Council-under-administration is moving ahead with plans to take community land out of community hands.
Gosford Bowling Club is built on land Erina Shire Council purchased in 1936 at a cost of 175 Pounds from the Railway Department.
The land was described as being “alongside waterside park” and it was proposed to build a municipal bowling green and tennis courts on the site.
Now, the present-day council – which is under administration until September 14, 2024, – says the land can be put to better use.
But it isn’t talking tennis courts.
It has earmarked the land for sale to facilitate “increased flexibility for potential future uses”.
One future potential use is shown as a multi storey hotel on Council’s Gosford waterfront and stadium revitalisation masterplan.
But the land is zoned RE1 Public Recreation and was acquired for a public purpose.
“As such the land is subject to a Public Trust which would need to be extinguished prior to the proposed sale,” Council states.
Council is in the process of reclassifying the land from Community to Operational land as part of the process of being able to sell it or providing that “increased flexibility for potential future uses”.
The proposal goes to the Local Planning Panel on September 14 for advice.
But the meeting is not open to the public.
The proposal will go on public exhibition, expected later this year.
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Matthew Ross says
This just makes you sick what will the local people do and all the visitors its the only down to earth place in that whole area of the coast