Affordable housing delay due to 'unowned' land
An affordable housing development at 18 Macleay Ave, Woy Woy, may be delayed by up to a year after the discovery that part of the land is unowned.
While implementing an agreement to close public pathways along the side boundaries to consolidate them with the land to be developed by Pacific Link Housing, council staff have found "part of the land has no nominal owner", according to a report to Central Coast Council.
A report in a July 2021 council agenda stated that the land at 18 Macleay Ave was owned by the NSW Land and Housing Corporation until 2019, when it was sold to the owner from which Pacific Link Housing bought it.
A report in a October 2022 council agenda states: "The land was zoned RE1 Public Recreation under the Gosford Local Environmental Plan, even though the land is in private ownership."
That report claimed council staff could not determine "why this privately-owned land was zoned RE1 Public Recreation".
No council report since the original rezoning proposal has explained how and why the land was originally zoned for recreation, nor the process by which it came into private ownership, or why the public pathways were created.
The report in tomorrow's Council agenda states: "Historical omissions from State Land Register have been identified after further due diligence (in essence, part of land has no nominal owner).
"Rectification will be coordinated by agents for the owner of the adjoining land.
"This is an inherently lengthy process involving multiple State agencies and Council business units.
"Accordingly full completion must be substantially delayed.
"In the meantime, partial implementation of the agreement will be progressed to achieve an optimal planning outcome."
The target completion date for the project has been delayed by a year to March 31 next year.
SOURCE:
Central Coast Council agenda 2.20, 25 Feb 2025