Council has adopted the Central Coast Council Open Space Strategy 2024 – 31.

The document is a strategic planning tool to inform the current supply and future provision of Open Space, in line with projected population growth.

The strategy contains a framework to assess the functionality of current and future Open Space for park/reserves and sporting facilities, and undertakes a high level gap analysis of the current supply of Open Space including provision benchmarks for each of the Planning Area for the Central Coast.

In addition, the Open Space Strategy recommends the development for supporting actions plans to sit under the Open Space framework contained in the document.

Such action plans include:

• Sports Facilities Strategic Plan
• Parks and Playspace Plan
• Dog in Open Space Action Plan (this project is ongoing)
• Central Coast Mountain Biking Plan
• Green Infrastructure/Public Domain Plans
• Leisure and Aquatic Facilities Plan.

Further plans are listed on page 38 & 39 of the strategy.

Council has developed a draft Central Coast Council Open Space Strategy (2024-31) following extensive consultation with community and key groups when the project was known as ‘Active Lifestyles Strategy’.

The Strategy is designed to:

• Ensure there are adequate open spaces such as parks, reserves and sportsgrounds to accommodate the growing population of the Central Coast, and ensure they are suitable for their use, inclusive and accessible
• Support and promote active and healthy lifestyles and increase participation in outdoor recreation and sport
• Plan for a greater diversity of recreational opportunities
• Engage the community and partners in the next 10 years of planning for public open space

The ten-year strategy also identifies sport and recreation action plans that need to be reviewed or developed to ensure the provision of recreation opportunities on the Central Coast is well planned.

It should be noted that future planning for natural areas, aquatic and leisure centres, community halls, individual sport and mountain biking in natural areas and land not managed by Council, is excluded from the scope of this Strategy.

We invited the community to provide their feedback on the draft Strategy between 6 August and 27 September 2024 by:

• reading the draft Strategy
• completing the online submission form (now closed)
• email: ask@centralcoast.nsw.gov.au
• Post: PO Box 20, Wyong NSW 2259 addressed to the Chief Executive Officer, Mr David Farmer

When providing feedback to Council, your attention is drawn to the provisions of the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 which allows for possible access to certain public and personal documentation. View our privacy statement.

Council will use the feedback you have provided, along with the previous related consultation results, to finalise the strategy and present it to Council for adoption.

To learn more about the feedback we received, view the Engagement Summary.