Fate of Woy Woy's Austin Butler Reserve

Central Coast residents are invited to help determine the future of a portion of Woy Woy’s Austin Butler Access (adjacent to Austin Butler Oval and Peninsula Plaza) through an online community poll via yourvoiceourcoast.com.

18 October 2023

 

THE online poll simply asks the community whether they support Austin Butler Access remaining under the control of Council, or whether a sale to the shopping centre should proceed with the funds going towards the long-term greening of the local area.

 

Council’s Director of Environment and Planning Alice Howe said that the online poll is open to all Central Coast residents to have their say.

 

“Council has been approached by Peninsula Plaza to sell the land to provide improved pedestrian safety and facilitate goods vehicles docking.  This would require removal of around 20-40 trees.  It is proposed that the proceeds of the sale be reinvested in a greening program for the Peninsula area over the next 10 years.”

 

Council Administrator Rik Hart said it was important that the community understood the two options in the online poll and have their say.

 

“The two outcomes of this process are very clear; that the site would either remain under the control of Council, or the sale to the shopping centre would continue and proceeds from the sale would be used to subsequently fund a greening program across the Peninsula.”

 

“The sale of the land could fund more than 8,500 trees across the Peninsula region, including sourcing, planting and maintenance to maturity.

 

“As I have always said, I will be guided by the community’s response through Council’s community engagement process and strongly encourage everyone to have their say.”

 

The community came together to oppose previous plans to reclassify the Reserve from ‘community’ to ‘operational’ land, in order to facilitate the sale of the Reserve to Peninsula Plaza, which would result in the destruction of dozens of mature trees. On 26 September, Central Coast Council Administrator, Rik Hart, resolved that Austin Butler Reserve should be removed from the bulk reclassification schedule and community feedback sought on the future of the Reserve.

 

Member for Gosford, Liesl Tesch MP has welcomed Administrator Hart’s commitment that the future of this site will be completely guided by the community’s response through the formal consultation process.

 

Community members are being asked whether they support Austin Butler Reserve remaining under community ownership through Council, or whether a sale to the shopping centre and as such, the destruction of this natural site, should proceed, with funds going towards the long-term greening of the local area.

 

“The temporary removal of Austin Butler Reserve from reclassification prior to community consultation is a huge win for the community, and yet the fight isn’t over, Ms Tesch said.

 

“I firmly believe that investment in greening of our community should not be dependent on the destruction of dozens of mature trees, which are home to native birds and animals.

 

“I have had hundreds of community members contact my office and sign my community petition. It is clear that this issue is of great concern to the community. These trees have taken generations to grow and the impact of their removal would be devastating. The trees planted through greening projects would take decades to replace the trees at Austin Butler Oval.

 

"I urge community members to have their say before the close-off date."

 

In addition to the online community poll, a targeted survey is being concurrently run by an independent company focused on residents in the local area.

 

Members of the community are invited to participate in the poll before Monday 13 November. Visit Your Voice Our Coast.