Central Coast Council is currently exhibiting its draft Plan of Management for Council Community Land and is seeking comments and feedback from the Central Coast community about what the 2,000 community land parcels across 400 sites should be used for. 

The five categories which can apply to community land are: 

1.  General community use
2.  Sportsgrounds
3.  Parks
4.  Culturally significant sites
5.  Natural area:
   
   • wetlands 
   • bushlands
   • escarpment
   • foreshore
   • watercourse.

I was pleased to attend (as a participant) one of the public hearings at Erina this week, however, I noticed there was some misunderstanding about what Council is trying to achieve with this draft Plan of Management process. 

I would like to clarify – and stress – that this draft Plan of Management process is not about the reclassification of Council owned or managed land, nor is it about the sale of land. This process is about the categorisation of land, which will dictate how Council can manage the land. 

Community land cannot be sold, and the Local Government Act 1993 states that Councils must prepare a Plan of Management (POM) which governs how the community land is to be used and managed. 

I strongly encourage anyone interested or seeking further information to check Council’s engagement website www.yourvoiceourcoast.com/POMcommunityland for more information.

Rik Hart, Administrator