Council Meeting – Airport Actions

Council, at the Ordinary Meeting held on 27 November 2017 gave consideration to a report regarding Draft Central Coast Aviation Hub Concept Plan – Proposed Public Consultation.

At that meeting, Council resolved as follows: 

• “756/17 That Council fully support the Warnervale Airport Restrictions Act (WAR Act) (1996).
• 757/17  That Council not approve any development at the Warnervale Airport which is not consistent with the WAR Act (1996).
• 758/17  That Council not immediately extend or remove the current 1196 metre runway.
• 759/17  That Council not alter the position, length, width, thickness or strength of the current runway.
• 760/17  That Council immediately suspend all works, land acquisitions and expenditure on the Central Coast Airport, except where those works are required by law or the suspension of those works would put Council in breach of existing contractual obligations and/or expose Council to claims for damages or variation under any such contract.
• 761/17  That Council reallocate the Budget for the Airport of $6 million to employment generating projects across the former Wyong Shire with staff to prepare a strategy and report to council by the 12th February meeting for approval of the strategy.
• 762/17  That Council maintain the current site zoning, unaltered and not approve rezoning to SP2.
• 763/17  That Council permanently protect all of the Porters Creek wetland owned by Council and south of the current runway, from development for biodiversity, emergency drinking water supply and protection of the water quality into the Tuggerah Lakes Estuary.
• 764/17  That Council staff prepare a report to protect the Porters Creek Wetland, as per item 8, and the report be bought back to council for approval on the 26th February meeting.”

A Rescission Motion has been received from Councillors Best, Marquart and Pilon to be moved at the Ordinary Council Meeting of Council to be held on Monday, 26 March 2018, as follows:

“MOVE that the following resolution carried at the Ordinary Meeting of Council held on 27 November 2017 be rescinded:

• 756/17  That Council fully support the Warnervale Airport Restrictions Act (WAR Act) (1996). 
• 757/17  That Council not approve any development at the Warnervale Airport which is not consistent with the WAR Act (1996).
• 758/17  That Council not immediately extend or remove the current 1196 metre runway.
• 759/17  That Council not alter the position, length, width, thickness or strength of the current runway.
• 760/17  That Council immediately suspend all works, land acquisitions and expenditure on the Central Coast Airport, except where those works are required by law or the suspension of those works would put Council in breach of existing contractual obligations and/or expose Council to claims for damages or variation under any such contract. 
• 761/17  That Council reallocate the Budget for the Airport of $6 million to employment generating projects across the former Wyong Shire with staff to prepare a strategy and report to council by the 12th February meeting for approval of the strategy.
• 762/17  That Council maintain the current site zoning, unaltered and not approve rezoning to SP2.
• 763/17  That Council permanently protect all of the Porters Creek wetland owned by Council and south of the current runway, from development for biodiversity, emergency drinking water supply and protection of the water quality into the Tuggerah Lakes Estuary.
• 764/17  That Council staff prepare a report to protect the Porters Creek Wetland, as per item 8, and the report be bought back to council for approval on the 26th February meeting.”

Should the above Rescission Motion be carried, further notice is given that Councillors Best  Marquart and Pilon will move the following motion:

“MOVE 

1. That council recognises its fundamental obligation to consult with its community and that this corner stone of good governance is enshrined in regulation.
2. That further council notes that these principles were of significant community interest and indeed a key contributor in the lead up to the 2017 council elections.
3. That council recognises that the new central cost airport is of regional significance and is now an infrastructure asset servicing some 350,000 coast residents.
4. That, it is with this understanding, that council now engage formally with its community for the first time on this issue through an independently conducted statistically valid survey seeking direction and better understanding on community expectations.
5. That prior to conducting any such consultation process all survey questions be the subject of a full council briefing with selected survey specialists.
6. That subject to the independent survey results Council formally reconsider its position with a view to exhibiting the current central coast draft airport masterplan or move for a total cessation of all uncontracted activities/obligations at the central coast airport.”