NSW Planning Minister Anthony Roberts announced the game changing project at a formal ceremony at Westfield, overlooking the green fields and sandstone rocks of the much discussed 70ha farm.
Names such as Ikea, Costco and Big Box have been bandied about down through the years as possible developers for the site, set in prime position beside the Tuggerah M1 interchange.
However it is Westfield that developed a plan to transform the site into the Coast’s premier city centre.
The project will transform Westfield Tugergah and surrounding area into a major hub of employment, transport, leisure, health and education.
Mr Roberts joined partners in the project Westfield’s Scentre Group, Darkingjung Land Council and Hunter Central Coast Development Corporation in signing a Heads of Agreement document at the ceremony.
The proposal from Scentre Group and its partners includes $2.1B for the redevelopment and expansion of its Westfield Tuggerah site in conjunction with $700M of State Government infrastructure works to transform the broader town centre.
During the next six months, the Hunter and Central Coast Development Corporation , Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council and Scentre Group will work together to examine how best to deliver the significant project.
Mr Roberts called the proposal a “game-changer” for the northern end of the Coast, which is putting this mildly.
It will be the ‘Project Of The Century’ for the entire Coast and surrounding regions.
“This proposal has the potential to shape how people live, work, play and move around the area, with 18ha of parkland; new dwellings; a transport interchange; new health and education services, and expanded retail and leisure offerings,” Mr Roberts said.
“It creates significant opportunity for local people to have local jobs, which is something I know that the people on the Central Coast are desperate for more of.
“Local residents are spending hours every week commuting to and from work that they’d rather spend with their families”.
Liberal candidate for the Entrance Brian Perrem said the project would create more than 10,000 construction jobs over its 35-year life, and provide 2,700 ongoing jobs into the future, meaning more of today’s locals and their children can live and work locally.
He said the multifaceted proposal focused on creating a strong sense of place for the community to enjoy, with two key focal points: a Civic Heart Plaza and Town Centre Park.
"The Town Centre Park would be the centrepiece of a proposed 18ha open space, including conservation areas, parklands, a lake, adventure playground, innovative green rooftops and bikeways and walkways”.
The proposal includes $700M for the complete overhaul of Tuggerah Train Station to build an integrated transport interchange and associated town centre infrastructure and high streets.
The interchange would connect and coordinate train and bus services to an 8.5km active transport network of pedestrian paths and cycle ways.
The NSW Liberal and Nationals Government has already committed to building a 220-car multi-storey commuter car park and lifts for Tuggerah Station.
The proposal covers 70.85 hectares of land owned by Scentre Group as well as potentially including nearby land owned by Darkinjung.
The Darkinjung organization is the biggest land owner on the coast and owns the relatively untouched tree lined hill on the southern boundary of the farmland.
“This is an unparalleled opportunity for Darkinjung to achieve both social and economic gains for our communities and ensure that future development is sensitive to the significance of Aboriginal Cultural Heritage,” Darkinjung Chairperson Matthew West said.
The Darkinjung Delivery Framework, a suite of planning measures to assist Darkinjung to achieve improved social and economic outcomes from their land holdings was recently launched on the Coast.
The announcement has major repercussions for rival town centres Wyong and Gosford and the role of Central Coast Council in planning major projects. Access will discuss these in detail as well as include reactions to the announcement in our March edition.
