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Locals from Gosford to Tuggerah grapple with soaring rents and the slow pace of council renewal as the region braces for more growth—and flooding risks.
On a chilly Saturday morning, dozens of Central Coast residents gathered at Kibble Park in Gosford, swapping stories about giant rent hikes and their dimming hopes for a stable future in the region. For many, dreams of home ownership are slipping away, while others fret about the Council’s ability to safeguard neighbourhoods against more severe floods.
The gathering came as Central Coast Council continues to claw its way out of administration. Over the past year, the region has seen a spike in population and rapid price growth, squeezing tenants and first-home buyers alike. At the same time, the Council is under pressure to deliver credible plans for climate resilience and infrastructure upgrades following punishing floods in 2022 and 2024. For locals, the big-picture debates on train lines and city revitalisation have real, immediate consequences.
Michelle Law, 28, grew up in Umina Beach and said rental prices have made staying close to family nearly impossible. “We looked everywhere—from Kariong to Woy Woy—and everything decent was $650 a week or more. That’s just not doable on two retail incomes,” she told The Daily Central Coast at the community forum. Michelle and her partner now share a two-bedroom flat on Donnison Street with another couple. Last week, their landlord raised the rent by $70 a week. “We’re all working, but we just can’t get ahead.”
Rental affordability has collapsed across the region. According to CoreLogic data, the median weekly rent for a house in Gosford hit $675 in June 2026, up from $520 at the start of 2023—a 30% jump in just over three years. Prospective buyers aren’t faring any better. The median house price across the Central Coast local government area now sits at $880,000, while entry-level units in suburbs like Tuggerah or Toukley regularly fetch upwards of $620,000. For many, long-promised upgrades like the proposed fast rail to Sydney and the $42-million Gosford CBD renewal project offer hope, but do little to ease pressure in the short term.
While housing dominates conversation, long memories of damaged homes and muddy streets linger in neighbourhoods along the Wyong River and Tuggerah Lake. Local painter Steve Rowell, whose North Wyong property was inundated in March 2024, says he feels forgotten. “They keep pushing big development but what about people whose houses flood every other year?” he said. “The Council keeps saying it’s got a flood plan, but where’s the help for people trying to rebuild?”
The Council’s recently released Resilient Coast Strategy aims to bolster the region’s climate defences, identifying 3,200 properties at high risk in suburbs like The Entrance North, Long Jetty, and Chittaway Point. In June, the Council secured $6.5 million in joint state and federal funding for new drainage and levee work, but completion dates have already slipped to early 2028. Meanwhile, community groups such as Coast Shelter say demand for emergency housing and food relief continues to spike, with more than 1,200 families seeking help each month. "We're seeing people who never thought they'd need us," said a Coast Shelter volunteer outside their Mann Street office.
Voters will get a direct say on the Council’s performance at elections scheduled for September 2026—the first poll since the state government’s administration period. Until then, residents who feel the squeeze are urging their neighbours to get involved in local planning sessions or seek advice. The new Council-run Housing Help Desk, open at the Gosford Service Centre on Erina Street from July 8, promises free drop-in support for renters and home owners. Flood-affected households can apply for Resilience NSW grants through council’s website, with a final application deadline of July 30.
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Published by The Daily Central Coast