Council re-opened on 10 January 2022 with administration and project construction works re-commencing. Council services and community facilities continue to operate with some adjustments in response to the current COVID-19 situation.

Central Coast Council CEO, David Farmer said community and staff safety remains a priority as the COVID situation continues to evolve.

“While many valued community services and facilities are provided, some changes continue to be necessary to manage health risks,” Mr Farmer said.

“Like many organisations, Council staffing levels have also been impacted by rising COVID transmissions and we are adjusting our operations to manage this and to minimise disruption of services. Many services, projects and programs continue to operate without interruption.

“We thank the community for their ongoing understanding and patience as we navigate these challenges together - and ask that guidelines and direction of staff are followed at Council venues.”

Council may need to further adjust services to respond to changing circumstances as the COVID situation evolves. Updates to the community will be provided through Council's website (centralcoast.nsw.gov.au) and other communication channels as information becomes available.

Council Administrator, Rik Hart said the Central Coast community has demonstrated resilience and understanding through these challenging and unusual times.

“While it’s disappointing that popular events and some services have been impacted, I’m pleased the Australia Day award ceremony was able to continue online and many community services and facilities can remain open,” Mr Hart said.

“I want to thank and acknowledge all health responders, local workers and Council staff as they adapt to the evolving situation and provide valuable services for the people of the Central Coast.”

Summary of changes to services and facilities 

For further details, go to the full listing on Council’s COVID-19 information page at centralcoast.nsw.gov.au

Customer service

The current COVID situation has impacted staffing levels and seen an increased demand for customer service by telephone and reduced the need for in-person customer service.

In-person customer service is available, however temporary adjustments are now in place and are subject to change:

• Customer service counters at Wyong and Gosford will remain open with reduced staff.
• Erina Library and The Entrance Visitor Centre customer service desks are temporarily closed.
• Lake Haven and Woy Woy Library service desks remain open.
• Duty Planner appointments will be available by phone service, whilst the face-to-face service is suspended.

A reassessment will be undertaken at the end of January 2022.

Staff are being rotated to minimise disruption and these changes should help reduce the call wait times and improve the customer experience.

This will also help mitigate any potential further COVID exposure as Council continues to serve customers at the higher-volume locations.

Customer Service Centre at 2 Hely St, Wyong and 91-99 Mann St, Gosford will be open from 8.30am-5pm, Monday to Friday.

Customers can contact Council with enquiries, requests, reporting issues or formal feedback through our online Customer Service Centre 24/7 at centralcoast.nsw.gov.au or by calling our Customer Service Team on 1300 463 954 during business hours.

Events

Whilst some events have been cancelled or postponed to ensure community and staff safety, others are able to continue online or with restrictions.

For details of any event changes and upcoming events, go to our What's On web page. 

Some key event information for January 2022:

• Australia Day Fireworks at The Entrance Foreshore and Woy Woy Foreshore on 26 January 2022 have been cancelled due to the exponential rise in COVID-19 cases on the Central Coast, and risks associated with hosting a large-scale community event.
• The Australia Day awards ceremony was delivered as an online event.
• There are several events that are continuing to be held in January 2022 such as the reIMAGINE Festival, Pool parties at Wyong (21 Jan) and Gosford (25 Jan), and current exhibitions and school holidays workshops continuing at the Gosford Regional Gallery.

Other upcoming Council events will be reviewed, and regular updates will be communicated to the community as further information becomes available.

Council understands that the decision to cancel any events is disappointing to many people and apologises for any inconvenience caused.

Early Childhood Education and Care Centres

Early Childhood Education and Care Centres are operating as per the current Public Health Order and with updated COVID-19 Safety Plans in place.

These services are subject to change at short notice due to the impact of COVID-19 on staff and resources, and to respond appropriately to any cases of COVID exposure.  Affected families will be notified by Council’s Early Childhood Education and Care support services.

Libraries

The following libraries are open Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 4.30pm

• Bateau Bay
• Erina
• Gosford
• Kincumber
• Lake Haven
• Toukley
• Tuggerah
• Umina Beach
• Woy Woy

Kariong Library is open 9.30am to 12.30pm Tuesday and Thursday, and 1.30pm to 4.30pm Wednesdays.

Mooney Mooney Community Library and Gwandalan Library link are closed.

Council’s eLibrary (online service), home library and mobile library services continue.

The online school holiday programs will continue as planned, however in-person programs have been cancelled.

In-branch programs such as storytime, baby time, toddler time and meeting room hire are not offered at this stage.

All services and programs are subject to change at short notice due to the evolving impact of COVID-19 on staff and resources.

Read more about Council’s library services and programs.

Open space and recreation

Open space sport and recreation areas such as playspaces, parks sports grounds, tennis courts, skate parks, and BMX tracks remain open for use with limited restrictions at this time.

To help minimise the spread of COVID-19, people are encouraged to wash hands before and after the use of any equipment and adhere to the rules and safety measures implemented by the NSW Government and Public Health order – including social distancing.

As with many other organisations, Council staff are affected by increased transmissions of COVID. The frequency of some non-essential maintenance, such as mowing may be reduced at this time.  We appreciate the community’s patience as we respond to these challenges.

Public toilets

Whilst public toilet facilities remain open, maintenance and cleaning schedules may be impacted due to the impact of COVID on staff resources.

The priority sites with higher level of usage will be prioritised in the schedule at this time. We appreciate community patience and apologise for any inconvenience.

Waste management services and facilities

Buttonderry and Woy Woy Waste Management Facilities are open.

We are currently experiencing significant disruptions to our bulk kerbside waste collection services due to COVID impacts on the staffing levels of our waste collection contractor. Please avoid booking bulk waste kerbside collections unless necessary over the next few weeks as availability is currently limited.

All other waste services have minimal disruption. If your bin or booked bulk kerbside has not been completed on the scheduled day, please leave it on the kerbside until this service takes place.

This is an industry-wide issue and Council continues to work with industry organisations and Government to implement measures for our essential services.

For further details, go to the full listing on Council’s COVID-19 information page at centralcoast.nsw.gov.au

Other facilities

The following remain open, however specific requirements or restrictions may apply to each and are subject to change.

• Animal care facilities at Erina and Charmhaven
• Beaches
• Grant McBride Baths
• Community centres and halls, 50+ Centres and Senior Centres, youth centres
• Council holiday parks and Patonga camping ground
• The Entrance Visitor Information Centre
• Galleries and Theatres
• Leisure Centres, Gyms and Pools (indoor): Gosford Olympic Pool, Central Coast Stadium, Lake Haven Recreation Centre, Niagara Park Stadium, Peninsula Leisure Centre, Wyong Pool, and Toukley Aquatic Centre

For further information on Council’s local response to COVID-19 and to keep up to date with impacts to services, facilities and programs, search COVID at centralcoast.nsw.gov.au