What is 'Shaping the Central Coast'?

"Shaping the Central Coast" is a State Government report which aims to provide "a vision for this part of NSW's greater metropolitan region".
"Over the next 25 years the aim is to achieve a healthy and sustainable environment, a competitive and adaptable economy, livable communities and integrated regional management," says the report's opening statement.
However the document has come under fire from Peninsula community groups as being full of motherhood statements without proper study to back its conclusions.
Woy Woy South Progress Association committee member, Mr John Oakley, said it appeared as though two bureaucrats who had never visited the area had written the document.
"There is a list of sources, but no specific references backing what the report says," he said.
Gosford Council also decided unanimously that the strategy document failed to define "ecologically sustainable development" and agreed not to sign off the document until their concerns were met.
Much of the development is targeted for the Peninsula which has been designated "compact city" status.
Introduction
The strategy's introduction says the rapid development of the area, particularly over the past three decades, is due to the region's "extensive and diverse natural, social and economic assets".
More pointedly, the report says growth is due to the growing pressure of land markets in other parts of Sydney.
"The Central Coast in 2025 will be shaped largely by the decisions made now and in the coming few years," the report says.
"If not properly managed, such an increase in population could have a profound impact."
Local environmentalist, Mr Bryan Ellis, who has been holding public meetings objecting to the findings of the strategy, agrees on the profound impact, but said the State Government strategy has no answers.
Addressing Gosford Council, Mr Ellis said: "It's the belief of many on the Woy Woy sandplain that the document defeats its own purpose "by failing to suggest concrete answers to the problem of lack of infrastructure.
"The F3 and rail network are at, or near to, capacity," he said.
"Shaping the Central Coast" says it provides guidance necessary to plan future development over the next 25 years.
The key principles of the strategy are to manage the supply of new and redeveloped housing:
"so as to create a compact urban structure",
"create opportunities for employment and business growth in locations that support access by public transport",
"improve the design and quality of the urban environment",
"protect and improve natural and cultural environments" and
"manage the planning system efficiently".
Critics argue that nowhere in the document are concrete answers given to these complex problems.
However the document does discuss how these key principles will be investigated.
Work on "Shaping the Central Coast" started in 1996 and is designed to replace the Gosford-Wyong Structure Plan written in 1975.
The authors say that considerable community knowledge on the state of the area had been used to good effect.
General outlook
The strategy identifies problems the area currently has due to the rapid expansion of the population over the last three decades.
The problems identified include a shortage of jobs and vulnerability to economic downturns, a lag in the provision of human services and public transport, loss of open space to urban and rural uses, and water pollution due to urban development and run-off.
Future challenges
The strategy says the population of the area will continue to grow and therefore adequate services and access to those services must be provided.
"The trend towards dispersed settlements with separate places to live, work and shop is not effective and must be reversed," says the strategy.
"People need a choice of housing types, for example detached, multi-unit, large, medium and small that are affordable and well designed."
The submission from South Woy Woy Progress Association (see elsewhere in this issue) says that the authors have failed to define which housing will result in a successful compact city on the Peninsula.
The strategy says that local job opportunities have failed to keep pace with population growth and that "the reliance on external sources of employment and income, especially Sydney, is not sustainable over time."
According to City Rail statistics, there are currently 4600 passengers using Woy Woy station per working day.
In total, 18,600 passengers travel on trains through or stop at Woy Woy station each working day.
Traffic on the F3 is currently growing at about 10 per cent per year according to Gosford Council's State of the Environment Report, with about 61,000 vehicles per day crossing the Mooney Mooney bridge.
Ecologically sustainable development
Ecologically sustainable development is an attempt to mesh the community's economic and social needs with the natural environment, according to the report.
"The determination of an 'ultimate carrying capacity' for population and the imposition of 'population growth limits' is not considered to be an appropriate management mechanism," says the strategy.
"Instead, a more relevant method is to state what the region's desired outcomes are, then measure the potential impact of change."
The report then goes on to say that indicators will need to be developed over time, but the development of indicators is in its infancy.
The strategy identifies some indicators, which include among others, the number of people unable to find suitable and affordable housing, the percentage of people living within 15 minutes walk or cycle ride to basic services, and the number of days per year that air quality falls below recommended levels.
Other indicators of "quality of life" could include crime rates per 1000 population and suicide rate.
The region currently has one of the highest suicide rates in NSW.
The vision
The strategy says the vision for the region is: "in the year 2025, the Central Coast will be a place where ecosystems are healthy and a place where residents have lifestyle and employment choices as well as opportunities for community enrichment.
"It will be a fair, safe and equitable society."
The strategy says that the Peninsula area is a "district centre" that will be generally self-sufficient as well as draw upon the "regional centres" at Gosford, Erina and Wyong-Tuggerah.
The strategy goes on to say that employment will be in balance with population growth.
"A substantial enhancement of people's skills, particularly in the delivery of services, processing of information, advanced technology, education and tourism, will have greatly reduced the need for residents to commute outside the region," the strategy says.
"The social pressures traditionally experienced by commuters, their families and community will have lessened.
"A strengthened public transport system (rail-based) together with an upgrading of the main inter-urban rail corridors, will deliver benefits within the region."
Settlement and housing
"Restricting urban sprawl will contain the impact of the natural environment, enhance lifestyle choices and improve the competitiveness of the regional economy," says the strategy.
The strategy also identifies the need to upgrade infrastructure on the Peninsula to facilitate urban consolidation.
Transport
State Rail is quoted as anticipating a 20 per cent growth in peak hour passengers and a 35 per cent for the whole day by 2006 in the strategy.
The F3 comes under the jurisdiction of the Federal Government and the strategy says the State Government will encourage the Commonwealth to selectively upgrade the road.
The strategy identifies other possible modes of transport that could be used in the area including the high speed ferry and light rail.
Living
"Over time, the Central Coast will be recognised as a region that promotes and supports social justice, cultural diversity and the maintenance of a high quality of life for all its communities," the strategy says.
The strategy quotes figures to indicate the current situation including unemployment being higher than the State average, with youth unemployment at 30 per cent.
"This situation is partly because the Central Coast attracts young families and retirees," the strategy says.
However, "this environment of high need is exacerbated by higher than average, and increasing, levels of child abuse, children in State care, incidence of domestic violence, teenage births and suicide rates," the strategy continues.
To resolve these problems the strategy suggests, in general terms, promoting a positive regional identity, developing inter-agency strategies for delivering services, and encouraging networks of community support.
Some other solutions include developing a framework to measure social capital, increasing educational opportunities, and investigating development of a regional cultural centre.
Economy
The strategy lists its desired outcomes for the area as including a range of interesting jobs available locally or accessible by public transport or communication, electronic home industries and a well-trained workforce.
The strategy describes ways to achieve these outcomes as improving transport and communication infrastructure, identifying new economic opportunities, attracting new capital to the region, conducting small business motivational and skills development programs, and developing initiatives for local investment.
Implementation
The strategy says: "The challenge is not to create new structures of government but to develop processes that better coordinate and integrate existing structures to deliver the desired outcomes."
"Shaping the Central Coast" was prepared within the framework of the existing State Government "Shaping Our Cities" document, but with a regional focus.
"Shaping the Central Coast" is meant to be a general guide under which State and Local Government can base their more detailed decisions and policy.
However, criticism of the document by Peninsula community groups and Gosford Council suggests the local community feel the strategy is too obtuse to be of much use.
The strategy recognises the need for constant review and states that the Minister for Urban Affairs will consider setting up a committee of councillors, community and business representatives.
"It will be necessary to monitor and evaluate how the strategy is being implemented," the strategy says.
"This means measuring actual outcomes against the desired outcomes and, as appropriate, adjusting the strategy.
"A major review is to take place every five years."