Central Coast Council will maintain its position as one of the largest Councils in NSW and the biggest outside of Sydney after the release of new population figures for NSW this week.

The Coast’s population is projected to increase by 75,500 to 415,050 by 2036 according to the latest figures released by the NSW Department of Environment and Planning. The population for NSW is projected to reach 9.9 million.

Council’s Administrator, Mr Ian Reynolds, said the new figures were a jump of more than 10,000 on previous population projections and presented a number of challenges but also opportunities for the growing community.

“Our current residents value our natural environment, amenities, relaxed lifestyle and sense of community here on the Coast,” Mr Reynolds said.

“We need to carefully manage this growth so we can maintain and improve our residents’ quality of life.

“We need to encourage sustainable development, create more local jobs, and provide the infrastructure and services our new residents will need.

“These are the challenges we face and we cannot do it alone. We need the support of State and Federal Governments to deliver for our current and future residents.

“We have a great opportunity now as one Council to represent this great region with 331,000 residents behind us.  We have lots more to come to push for more funding to make sure the Coast continues to be the best place to live, work and play.”

A full breakdown on the population figures can be found at www.planning.nsw.gov.au