Council meeting schedule adopted

Council resolved to amend the Code of Meeting Practice to make it easier for residents from across the Central Coast to attend council meetings.

Meetings will be held in the Council Chambers of the Gosford office on the second Wednesday of the month and the Wyong office on the fourth Wednesday of the month.   All meetings will be audio recorded.

The Administrator has asked for a report on the potential web casting of future council meetings.

Administrator Ian Reynolds said:

“I am keen for council meetings to be as accessible as possible to the community.

“Holding meetings in both centres and potentially web casting the meetings will help us communicate as directly as possible with the residents and ratepayers of this large and growing region.”

The draft code of practice will be placed on public exhibition for 28 days.  Central Coast residents are invited to make a submission.

Council’s financial position

Councils are required to report quarterly on their financial position and a report was presented to the Administrator tonight on the former Gosford City Council’s finances projecting a $20 million surplus.  A similar report will be presented to the next council meeting on the former Wyong Shire Council finances.

Going forward council will now manage an annual budget of $800 million and over $11 billion in assets.

Administrator Ian Reynolds said: “I have asked the interim General Manager to provide a report to me in the near future on council’s overall financial position.”

Administrator to tackle major projects for the Central Coast

The new Administrator Ian Reynolds is set to take a fresh look at some of the key projects being progressed by the Central Coast Council.

During the first council meeting, Mr Reynolds called for status update reports to be brought before future council meetings on a number of key projects including:

• The Performing Arts Centre on the Gosford CBD waterfront
• The Australian Tax Office administrative building for Gosford CBD
• V8 Supercar motorsport event in Gosford
• Development of the Warnervale Town Centre
• Link Road to Warnervale
• Proposed Mardi to Warnervale Water Pipeline

“I am determined to quickly get across the detail of major projects on the Central Coast to ensure they are right for this region and will deliver the jobs and opportunities our community need,” Administrator Ian Reynolds said.

Development Application (DA) processing going forward

The merger of Wyong and Gosford Councils will not result in substantial changes to the planning or development assessment framework at this time.

The principal local planning instruments remain in place, and applications for development and planning proposals will continue to be assessed in line with the existing relevant controls and legislation.  The community will still get to have a say through the public exhibition process as they have done in the past.

The Department of Planning and Environment released a document yesterday titled Guidance for Merged Councils on Planning Functions. Council will operate within these guidelines while working on strategic projects which promote housing, transport and economic growth.

Administrator Ian Reynolds said: “There will be open and transparent decision making in this new Central Coast Council”

Sale of land for train maintenance facility at Kangy Angy to go ahead

Council has agreed to sell land in Orchard Road, Kangy Angy to the State Government to build a multi-million dollar train maintenance facility with the potential to create hundreds of local construction jobs and ongoing employment on the Central Coast.

The land was identified by the State Government, in September last year, as the preferred location to establish a new Fleet Management Facility due to its proximity to the railway line that the new InterCity fleet of trains will regularly travel on.

Administrator Ian Reynolds said: 

“It is likely the State Government would have moved to compulsorily acquire this land if Council had not agreed to sell it. 

“This decision guarantees the best outcome for Council and residents”

Council gets house in order

A number of housekeeping matters are now in place after tonight’s meeting including a new Code of Conduct and new organisation structure to ensure council can continue to run efficiently and effectively.

The harmonisation of the salary systems and key human resources policies of the former Wyong Shire and Gosford City Councils are top priorities of the new Central Coast Council.  This will help to ensure a productive and constructive culture is established quickly and staff can get on with the job of delivering services for the community.

Administrator Ian Reynolds said:

“It is a real credit to staff as to how quickly they have come together to ensure service delivery to the community remains at the very heart of what they do.

“Adopting a new structure tonight will provide surety to staff that they have an important role to pay in this new council.”   

Water, Sewerage and Drainage charges for 2016/17

Council tonight endorsed the water, sewerage and stormwater drainage charges as determined by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) for the former Gosford local government area for 2016/17.

The prices will come into effect on 1 July 2016 and will remain in place for two years until IPART determine prices for the new Central Coast Council region.