Central Coast Council in New South Wales will soon call for expressions of interest for appointees to a new Central Coast Urban Design Council.
The six-person panel, to be made up of architects and urban planners, will provide independent advice to the council on the quality of design of new developments.
The impetus for the creation of the panel comes from a growing population, which, according to quarterly population estimates from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, is projected to reach more 415,000 by 2036 from 334,857 in 2017.
Council administrator Ian Reynolds said, “Due to the expected growth in development on the Coast and the need for consistency in quality and design, it is the right time to re-establish an Urban Design Panel on the Central Coast.”
All development applications lodged with the council that are over four storeys will be referred to the design council for review.
Central Coast Council was the product of a merger between Wyong Shire Council and Gosford City Council in May 2016.