Central Coast Council Approves Waterfront Rezoning in Watershed Week for Housing

The Central Coast Planning Committee has greenlit a controversial waterfront rezoning this week that will reshape residential development in one of the city's most coveted neighbourhoods. The approval of the Riverside precinct amendment, which permits construction of up to 1,200 new dwellings across 18 hectares, represents a significant turning point in the council's approach to housing policy after months of community consultation and heated debate.

The decision clears the way for a mixed-use development between Harbourside Drive and the Marina District that local officials say could ease pressure on a market where median apartment prices have climbed to $785,000—up 22 per cent in two years. The project will combine residential towers with retail and public green space, though environmental groups have raised concerns about water runoff into Crescent Bay.

"This is a watershed moment for Central Coast planning," said the planning committee chair at this week's meeting, noting that the approval responds to a documented shortfall of 8,400 homes needed by 2031 to meet demand. The city's population has grown by 12 per cent since 2020, straining existing housing stock and pushing renters into increasingly distant suburbs.

The Riverside approval also fast-tracks delivery of 340 affordable units—a condition that drew backing from housing advocacy groups who have long pressured the council to move beyond voluntary schemes. Developers must allocate 15 per cent of the project to below-market rentals for ten years, addressing a gap that has left many service workers and young professionals unable to afford living in the central precincts where they work.

Not everyone welcomed the decision. The Harbourside Precinct Association launched an eleventh-hour campaign questioning traffic impacts on Meridian Avenue and Park Street, which already experience congestion during peak hours. A petition gathered over 3,200 signatures, though it failed to halt the vote.

Council planners have simultaneously announced a review of zoning along the Esplanade corridor—a move that could open pathways for additional development in Cliff Heights and the industrial precincts near Central Station. That consultation process begins in August.

The Riverside approval comes as neighbouring municipalities grapple with similar pressures. A regional housing taskforce meets next month to discuss coordinated strategies across the Central Coast area, with experts warning that fragmented planning risks exacerbating affordability crises.

Construction on the first Riverside stages is expected to commence in 2027, with completion targeted for 2031.

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