Shadow minister for the Central Coast Linda Burney has come out swinging against local MPs on the proposed Landing development in Gosford.
She says they need to listen to what the community wants – not just back any old development.
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Chris Holstein claimed his right as local member to present a petition of 10.700+ signatures of local residents opposed to the development. Both he and his colleague from the Wyong area then both spoke AGAINST the petition. Labor and Greens speakers supported the petition/. I was in the Gallery at the time and agree with Ms Burney’s summation.
Chris presented the petition and then represented it as a minority, and non-representative view. His colleague even suggested that as only 10,700 people had signed the petition the rest were probably all in favour, and suggested we should model the development on his electorate at The Entrance! Read Hansard to confirm.
Chris also represented the support for the” Gosford Challenge” as representative of the support for The Landing. The Challenge view was to use Gosford PS site as a “cultural precinct” (refer to GCC LEP 2007 & DLEP 2009 Mapping of the area.) The Landing Stage 1 provides for 4 High rise commercial and residential E-W buildings up to 52 m high on this site, It then takes over heritage listed (War Memorial Park and Rotary Sesquicentenary Park ) sites, proposing to excavate one to Dane drive level to build the cultural precinct. The War Memorial Park remaining is to become a walkway to the Conservatorium, Concert Halls and “block’ theatre (used for boxing matches and rock concerts according to Rob Kitching of CCRDC.) The proposed major Hotel Building completely overshadows the rest or the memorial Park as it is directly to the north and runs east west.
Community submissions to the Landing exhibition were only 6 for the development of the 650 received! The remaining 644 were against, yet Holstein continues to characterise this as a “minority view”. The community won’t be bulldozed and has no illusions about what Holstein said. He merely claimed the right to present the petition as the local member, hoping to defuse it, but did NOT support the petition or the message of the 10, 700 signatures on it.
Chris Holstein and his “smarmy” Liberal sidekicks further up the Coast and Labour’s Deborah O’Neill too for that matter are in it for the votes…..they really have no sensible or credible idea of how to develop Gosford. Yet we have to put up with their criticism of our whole hearted and successful endeavour to get 10,000 plus people to speak up and say we want something different for Gosford and we will continue to fight for that. If Linda Burney can help us well that is very welcome. Gosford will not become a hub of industry becasuse of the Landing Development. If anything we will get a decent foreshore and a possible art centre somewhere when the rest of Gosford and surrounding environs are developed. Some of this has already started and maybe the new hole created by a recent fire will give rise to a new opportunity for a creative livable city and for more cultural development in Gosford. The guy with the cafe on the park, another in the mall by the ANZ and now a bakery cafe on the other side of Kibble Park is setting a good precedent. Instead of bemoaning drug addcits in our town let”s speak up for all humanity and create a sustainable place for us to live not just for the Lend Lease priviliged few who may be able toafford a waterfront apartment.
Chris Holstein and his “smarmy” Liberal sidekicks further up the Coast and Labour’s Deborah O’Neill too for that matter are in it for the votes…..they really have no sensible or credible idea of how to develop Gosford. Yet we have to put up with their criticism of our whole hearted and successful endeavour to get 10,000 plus people to speak up and say we want something different for Gosford and we will continue to fight for that. If Linda Burney can help us well that is very welcome. Gosford will not become a hub of industry becasuse of the Landing Development. If anything we will get a decent foreshore and a possible art centre somewhere when the rest of Gosford and surrounding environs are developed. Some of this has already started and maybe the new hole created by a recent fire will give rise to a new opportunity for a creative livable city and for more cultural development in Gosford. The guy with the cafe on the park, another in the mall by the ANZ and now a bakery cafe on the other side of Kibble Park is setting a good precedent. Instead of bemoaning drug addcits in our town let”s speak up for all humanity and create a sustainable place for us to live not just for the Lend Lease priviliged few who may be able to afford a waterfront apartment.
The basis of Gosford CBD’s troubles is that history sited it in a valley where it can’t flex its elbows east or west because of the hills. People relied on water transport. So how does the chopping up of Gosford Memorial Park and the resiting of 10 war memorials including the Cenotaph solve any problems? I am not an engineer, but I shudder to think of the costs of building at least one multi-storyed edifice on land reclaimed long ago from the Broadwater between Masons Parade and the railway….and that includes Dane Drive. What happens wth choked traffic in all directions if entertainment venues go ahead on the waterfront? Do the prospective developers really think that people will enjoy trying to park anywhere within coo-ee? Underground parking? I think not. Move outward please to other suburbs where there is space for your plans, and not onto our beautiful waterfront…..and don’t touch Memorial Park. I would like to see historic Vaughan Avenue (alongside the park between Mann Street and Dane Drive) given back its original name of Wharf Road. It would have to be one of Gosford’s oldest roads, since our first wharf was built below it in 1841.
the NSW government is now committed to spending megabucks on a tripartite strategy to revitalise Newcastle CBD – after hundreds of millions was spent on Honeysuckle development – rather gives the lie to The Landing (a single developer-driven strategy) ever having potential to be a ‘catalyst to revitalise Gosford’ as claimed by CCRDC …
get real .. revitalise the waterfront open space, for public benefit …
revitalise the CBD by redeveloping the 5-6 large vacant lots / shops within the CBD .. and build a Performing Arts Centre in the CBD near transport
The Greens have been calling for a culture and heritage led revival, because Gosford won’t be a revived city until it has a heart and soul. Building office towers and hoping that tenants turn up is not a sustainable plan. Turning the water front into a mini Surfers Paradise, which of course is unsustainable due to rising sea levels, will not revive the city , and will stop the local community accessing the waterfront which is our right. But we also know that both locals and tourists would like to see art, visit a central coast museum, enjoy a concert -whether country or classical – and use open public space for their own recreation. Despite the Challenge Masterplan, there isn’t a single vision – what about the Culture City? The new Uni campus is an excellent start, but we need more innovations like that, not private office blocks or apartments.
Why doesn’t the NBN report mention that the plans to be released by the CCRDC will be all about developing the public school land? Labor should know all about the plans as it was conceived under their government. Those poor people living on the waterfront must be so miserable.
I believe one of our well known federal politicians has been quoted as saying “there is no loyalty in ambition ” and I believe this is an example, its all about votes not what the local community wants, come on local m.p’s our Gosford waterfront is beautiful don’t let the big corporations dictate its development.
A cultural centre, restaurants, theatres and green space etc with access to the waterfront is certainly more appealing to the community than high rise multi storey apartments.
Get an arty looking movie theatre in Gosford, a Back Packers Hostel and some camping grounds. That would bring Gossy back!! Building up high right on the waterfront is stupid, appart from devaluing all the places with water views, it will cut out the cool southerly breezes off the lake throughout Gosford CBD and turn it into a stuffy, stinky sweatbox in Summer. Have you ever sat at the bus stop on Mann st around 4-5pm when the sun is low in the West? It’s incredibly hot.
If the politicians need to serve their bosses, the developers, why not build up (not out!) starting in Wyoming and steadily work your way down to nice open spaces on the waterfront.
People can get reasonably priced accomodation with a beautiful view of all our incredible bushland and waterways and due to the starting high and working your way down, the top few appartments would make someone a good quid. I believe this would put even more focus on how beautiful Gosford is and help to protect our natural beauty.
The problem is that the developers don’t really have the interests of the community or the environment in mind and the politicians can’t afford to bite the hand that feeds them. It’s real conundrum for our community, because Gosford needs something to happen….. unfortunately unless some real thought and effort goes into what is practical, then big stupid, “let’s make a quick buck” development will get pushed through and we will all lose…..
Reminder…Brad Hazzard, the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure, who said in the Legislative Assembly, he “did not think the possibility of alienating any of the foreshore was something that the community or I would be particularly comfortable with.I promise the people in the gallery that I am absolutely keen to ensure that the Central Coast Development Corporation does not get it wrong, liaises big time with residents in the community, and finds a way to enliven Gosford, but not to the point of detracting from opportunities to access public space on the water’s edge. A balance must be struck…. I hope you take the remarks I have made in good faith and accept my assurance that the Government will keep working with you.”
Good comment Kevin I agree with: …get real .. revitalise the waterfront open space, for public benefit …
revitalise the CBD by redeveloping the 5-6 large vacant lots / shops within the CBD .. and build a Performing Arts Centre in the CBD near transport