Council is on track to pay down some debt earlier than planned as it continues to reinforce long term financial sustainability.Council CEO David Farmer said the organisation’s financial performance was currently exceeding planned forecasts.“Our strong financial performance means that we can allocate surpluses to pay down some debt earlier than originally forecast and set aside funds for future needs, while we continue to prudently manage other financial challenges such as rising costs due to inflation,” Mr Farmer said.At last night’s Council Meeting, the Council adopted an updated Restricted Funds Policy to include two new internal restrictions, Emergency Loan Repayment and Future Projects Reserve, and also approved the allocation of funds to these.Funds of $50M have been allocated to Emergency Loan Repayment and will be used to pay down a portion of the emergency loans in December 2023.  This is when Council will refinance the balance of the second emergency loan which will have an outstanding balance of $82.6M in December 2023.  Council secured $150M in emergency loans in late 2020 to reimburse restricted funds unlawfully accessed.

Central Coast Council have identified twelve regional projects of significance that could benefit from funding over the next three to five years.The 2022 Key Enabling Projects Prospectus tabled at Tuesday’s Ordinary Council Meeting outlines the overall vision and details of projects ranging from infrastructure upgrades through to community sport facilities that will benefit the Coast’s residents for generations to come.With a State Election due in March 2023, this document will be a driving force to help Council advocate for projects that need to secure additional funds. It will also allow the community to learn more about these projects and how much funding is required to make them a reality.Council Administrator Rik Hart said the Key Enabling Projects Prospectus is an important milestone for Council that will allow improved visibility of the organisation’s short to mid-term capital works priorities. “I am particularly delighted that staff have been able to identify priority areas for investment in the northern areas of the Central Coast,” said Mr Hart.“While the prospectus does contain an infrastructure wish-list that will benefit the entire community, it is important that we put in place plans to ensure that areas of population growth will get the benefits they need. “Council will use this prospectus to advocate for projects that we feel will help our community,” he concluded.Chief Executive Officer of Regional Development Australia Central Coast John Mouland is a key supporter of Council’s strategy.“The Central Coast is one of Australia’s fastest growing regions.

Central Coast Council has released its latest Annual Report, which provides a comprehensive account of Council’s performance from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022.Administrator Rik Hart said the achievements were a credit to the staff who have delivered high quality services to the community while the organisation faced challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain issues, La Niña wet weather conditions and the Council’s financial situation.“The last 12 months have seen Central Coast Council transition from “fixing the financial problem” to building long term financial sustainability.

Central Coast Council has announced Pacific Link Housing Limited as its partner in the first stage of Council’s Affordable Housing Land Proposal program.  This program is a key initiative from Council’s ground-breaking Central Coast Affordable and Alternative Housing Strategy which was adopted by Council in 2019.The announcement of Pacific Link Housing, the only locally based Tier One Community Housing Provider, as the preferred partner, follows an Expression of Interest process.  Pacific Link Housing will now work with Council on the design and delivery of an affordable housing development on the identified site at Ashton Avenue, The Entrance.Central Coast Council Administrator Rik Hart said the Strategy is a comprehensive plan addressing initiatives across the housing continuum, from homelessness through to home ownership, providing pathways for a range of households, from very low through to moderate incomes.He said the Strategy is structured around three strategic themes:Affordable Housing PartnershipsPlanning Mechanisms and Strategies to Increase the Supply of Affordable and Lower Cost HousingPrevention and Intervention to Reduce Homelessness“Affordable housing comprises various types of housing in both the private and public sector.

Central Coast Council now has a new phone number – 02 4306 7900, which is replacing the previous 1300 number.Council’s CEO, David Farmer, said the change is part of Council’s customer experience improvement program and includes a key customer service technology makeover.“We partnered with the NSW Department of Customer Service’s Government Technology Platforms (GTP) group to deliver better-quality customer service technology,” Mr Farmer said.“This was set in motion by one of our staff who investigated if we could partner with the NSW Department of Customer Service to help provide a call centre solution.“Instead of just changing our phone number, Council staff took it a step further and upgraded the entire customer service technology to improve the customer experience;

The Central Coast is once again being recognised as a leading New South Wales destination, with the exciting announcement that Central Coast Council – Destination Central Coast taking home Silver in the 2022 NSW Tourism Awards held on 17 November at Luna Park, Sydney.This highly respected Silver Award is the second consecutive win for Council’s Marketing and Tourism team in the Local Government Award for Tourism category, with Council taking out Bronze in that same category in the 2021 NSW Tourism Awards.Council’s Director Community and Recreation Services, Melanie Smith, said the successful win acknowledges some major milestone achievements this year for Council’s in-house team.“In 2022 we have achieved Australian ECO Destination Certification as well as Outstanding Region in this year's delicious Harvey Norman Produce Awards, and global Top 100 List status two years running.“The Silver Local Government Award for Tourism celebrates the outstanding innovation and resilience of our region's tourism industry, and the progressive steps Council is taking to continually develop and strengthen the Central Coast’s visitor economy.”Presented by NSW Tourism Industry Council and powered by Business NSW, the annual NSW Tourism Awards recognises businesses who exemplify quality tourism, with excellence, leadership and innovation awarded across 25 categories.Other local Central Coast tourism operators were also successful in their respective categories including the Australian Reptile Park at Somersby and NRMA Ocean Beach Holiday Resort at Umina both winning a Silver Award at the ceremony.Glenworth Valley Outdoor Adventures also won the Ground Swell 2022 Commendation Award presented by Take 3 for the Sea, for their significant contributions to visitor litter reduction and environmental stewardship.“Council congratulates these local businesses for their exceptional commitment to delivering visitors and guests a high-quality tourism experience, and as a result achieving this level of recognition.”Council Administrator Rik Hart said these latest wins in the NSW Tourism Awards add to the Central Coast’s growing list of accolades.“Silver Award status highlights the important role Council's staff play in driving the region's visitor economy, tourism industry capability and positive reputation forward, and their commitment and collaboration throughout 2021 and 2022 to achieve state level recognition.“As we come to the end of 2022, all of us at Council are looking forward to continuing to deliver the best tourism services and experiences to our community and visitors alike in 2023 – including going for Gold at next year’s industry awards!”Mr Hart added that with Council proudly taking home the Silver Local Government Award for Tourism 2022, this now adds to the previous finalist and awards achieved in just two years of rebranding the destination, including:NSW Tourism Awards 2021 Bronze Winner, Local Government Award for TourismGreen Destinations Top 100 List finalist in 2021 & 2022Finalist in NSW Top Tourism Town Awards 2021 & 2022‘Outstanding Region’ in 2022 delicious.

The Little Terns have arrived at The Entrance North to begin nesting and Central Coast Council wants to remind everyone on how they can help protect the endangered species during this critical time.Little Terns migrate from South-east Asia to Australia each year and are protected under both State and Federal threatened species legislation.

The Gosford waterfront revitalisation concept plan has entered its second month of consultation with several thousand people so far contributing their thoughts and opinions on the design through Central Coast Council’s engagement program.Community consultation opened on 18 October and already the message from the community is clear:

This week, Council unveiled one of its most significant projects recently undertaken:

Central Coast Council has completed one of its most significant projects recently undertaken – a new landfill cell at Buttonderry Waste Management Facility, costing $9 million.With Council’s existing landfill cell, which was constructed in 2013, reaching its end of life, Council has designed and constructed a new modern engineered landfill cell - approximately five hectares, or seven football fields, in size.Central Coast Council’s Director Infrastructure, Boris Bolgoff, said the new cell will meet the community’s waste disposal needs for approximately the next 4.5 years.“Council’s team, together with our contractors, faced many challenges during the project including Covid-19 impacts to contractor staff, higher than average wet weather and two significant natural disaster events, but have succeeded in delivering the project on time, on budget and meeting expectations.Mr Bolgoff said while the new Cell has enormous capacity and is needed as an important facility for the community, Council also wants the community be aware of alternatives in reducing waste.“Council, through its Resource Management Strategy, wants to educate the community to look at alternative ways of avoiding the generation of waste and to recycle and repurpose wherever possible.“Actions like sorting your waste and putting the right items in the right bins, recycling where possible, using reusable containers, finding other use for items, donating to charity, selling or gift it – there are many quite practical and simple ways of reducing waste in landfill,” Mr Bolgoff said.Council’s Waste and Resource Recovery Unit Manager, Andrew Pearce, said this project was challenging on many levels, with the priority always to ensure the new Cell meets all environmental requirements and community expectations.The works on the project included:The excavation and stockpiling of around 415,000 m3 of soil and rockThe installation of three engineered leachate barrier liners totalling 153,000 m2 designed to protect the environment.

Central Coast Council events are getting bigger and better than ever, and with a packed calendar for the next two years.To help deliver these events, Council is calling for expressions of interest from businesses keen to become an event sponsor.Expressions of Interest are now open for a range of events, and interested parties are invited to view the Sponsorship Prospectus for the 2023-24 period.

Central Coast Council crews have been busy taking advantage of the recent periods of improved weather to roll out more permanent road repairs across the region’s road network.Council Director Infrastructure Services, Boris Bolgoff said a flexible approach has been necessary to address the significant impacts from this year’s flooding events and consistent heavy rainfall.“When it’s raining only temporary pothole repair works can be undertaken, which is why potholes can reappear within only weeks of repair.

Central Coast Council is this week partnering with the Australian Resilience Corps and Disaster Relief Australia to support on ground disaster resilience action on the Central Coast. The Australian Resilience Corps (The Corps) is a national volunteer network established by Minderoo Foundation and NRMA Insurance, working to grow Australia's largest resource of disaster resilience volunteers to help communities prepare for fires and floods before they occur.This week, The Corps is deploying volunteers across the country to help communities prepare for fires and floods, following a year of successive extreme weather events. The Central Coast Council is partnering in the initiative with three Central Coast sites being targeted for the on-ground work being undertaken by over 100 volunteers.  The sites are Shelly and Killcare beaches and Kincumba Mountain. Central Coast Council Director Environment and Planning Dr Alice Howe said the initiative is welcomed as it highlights the importance of preparing for natural disasters ahead of time and extends Council’s volunteering program, which provides opportunities for local residents to become involved in bush regeneration, habitat restoration and enhancing the resilience of the natural environment. “The 100 volunteers from The Corps are giving their time over a three-day period this week, working under supervision of trained Disaster Relief Australia personnel, to assist our community to build resilience for future fire and floods.  The initiative helps add value to the significant ongoing contributions of the 600+ volunteers already actively participating in Council’s Environmental Volunteering Program.“During their time on the ground at Shelly and Killcare beaches, the volunteers from The Corps have been removing weeds and litter from coastal dunes, to better stabilise and enhance natural dune systems and the biodiversity that they support. “As with other parts of our community, which have been placed under pressure from various disaster impacts, our dune systems have been placed under significant pressure from coastal erosion.Dr Howe said that today, at Kincumba Mountain, volunteers are undertaking maintenance of fire trails, including removal of accumulated sediment, minor reshaping of drainage lines and pruning of encroaching vegetation, as well as removing weeds from areas of native vegetation.“Kincumba Mountain is a very important asset during natural disasters as it houses a telecommunications tower, which is a vital asset for broadcasting during emergencies.  It is also rich in biodiversity and Aboriginal heritage sites, which also need to be protected from the threats of natural disasters”Nadine De Santis, Australian Resilience Corps Project Lead, said volunteers play a pivotal role in helping their communities adapt to and prepare for a changing climate and the natural threats that come with it.“If we can lift the resilience of communities across the country, we can reduce the risk of devastation from another Black Summer Fire or East Coast flooding event,” Ms De Santis said."We can’t do this without the help of volunteers.”Council Administrator Rik Hart said he was pleased Council is a partner in this very important initiative.“Extreme weather events are happening more frequently and with greater severity.  This has been very evident here on the Central Coast, with devastating results for many in the community. "We are in total agreement with Disaster Relief Australia and the Australian Resilience Corps that this is the time to focus on resilience to enable communities to break out of the cycle of response and recovery.

Central Coast Council will commence the construction of a new Visitor Centre as well as upgrade the picnic area at Mangrove Dam on Monday 14 November 2022.This work follows the destruction of the amenities building in the 2019 Three Mile Fire.

Community members who would like to take an active role in local affairs are invited to apply for a position on a Central Coast Council advisory committee for 2023. Being a community representative on an advisory committee is a unique way to have your say about issues that matter to you and your community, and I encourage anyone with a genuine passion for the following topics to apply:Social Inclusion Advisory CommitteePedestrian Access and Mobility Advisory Committee (PAMP)Mangrove Mountain and Spencer Advisory CommitteeHeritage Advisory CommitteeCouncil advisory groups help to inform the direction of policies, and therefore it’s important we hear from as many different voices as possible.Council’s engagement programs have shown the significant input and valuable perspectives that residents have to offer, and I encourage anyone who has a lived experience or strong interest in one of these areas to submit an expression of interest.Availability to attend an advisory group meeting in December and quarterly committee meetings next year is required, alongside a willingness to engage with a diverse group of people.Due to the voluntary nature of the position, community representatives won’t receive fees or costs for their time. Applications close on Sunday 13 November 2022.

Central Coast Council has a jam-packed events calendar for the local community and visitors to enjoy, during the spring and summer months. Whilst the events calendar has had some changes over the last few years, Council’s flagship events will return with favourites such as The Lakes Festival which is currently underway, Love Lanes, and Flavours by the Sea.

Central Coast Council Youth Services have launched a biannual photography competition, Your World Your Way, aimed at young people, aged 12-24, who live, work or study on the Central Coast.

Council’s commitment to deliver improved water and sewer services for the Central Coast community has been reinforced with the publishing of the first Central Coast Council Water and Sewer Delivery Plan 2022-2026.

An extraordinary project, featuring eight remarkable Pelican sculptures initiated by Central Coast Council, but led by school children on the Coast, was unveiled today at The Entrance.The Project Pelican is a fusion of environmental education and creative art to inspire students and the community to connect with the challenges and solutions involved in protecting and restoring the Tuggerah Lakes estuary.Developed and delivered by Council’s Estuary Management team, in collaboration with Rumbalara Environmental Education Centre, with funding from the Australian Government, the project has involved art students in years nine and ten, from eight secondary schools. Central Coast Council’s Director Community and Recreation Mel Smith, said the aim of The Project Pelican is to help students increase their knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the Tuggerah Lakes system and what is needed to protect and restore this fragile environment.“Tuggerah Lakes is one of the most important and iconic estuaries on the Central Coast.

Central Coast Council is now inviting community members wanting to take an active role in local affairs to apply for a position on one of several Council advisory committees for 2023.Applications are now open for community stakeholder representatives on the following committees:Social Inclusion Advisory CommitteePedestrian Access and Mobility Advisory Committee (PAMP)Mangrove Mountain and Spencer Advisory CommitteeHeritage Advisory CommitteeSuccessful applicants should have a genuine passion for their selected topic, a willingness to engage with a diverse group of people and be available to attend an advisory group meeting in December and quarterly committee meetings next year.Due to the voluntary nature of the position, community representatives won’t receive fees or costs for their time.Council Administrator, Rik Hart said a community position on an advisory committee is a unique way for residents to have their say.“Council uses advisory groups to help inform the direction of policies and it’s important that we hear from as many different voices as possible.“We know from our regular engagement programs that residents can offer excellent perspectives and I would encourage anyone who has a lived experience, or a particular passion for one of these topic areas to submit an expression of interest,” Mr Hart said.Applications for all community advisory positions close at midnight on Sunday 13 November.Find out more and apply now