other · Central Coast Council
Heritage advisory terms adopted after Central Coast committee checks quorum
Central Coast’s Environment and Planning Committee adopted terms for its Heritage and Culture Advisory Subcommittee after lifting the item from the table and pausing to confirm quorum.
Central Coast’s Environment and Planning Committee adopted the draft Terms of Reference for the Heritage and Culture Advisory Subcommittee on 4 August, after a 10-minute adjournment to confirm the committee had quorum.
The committee also noted that the subcommittee’s membership had been finalised by Council at its 29 June meeting. The substantive motion was carried by Cr Doug Eaton, Cr John McNamara, Mayor Lawrie McKinna and Cr Rachel Stanton, with no votes against.
The item had been left on the table at the committee’s 7 July meeting. It was lifted for consideration at 7:18pm on 4 August, and debate resumed on the earlier motion to adopt the draft terms.
A procedural motion to put the motion was then carried. At 7:20pm, the Chairperson adjourned the meeting for 10 minutes to obtain advice from the Director of Corporate Services about whether the committee met quorum. The meeting resumed at 7:31pm, when the substantive motion was carried as resolution EPC-26/215.
The terms provide the operating framework for the Heritage and Culture Advisory Subcommittee, which is intended to advise on heritage and culture matters affecting the Central Coast. The membership had already been settled by Council.
The committee’s decision came during a meeting that also considered planning and flood-management matters. It recommended that Council request a gateway determination from the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure for a proposal affecting 945 Old Pacific Highway and 66 Myoora Road, Somersby, the former Old Sydney Town site.
The stated reasons for supporting that request included increasing conservation-zoned land from 6 to 35 hectares, retaining and refurbishing heritage buildings, supporting expansion of the Australian Reptile Park and creating a tourism precinct. The gateway request is an early planning step, not final rezoning approval.
The next ordinary Environment and Planning Committee meeting is scheduled for 1 September 2026.
Reference minutes
Central Coast Council Environment & Planning Committee, Tuesday 4 August 2026.
Key facts from the minutes
- The Heritage and Culture Advisory Subcommittee’s draft Terms of Reference were adopted on 4 August 2026.
- The committee noted that subcommittee membership had been finalised by Council on 29 June 2026.
- The substantive motion was carried unanimously by the voting councillors present, with no votes against.
- The item had been deferred from the 7 July 2026 Environment and Planning Committee meeting.
- The committee adjourned for 10 minutes to confirm it met quorum before completing the vote.
- The next ordinary Environment and Planning Committee meeting is scheduled for 1 September 2026.
Why it matters
- The adopted terms give the Central Coast’s Heritage and Culture Advisory Subcommittee a formal framework for advising on local heritage and culture matters.