Warnervale wishlist: $78m

Central Coast Council wants $20M for Warnervale Airport and $58M for Warnervale Business Precinct.

At the November meeting, Council-under-administration adopted a wish list of projects it needs funding for, including two at Warnervale.

The first is the Warnervale Business Precinct, a development site largely zoned B7 Business Park.

The area is 25.80ha and is about 600m southwest of Warnervale train station. 

A future roadway link is proposed between the nearby airport and the business precinct and a second future link road to Wyong. 

The concept design proposes a mixture of business park uses: 

# multipurpose community, leisure and aquatic centres, 

# large box retail, 

# supermarket, 

# employment lands (regional agribusiness and activities of local produce), 

# plaza, and associated carparking.

Council said the benefits would be to: 

• Stimulate economic and job growth 
• Provide a diverse range of employment opportunities for locals 
• Create a drawcard for investment opportunities and new and emerging businesses.

 

Project Timeline

Council says the Warnervale Business Precinct will be staged over a ten-year program. 

Construction of the precinct can commence once funding becomes available. 

Council says the wish list or, to use its term, “prospectus” is to inform candidates in the upcoming NSW Election of Council’s key priorities to provide Council and members of the community to advocate for those priorities with candidates and funding bodies.

It is seeking grant funding of $58,000,000 over 10 years at $5,800,000 per year to develop the Warnervale Business Precinct. 

The works would include infrastructure enabling works which will allow the registration of developable lots.

 

The airport plans

Council is currently undertaking a detailed master planning process for the airport.

It says the aim of the masterplan is to deliver an airport designed specifically to support the general aviation sector in NSW and complement other planned developments in the area.

These include Warnervale Business Precinct, Warnervale Town Centre and Wyong Employment Zone. 

Council is planning on developing the airport into the Central Coast Aviation Hub (CCAH). 

“The CCAH will provide an integrated aviation, manufacturing, research and education precinct that encompasses the Central Coast Airport and surrounding lands compatibly zoned to complement the primary aviation usage,” Council said.

Benefits include relieving major general aviation demand and capacity constraints across the Greater Sydney Region by providing ongoing capacity and opportunities for general aviation, corporate, business and training sectors. 

The airport would also offer a new economic sector that stimulates employment and economic activity. 

Council says it would be a key driver for regional economic development and enable the generation of regional employment opportunities, particularly in the skilled, professional and technology-based sectors as well as stimulating regional investment and the tourism industry.

It says it would provide additional air transport options for residents and improve the region’s economic competitiveness.

 

Project Timeline

Airport master planning and key biodiversity studies for the airport precinct have started.

The anticipated project completion is within 10-15 years. 

Council wants $20m for: 

• Biodiversity certification and stewardship studies to enable Council to identify the most suitable areas to be designated for development or for conservation within the airport lands. 
• Master plan design fees by specialist airport consultants. 
• Airport infrastructure upgrades including a new weather station, a wider runway and new sealed taxiways and aprons. 
• Undergrounding of existing Ausgrid powerlines currently adversely impacting on the existing Obstacle Limitation Surface (OLS) of the airport. 
• The extension of Jack Grant Avenue adjacent to airport lands. 
• Other enabling infrastructure to allow third party development. 

 

Council has listed 12 priority projects and this story deals with just two of them at Warnervale. (see previous story here for the other projects on the list: https://www.cccouncilwatch.com.au/dear-santa-councils-christmas-wish-list/