Public comment on the draft Gosford City Centre Plan will ensure the community's vision for Gosford CBD remains a focal point in revitalisation of the area, Mayor Laurie Maher said today. 

"The four documents making up the Gosford City Centre Plan -- the City Centre Vision, Local Environmental Plan, Development Control Plan and Civic Improvement Plan -- are available for public comment until December 22," Mayor Maher said. 

"Council invites feedback from all sectors of the local community to ensure that the draft plan encompasses the main concepts of Vision 2025 -- our community-driven blueprint for Gosford City of the future," he said.  

"Council wants to ensure that this plan creates a better place for people to live, work, relax and visit -- a plan that will see Gosford reach its full potential as the capital of the Central Coast." 

In launching the Gosford City Centre Plan today, NSW Planning Minister, Frank Sartor, announced key elements of the draft plan included a proposed 6,000 new jobs in high growth industries and 10,000 new residents for the city centre. 

Mayor Maher said the proposed $15 million upgrade of the Gosford waterfront area would be a "major catalyst" in rejuvenating the Gosford CBD area.  

"Developing new public facilities on the waterfront will increase investor confidence and demonstrate Council's and the government's commitment to improving infrastructure," he said. 

"A wide range of aquatic, leisure, arts and cultural activities in the waterfront precinct will attract people to live close to the CBD, thereby increasing job, business and property development opportunities for the area. 

"People will want to spend more leisure time in the CBD area and combine these leisure activities with shopping and dining out." 

Mayor Maher said the new local environmental and development control plans combine to allow for "taller, more slender buildings that don't detract from the natural environment". 

"People want to buy, and developers want to build, properties with views, and these new developments will maintain existing views of Brisbane Water, President's Hill and Rumbalara Reserve," he said. 

"The City Centre Plan allows Gosford to come of age and, as investment and development increases, we can argue for additional infrastructure to support our growth." 

The draft Gosford City Centre Plan documents are available at Gosford Library; Council's four Customer Service Centres at Gosford, Erina, Kincumber and Woy Woy; and on line at www.planning.nsw.gov.au. 

Public comment is invited until December 22.

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