“The community does have some issues that need addressing, but they seem very pleased that they now have somewhere to go to have somebody handle their issues,” she said.
Jared Wright, a Liberal councillor from the Gosford East ward, said the new council, having reduced its debt from $350 million to $200 million during administration, could focus on reducing the remainder of the debt and preparing for the future.
Central Coast councillor Kyla Daniels.
“This will be the first budget [since 2020] that the councillors get to set, which, I think, is quite exciting,” said Wright. “There is still more to be done to bolster our financial platform. This includes reprioritising spending and looking at ways to draw more income from council assets.”
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While Wright was optimistic about the financial position the council was in, he said that the biggest issue facing the council would be a significant development application backlog. Central Coast Council ranks 116th in the state for DA assessment times, with the average taking 154 days.
“Key priorities will also include lowering DA approvals, improving local infrastructure including roads and working towards increasing housing supply across the Central Coast,” said Wright.
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