As a result of multiple planning issues facing the Central Coast community representatives from each ward within the Central Coast Council have come together to form the Central Coast Community Better Planning Group.

The Vision of the group is ‘to advocate all levels of Government to improve planning outcomes and achieve more environmentally sustainable, ecologically sound and liveable environments for our communities” said Mr Chestnut spokesperson for the group.  

The principles the Group will following include:

  • Monitoring planning matters on the Central Coast to promote the protection of our environment and enhance the Central Coast’s built, historical and natural attributes;
  • Undertake lobbying, advocacy and community engagement to successfully achieve the aims of our vision statement; and
  • Encourage community involvement in planning matters.

Mr Chestnut said the objectives and actions of the group include:

  • Preparing and lodging submissions on all planning proposals that are of concern to the community;
  • Ensuring population growth is sustainable and enriches our quality of life, not diminishes it;
  • Promoting and protecting the Coastal Opens Space System (COSS); biodiversity, wetlands, ridge lands, vegetation, wildlife corridors, waterways, coastline, beaches, agricultural lands and water catchments;
  • Including that climate change to be taken into consideration in all planning matters;
  • Protecting the residential amenity of our neighbourhoods by encouraging consideration of noise, traffic and other nuisance which may impact upon people’s quiet enjoyment of their homes;
  • Encouraging developments to address infrastructure, transport links, parking, local character, cultural issues and are all inclusive & accessible to all people regardless of their age/ability;
  • Retaining pockets of suburban bushland;
  • Working with “First Nations” people to protect traditional heritage;
  • Alerting the community to planning proposals of significance and encourage/support community involvement through publicity and education;
  • Encouraging all levels of government and the planning panels to allow greater community involvement; and,
  • Protecting the agricultural land and water catchments by ensuring no urbanisation west of the M1 Motorway.

The preparation of all submissions is being conducted via zoom meetings and all participants have direct access to a dedicated Google Drive.  With direct access to a dedicated Google Drive the submissions being prepared are representative of the communities, concerns from across the entire Central Coast. 

Mr Chestnut said “as a result of having direct electronic input from across the Central Coast the groups submission on the draft Local Strategic Planning Statement resulted in the preparation of a 33-page submission. The submission identified 12 significant observations regarding the plan which resulted in the presentation of 23 different comments regarding the plan. In addition to the significant observations the group identified 81 specific dot points concerning the wards of Budgewoi, The Entrance, Wyong, Gosford East and Gosford West.