The Central Coast Council’s draft Local Strategic Planning Statement (LSPS), on public exhibition until Friday 24 July, includes misleading maps and a lacklustre commitment to Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD).
The Draft LSPS is not just any old boring council document, but something that every resident should take interest in. It will set the planning direction for the Central Coast for the next 20 years, shaping where housing goes, how rural and environmental lands are protected, how local character is managed and how the Central Coast responds to climate change, population growth, infrastructure needs and environmental protection.
It is about the places people live, the roads they use, the open spaces they enjoy, the bushland and waterways they value, the character of their towns and villages, and the future of the Central Coast as a whole.
Despite sections of the draft LSPS paying mention to environmental sustainability, the Community Environment Network (CEN) is calling for significant amendments to the statement, including nine recommendations and the immediate correction of errors in the maps included in the statement.
Our recommendations seek to amend significant issues found in the document, including the absence of an ESD framework, lack of measurable environment and climate targets and insufficient recognition of intergenerational equity.
In its current form the Draft LSPS acknowledges environmental issues without committing to materially and quantifiably fix them.
CEN thinks the misleading and incorrect maps in the exhibited LSPS hinder the ability of residents to understand the long-term plans for their own communities.
We have written to the CEO of Central Coast Council, Mr David Farmer, and to all 15 elected councillors calling for the mapping errors to be corrected and the consultation period extended.
The mapping errors are glaring, including the incorrect labelling of Jilliby State Conservation Area as Ourimbah State Forest; the incorrect zoning of Ourimbah State Forest; and the misrepresentation of national parks and nature reserves.
Maps are also represented with low-contrast colours that make it difficult to determine what zoning an area is under, creating confusion for council members, developers and residents alike.
More accessible maps are necessary to give residents the right to know what is happening to their neighbourhoods and communities.
CEN is urging all residents to have a close look at the draft statement and consider whether it properly addresses:
• the future character of their town, village or neighbourhood;
• protection of local bushland, waterways and wildlife habitat;
• the need for parks, walking paths, cycling links and open space;
• traffic, parking and public transport issues;
• housing location, density and design;
• protection of rural lands and scenic landscapes;
• flooding, bushfire, coastal hazards and climate change;
• Aboriginal cultural heritage and local heritage;
• the protection and expansion of the Coastal Open Space System; and
• whether future growth is being planned in the right locations.
The Draft LSPS recognises that the community considers the protection and expansion of COSS to be a major priority but does not even include mapping of COSS in the plan, let alone targets, funding pathways and a future strategy for COSS. This is a fundamental flaw that must be addressed.
The best time to speak up is now, while the Draft LSPS is on exhibition. Once it is adopted, the planning direction will be set for the next 20 years and it will be too late for the community to have its say.
Read the Community Environment Network’s full submission including nine recommended amendments to strengthen the LSPS below.
Use our interactive submission guide to have your say