Increase of 11,500 dwellings lacks planning, says PRA
Central Coast Council has recently adopted a strategy to increase the population of the Peninsula by 60 per cent over the next 10 years with insufficient planning, according to the Peninsula Residents' Association.
The council's Community Strategic Plan 2025 states that an additional 11,500 dwellings will be built on the Peninsula over the next 10 years, bringing the total number from 19,500 to 31,000.
This puts the Peninsula as the Central Coast's biggest single growth area, bigger than the "greenfield" development at Warnervale, which provides 10,000 dwellings.
The Association says the Council is embarking on this action on the Peninsula without any concrete planning, either at the strategic level or as detailed planning provisions.
By contrast, planning for Warnervale has received substantial attention and investment.
"No plans are evident to adjust the Council's planning provisions to ensure, or at least encourage, the creation of liveable neighbourhoods to accommodate such extraordinary growth," said association vice-president Mr Julian Bowker.
"Without detailed planning and robust planning processes, there is little standing in the way of the Peninsula becoming an unhealthy, poorly-served, struggling urban area."
Mr Bowker said that several council strategies and studies had recommended attention to the issues, even before growth figures of this scale were mooted.
"The Local Planning Panel has identified inconsistencies in planning provisions for the Peninsula, and has called for a strategic planning review.
"Instead, a planning review for the Peninsula, scheduled to take place three years ago, appears to have been abandoned."
Mr Bowker said the consultant engaged to frame the council's housing policy said the Peninsula was unsuitable for substantial housing growth, due to a lack of local employment and retail and other services to support such an increase.
These had not been addressed, Mr Bowker said.
Other areas for which there was no concerted long-term planning included traffic and parking, drainage, open space, neighbourhood design, shade and urban heat, or emergency planning for a population increased by 20,000 people.
Mr Bowker said that 25 years ago State Labor Planning Minister Dr Andrew Refshauge was convinced of the need and funded a planning strategy for the Peninsula's future.
"The resulting strategy is now obsolete," said Mr Bowker.
"But the reasons for it remain today as they did then."
The Association was calling for a similar exercise to be undertaken before it was too late.
"The Peninsula community deserves a plan with meaningful objectives that are expressed clearly, succinctly, and demonstrably supported by concrete, budgeted actions.
"It should be a roadmap that truly builds resilience in the environment, community, governance, financial sustainability, climate action, and public trust."
He said the Association had made these points in a recent submission to council.
Mr Bowker said it was a truism that "Failing to plan is planning to fail."
SOURCE: