Gosford City Centre planning policy demonstrates state leadership: Urban Taskforce
EXPERT OBSERVATION
The recent announcement of a draft State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) for the revitalisation of the Gosford City Centre demonstrates the value of state leadership in planning.
The draft SEPP for the Gosford City Centre appoints the Department of Planning and Environment asthe assessment authority for all projects over a value of $10 million.
This allocation of most projects to the state government planning department will ensure local politics is removed from decision making and that the importance of the revitalisation of Gosford as a state significant project is reinforced.
It is good to see the state government taking a stronger role in ensuring new development occurs by taking over planning powers for projects over $10 million.
The same approach could occur for many of the priority and planned precincts across urban areas in New South Wales.
The government’s funding of infrastructure with $42 million and an upgrade of parks with a further $10 million demonstrates a strong commitment to Gosford City Centre.
The use of the NSW Government Architect in developing plans for the revitalisation of the public realm including connections to the waterfront and the hospital are positive contributions to the future of Gosford.
It is of concern that the Central Coast Council has collected $8.1 million in contributions for local infrastructure that has not been committed to projects.
The development industry must make contributions for infrastructure on all projects and they expect this to lead to public domainimprovements in a timely manner.
The Urban Taskforce supports the measures introduced in the Gosford City Centre SEPP and the associated packages with this.
The current market across metropolitan Sydney is slowing down and it is important that the NSW Government considers similar interventions to those being applied in Gosford to planned precincts across Sydney.
Chris Johnson is the Urban Taskforce CEO.