Height controls removed

In a major abuse of their powers, Gosford Councillors of the pro-development bent (Maher, Hale, Labor's McFadyen and Scott and the Liberal Drake) have removed height controls from the Ettalong and Umina CBDs.

With the Mayor Brooks and Cr Bell absent, these five have undone months of work costing thousands of ratepayers dollars late at night and without it even being on the agenda for the night's meeting.

Central Coast First's Cr Laurie Maher moved an amendment on an unrelated matter when the agenda advised that only minor amendments would be considered.

Crs Maher and Hale promised in their election campaign that they would "consult widely across all areas" yet last Tuesday night without any consultation, except with the Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, the rights and desires of the great majority of Peninsula residents were abused.

Now instead of the reasonable three-storey height limits recommended by the community during the Urban Design Framework consultations, we have no height limit for Ettalong and Umina.

Incredibly the report to council advises that "Local Environment Plan 426 formalised the consideration of character as part of the development control process and responded to community concerns that the character of their area was being lost as a result of recent developments ..."

Think of the hideous Outrigger Resort and imagine what we will get next.

Save Our Suburbs will be petitioning the Minister for Local Government Kerry Hickey to initiate an inquiry into the conduct of this council, its closeness to developers, its arrogance and abuse of its powers and we urge residents to do likewise.

Bryan Ellis, Umina Secretary Save Our Suburbs CC