First decision of new Mayor puts community land under threat
A move to correct a previous decision of Council was not allowed by new Mayor John McNamara only minutes after taking the chair. On 22 September, a report to Council proposed the transfer of 6 parcels of land from the NSW Government to the Central Coast Council.
7 October 2026
FIVE (5) of these parcels were along Wamberal Beach and the other parcel at Avoca and identified as COSS land.
The staff report recommended that the land be classified as Operational Land (rather than Community land). [Community land is public property meant for general public use and cannot be sold, while operational land is used by a council for its day-to-day functions or investments and can be bought and sold like private property.]
Councillors debated the matter on 22 September – with the 8 block of Councillors (Liberal and Team Central Coast) forcing a decision that sought to classify the land as Operational.
A number of Councillors expressed concern that the decision was being made for private benefit rather than public good – and could result in these significant parcels of public land being sold.
Since that meeting, community concerns and information from the State government made clear that the land needed to be classified as community land.
A move by Councillor Jane Smith to correct the previous decision of Council was not allowed by the new Mayor, John McNamara.
“This is particularly relevant to the Avoca Beach land, which the State government requires to be classified as community land under Section 31(3) of the Local Government Act. The same rule may also apply to the parcels along Wamberal Beach.”
“It is disappointing that the first key decision of the new Mayor was to not uphold the most basic of meeting procedures”
Under Council’s meeting rules, a resolution can be reconsidered “to correct any error, ambiguity or imprecision in Council’s resolution….”
Councillor Smith said “it is clear that the previous decision is in error – and in fact, may be unlawful. It needs to be corrected and questions need to be asked about why there is a rush to make these lands operational and put them under threat”.
A further rescission motion has been submitted to reverse the poor – and possibly unlawful – previous decision of Council.
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