St Huberts canals decision deferred

Gosford Council has deferred making a decision about unauthorised mooring and berthing facilities on St Huberts Island until its meeting tomorrow, Tuesday, December 12.

Council recently adopted an amendment to development control plan (DCP) 145 "Boating Facilities in St Huberts Island Canals", which provides detailed guidelines for the development of boating facilities in the canals.

Cr Terri Latella had requested advice as to what would happen to existing jetties and similar facilities now that the DCP had been adopted.

Council officers had recommended that council require owners of property within the island to lodge a development application seeking consent for the use of their existing boating facilities.

They also recommended that council support the issuing of consents for the use of existing facilities where they complied with the requirements of, or generally met the objectives of the DCP, providing they were structurally sound and demolition or repair was deemed not necessary by council.

Officers recommended that facilities that are, or are likely to become a danger to the public, or are so dilapidated as to be prejudicial to its occupants or the persons or property in the neighbourhood, be required to be demolished or repaired.

It was recommended that staff report on progress in a year's time.

A "water-based" audit recently revealed that 373 structures including jetties, pontoons, moorings and ramps had been constructed in the canals.

Council agenda SF.50, December 5