Traffic flow and parking have been identified as key themes emerging from the ‘Let’s talk Terrigal’ community consultation held earlier this year.

During the consultation period, Council received 136 submissions from 116 individual stakeholders and over 200 community members attended two information session held at Terrigal Surf Club.

Council Acting Director Assets Infrastructure and Business, Boris Bolgoff, said that based on the community consultation, Council had revised the design of Stage 1 of the works which will kick off on Monday 2 July.

“We have listened to the concerns and suggestions from the community, and with due consideration to technical constraints, costs and the overarching project objectives have made changes to address community concerns,” Mr Bolgoff said.

“The key changes Council has made to the original plans presented to the community include allowing Terrigal Esplanade to remain open to traffic all year round. The design does allow for temporary closure of Terrigal Esplanade for special events.

“We have reinstated the existing pedestrian crossing on Pine Tree Lane close to the intersection with Kurrawyba Avenue, and we have also provided a new pedestrian crossing on Kurrawyba Ave near the intersection with Church St to improve pedestrian access to the CBD.

“The community has told us that parking in Terrigal is a critical issue. Council recognises the need for a balance between the economic benefits of tourism and accommodating the needs of locals.

“Council will be taking steps to achieve this balance and ensure the forecasted parking needs for Terrigal are met by investigating a further expansion of Wilson Road car park and a feasibility study into a boardwalk connecting Terrigal Esplanade to The Haven.

“All aspects of parking in the Terrigal CBD will be reviewed as part of the Central Coast Parking Strategy and further consultation with the community will be undertaken as part of the Stage 2 works at Terrigal.”

Mayor Jane Smith said the local community were very passionate about the proposed works and Let’s talk Terrigal was a good example of how Central Coast Council was actively consulting with the community on issues that matter to the community.

“We all know Terrigal is a key tourism hub on the Central Coast and as it grows in popularity for visitors and locals alike, getting in, out  and around Terrigal presents challenges for Council in planning for traffic flow and of course, parking.

“This consultation has been robust and I know from personal experience at one of the Information Sessions that we had a way to go to get this right, but that is why we went to the community with the proposal and sought feedback.

“We now have a clearer understanding of the key community concerns and are addressing these as we progress the works to improve traffic flow in the Terrigal CBD area,” Mayor Smith said.

The report released today closes the loop on community consultation regarding traffic flow improvements in the Terrigal CBD made possible by the NSW State Government as part of Stronger Communities Funding made available to all newly merged Councils. These works are valued at $2,209,000.

To view final Stage 1 Traffic Flow improvement drawings and an overview of parking plans visit www.yourvoiceourcoast.com/lets-talk-terrigal