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Collapse Issue 429 - 02 Oct 2017Issue 429 - 02 Oct 2017
Collapse  NEWS NEWS
Pursuit of ferry captain 'cowardly act', says Tesch
Phyllis celebrates 103rd birthday
Providers sought for train phone and internet services
Oyster Festival to continue in its own right
Planning panel approves new aged care facility
Patonga Hotel has been sold
Independent councillors elected to top jobs
Peninsula's future needs 'thought', says mayor
Chamber calls for high density residential zone
Exchange student lives through earthquake
CPI rise for Davistown ferry, but not for Palm Beach
Emergency dredging starts again with new funding
Woman dies after apparent domestic violence incident
Road maintenance slows Rip Bridge traffic
Seafood restaurant starts renovations
Tax Office sells benefits of Gosford building
Building industry shows confidence, says Chamber
Road upgrades due to start
Barber's shop to close after 50 years
Long-term Bays resident dies
Coloured water explanation 'not good enough'
Assistant commissioner visits Umina PCYC
Bays group members meet fire service committee
Rotary collects a ute load
Annual fashion parade at The Bays
Guide Dog handler to speak at library
Workmanship awards presented by Rotary club
Road safety seminars for seniors
Council needs new direction, says Shadow Minister
Woy Woy butchery makes champion sausage
Collapse  FORUM FORUM
Electoral officer could have played nicely
Redevelopment to target seniors for poker machines?
Will council continue to sideline the scientists?
New councillors comments 'interesting and enlightening'
Hope that mayor stands up for policies she expressed
Famous people have visited Woy Woy
Collapse  HEALTH HEALTH
Aged care provider selected as finalist
Open day at aged care facility
Annual meeting
Hospital auxiliary volunteers are thanked
Campaign to raise funds for chemotherapy
Collapse  ARTS ARTS
Craft centre to participate in community raffle
Grant winner expresses gratitude
Author to talk at Woy Woy library
Collapse  EDUCATION EDUCATION
Rotary to sponsor students to attend Dookie
Stilts, sack races and hoop jumping at carnival
Woy Woy raises $7400 in rope jump
Community group offers scholarship
Principal reflects on Term 3
A greater appreciation of democracy
Students take tour of national capital
Kindergarten has cultural excursion
Men's Shed refurbishes sandpit
Collapse  SPORT SPORT
Jemma selected for international challenge
Sherriff named Central Coast champion
Umina wins pool challenge
Men of League held at bowling club
Mixed results for junior rugby union
Charity day attracts 50 bowlers
Bridge club comes to end of year
Beach patrols start for summer
President reports at junior rugby presentations
Gym holds open day
Young lifesaver to be honoured with award

Chamber calls for high density residential zone

The Peninsula Chamber of Commerce has called for the introduction of a high density residential zone on the Peninsula with a comprehensive review of planning controls for the Central Coast Council.

Chamber president Mr Matthew Wales urged the new Central Coast Council to act swiftly on key planning issues, following the swearing-in of the new councillors.

"It's imperative that the new Council pushes forward with the comprehensive review of the planning guidelines and ensures that there is adequate land supply and diversity of housing.

"The comprehensive review will be the game changer and this council needs to get onto that almost immediately because it is going to take several years to review, resolve and have gazetted but it will deal with those crucial underlying issues such as land availability, urban consolidation and the introduction of new residential zones like R3 and R4 which is high-density zones.

"There is certainly a role on the Peninsula for the R3 zone in order to achieve higher urban densities," Mr Wales said.

He said that meant finding ways to accommodate more people per square metre and that included a review of both floor space ratio controls and height controls particularly around town centres.

"Elections are over and it's now time for the new Council to get on with the job of running this city," said Chamber president Mr Matthew Wales.

"During the period of administration, many of the key merger issues were addressed including the cleaning up of the financial mess from the former Gosford Council," Mr Wales said.

"Also during that time, planning staff prepared a new Consolidation Plan which merged the former Gosford and Wyong Local Environmental Plans but sadly this was never placed on public exhibition prior to the Local Government Elections," he said.

"This now has to be the priority for the new Council so that the building and development industry has certainty as the city moves forward.

"The sooner the new Council adopts the new planning regime and gets this out on exhibition, the better equipped the city will be to deal with the 70,000 new people that will call the Central Coast home over the next 20 years.

"We cannot afford for that to be delayed.

"It needs to go out on exhibition so that the council can get public feedback and send that plan on to the Minister.

"It needs to clean up the anomalies between the two existing planning instruments if for no other reason than to get consistency across the new local government area.

"More importantly for the Peninsula is that the Consolidation Plan is a housekeeping process which will then lead to the comprehensive review of the city-wide planning controls.

"For me the most pressing issue this new council has to come to grips with, is the Woy Woy town centre review," he said.

"We have to get on top of that and find ways to renew that town centre and encourage, more importantly, residential accommodation within the town.

"We have to be realistic and accept that you've got to make development financially attractive in order to encourage the right development to occur.

"We really do need all the councillors to show some leadership and focus on town centre revitalisation and not just be Gosford-centric, we have paid an ugly price for that.

"The Chamber wants a full review of the town centre controls particularly for the Woy Woy commercial precinct.

"While we congratulate Jane Smith on her election as mayor of the Central Coast Council, we would encourage her to show quick and strong leadership in advancing these key planning projects for the benefit of all residents," he said.

"This is clearly an unusual council with an odd mix of experience and politics but there has never been a more important time for this city than this next two years and the Chamber of Commerce genuinely hopes that strong, bold and quick decisions are made on a raft of issues.

"Our members are telling me that business is still very patchy.

"Some sectors are good such as restaurants and cafes.

"Retail is still tough but I think we have come to a time when we need to change our offer and lift our standards because a lot of people we are seeing coming into town now are younger.

"They demand more and they have the money to spend but you've got to provide the right product otherwise they will spend the money elsewhere.

"I think the Peninsula has some catching up to do to capitalise on the change in the demographics."





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