Waterfront group fights on against development
The Save Woy Woy Waterfront community group is continuing to work "100 per cent to stop inappropriate development" of the Woy Woy Bowling Club's site, according to Mr Ross Cochrane.
The group is planning to hold another community meeting on April 8.
"Woy Woy Bowling Club and the open recreation area it occupies are at risk from the overdevelopment plans.
"There is still potential the Sporties club will be closing, whether the redevelopment goes ahead or not," he said.
"Every property developer has the right to attempt to build apartments.
"Seniors have the right to live in nice apartments by the sea.
"But residents of neighbourhoods also have the right to fight to keep open space and Councils have the right to uphold the zoning of open recreational space," said Mr Cochrane.
"Woy Woy Bowling Club, long ago, was given title to the land which has been zoned open recreational land.
"This means that the community has designated this land to stay, as it states, as recreational land that is not built over.
"The property developer might not like it, but the councillors, as elected representatives, have every right to make a statement in this process, and we encourage them to do that.
"When the club got into financial difficulties, it sold its title to a property developer.
"That person is now trying to turn a profit by using a loophole in a state planning policy for seniors housing.
"To claim the Sporties will close if the development application is not approved is stretching the facts.
"If the application is approved, there will be no Sporties - not as a bowling club at least, and not for several years during the construction."
More than 120 local residents made submissions to Central Coast Council against the planned multi-storey seniors housing proposal.
Objections included the fact that the proposed building was much higher than the surrounding neighbourhood, it contained no guarantees that seniors only would be residents, the site was subject to flooding, and the community would lose open recreational land.
"The councillors of the Central Coast were elected to represent the interests of residents," said Mr Cochrane.
"They have every right, if they feel that a development is unsuitable, given the zoning of the land, the responses of the residents, and the flood mapping of their staff, to make a submission to the Joint Regional Planning Panel.
"The property developer, Mr Tony Altavilla, can huff and puff as much as he likes, but he has no more rights than residents and councillors."
SOURCE:
Interview, 20 Mar 2018
Media release, 20 Mar 2018
Ross Cochrane, Save Woy Woy Waterfront
Reporter: Jackie Pearson