Environment protection guarantee for Warnervale development

Council has engaged Eco Logical Australia (ELA) to prepare biodiversity certification and offset strategy to ensure current greenfield sites, south of Sparks Road, Warnervale are developed sustainably.

The strategy will identify areas of high value vegetation and habitat for permanent protection and the areas that will deliver the best employment generating development.

An appropriate development footprint will be established for land around the Warnervale Airport and Education Business Precinct so potential developers and landowners know up front where development will be allowed.

As council itself is a major land holder in the area, it will be able to ensure that significant environmental offset land is secure, protected and managed effectively.

The proposal will require the approval of the NSW Minister for the Environment who will need to be satisfied the conservation measures result in an overall improvement in biodiversity values.

Administrator Reynolds said:

“This land is ripe for development and it is important we get controls right from the start to ensure we can balance the need to create jobs while also protecting the environment.”

“Areas identified in this process as being of high value vegetation and habitat will be protected in perpetuity.

“We are streamlining the development process so potential land purchasers and developers will know up front where they can develop and will ensure we get the right development in the right place that delivers the jobs and opportunities our community need.” 

Empowering the community was a key focus of a road trip

Council’s Administrator, Ian Reynolds and new Executive Leadership Team embarked on a road trip recently.

Mr Reynolds and the executive staff wanted to gain an understanding of the range of issues facing the community and to see the support services local groups deliver each and every day.

First stop was the Bara Barang Corporation in Kariong who provide innovative programs, events and training to directly engage with Aboriginal people, particularly youth, and support them to gain local employment.    

Next stop was Central Coast Manufacturing Connect at Ourimbah – an active not-for-profit industry group who work with all levels of government, including council, to facilitate growth and sustainability in the local manufacturing industry.  The strength of their success in the region is apparent with a number of new businesses opening up across the Coast, bucking the national trend of a decline in the manufacturing industry.

The final stop on the road trip was a meeting with the San Remo Neighbourhood Centre on the north of the Coast.  Run almost entirely by volunteers, this centre tackles the social issues faced by its community head on by providing services that help long-term unemployed find work, mental health issues, emergency food relief, financial and personal counselling and graffiti harm.

Mr Reynolds also had the privilege this week of formally opening new multipurpose courts at Tunkuwallin Park in Gwandalan.  This project was championed by the local sporting clubs, particularly the Summerland Point/Gwandalan Netball Club whose membership had grown so much, along with the population of the area; they needed more courts to play on.  Council acknowledged there was a need for these facilities and invested $300,000 in the new courts that can be used for a wide range of sports.

Administrator Ian Reynolds said:

“It has been heartening to meet so many passionate people committed to their communities and to making the Central Coast a great place to be.

“Service delivery is at the heart of what we do at council but we cannot do it alone.

“Our challenge will be to ensure we can continue to enable great organisations like these to meet the community’s need for services and to continue to empower them to deliver these services. 

“I am keen to develop a council that understands, values and supports the great work community groups do each and every day because our community needs them to thrive.”