Council to lead on key local government issues

Central Coast Council will raise its concerns about a range of issues at the upcoming Local Government NSW Conference.

Local government representatives from across NSW will meet at the conference in October.

Last night, Councillors agreed to put forward seven motions about topics which impact not only the Coast but many council areas:

• The return of building certification to Council.
• Establishment of a list of appropriately qualified independent consultants who can be engaged to supply reports during the development process.
• The investigation of glyphosphate alternatives for effective weed management and the development of guidance and protocols for their use and impact on our environment.
• The approval and management of short-term rental accommodation.
• The importance of the State Government engaging with local councils to develop a 20-year Waste Strategy.
• Consultation about the placement of small cells for the rollout of 5G technology.
• Extension of the 30 June 2021 deadline for the development of Plans of Management for Crown Land due to the scale of work required to complete the 4,000 Plans of Management required on the Central Coast alone.

Mayor Jane Smith said all these topics created challenges for Councils across the State.

“Every Council wants to create a community which is both safe and attractive for residents and is also welcoming to visitors,” Mayor Smith said.

“We want our development and building approval processes to continue to be robust, resulting in high-quality yet affordable housing.

“While we encourage visitors to enjoy short-term stays in our beautiful region, we need to balance that with ensuring that short-term rental doesn’t disrupt potential long-term residents.

“We also want to ensure that Councils have a seat at the table when the State Government is planning policies and strategies which have a long-term impact on local communities.”

Tree management policy in place 

Council tonight adopted a single process for the management of trees and vegetation across the Central Coast after considering the feedback received during the public exhibition period.

DCP Chapter ‘XX’ will now be inserted to the Wyong and Gosford Development Control Plans for implementation across the Central Coast.

Council received more than 200 submissions during the exhibition period, covering a range of issues including environmental and amenity concerns, exemptions and arborists qualifications.

To address concerns raised in the public exhibition, Council will provide further definitions and links to relevant legislation in the DCP Chapter and on our website, to ensure our community are fully aware of their obligations.

In addition, Council has added further details on exemptions to make it clear for the community, strengthen the approval process and expand the significant tree register

Development Control Plan Chapter “XX” - Tree and Vegetation Management will be inserted as Chapter 3.6 within the Wyong Development Control Plan 2013 and Chapter 6.6 within the Gosford Development Control Plan 2013.

Council seeks to address concerns about the ends of the runway at Central Coast Airport

Council will engage an external specialist to undertake an up-to-date survey and analysis of the height of trees at both ends of the runway at Central Coast Airport.

The assessment will be completed in conjunction with environmental studies in order to guide council on options available to improve safety for runway users.

Council also resolved to seek a meeting with the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces and representatives from Central Coast Aero Club, the Youth Air League and Emergency Services to work through key issues at hand. Council will continue conversations with the Aero Club about current licence arrangements with a view to reaching agreement between the parties.

Council understands the interest of all stakeholders and will continue to work through the range of issues at hand.

Council asks the community how they want to have their say on planning matters

Central Coast Council has endorsed a draft Community Participation Plan (CPP) to go on public exhibition for community feedback.

The CPP will work alongside the Central Coast Engagement Framework, adopted by Council in January 2017, to ensure the community continues to be informed about planning matters and development proposals that affect them, as well as have meaningful and considered opportunities to participate in strategic planning.

Mayor Jane Smith said Council is run by local people, for local people and it is important that we continue providing every opportunity for our community to input into the future direction of the Central Coast.

“The draft CPP has been designed to guide participation in planning for the Central Coast community by identifying opportunities and timeframes available for community input on strategy development, plan making and proposed development decisions,” Mayor Smith said.

“The community participation plan is designed to utilise the knowledge, ideas and expertise of our community, improving the processes that generate two-way engagement and creating a shared sense of purpose, direction and understanding to manage growth and change, while preserving local character.

“It’s important that community members and groups have a look at the draft plan and have their say.

“We value transparent and meaningful communication and use our community’s feedback to drive strategic decision making and expenditure. We encourage the community to visit yourvoiceourcoast.com from 29 August to 26 September 2019 to have their say on the draft CPP.”

Helping ‘Keep the Coast Clean’

This financial year Central Coast Council will commence a comprehensive community education program to inform the community of the impact of littering on the environment.

Litter and plastic in the environment is an increasing problem and strengthening the community’s positive environmental behaviours is a fundamental responsibility of Council as outlined in the Community Strategic Plan.

The ‘Keep the Coast Clean’ program will focus on identification of environmental impacts of litter, provision of information to the community about litter management programs, and establishment of an understanding of methods to address the litter impacts.

Council to develop the first coast-wide State of Environment Report

Council has confirmed the process by which it will develop the first coast-wide State of Environment Report (SoE Report) to evaluate the current condition of the Central Coast and identify key pressures that can affect our local environment.

The report will provide a snapshot in time of the main environmental issues facing our community and will identify responses to key pressures to help secure the Coast’s environmental resources for future generations.

Mayor Jane Smith said Council has an essential role to play in protecting the environment and it’s time for us to understand what’s happening in our backyard and plan for the future.

“Council will first identify and define key indicators that can be measured regularly to help us understand our current environment and the pressures impacting it,” Mayor Smith said.

“Council will then look at what we are doing to address these pressures and map future trends for the Central Coast.

“State of the Environment Reports are considered best practice and will help assess whether our community is moving toward the environmental objectives identified in our Community Strategic Plan 2018-28.”

The SoE Report will take into consideration the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) State of Environment Report 2018 and the former Gosford City Council and Wyong Shire Council State of Environment Reports completed in 2012.

A draft report will be presented to Council in August 2020.