Living Local on the Coast, is for many of us a real benefit of our region.
A ‘15 minute region’ where locals could access their needs within a short walk or cycle is the focus of a renewed 20-year vision for the Central Coast released by the NSW Government for community feedback.
Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast Adam Crouch said the draft Central Coast Regional Plan 2041 sets out how state and local governments would deliver housing, jobs and infrastructure to support the region’s growth for the next 20 years.
“This is our blueprint to ensure the Central Coast prospers and the community’s feedback is critical to make sure we get it right,” Mr Crouch said.
“Tourism will play a major role in helping our region recover from the pandemic, which is why we proposed strategies to keep public transport operating later and allow bars and galleries to open longer in our tourist hotspots.
“Housing affordability is a key priority and the Plan would set up a group of housing experts and service providers to track and supply the land, housing and infrastructure needed for communities to thrive.”
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said the Plan was being updated to reflect new ways of living off the back of the pandemic that emphasised the importance of local neighbourhoods.
“We are updating our long-term vision for development on the Central Coast to ensure we capitalise on behavioural shifts as more people work from home and use their local neighbourhood centres and shops,” Mr Stokes said.
“We want to create 15-minute communities by delivering infrastructure to make it easier for locals to walk and cycle to their job, shops or park.”
UDIA Central Coast Chapter Chair Caine King said the Central Coast is unique in having one Regional Plan, one Local Government Authority and one Local Aboriginal Land Council.
“We must capitalise on this opportunity to act in a cooperative manner to deliver the jobs and housing needed on the Central Coast,” Mr King said.
“Our members are up to the challenge of building smarter and more sustainable and compact communities, where daily activities are contained within a 15 minute walk or ride. We need this strategic planning developed for both future green field and brown field developments, to provide direction and confidence for the development industry.”
Business NSW Regional Director Paula Martin said the Central Coast is blessed with natural endowments, a talented workforce and an enviable lifestyle. This plan will build our region so that it can accommodate regional growth in an inclusive and sustainable way.
“The last 18 months gave us a taste of how our local towns benefit from local spend when our large commuter base work from home. We want to see these economic benefits become permanent through local jobs creation and develop housing that meets the changing demographic of our population,” Ms Martin
“We look forward to working with NSW Government to develop sustainable solutions and will be advocating for the translation of the new strategy into action.”
The draft Central Coast Regional Plan 2041 Plan sets out strategies for how government and stakeholders would work together to achieve its seven key objectives which centre on jobs, Aboriginal self-determination, housing, green infrastructure and net zero emissions.
To view the draft plan and make a submission by Friday 4 March 2022, visit https://www.dpie.nsw.gov.au/centralcoast2041.
What would you like to see Living Local on the Coast look like??
