7.2 THE CENTRAL COAST

INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF LOCALS WHO CAN WORK IN THE CENTRAL COAST RATHER THAN COMMUTING TO SYDNEY

- The Central Coast region covers an area of 1,700 square kilometres and includes the main population centres of Woy Woy, Gosford, Erina, The Entrance, Wyong and Toukley

- This region stretches along the coast from the Hawkesbury River in the south to Lake Macquarie in the north, and west to the Dooralong and Yarramalong Valleys.

- The New South Wales Government is planning infrastructure to develop Gosford into a Regional City and to develop the Central Coast into a more self contained economy which will see more locals working in their region rather than commuting to employment in Sydney and Newcastle.

- Population projections for the Central Coast indicate an increase of some 41,700 people, or 13.3 per cent, between 2006 and 2016. This increase is not expected to be uniform across age groups with:

• the population aged 0-14 years increasing by 4.6 per cent

• the population aged 15-64 years increasing by 12 per cent

• the population aged over 65 years increasing by 27.7 per cent

- The planning strategy to guide growth and change in this region is under development and is related to the Sydney Metropolitan Strategy. Subject to periodic review, the Metropolitan Strategy includes planning targets for the Central Coast to 2031.

SOURCE: TRANSPORT AND POPULATION DATA CENTRE INTERIM SLA PROJECTIONS AS OF MAY 2006

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