CEN asks council candidates about commitment to nature

Seventy-seven candidates have thrown their hats in the ring across five wards for election to the Central Coast Council and CEN has asked them all a series of questions about key local environmental issues.

Twenty-nine councillors responded to the CEN survey by the deadline. Of those, the majority (23) have scored enough to be considered as having a commitment to issues like preparing the Central Coast for climate change, protecting and expanding the region’s unique Coastal Open Space System (COSS) and fixing or replacing the Central Coast Local Environmental Plan (CCLEP2022).

Some candidates thought our questions were either too simplistic or too weak. Others thought they needed more information before committing to an answer. The “*s” included in the table indicate when a candidate gave an answer that was outside of the set parameters.

We don’t think it is a bad thing that candidates want to find out more about some of the complex planning and biodiversity issues facing this region. We don’t expect every candidate to wholeheartedly agree with CEN’s position on all issues.

The nine candidates who scored 100% were more than happy to rate the following issues as being extremely important:

1. Examine and implement ways to prepare the region for the climate crisis.
2. Protect and expand the Coastal Open Space System (COSS).
3. Achieve permanent protection for Porters Creek Wetland.
4. Improve public consultation on the rezoning of Conservation land.
5. Improve the health of our lakes, rivers and estuaries.
6. Improve beach and swimming area water quality.
7. Work with the NSW Government and authorities to address the contamination of air and waterways from coal-fired power stations and coal ash dams.
8. Advocate for more regular testing for PFAS/PFOS in the Central Coast water supply and key recreational waterways.
9. Advocate for the permanent removal of shark mesh from Central Coast beaches.
10. Review the zoning of deferred matters lands in the former Gosford City local government area.
11. Review Council’s position on permitting the installation of a sea wall along Terrigal/Wamberal Beach.
12. Seek the preparation of plans to restrict development on flood-prone land across the Central Coast.

A perfect 100% score in the CEN survey also meant the candidates had said an unconditional YES to the following:

1. Commit to the development and implementation of a new climate change strategy for the region within the first two years of the new council.
2. Commit to developing a new strategic plan for the management and expansion of the Coastal Open Space System within the first year of the new council.
3. GosforInsist on “protecting and improving our natural areas” being a major area of community consultation in the preparation of the next Central Coast Council Community Strategic Plan.
4. Advocate for the reformation of proper community consultative committees for our catchments and coast.
5. Advocate for the reformation of a proper community consultative committee for the Coastal Open Space System.
6. Advocate for the fast tracking of a new and comprehensive Local Environmental Plan for the Central Coast.
7. Advocate for comprehensive community consultation, including the proper preparation of character statements, as part of the preparation of the new Local Environmental Plan.
8. Do everything possible to amend the types and number of permitted land uses within the Conservation Land (C2, C3, C4) for purposes other than conservation.
9. Investigate and resume the “shelved” 2020 conservation agreement with the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust for the permanent protection of Porters Creek Wetland.
10. Immediately publish the whole business case for the expansion of the Central Coast Airport and proactively release all available information to the public.
11. Acknowledge that the authorised runway of the Central Coast Airport under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 is 970m.
12. Advocate for the lodgement of a Part 5 Activity Assessment with supporting Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to consider extending the runway at the Central Coast Airport from 970m to 1,196m.
13. Commit to an annual audit and review of the Council’s community land plan(s) of management and consider introducing detailed and site-specific plans for particularly sensitive areas.
14. Uphold the region’s status as a certified and world-leading ecotourism destination.
15. Commit to council investigating sand nourishment for Terrigal / Wamberal Beach to maintain its beach amenity.

The questions included in the CEN survey represent the “headline” environmental issues facing the Central Coast, which our council refers to as the sixth largest urban area in Australia.

In recent days the outgoing council administrator, Rik Hart, has called an extraordinary council meeting for Friday, 6 September because the NSW Local Government Minister intends to impose a Performance Improvement Order (PIO) for the first 12 months of the newly-elected council.

This may make it very difficult for the elected councillors to reverse or review any of the strategic decisions made during the past four years of administration, including issues like the permanent protection of Porters Creek Wetland.

With that in mind, the 29 candidates who responded to our survey have, at least, given an indication that they care about sustainability, biodiversity and looking after the region’s natural assets. They are ranked in order from highest to lowest score in our table:

Budgewoi Ward: 

Gosford East Ward:

Gosford West Ward:

The Entrance Ward:

Wyong Ward:

The following candidates DID NOT send a response so we do not know how supportive they will be of issues concerning the future protection of nature on the Central Coast:

Budgewoi Ward: Doug Eaton, Allan McDonald, Greg Best, Helen Crowley, John Mouland, Paul Wade, Mitchell Cowan, Edna Wacher, Diana Lazatin, Anabelle Alcanar, Kenneth Kozak.

Gosford East Ward: Lawrie McKinna, Pat Farmer, George Paterson, Jared Wright, Dee Bocking, David Kings, Sharon Andrews, Clive Lawton.

Gosford West Ward: Daniel Abou-Chedid, Neil Ferguson, Stephen Sizer, Lee Erlin, Alan Pappas, Kylie Lowbridge, Sarah Blakeway, Tegan Mulqueeney, Andrew Baker, Adam McArdle.

The Entrance Ward: Matthew Jeffrey, Joan Pavitt, Patrick Murphy, Fardin Pelarek, Rachel Stanton, Stephen Hood, Tracey Perrem, Sam Carter, Dale Long, Sharryn Brownlee, Skaie Hull, Kalvin Smith.

Wyong Ward: John McNamara, Wade Russell, Jennifer Ferguson, Kyla Daniels, Natasah Stone, Alexander Burgin, Michael Whittington.