Peninsula population expected to grow 42 per cent
A draft "sustainable planning strategy" for the Central Coast has predicted a 45 per cent increase in population for the Peninsula, regarding it as "largely unstoppable".
It has also highlighted a lack of infrastructure to cope with the expected growth.
The study identified lack of local employment, and the consequent high level of commuting, as destructive of community well-being.
But it recommends upgrades to the F3 freeway and the rail line, as well as on job-generating industry.
The strategy is currently being considered by the State Planning Minister Dr Andrew Refshauge.
According to Peninsula Chamber of Commerce president Matthew Wales, the growth figure is nothing new.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics published a population figure for the Central Coast of 260,839 at the 1996 census.
The Central Coast Research Foundation, using these figures and more recent growth information, forecast the population figure for the Central Coast to be 318,000 by 2021, he said.
The growth on the Peninsula was not seen as a result of any special growth activity but merely as a result of natural growth under the existing planning ordinance.
According to Cr Lynne Bockholt, "the Peninsula already has a $54 million backlog of drainage work to be completed and the projected growth will only exacerbate the matter unless something is done urgently."
Matthew Wales believes that the council has already taken these growth projections into account.
"Developers not only have to pay for road upgrading on areas affected by their work, they also have to pay hefty contributions to council to pay for infrastructure development.
"The infrastructure on the Peninsula is so poor that developers have to pay a contribution of about $10,000 per villa constructed compared with only $1200 per villa constructed in Gosford.
"Woy Woy and Narara-Lisarow attract the highest contributions on the Central Coast, but eventually, it is the final purchaser of the property that pays when they buy the building.
"The contribution is meant to be used by council to pay for community facilities and open space embellishment and most developers are happy to pay it provided they see the results in the area.
"The development community has an obligation to pay an infrastructure development contribution if the need for it is generated by their development, but the amount of the contribution must be fair," he said.
"Developers and the business community have questioned whether they are paying too much for development. Hopefully the draft planning strategy will review the amounts paid and does not have any surprises.
"Now that the Council and the Government have validated the forecast growth figures through this draft plan, a great opportunity exists for the council, on behalf of the Peninsula, to snare additional funds for infrastructure based on now accepted figures," he said.
Cec Bucello, June 20