Darkinjung’s Wallarah Industrial Park proposal close to exhibition
EXCLUSIVE: The curtains are about to come off a 40ha industrial development proposed for Wallarah, north of Wyong, by the Darkinjung local aboriginal land council.
- Terrigal water quality audit shows little risk for swimmers
- Darkinjung’s Matthew West says young Aboriginal people on Central Coast must be lifted up
Creating more local jobs is high on the agenda for Darkinjung local aboriginal land council, which is forging ahead with plans for several major local developments.
The Express Advocate can reveal these include a proposal for the Wallarah Industrial Park, a 40 hectare industrial development.
Darkinjung chairman Matthew West said the NSW Delivery Framework, announced last year by the NSW Government to support Darkinjung’s development plans, was seeing results.
The framework enables Darkinjung to have its development plans supported and assessed under an exclusive NSW Government framework, with the aim of getting plans off the ground.
“The Delivery Framework is working, half of the projects will be out on exhibition by the end of this year,” Mr West told the Express Advocate this week.
“It’s about Darkinjung being able to build homes, create jobs and secure education and training opportunities for everyone on the Central Coast.
“We are really excited to be working with the Department of Planning and Central Coast Council.
“Some of this stuff has been in the system for years and years. It’s great to finally be seeing some action.”
He said Wallarah Industrial Park, which also includes land for environmental conservation, would result in significant job creation in the northern part of the coast.
“This is a real need, and we are excited about investing in the community of the Central Coast,” Mr West said.
“There are 15,000 Aboriginal people on the Central Coast.
“We are a very young population, and this is such a crucial time to directly invest in young people by creating educational and planning opportunities.
“We don’t want to lose another generation by making mistakes of the past.”
He said the delivery framework was seeing a quicker progression of developments.
“The process is bringing everyone together to talk specifically on each project. It has really anchored down the means to get traction,” he said.
“The most beautiful thing is that it’s on our own land, and we are working as equals with the government and local government to create this.
“This is just the start of the first few projects and after this year we will conduct a review, looking at phase two and being more aspirational with our plans.”
IN OTHER NEWS
Splash of vino, darl?: Car thief locked up after wine text bungle
A serial offender with more than 50 prior charges broke into a popular pub and stole thousands of bucks worth of booze before foolishly texting his lady a pic – asking if she was keen for a drop.
Alleged dog shooter ‘likely’ to plead guilty: Court
A man who allegedly robbed an elderly couple in their motorhome before shooting their dog with an air rifle is ‘likely’ to plead guilty, a court has heard.