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Central Coast Council has labelled The Point’s headline “Public Land in Minister’s Hands” misleading and requested a correction.
By Jacquelene Pearson
The Point recently reported that residents who made submissions in response to Central Coast Council’s proposal to reclassify land at 73 and 75 Mann Street, Gosford, from community land to operational land, to facilitate its sale, had been informed of the council’s decision to take the final step towards its reclassification as operational land so it can be sold.
At the May council meeting, Administrator Rik Hart resolved “that council finalise the planning proposal…to amend State Environmental Planning Policy (Precincts Regional) 2021 to enable to reclassification of …73-75 Mann Street, Gosford, from community land to operational land.”
The next step is for the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces to amend Central Coast Local Environmental Plan 2022. The land is then officially operational which means it can be sold.
Council said questions The Point had sent to the Minister for Planning and the Minister for Local Government in relation to this reclassification were misleading.
According to Council, our questions, “Is the Minister aware that this land is part of a site that has been earmarked for a performing arts precinct along with the Broadwater Hotel site and former Gosford Council chamber? Is he aware it is the last remaining public land in the Gosford CBD?” were misleading.
The objective of the article was to inform the public that the council-owned land between Donnison Street and Georgiana Terrace, in Mann Street, Gosford, was the last remaining public land suitable as a site for the long-promised performing arts centre/precinct. We contend this point was clear in the original article. However, we are more than happy to publish this clarification.
Community groups including the Friends of the Performing Arts Centre and the Gosford Waterfront Alliance contend that a performing arts precinct would be a far more effective way to activate the Gosford CBD than relocating the TAFE from Henry Parry Drive.
They are also concerned that the TAFE and Landcom site swap may not eventuate because of the debt and deficit that has been inherited by the Minns Labor Government in NSW. As such this would open the way for the Mann St land to be sold to a private developer.
The tradition of land banking in Gosford is clear and long-standing so the sale of the Mann St land to a private developer may result in the land stagnating into the future.
In requesting a correction, Central Coast Council said: “Council still owns a considerable amount of prime public land (see list below) in Gosford, including the land the new Regional Library is currently being built on. This list does not include parks or other government owned land:
Baker Street Carpark
219 Albany Street Gosford backs onto Rumbalara reserve
Showground Road – Gosford Tennis Club 10 Racecourse Road
Over 50’s Senior Centre 217 Albany Street
Central Coast Stadium
Gosford Bowling Club
Gosford Marina and waterway on Gosford Waterfront
Adcock Park
103 John Whiteway Drive Gosford
346 Mann Street Gosford
140 Erina Street Gosford
“We request that you correct the misleading headline and acknowledge that Council does in fact continue to own prime public land in Gosford, much of which is utilised by the community.”
The Point hopes Central Coast Council finds this clarification satisfactory.
Whilst one of the potential new buildings on a redeveloped Gosford waterfront could be some sort of cultural building, none of the other locations listed above appears appropriate for a performing arts centre or precinct.
It is our intention to continue to report on the sale of public land by Central Coast Council. We consider this a matter of public interest given the total of assets sold is now more than $60 million and the council is no longer facing a liquidity crisis.
