Council alert to abattoir sale

Gosford Council has asked to be alerted should the Woy Woy Abattoir site come onto the market.

Cr Craig Doyle moved, seconded by Cr Laurie Maher, that Council adopt a watching brief for the purchase of the site.

The motion was passed, despite a staff report recommending "Council not further investigate the purchase of this particular land parcel".

The report stated that the land was unsuitable for purchase for sporting fields as it was too contaminated by agricultural chemicals and the hillside to the north restricted light in winter.

This would restrict turf growth and make ball viewing difficult for sports such as cricket.

The only possible community uses for the land were an archery facility, a rifle range or extreme sport facility, according to the report.

It stated that the cost to buy and rehabilitate the area for sporting grounds "would be substantial".

The report also recommended against moving another Council facility, such as the Woy Woy Depot, to the site.

"It may not prove to be advisable given the limitation of the access road's ability to accommodate heavy vehicular traffic and the need to ameliorate [rehabilitate] the site would remain," the report stated.

Cr Craig Doyle said he thought the depot should be moved to the site.

"I'd like to see the land up to top put back onto the Coastal Open Space System and the bottom used for the depot," Cr Doyle said.

"Then put the depot land into public ownership for open space."

The site had a flat open space on the valley floor, and large amounts of natural vegetation on the hillside to the north, according to the report.

The vegetation area was not rare or endangered and could be preserved by council's planning instruments, it stated.

Alison Branley, Council agenda CS.025, July 27