Part of Austin Butler Reserve, classified as community land, is to be reclassified as operational land, opening the way for council to sell the land.
In its latest council agenda, Council-under-administration states the new label would “facilitate sale of land to shopping centre to enable improved pedestrian safety and heavy vehicle docking”.
The park abuts the Peninsula Plaza at Woy Woy.
The community has been fighting the reclassification ever since it was mooted in 2021 as part of a large list of land sold to be as part of Council’s “financial recovery” strategy.
About $60M was raised with land sales.
The report, to be tabled at the August 22 meeting, lists another 10 sites to be changed to operational to allow for either sale or lease.
The Austin Butler land will go through quite a process before it can be sold.
It will include a public meeting as part of consulting the community.
The Local Planning Panel will be asked for advice.
The council first has to ask the State Department of Planning and Environment for permission to go ahead with the reclassification process and the department will make the final decision at the end of the process, based on council’s report.
