UDIA NSW has called on the Minister for Planning and Minister for Local Government to respond quickly and decisively on the Central Coast Council’s vote this week to seek approval to borrow from restricted funds, including the compulsory contributions made by developers for the construction by Council of much needed community facilities, parks, playgrounds, roads and drainage infrastructure.

UDIA NSW is deeply concerned by the current financial crisis at the Central Coast Council, which has recently discovered their own financial mismanagement resulting in $89 million in debt. We are also dismayed at the assertion from one of the Councillors that they may have already used developer contributions inappropriately.

“The Central Coast Council should be seeking other avenues to manage their shocking levels of debt well before seeking to take the funds which have been allocated to community infrastructure,” said CEO Steve Mann.

“Locals should be appalled their Council’s response to its financial difficulties. The Council is, in effect, robbing the community to make up for its financial mismanagement. The community will be much poorer if this decision proceeds,” said Mr Mann.

“The Minister for Planning has previously publicly condemned this kind of behaviour stating that it is ‘an unacceptable breach of the public’s trust and a misuse of public funds’,” said Mr Mann.

The UDIA is calling on the Minister for Local Government to step in to assist the residents of the Central Coast to appropriately address these critical issues. Central Coast Council’s focus should be on delivering local infrastructure to help support employment for the Coast in response to the pandemic.

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Media contact: Mia Kwok 0435 361 697 media@udiansw.com.au