Unanimous Support for COSS

It was reassuring that Central Coast Councillors voted unanimously in support of the Coastal Open Space System or COSS at their latest meeting. In response to community backlash over COSS being left out of the council’s new Community Strategic Plan (CSP), the Councillors voted unanimously to: make COSS part of the CSP; keep delivering the COSS strategy in the former Gosford local government area and expand COSS to the whole Central Coast. The councillors’ unanimous support showed that they understand the ecological, social and financial value of this region’s unique Coastal Open Space System. It was a great first step but now CEN is calling for action. The Council recently called for tenders for a qualified Biodiversity Assessment Method (BAM) accredited ecologist. The successful candidate will prepare a Biodiversity Stewardship Site Assessment Report for the Porters Creek Wetland, nearly 1,000 hectares of council-owned land across 34 lots. All conservation land at Porters Creek Wetland would be perfect to become the first expansion of COSS into the former Wyong Shire. The land should be converted from Operational Classification to Community Classification to ensure it cannot be sold by council. CEO David Farmer has been instructed by the councillors to move forward with the long-promised expansion of COSS into the former Wyong Shire. CEN believes the Coastal Open Space System could become a model worthy of rolling out in other LGAs for its importance to biodiversity, climate resilience and livability. If you would like to support CEN’s position on the expansion of COSS please join Friends of COSS. It’s free and many hands are needed to keep nature safe.