Council keeps village land

Gosford Council has decided to retain ownership of the Ettalong Beach Village relocatable home park which is leased to a private operator.

The lessee had approached Council offering to buy the land.

Cr Lynne Bockholt welcomed the council decision saying it was important that the site be retained in Council ownership to ensure lower cost housing options for senior citizens and low income earners on the Peninsula.

She said that if the land was sold any future owner could seek Council’s approval to rezone it to allow medium density or other residential use, which would preclude low income earners and pensioners being able to afford decent housing on the site.

"This is a large site and houses a great many people who may not be able to access housing elsewhere if the use of the site changed.

"This is such a valuable site as it is close to the shops and doctors, to clubs and to buses, to the markets and the cinemas at Ettalong it is essential it be kept for lower income earners."

Cr Bockholt said the council expressed strong support for the current lessee who had turned the site from a dilapidated caravan park into a stylish place to live

"Councillors conducted an on-site inspection, had a walk around the site and were very impressed with what they saw."

She said the Village was obviously a great place to live and the current lessee was to be congratulated for all the hard work over the years.

Cr Bockholt said the cost of housing was very important to everyone and it was important that lower cost options be retained.

Media release, April 2