11 November 2026

ALAN HAYES

 

TO RECAP, the political storm began on 22 September 2026, when council staff quietly recommended that Central Coast Council accept six strategic parcels of coastal land from the New South Wales State Government. The state had originally purchased these lots—five located along Ocean View Drive on the highly volatile Wamberal Beach and one at Avoca Beach—under the historic Coastal Lands Protection Scheme. The explicit purpose of the state’s multi-million-dollar acquisition scheme was to keep sensitive coastal areas in public hands, preventing private development and preserving the natural shoreline.

 

However, the internal staff report tabled by executive directors blindsided community advocates. Council staff recommended that the land be accepted on the condition that it be classified as operational land rather than community land.

 

Under the New South Wales Local Government Act 1993, the legal distinction between these two classifications is massive:

 

• Community Land: Specifically protected areas. It is designed for public access, local parks, and environmental conservation. Crucially, a council cannot sell, exchange, or privately lease community land without a lengthy public hearing process and explicit ministerial approval.

 

• Operational Land: Functionally treated like private commercial property. It grants a council complete flexibility to sell, develop, build commercial structures, lease out, or exchange the parcels without any mandatory community consultation.

 

Council staff justified the operational classification by claiming it provided the "flexibility" required for complex coastal management, hazard reduction works, and asset decisions along the eroding Wamberal beachfront.

 

However, community groups and local residents saw a hidden agenda. With a highly contentious Wamberal seawall project remaining a flashpoint of local politics, advocates feared that operational status would allow the council to facilitate private structural engineering options or hand over public beach access to private interests without public oversight. Despite these heavy community objections, the faction of councillors led by Cr Doug Eaton and Cr John McNamara narrowly pushed the operational classification through in a tight 8–7 vote on 22 September 2026.

 

The initial refusal and mayoral shielding

 

The immediate community response was one of pure outrage. The Central Coast Community Environment Network and grassroots groups like Wamberal SOS quickly mobilised, calling out what they termed a blatant "land grab" and an attempt to subvert the spirit of the Coastal Lands Protection Scheme.

 

The political battle lines hardened at the following ordinary council meeting on 29 September 2026. It was a monumental night, marking the mid-term mayoral election where Councillor John McNamara was elevated to the position of Mayor of the Central Coast.

 

Hoping to immediately arrest the brewing crisis, veteran environmental advocate Councillor Jane Smith attempted to move an amendment during the confirmation of the minutes, trying to force a correction that would classify the incoming state lands as community land.

 

What followed was the council’s initial, rigid refusal to back down. Only minutes after taking his seat to chair his very first meeting as Mayor, John McNamara used his significant procedural powers to shut down the debate. He flatly refused to deal with the issue, ruling the matter closed and blocking any attempt to amend the record or revisit the classification.

 

Community outcry and executive retreat

 

The mayor's procedural shutdowns further inflamed residents and advocates. Cr Jane Smith criticised the move, stating it damaged public confidence in how the council addressed Wamberal Beach erosion, while community members viewed the operational push as a profound breach of public trust.

 

Faced with a formal rescission motion filed by Cr Smith and Cr Corinne Lamont and clear signals from the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure that state backing for private works would be withheld, the council's executive leadership shifted stance. Staff members Luke Sulkowski and Luke Nicholls issued a revised report advising the council to designate the land as community land.

 

Final capitulation and outcomes

 

By late October, the initial resistance collapsed into complete capitulation. The council formally agreed to classify the five Wamberal parcels as a Natural Area (Foreshore) under the Central Coast Community Land Plan of Management 2025.

 

Cr Lamont warned that pressing ahead with operational frameworks risked legal and financial failure, while Cr Smith welcomed the reversal as a victory for the Coastal Open Space System (COSS), noting that community vigilance remained essential. Chief Executive Officer David Farmer also conceded that state restrictions left no alternative to the community land model.

 

This final classification legally blocks unauthorised commercial sales or leases without rigorous public hearings and state consent, safeguarding public access to Wamberal Beach.

Name (First & Last):

Email:

Submitting Form...

The server encountered an error.

Subscription received.

SUBSCRIBE