Grey and ugly planning referral

What's grey and ugly, sits on the foreshore of Brisbane Water at Koolewong and is about to spread its tentacles 125 metres into the near-pristine waterway?

The NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell announced on April 4 that State Cabinet had decided to scrap Part 3A of the planning legislation, with all new application to be halted from that date.

The many organisations and concerned residents who had opposed the previous State Government's centralisation of planning decision-making probably sat back and relaxed when they heard this news.

But the Premier's media release had a sting in its tail; Mr O'Farrell said that "transitional arrangements" would be put in place to deal with more than 500 Part 3A applications already in the system.

He said about half of these applications would be referred to the Planning Assessment Commission for determination.

This prompted me to look at some of these Part 3A applications that are already in the system, especially those on the Central Coast.

We have already heard about most of the projects because the applications have been advertised.

In the middle of the list, however, is a proposal by a company called Gemsted to build a 50-berth marina next to the Boathouse Waterfront Restaurant at Koolewong.

The Department of Planning issued its requirements for an environmental assessment of this proposal in the week before Christmas last year.

This is another example (like the Tesrol development at Ettalong) of the Department taking several weeks or months to put information on its website which should have been done within 14 days.

The development of this site has been the centre of a battle between Gosford Council and Gemsted for over 20 years (see Sydney Morning Herald, 1 September 2003).

The existing building was originally approved in 1982 as an oyster purifying plant, built on reclaimed land.

Gemsted converted this building into its existing form without approval and it was only after a long and expensive legal battle that the restaurant was approved.

If this application is referred to the Planning Assessment Commission (which has its office in George St, Sydney), what confidence can we have that they will give full consideration to the views of the Council or the local community?

Member for Gosford Chris Holstein promised in one of his election leaflets that the new State Government would "give planning back to communities".

Will Chris Holstein ask the Minister for Planning to refer the Gemsted application back to Gosford Council, who are the representatives of our communities?

Email, 11 May 2011 Michael Conroy, Ettalong