Meeting told of shortage of urban green space

The Peninsula has a shortage of suburban green spaces, a public meeting in Gosford has been told.

Peninsula Environment Group representative Mr Mark Mann said this at the meeting on Tuesday, January 19, held to discuss Gosford Council's push to rezone and potentially sell six parcels of community land on the Peninsula.

Mr Mann said that, in spite of being surrounded by national park and the greenery of the ridge line, the Peninsula had a shortage of suburban green spaces.

"Once sold off, we are not going to get them back," Mr Mann said.

He said he also represented the community group that had formed to save Jumbuck Reserve in Jumbuck Close, Woy Woy, which he described as "one of the largest stands of native trees left on the Woy Woy-Umina sandplain".

Mr Mann invited other Peninsula residents concerned about the potential loss of public green spaces in their neighbourhoods to contact him so they could work together to save the Peninsula's reserves.

The Peninsula community land that was listed for reclassification in stage one of Gosford Council's 'Land Sale Strategy' included lot 195 and 196 Brisbane Ave, Umina and 40 and 42 Albion St Umina.

Stage two was announced by Gosford Council in November and included another four parcels of land.

Prior to the community meeting, Gosford Council had confirmed that operational land at 23 Memorial Ave, Blackwall, which did not require reclassification, would be marketed for sale within the next month.

In addition to the Jumbuck Reserve, another two parcels of community land - 40, 42 and 46 Pozieres Ave, Umina, and 9 to 11 Mackenzie Ave, Umina, were included in the stage two list.

Mr Mr Mann said the meeting demonstrated strong community concern and opposition to Gosford's land sale plans.

"I support the motion that the meeting asked Cr Vicki Scott to put to Gosford Council, which was essentially to halt the sale of all blocks and restart the process with proper community engagement and consultation," he said.

Other Peninsula residents who attended the meeting expressed their concerns about land at 83 to 85 Brisbane Ave, Umina, to Mr Mann, he said.

"Cr Gabby Bowles talked at the meeting about a process of community consultation that, apparently, is still to come, but we have no assurances that such a process will actually take place.

"The council's minutes, when this item was discussed seemed to be a vote to reclassify and sell with no mention of community consultation," he said.

Over 200 people attended the meeting along with Gosford councillors Cr Gabby Bowles, Cr Vicky Scott and Cr Jeff Strickson.

The Australian Labor Party candidate for the Federal seat of Robertson, Ms Anne Charlton, also attended, along with State Member for The Entrance Mr David Mehan who stood in for the Member for Gosford Ms Kathy Smith.

Central Coast Greens spokesperson Ms Kate da Costa also attended.

Apologies were received from Cr Deanna Bocking and Cr Hillary Morris.

The meeting was organized by the Community Environment Network and Save Central Coast Reserves, an umbrella group set up by Ms Sue Chidgey who started an online campaign to Save East Gosford Reserve.

Cr Gabby Bowles and Cr Vicky Scott also addressed the meeting along with Ms Chidgey and Ms Jane Smith of CEN and local environmental campaigner Mr Jake Cassar.

In addition to Mr Mann representing the Peninsula, another three community members addressed the meeting and called for Gosford Council to protect reserves in Wamberal, East Gosford and Lisarow.

Each speaker stated that the community placed a high value on green space and biodiversity and the Central Coast's environment was one of the main reasons why people choose to live here.

A common theme was that community expected its local council to act as custodian and protector of that green space, not sell it.

Cr Gabby Bowles addressed the meeting to explain why she had supported the reclassification process so far.

Cr Bowles said she had not yet made a decision about which lots she would be supporting for reclassification.

However, she said Gosford Council had an "obese property portfolio" and the reclassiciation process was supposed to look at whether there was excess land that is not serving the community as well as it could.

She said the money raised from the sale of surplus land could be used to fund Gosford Council's $140 million infrastructure backlog and could be spent on drainage, roads and new playgrounds.

Cr Bowles urged community members to come forward with information about the history, social and environmental significance of any lots that were listed for reclassification and potential sale.

"I have absolutely no hesitation about removing lots from reclassification once we have had the community consultation if the case is strong," Cr Bowles told the community meeting.

"I have to weigh up the fors and againsts with as much information as possible.

"I don't believe this is a conspiracy theory to get rid of reserves," she said.

Cr Bowles did agree that, in hindsight, Gosford Council should have approached this issue differently and started by having a conversation with the community.

She urged the community to contact council with their knowledge about reserves as part of the consultation process.

However, she said she would not support a notice of motion to be put to the February 9 meeting of Gosford Council to withdraw some parcels of community land from the reclassification list.

Cr Bowles said, in the interests of governance and transparency, that all community land currently listed in stage one and stage two should have to go through the same community consultation.

Cr Vicki Scott told the public meeting that she had resubmitted a notice of motion for February 9 that was withdrawn from Gosford Council's meeting agenda on December 8 for legal reasons.

The notice of motion can only relate the parcels of community land listed in stage one of the "land strategy" so the only Peninsula parcels that it may help to keep as community land are those in Brisbane Ave, Umina and Albion St, Umina.

Parcels at Jumbuck, Pozieres and Mackenzie Ave cannot be the subject of a similar motion until March, three months after Gosford councillors passed the existing resolution to start the reclassification process.

Cr Scott said the ability to retain community classification for land listed at stage two and any successive stages of the process could be dependent on the success of her February notice of motion.

Cr Scott received applause when she stated that councillors should withdraw sites that have been identified as being important to the community to let them remain community land.

"You have already identified which sites you want to retain off that list," she said.

Meeting organiser Ms Sue Chidgey said: "Questions were asked as to why Gosford Council needs to sell off $21 million dollars worth of community reserves, parks and green spaces if they are in financial surplus".

"We also believe that in some cases, the public land was gifted to Council for community purposes," said CEN's Jane Smith.

"We are calling on Gosford Council to develop a documented strategy that goes out for community consultation," Ms Smith said.

"This strategy should identify any public land they propose to sell, information about how that land came in to public ownership and an assessment of the true economic, social and environmental value of the land.

"Council should be talking to local communities about what this public land means to them," she said.

Ms Chidgey said: "At the end of the meeting, community members overwhelming voted for a motion: That Gosford Council withdraw from sale those sites in stage one and stage two that are classified as operational land and halt the process of reclassifying community land; develop a strategy that is put out on exhibition for public comment; and undertake community engagement with the local community and interested stakeholders to assess the true social, environmental and economic value of any sites being considered as having sale potential.

"We hope that Gosford Council will keep the community fully informed throughout this process and that communities are listened to.

"Community members hold a wealth of information regarding the history and use by local residents as well as flora and fauna," Ms Chidgey said.

Meeting, 19 Jan 2016

Sue Chidgey, Save Central Coast Reserves

Jane Smith, CEN

Cr Gabby Bowles, Gosford Council

Cr Vicky Scott, Gosford Council

Mark Mann, Peninsula Environment Group

Media release, 20 Jan 2016

Sue Chidgey, Save Central Coast Reserves

Media release, 20 Jan 2016

Mark Mann, Peninsula Environment Group

Reporter: Jackie Pearson