plan details new zoning and development controls for the Gosford Local Government Area and will shape the way our community looks in years to come, according to Gosford mayor Cr Chris Holstein.

Cr Holstein said the public exhibition period for the DLEP was a chance for the community to have a say in shaping the future of the region.

"DLEP 2009 is the most significant land use plan prepared for our LGA in over 30 years," Cr Holstein said.

"There will be considerable population growth across the Central Coast in the next few years and it is of essential importance that we have the correct infrastructure to support this growth.

"We are encouraging all residents to engage with the plan, find out what it means to them and work together with council to create a strategy that caters for the current and future needs of our region and evolves to support all those who live and work here."

The Peninsula Chamber of Commerce has already begun raising its concerns over the planning and development document.

"It is a difficult thing to find the right balance between the need to provide housing and protecting the environment," chamber president Mr Matthew Wales said.

"This difficulty is reflected in the Draft Gosford LEP.

"While the draft plan has some positive components, there are a lot of areas that are very disappointing to the local business community.

"The Peninsula Chamber was pleased to see that council had taken on board our comments relating to the expansion of the Umina Beach retail centre with the business zone now being extended through to Wellington St.

"We also welcome the improvements to floor space ratios and building heights of up to four storeys in the Umina town centre which should encourage long term redevelopment.

"This is particularly important with Woolworths well underway with the new supermarket and Coles set to commence the revamp of the BiLo store in Oscar St.

"However, the chamber is highly disappointed in the height restrictions council has imposed on the beachfront commercial properties at Ettalong Beach were heights have been capped to three storeys and floor space ratios unchanged from the current provisions."

Mr Wales said that although council had increased heights to four and five storeys in the remainder of Ettalong Beach town centre, it was unlikely that property owners would rush to take up the new provisions if key waterfront sites were not encouraged to build signature developments.

"The Peninsula chamber is also very concerned that little has been done to promote housing for seniors in the new plan," Mr Wales said.

"Despite the recommendations of the council's report on Demand for Low and High Care Residential Aged Care published in 2009, there is little evidence that housing for seniors or people with disabilities has been taken seriously.

"In fact, council has deliberately excluded seniors housing from rural support zones such as the new E3 zone where previously senior housing was permitted in the equivalent old 7(c2) zone under the NSW Government's State Environmental Planning Policy.

"It is almost impossible to find sufficient areas of residential lands on the Woy Woy Peninsula for seniors housing in the quantities needed.

"That is why we think it is important to allow retirement villages in appropriate rural locations."

Mr Wales said the chamber also had concerns over the proposed Draft Comprehensive Development Control Plan which accompanied the Draft LEP.

"We have yet to examine all the provisions in the DCP, but clearly the new guidelines have not made it any easier for housing providers and developers with tough rules on building heights, setbacks, floor space ratio calculations, garage locations and basement parking," Mr Wales said.

"In our view this is not a strategic document. It is simply the overlaying of the new Department of Planning template on the old Gosford Planning Scheme Ordinance which is very disappointing.

"As a business community, we had hoped that Gosford Council would take the opportunity to strategically assess the longer term needs of the city but in our view, it has been more a case of cutting and pasting into the new template without examining key areas such as seniors housing, tourism and retail centre growth.

"We understand that council has limited resources and we also understand the need to introduce the plan as quickly as possible.

"However, this is the best opportunity we have had in years to get the planning controls right and we will be encouraging council to examine all submissions, including the Peninsula chamber submission, very closely and take on board our recommendations."

Council's director of environment and planning Mr Gary Chestnut said the Gosford LEP was a key element in the measures being introduced by the State Government to improve building, development and land use planning regulations across the state.

"The Standard Instrument LEP is a template upon which every council in NSW must prepare a new single planning instrument (or LEP) for their LGA," Mr Chestnut said.

"Predominantly, DLEP 2009 sets the location and form of housing, business centres, employment and agricultural areas and also preserves environmentally sensitive areas, all through zoning and development controls.

"DLEP 2009 has been prepared by Gosford Council in close consultation with the NSW Department of Planning for over four years."

He said council was about to commence an extensive community consultation strategy to help residents better understand the draft plan.

The Gosford DLEP is available on council's website during the public exhibition period and at Woy Woy library on Wednesdays and Fridays between 11am and 2pm during the first month of the exhibition period.

Council will also hold community information sessions at the Peninsula Community Centre on Tuesday, March 2, from 6pm, at Pearl Beach Progress Hall on Saturday, March 20, from 11am and at Wagstaffe Hall on Saturday, March 20, from 10am.

Council will receive submissions on the DLEP until Thursday, April 8.

Submissions can be lodged on council's website at, emailed to lep@gosford.nsw.gov.au or posted to Gosford Council, PO Box 21 Gosford NSW 2250.

Press release, 10 Feb 2010 Cr Chris Holstein, Gosford Council Press release, 18 Feb 2010 Matthew Wales, Peninsula Chamber of Commerce