With the population predicted to grow by 30% in the next 15 years and increased Government funding, lately everyone from property gurus to key Government figures are forecasting big things for the future of our Central Coast.

We recently shared plans around the $7 million of funding going into the redevelopment of our home in the Parkside Building, transforming the space into a world-class learning space, complete with Gosford Regional Library and Learning Centre.

With educational facilities like this, along with the brand new Regional Performing Arts and Conference Centre, Council’s Administrator, Ian Reynolds put it perfectly, saying regeneration “will support tourism and business as well as promote culture and talent development, creating jobs and opportunities for our growing region”.

And that’s not all, according to the Central Coast regional plan, the NSW Government’s 2036 vision for the Central Coast sees the renewal of Gosford City Centre, “bringing in new residents, jobs, business and investment”.

In addition to these exciting redevelopment projects, Regional Development Australia Central Coast (RDACC) is looking to develop a ‘Food Innovation Region’. It has been provided with $50 million of funding into a Food Agility Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) which, according to RDACC, will directly assist in the area becoming known as a centre for food excellence.

We love that we can play to our strengths, by showcasing the amazing produce grown in our region, to promote the Central Coast as a tourism hot-spot and support economic growth.

We can also look to the property market as an indicator the Central Coast is set to boom. As city dwellers get increasingly priced out of the Sydney market, they are looking up the Central Coast to find a place to call home. The migration brings opportunities for commerce, jobs and economic growth.

In fact, Knight Frank’s Australian Residential Review found the Central Coast to be one of the strongest property markets in the country, in 2015 it overtook Sydney in house price growth, for the first time since 2011.

With an increased population comes a need for improved infrastructure, research by the NSW government found only 4% of residents who work within the region use public transport to get to work. Therefore, it plans to replace its regional rail fleet, investing $50 million over three years, creating “sustainable employment opportunities including apprenticeships and traineeships”.

Here at ET Australia, we’re beyond excited for what’s to come for our Coast, and with the Council’s ‘Our Coast – Our Future’ campaign asking for your input into shaping the vision for the next 10 years, we all have the opportunity to be a part of our future.

Check out our magazine for more news on ET Australia and head to our Facebook page to let us know why you love living, learning or working on the Central Coast.

RTO ID 90084