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Collapse Issue 614:<br />10 Mar 2025<br />_____________Issue 614:
10 Mar 2025
_____________
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State moves to increase Woy Woy housing density
Greens announce candidate for Robertson
Youth support services to be expanded under Liberals
Italian festival to be held in Ettalong
Churces to vote on service times
Council will plant street trees, says shade group
Author to talk at Woy Woy library*
Rotary club appoints president for coming year
Students join Clean4Shore for Clean-up Day
Craft and chat at Woy Woy CWA*
CWA serves Devonshire teas
Autumn is 'ideal time' for planting trees
Homemade goods sought for Easter book fair
Olympian named as local Woman of the Year
Cr Neal to attend meeting at Patonga
Skate Jam was 'exceptional, incredible success'
Police investigate stabbing at Woy Woy
Book Club for Tweens held at library*
CWA branch to continue student well-being partnership
February ends with half average rainfall
Collapse  PLANNING PLANNING
Multi-dwelling development to have 'decorative' concrete
Parking changed to loading zone in Ettalong
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Umina will be prime target for next Ministerial rezonings
We rely on the ABC in times of crisis
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Minister drops into senior citizens' centre
Central Coast Health issues measles alert
Aged care staff speak of pleasure in work*
James Browne oval used for hospital transfer
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Student artworks displayed in Gosford regional gallery
Little Theatre holds auditions
Double bill for folk club concert
Short play scripts wanted for Flash Festival
Selected as personality for Cancer Council spectacular
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Mass held at school for Ash Wednesday
Ettalong students selected as Aussie Rules reps*
Awards for Woy Woy students
St John's holds Big Arvo Welcome*
Soccer team was narrowly defeated*
Bridget qualifies for state tennis championships
'Eco warriors' help with clean-up
Special visitor at St John's*
Brisbane Water wins first round 5-1*
Homework club continues to be popular*
Ettalong school to hold kindergarten open day
New leaf insects at childcare centre
Three school captain sisters meet a swimming carnival
Raffle prize contributions wanted
Learning the ukelele
College student selected for Minister's council
Xavier wins innovator award*
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Everglades win Grade 7 clash*
Bridge club results
Southern Spirit cricket finals
President wants Umina United to remain a family club
Floorball club starts park run leaderboard
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Cycle group to ride Peninsula loop
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Golf final played at Everglades*
Little athletes qualify for state team*
Netball development team selected
Outrigger success at Kalang River Classic
Pickleball under new lights*
Players wanted at Umina United
Rugby program leads to marriage in Romania
Shay Bennett wins Junior Masters title
Ocean Beach lifesaver wins silver medal*
Surf club receives grant for new training equipment
Swans training starts at Rogers Park
Umina takes places at State lifesaving championships
Two make junior championship finals*

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Umina will be prime target for next Ministerial rezonings

The Minister has announced the selection of seven areas where multi-unit residential development will now be allowed in what have been, up to now, low-density residential zones.

The new zones are around Woy Woy, Gosford and Wyong stations and around Westfield, Erina, Green Point and The Entrance shopping areas.

Some of the surrounds to these points are unbuildable, commercially-developed or already zoned for multi-unit residential, so it is difficult to know how many possible sites will actually be opened up by this move.

If we had a Council that cared about the community, the potential new sites for development would have been identified, and the residents of the new zones would have been informed of the possible effects of the change.

Instead, it will be for every affected individual to unearth his own information and make his own assessment of the situation.

According to the Minister, the sites have been chosen, based on access to services, availability of public transport, infrastructure capacity and the aim of "balancing growth" (whatever that means - probably nothing).

However, based on those criteria, some of the selections appear to be idiosyncratic, to say the least.

It would be interesting, for example, to see the scoring system that identifies the Green Point shopping centre as a first priority for multi-unit residential development in the region.

However, let's not expect the Council to enlighten us on this point, as the Planning Department with the worst approvals record in the state can hardly have time to look into matters of community impact that would require some real planning analysis, and our elected representatives seem to have been singularly silent on the whole process.

Let's also not wonder whether the Council is ready with any forward thinking about the urban shape that these zones might take under the new regime.

It is, in fact, easy to predict that the outcome will be the usual developers' schemozzle, with the Minister's already lowered planning standards stretched to the limits (and beyond) in the interests of maximizing profits, and the public be damned.

It is a pity that it will work out this way, because the Minister, in principle, is right: it was necessary to provide space for a wider range of residential accommodation.

However, the devil is always in the detail in these matters, and this is where the system will certainly fail.

House owners near the Umina shopping centre had better look to their interests, because anyone can see that this will be a prime target for the next round of Ministerial rezonings.





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