PAGE 24
THURSDAY, 6 APRIL 2023
BUSINESS & PROPERTY
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Draft Operational Plan cops some criticism Central Coast Council has come under fire for reduced performance targets in its recently released draft Central Coast Council Operational Plan 2023-24. While Council says the plan continues a focus on delivering services for the community while supporting Council’s ongoing financial sustainability, community activist Kevin Brooks has questioned why targets have been reduced despite huge hikes in general and water rates. Speaking at the public forum prior to the March 28 Council meeting, Brooks highlighted longer DA determination times and reduced targets for road resurfacing and drainage infrastructure as outlined in the Plan. “Over the next four years, Council will receive – on average – an eye-watering $70M per year extra as a result of last year’s combined general and water rate hikes – plus inflation on top,” Brooks said.
“So, we might have expected higher performance targets in this updated operational plan. “Instead, targets are being reduced. “Last year’s plan and delivery program set a target mean of 70 days to determine development applications. “This year’s plan adds an extra 10 days to that target despite the Administrator promising a ‘big improvement’ after hiring 19 new people (staff and contractors).” Brooks said roads should be a priority, but Council has reduced “even last year’s woeful target” on kilometres of road to be resurfaced. “There’s also a reduction in kilometres of new drainage infrastructure,” he said. “Not one of the 12 water and sewer targets on page 56 have been set higher than last year’s plan – drafted before water rates went up supposedly to fund improvements.” Brooks also criticised a reduction in public health
Kevin Brooks has been a vocal critic of Council’s productivity policies
inspections and in completing maintenance on parks and reserves. “A number of targets from last year’s plan have disappeared altogether – including more than 20 on disability and access, for example,” he said. “This is what happens when you get taxation without representation. “This plan is further evidence that the underlying causes of the financial crisis – management calibre,
organisational culture, inefficiency and low productivity – have still not been addressed.” Council Administrator Rik Hart said some of the previously proposed measures were unrealistic in terms of being achieved. “We need to continue building trust within the organisation,” he said. “The financial performance of the organisation has turned around and Council’s steadfast financial management has increased our financial stability.
“This draft Operational Plan shows a continued focus on delivery of services to the community through prudent expenditure and incorporates the necessary adjustments to accommodate the increased depreciation trend and rising costs due to inflation. “This is not a Central Coast Council problem but a challenge facing all councils in the current economic climate, and notably the limitations placed on councils to increase revenue. “The draft Operational Plan shows our community that we are making sure our roads, open spaces, water and sewer assets and leisure and waste facilities are repaired and renewed. Rik Hart talks about the operational plan to CCN. “At the March 28 meeting, I amended the resolution to include a table identifying percentage changes in proposed Fees and Charges for 2023-24, compared to the same fee in 2022-23.
“This means the community will be able to easily see which fees and charges are proposed to change in the coming financial year, while providing greater transparency with the community.” Hart said highlights in the draft Plan included: road and drainage upgrades and renewals; network improvements to strengthen water supply and sewer treatment; upgrades to leisure centres, playgrounds and sports grounds; pollutant trap upgrades and coastal erosion remediation works; community programs and events to build resilience and connections; town centre and tourism facility upgrades; and waste and resource recovery facility upgrades. You can view the Draft Operational Plan and Draft Fees and Charges for 2023-24 at yourvoiceourcoast.com until May, with Hart encouraging residents to have their say. Terry Collins
Townhouses planned for quiet cul de sac Opposition from surrounding residents is loud and clear – they do not want a double-storey townhouse complex in their small, quiet cul de sac in Gorokan. The proposed development site at 1 Glenice Cl is surrounded by low-density, predominantly single-storey houses, although the general residential zoning allows for multi-dwelling housing. Plans have been submitted to Central Coast Council (DA 3836/2022) to build four threebedroom townhouses in a twostorey complex on the 1,050sqm block. Each townhouse will have a single attached garage and there will be a parking bay for four vehicles. The DA says that the aim is to take advantage of a large land parcel to deliver attractive multi-dwelling development to increase housing close to public transport, services, schools, childcare and recreational opportunities. “The proposed built form will
The development site in Gorokan
be compatible within the existing residential context of the immediate locality, noting compliance to prescribed maximum height and floor space ratio controls under the Central Coast Development Control Plan 2020,” the DA says. The developer says that a conscious effort has been made to minimise adverse amenity impacts on neighbouring properties in terms of privacy, acoustics and overshadowing.
This includes the siting and orientation of the building combined compliant setbacks to ensure adjoining properties will continue to receive a minimum of three hours of uninterrupted solar access at mid-winter. However, the developer is seeking a Variation on Merit for the townhouse building as the two middle units “will not achieve three hours solar access to half the private open space … (but there is) reasonable solar access to the
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This house will be demolished to make way for townhouses
dwelling given the north facing living areas and the rear open areas will achieve some solar access through the middle of the day mid-winter”. The developer is also seeking a Variation on Merit for a “minor” non-compliance with rear setbacks at both ground and first floor level, due to the irregular shape of the block of land. Residents surrounding the proposed development have raised concerns on a number of fronts.
They are concerned about their privacy with some windows in the townhouse development overlooking their yards or looking into their bathrooms, overshadowing and loss of sunlight, noise and air pollution from more vehicles and residents in a multidwelling complex which they say is out of character of the area. One objector said the visual impact was not fitting in with the local housing and there was no precedence for double-
storey or multi-dwellings as the profile of the area is generally single-storey housing. Residents are also worried about the extra traffic in the small quiet cul-de-sac where the local children are known to sometimes play. “There are four townhouses each with three bedrooms but there is provision for only eight vehicles on-site so there’s going to be more parking in the street,” one objector said. “(Glenice Cl) cannot cope with visitor parking for the current residents and there have been near misses previously due to parking limitations and traffic. “The garbage truck currently has problems getting in and out of Glenice Cl as it is and more so when there are cars parked in the street. “Glenice Cl is not equipped or the right size to handle the large amount of traffic congestion and parking issues that this proposed development will bring.” Sue Murray
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