Housing & planning · Central Coast Council
Central Coast minutes record approval for contributions plan exhibition
The recorded decision provides for at least 28 days of public exhibition, but the minutes do not give exhibition dates, contribution rates or the projects the draft would fund.
Reporting from public council minutes. How this article was prepared
Developers and residents would have at least 28 days to comment on a proposed Central Coast infrastructure contributions plan under an exhibition motion declared carried in Council’s 27 October minutes.
Resolution C-26/1194 refers to the draft Central Coast Section 7.12 Local Infrastructure Contributions Plan 2026. It does not adopt the plan as a final instrument, and the minutes do not state when the exhibition will begin or end.
The record also does not specify contribution rates, the total value of proposed works or the projects that would be funded. Those details would inform how developers assess any future obligations and how residents assess the proposed use of development contributions.
Councillor Corinne Lamont proposed adding a report-back on four issues: compliance of clause 1.6 with section 7.18(2) of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979; the legal basis for transferring money from repealed Section 7.11 plans into Section 7.12 and protecting its original purposes; whether proposed asset-renewal projects were eligible for developer-contribution funding; and the adequacy and transparency of the works schedule.
That amendment was lost. The original exhibition motion was then declared carried. The minutes record an inconsistent attendance and voting entry for Councillor Jane Smith in the surrounding item record, so the declared outcome is reported here without relying on a reconciled vote tally.
The item heading refers to a “Draft Central Coast Section 7.12 Local Infrastructure Contributions Plan 2024”, while the resolution refers to the 2026 plan. This report describes the recorded exhibition decision without resolving which plan year is correct.
The minutes record public exhibition as the next formal step, but do not specify how submissions will be made or when Council will consider a final version.
What deserves a closer look
The exhibition motion is declared carried in P95. The carried declaration at the beginning of P90 belongs to the preceding regulatory-priorities motion and is not evidence of the contributions-plan outcome.
The record supports reporting the declared exhibition decision, not final adoption of the draft plan or commencement of exhibition.
The amendment did not require its proposed report back to occur before exhibition, and its requested checks were not adopted.
Questions for follow-up reporting
When will the exhibition of at least 28 days open and close, and how will submissions be lodged?
What contribution rates and works are included in the draft plan?
When will Council consider the plan after public submissions?
Which plan year is correct, 2024 or 2026?
What happens next
The recorded motion provides for public exhibition of the draft Central Coast Section 7.12 Local Infrastructure Contributions Plan for at least 28 days; the minutes do not establish exhibition dates or that exhibition has begun.
Check the record
These passages were matched to the source text. Read them in context in the original minutes.
The wording of motion C-26/1194 provides for public exhibition of the draft Central Coast Section 7.12 Local Infrastructure Contributions Plan for no less than 28 days, names it as the 2026 plan and does not specify exhibition dates. The item heading in the C-26/1194 entry names a 2024 draft plan, while the motion wording names a 2026 draft plan.
The MOTION was put to the vote and declared CARRIED. CARRIED FOR: Mayor McNamara, Cr Smith, Cr Eaton OAM, Deputy Mayor Stanton, Cr McWaide, Cr Wright, Cr McKinna, Cr Mouland and Cr Daniels AGAINST: Cr Lamont, Cr Neal, Cr Crowley, Cr Walsh, Cr Castles and Cr MacGregor 10:10pm A MOTION was MOVED by Cr Eaton OAM and SECONDED by Cr McKinna: C-26/1194 (EPC-26/243 Draft Central Coast Section 7.12 Local Infrastructure Contributions Plan 2024 - for Public Exhibition) That Council endorses the draft Central Coast Section 7.12 Local Infrastructure Contributions Plan 2026 for public exhibition for a period of no less than 28 days.
C-26/1194, motion wording following the 10:10pm entry
Open original minutes ↗Councillor Lamont proposed an amendment seeking a report back on clause 1.6 compliance with section 7.18(2), the legal basis for transferring Section 7.11 funds and protecting their original purposes, asset-renewal funding eligibility and works-schedule transparency; the amendment was declared lost.
CARRIED FOR: Mayor McNamara, Cr Smith, Cr Neal, Cr Crowley, Cr Walsh, Cr Castles, Cr MacGregor, Cr Eaton OAM, Deputy Mayor Stanton, Cr McWaide, Cr Wright, Cr McKinna, Cr Mouland and Cr Daniels AGAINST: Cr Lamont ABSENT FOR THIS ITEM: Cr Smith Central Coast Council - Ordinary Council Meeting Minutes 27 October 2026 Page 21 OFFICIAL 10:11pm An AMENDMENT was MOVED by Cr Lamont and SECONDED by Cr Smith: (EPC-26/243 Draft Central Coast Section 7.12 Local Infrastructure Contributions Plan 2024 - for Public Exhibition) That Council: 1. Endorses the draft Central Coast Section 7.12 Local Infrastructure Contributions Plan 2026 for public exhibition for a period of no less than 28 days. 2. Receives a report back to Council on the compliance of: a. Compliance of clause 1.6 with section 7.18(2) of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. b. The legal basis for transferring funds from repealed Section 7.11 plans into Section 7.12 and the protection of their original purposes. c. The eligibility of proposed asset renewal projects for funding through developer contributions. d. The adequacy and transparency of the proposed works schedule. LOST FOR: Cr Smith, Cr Lamont, Cr Neal, Cr Crowley, Cr Walsh, Cr Castles and Cr MacGregor AGAINST: Mayor McNamara, Cr Eaton OAM, Deputy Mayor Stanton, Cr McWaide, Cr Wright, Cr McKinna, Cr Mouland and Cr Daniels The AMENDMENT was put to the vote and declared LOST, debate resumed on the original MOTION.
EPC-26/243, amendment moved at 10:11pm
Open original minutes ↗After the amendment was declared lost and debate resumed on the original motion, the minutes declare the original motion carried.
c. The eligibility of proposed asset renewal projects for funding through developer contributions. d. The adequacy and transparency of the proposed works schedule. LOST FOR: Cr Smith, Cr Lamont, Cr Neal, Cr Crowley, Cr Walsh, Cr Castles and Cr MacGregor AGAINST: Mayor McNamara, Cr Eaton OAM, Deputy Mayor Stanton, Cr McWaide, Cr Wright, Cr McKinna, Cr Mouland and Cr Daniels The AMENDMENT was put to the vote and declared LOST, debate resumed on the original MOTION. The MOTION was put to the vote and declared CARRIED. FOR: Mayor McNamara, Cr Smith, Cr Neal, Cr Crowley, Cr Walsh, Cr Castles, Cr MacGregor, Cr Eaton OAM, Deputy Mayor Stanton, Cr McWaide, Cr Wright, Cr McKinna, Cr Mouland and Cr Daniels AGAINST: Cr Lamont 10:25 pm A PROCEDURAL MOTION was MOVED by Cr Wright and SECONDED by Cr Eaton: To extend the Ordinary Meeting of Council by 30 minutes and suspend standing orders to consider the Rescission Motions, in the order in which they were received.
EPC-26/243, amendment outcome and subsequent original-motion outcome
Open original minutes ↗The voting entry lists Councillor Smith among those voting for the motion and also lists her as absent for the item.
CARRIED FOR: Mayor McNamara, Cr Smith, Cr Neal, Cr Crowley, Cr Walsh, Cr Castles, Cr MacGregor, Cr Eaton OAM, Deputy Mayor Stanton, Cr McWaide, Cr Wright, Cr McKinna, Cr Mouland and Cr Daniels AGAINST: Cr Lamont ABSENT FOR THIS ITEM: Cr Smith Central Coast Council - Ordinary Council Meeting Minutes 27 October 2026 Page 21 OFFICIAL 10:11pm An AMENDMENT was MOVED by Cr Lamont and SECONDED by Cr Smith: (EPC-26/243 Draft Central Coast Section 7.12 Local Infrastructure Contributions Plan 2024 - for Public Exhibition) That Council: 1.
C-26/1194, voting and absence entries before the 10:11pm amendment
Open original minutes ↗Source record
Reporting from the supplied minutes of Central Coast Council’s Ordinary Council Meeting held on 27 October 2026. The supplied record does not establish whether these minutes have been confirmed.
Key facts from the minutes
- The minutes declare carried the motion under C-26/1194 to exhibit the draft Central Coast Section 7.12 Local Infrastructure Contributions Plan.
- The recorded exhibition period is at least 28 days, but the minutes do not state the dates or establish that exhibition has begun.
- A proposed amendment seeking additional legal, funding and works-schedule checks was recorded as lost.
- The recorded decision concerns exhibition of the draft plan, not final adoption.
- The item heading refers to a 2024 plan while the resolution refers to a 2026 plan; the correct year is not resolved here.
- The minutes list Councillor Smith both as voting for the motion and as absent for the item, preventing verification of the actual tally from those entries.
Why it matters
- The draft may affect future development contributions, while the proposed public exhibition would give residents and developers an opportunity to comment before any later decision on adoption.