9 September 2026

 

THE proposal follows strong community advocacy and heritage assessments that identified the building as having heritage significance. Council is now seeking community feedback to help ensure the proposal accurately captures the building’s heritage values and what makes the building important.

 

Central Coast Acting Mayor, John Mouland, said community feedback will play an important role in recognising and protecting the former Gosford Library building’s heritage.

 

"We know many people in our community care deeply about the former Gosford Library and want to see its heritage recognised. I encourage everyone to review the planning proposal and let us know if it reflects the building’s history and significance," Acting Mayor Mouland said.

 

While work is underway to formally recognise the building's heritage significance, Council is also exploring how the site could contribute to the community into the future.

 

A formal Council Expression of Interest process was undertaken for the adaptive reuse of the former library which will result in three concept plans being prepared by external consultants to be considered by Council.

 

The Expression of interest process has now closed and Council Officers are assessing the submissions. The next step will be to engage three firms and work with them to prepare creative and heritage sensitive concept plans to be submitted to Council’s Review Committee – (Former) Gosford Library Building for consideration of the adaptive reuse of the building.

 

Council’s Heritage Team also recently welcomed Master of Architecture students from the University of Technology Sydney to the former Gosford Library as part of their final year design project.

 

The students are exploring potential opportunities for the site through their design projects. While the concepts will explore potential opportunities for the site, they do not represent adopted designs or approved future plans.

 

To help inform their project, the students toured the site and reviewed the original architectural and tender drawings by Alan Williams & Associates, as well as structural documentation held in the Local History Studies area of the library.

 

Council looks forward to seeing the students’ design proposals, which are expected to be finalised towards the end of 2026.

 

Community feedback has helped shape the journey of the former Gosford Library and will continue to play an important role as future opportunities for the site are explored.

 

The community can review the planning proposal and make a submission by searching 'former Gosford Library' here.