Former councillors given advisory role to council

Eighteen former Gosford City and Wyong Shire Councillors have been appointed to a Local Representation Committee.

The State Government strongly recommended the establishment of the committee to provide former Councillors, committed to the success of the new council, with an opportunity to continue to serve their communities until the elections in September 2017.

The Local Representation Committee will not exercise any decision making function of the Central Coast Council, nor will its recommendations bind council – it will be there to provide important local advice only.

The purpose of the committee is to:

• Advise on communications and engagement with the community
• Provide advice on the vision and priorities of the Central Coast Council
• Provide assistance, as determined by the Administrator, to engage communities and partners in planning for the new Central Coast Council

Due to the strong interest from former councillors, the Administrator has resolved to break the committee up into three Working Groups.

A chair and five members will be appointed to each Working Group, which have been divided up into three key areas for optimal benefit to Council – Environment Working Group; Economic Working Group and Community Working Group.

The Local Representative Committee will meet for the first time in July and Working Groups will meet once each calendar month.

Administrator Ian Reynolds said:

“I thank the former Councillors for their willingness to share their knowledge and experience to ensure the Central Coast Council is the very best it can be.

“Let me be clear. This committee is not a de facto council. It’s a committee to advise me on local matters.

“The idea is to provide support for the Administrator in terms of advice but also just what they’re hearing out there about the new council.

“This is not the only forum where I will be seeking advice – I have already called for a report to establish the best community engagement model as I want to ensure that anyone who wants to contribute positively to the new council can do so.”

Council’s first budget has community connectedness and wellbeing at its heart 

Council tonight adopted the first ever Central Coast Council Operational Plan and budget set to deliver over $540 million in essential services and $183 million on infrastructure for its growing community.

The Central Coast is now represented by one of the biggest councils in Australia with an operating budget of $723 million and an asset base with a replacement cost of over $11 billion.

Budget spending is focused on the key areas the community has told council are important to them – better roads and drainage, water and sewerage network, waste management, lakes, playgrounds and sporting fields.

Roads connect communities, bring people together and help them get to wherever they need to be and that is why there is a big spending focus on roads and drainage as part of this budget.  The first Central Coast budget will deliver a $156 million investment in roads and drainage with a number of upgrades across the Coast planned for Berkeley Vale, Buff Point, Horsefield Bay, Umina Beach, West Gosford, Terrigal, San Remo, Davistown and Wyongah.

As well as connected Council wants the community to stay active and will spend $24 million on recreational facilities including:

• $7.5 million on construction of stage 1 the Tuggerah Regional Sport and Recreation Complex
• $ 4.9million on a new Colongra Bay Sports Complex delivering two new sporting fields, three multi-purpose courts and amenities to this growing area
• $3 million on the iconic Magenta Shared Pathway – to fill in a missing link around Tuggerah Lakes
• $1.8 million on Adcock Park – one of the key centres for netball and football on the Coast
• $756,000 for McEvoy Oval at Umina Beach
• $2 million to upgrade 25 play spaces across the Coast including a district level playground at Kurraba Oval, Berkeley Vale

A regional library in the heart of Gosford will get off the ground with a $1.5 million investment in the design elements of what will ultimately be a $20 million investment in community learning and well-being.

Administrator Ian Reynolds said:

“Council is committed to delivering the best possible services and infrastructure our growing community need, want and value.

“We want the Central Coast to be the best place in Australia to live, work and play and with this plan we are certainly on the right track.

‘Our new Executive Team are currently working on a new vision and priorities for council and we will also be seeking community input.

“We want to hear from you – join our online community at haveyoursaycentralcoast.com.au to help shape our future.”