A response to recent regional development and conservation plans.
This is part of an insight into the development of rural lands on the Central Coast NSW plateau and valleys by Gordon Monro, Somersby.
The State proposed E4 zones and those areas earmarked for development in the recent Central Coast Regional Plan 2041 have direction by the Government for Council to prepare more studies. These may take years to consider and possibly untold years to implement.
There may be more definitions to analyse and comprehend. More appeals and delays and there will be more winners pitted against losers in these studies. There will be more land speculation driving up prices.
In the meanwhile we are left with the thousands of pages of definitions zones, living styles, dwelling requirements and land ownership tenure types all with separate regulations to wade through. And no additional provision for increased rural housing.
The current provisions in legislation that allow additional buildings include: Dwellings, Secondary dwellings, Rural workers dwellings (but not in conjunction with secondary dwellings), Farm stay accommodation of 5 bedrooms which can be in separate buildings, and Farm experience premises available on a commercial farm.
Many of these outdated planning options serve no real function in providing significant additional housing and are only available to a limited few properties.
However, if priority is given to developing on less viable parts of agricultural land and the requirements of access, and water and sewer are provided and preservation of environmental lands are complied with, then additional development could be achieved.
Gordon Monro, Somersby
