Kibble Park Place Plan and Concept Plan

Consultation for the Place Plan and Concept Plan was initially undertaken in 2020. Council wanted to ensure we had the Plans right and that they still reflected both deliverable actions and what the community would like to see for the future of Kibble Park and more broadly Gosford CBD.

We want to foster pride in the area and transform the way our community interacts and connects with Kibble Park. 

A Place Plan aims to improve places and spaces for the benefit of residents, businesses and visitors by adopting a place-based approach to determine the physical infrastructure and services that best respond to local needs. A key feature of the Place Plan involves identifying short, medium-and longer-term initiatives and projects that will help to enliven Kibble Park and improve the visitor experience for all. 

The Place Plan provides a framework to assist Council to work in partnership with the community to realise a shared vision for the Park, including how we manage the Park, guidance around events and activations and where physical infrastructure should be to support collective objectives.
 

Council is committed to the ongoing revitalisation of a range of town centres. The Plan identifies a range of enhancements that can be implemented over a few years through a combination of grant funding and Local Infrastructure Contributions. 

Local Infrastructure Contributions (also referred to as Development Contributions) are charged by Council when new development occurs. These contributions fund local infrastructure needed to support an increased number of residents in the area. This type of local infrastructure typically includes local roads, stormwater and drainage, shared pathways, parks, playspaces or other recreational areas, environmental land and community facilities.  For more information on Development Contributions and to view all Council Contribution Plans, go to Council's main website.

The ongoing maintenance will be funded from Councils existing Operational Budget for public spaces, parks and reserves.

The Kibble Park Place Plan project considers the Gosford Urban Design Framework, the completed Gosford Leagues Club Park project and future projects such as Gosford waterfront revitalisation and the Gosford Regional Library.

With a number of other government and non-government projects and developments earmarked for Gosford CBD, the Kibble Park Place Plan contributes to the re-imagining of Gosford and improved public spaces for residents, visitors and businesses.

The community has told us that Kibble Park is in need of a facelift and has some ageing infrastructure, and that is having a negative effect on the perception of the Gosford CBD. 

Upgrading Kibble Park, revitalising the Gosford waterfront, delivering the Gosford Regional Library and working with key stakeholder land landowners will breathe new life into the City and present a fresh face for the community, visitors and businesses. 

The coordinated place-based delivery of the upgrades for Gosford City will make the space attractive, safe and enjoyable for all people to be in resulting in improved local economic performance.
 

It is important to celebrate local history in public spaces and we will be looking to enhance, not diminish, the celebration of heritage within Kibble Park. The Plans have considered the opportunities identified in the Gosford Heritage Interpretation Strategy. 

Safety is a key concern for the community and Council. Good urban design helps to make places feel, and actually be, safer. Small changes such as improved lighting and clear lines of sight as well as bigger things like activating the space through events and things that attract more people all help to make places safer. The Place Plan and Concept Plan have been informed using safety as a key consideration as well as feedback received during the Safer Cities Her Way project.  

Yes. Part of the project is to look at ways to upgrade the current playground and to make it accessible so everyone can play.

The Concept Plan suggests the removal of the current library building from Kibble Park. The development of the new Regional Library on Donnison St has commenced and will be completed in early 2025. Removing the existing Library building will increase green space and enable greater opportunity to link the new library to Kibble Park creating greater space for community activities such as markets and events. 

There will be no changes in purpose nor interruption to any current operations of the current Library until the new Regional Library has been completed.
 

The Concept Plan suggests the existing restaurant building within the Park will be repurposed as a community facility space to accommodate arts, culture and community activities. Public space amenities, including accessible amenities, will also be relocated adjacent to this building.

The Place Plan sets out short term initiatives which can be acted on more quickly as well as medium and longer-term goals. While the community can expect to see some changes from late 2023 the Plan will be implemented over multiple years.