Peninsula leads Coast's night-time economy
The value of the Peninsula's night-time economy is greater than any other area of the Central Coast, according to figures in a Central Coast Council discussion paper currently on exhibition.
It shows the Peninsula to have a night-time economy of $68 million a year, representing 29.6 per cent of the Coast's "visitor spend" of $229.5 million from April 2022 to March last year.
The Peninsula has only slightly more than 10 per cent of the Coast's population.
Terrigal had the next highest turnover with $67 million (29.3 per cent), $1 million less than the Peninsula.
The 35 "night-time product and experience" venues in Woy Woy and Ettalong alone represent more than one quarter of the Central Coast's 138 venues
The table in the report showing the venue count did not include venues in Umina, nor any of the Peninsula's registered clubs.
Terrigal's venue count was the next closest with 30 venues.
The table showed Ettalong, with a total of 20 venues, having 15 restaurants and Woy Woy, with a total of 15 venues, having 10 restaurants.
The two towns were listed with two takeaway outlets and one bar each.
Ettalong was listed with one pub and one "arts/culture/live music" venue, while Woy Woy had two pubs.
A map showed Ettalong having a turnover of $28 million, Woy Woy a turnover of $25 million and Umina a turnover of $15 million.
Despite the figures, the "Peninsula" is not mentioned once in the report, and Woy Woy, Ettalong and Umina only appear in the map and the table.
The text of the report makes no reference to them.
The report itself acknowledges that its purpose was to ignore the Peninsula: "to reinforce the primacy of Gosford, Terrigal and Wyong as key night-time economy locations".
The Gosford turnover was shown as $41 million, while Wyong's was shown as $28 million, the same as Ettalong but with a percentage of the total slightly less than Ettalong.
Submissions responding to the discussion paper may be made until Monday, February 12.
SOURCE:
Website, 19 Jan 2024
Your Voice Our Coast, Central Coast Council