planning · Central Coast Council
Central Coast AI planning plans pushed to 3 November
A proposal for guiding principles on AI-enabled planning solutions will return for consideration after the Environment and Planning Committee deferred the item.
Central Coast Council has postponed consideration of artificial intelligence and digital planning technologies until 3 November 2026, leaving proposed rules for future AI-enabled planning solutions undecided.
The Environment and Planning Committee deferred the item at its 6 October meeting. The report outlined guiding principles for the future consideration of AI in planning, but the committee did not approve those principles or an AI planning solution.
There is no immediate change to the way planning decisions or services are handled as a result of the item. The proposed principles remain under consideration across the Central Coast local government area, including Gosford.
The report did not set an implementation date for an AI system. It also did not establish how the technology would be used in planning services or decisions. Those matters remain for further consideration when the item returns on 3 November.
The deferral came as the committee progressed other planning and environmental matters. It recommended public exhibition of the draft Central Coast Section 7.12 Local Infrastructure Contributions Plan 2026 for at least 28 days, along with the Draft Central Coast Lagoons Coastal Management Program for at least 28 days.
Those exhibition recommendations are separate from the AI proposal and do not approve or establish a digital planning system.
The committee is also due to revisit the Gosford High Speed Rail Station item on 3 November. A public engagement workshop on the draft Local Strategic Planning Statement is scheduled for 4 November, from 2pm to 4pm, for people who made submissions. A further report on consultation outcomes and finalisation of the draft statement is due on 1 December 2026.
When the AI item returns, the committee will further consider the proposed guiding principles and the future use of AI-enabled planning solutions. The available decision information does not state whether the principles will be adopted, changed or replaced.
Reference minutes
Central Coast Council Environment & Planning Committee, 6 October 2026.
Key facts from the minutes
- The AI and digital planning technologies item was deferred to 3 November 2026.
- The report outlined proposed guiding principles for future consideration of AI-enabled planning solutions.
- No AI-enabled planning solution was approved at the 6 October 2026 committee meeting.
- The decision applies to future planning services and decisions across the Central Coast Council area.
- The committee also recommended at least 28 days of public exhibition for two separate draft planning and environmental programs.
Why it matters
- The committee has delayed consideration of principles that could shape the future use of AI in Central Coast planning services and decisions. No AI planning solution has been approved.