Constitutional Referendum postponed 

A Constitutional Referendum to determine the future number of Central Coast Councillors that was scheduled to be held on 4 September 2021 has been postponed to a future date to be determined.

The Minister for Local Government has published an order in the Gazette under section 318C of the Local Government Act 1993 (the Act) postponing all council elections to 4 December 2021. 

The decision to postpone all council elections has been made in response to the escalating outbreak of the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus in Greater Sydney and the potential for further outbreaks in regional areas. 

Based on this advice, these risks have been considered and the Central Coast Council constitutional referendum will be postponed to a future date.  

A report recommending a new date and the future conduct of the constitutional referendum will come back to Council.

Central Coast community – the focus of Asset Sale Program

Central Coast Council has thanked the community for taking the time to submit feedback on its Tranche 3 Asset Sales Program, confirming the sale of 19 underutilised sites as it moves towards financial stability.

Community Feedback was invaluable in helping to understand in a short timeframe localised issues, stakeholder interests and likely impacts should some parcels of land proceed to sale.

Council identified one site (Manning Road, The Entrance) that required further investigation and 19 sites were removed completely from consideration in the sale program because they did not meet the necessary criteria to demonstrate that the community would benefit from the sale in the long run.

Council Administrator, Rik Hart said staff had thoroughly looked at each proposed sale site, considered public feedback, measured community benefits of the sale and have even put clauses on the condition of sale of some sites to ensure the best outcome for the community.

“I am pleased that we have been able to balance community and stakeholder interest with financial imperative,” Mr Hart said.

“This is not a fire sale – some properties with high levels of community concern were removed and others where there was a clear benefit to the community will now progress to the next stage such as reclassification or sales, some with specific conditions attached to them.

“There are some good news stories for the community as well – Council is working on direct sales with current site users like The Salvation Army, St Joseph’s Catholic College, Peninsula Plaza, Wyong Rugby League Club and The Greens The Entrance (Mingara Leisure Group) to ensure their ongoing delivery of services to the community.

“Council has an obligation to the community, not just to itself, to ensure a fair price for any asset sale and no sale will be for less than the market value as determined by an independent valuation.

“Property sales were identified as one of the key measures in contributing towards Council’s success in obtaining the $100million loan and the proceeds of all sales will go towards repaying some of the $200million unlawfully used restricted reserves. Notwithstanding this, Council’s long-term financial sustainability still remains in peril.

“In three years’ time we potentially will be facing an annual income loss of $25million as determined by IPART and this means some of the service reductions our community is vocalising now will worsen.

“Without maintaining the recently set rating levels beyond the current 3 year horizon, Council may yet again find itself in a dire financial situation.”

A full list of the properties, the consultation report and an interactive map with details on the sale status for each site are published on Council’s online engagement platform yourvoiceourcoast.com

Greener Places Strategy to balance increases in housing density 

Council has adopted a Greener Places Strategy to promote, maintain and enhance public and private urban greenspace on the Central Coast. The strategy focuses on mitigating Urban Heat Island Effects, increasing wildlife habitat and improving liveability and human health.

Community feedback showed strong support for the Strategy, which will see Council implement and regularly report on the progress of actions over the next 10 years. 

Council Administrator, Rik Hart said in consideration of the availability of funds into the medium term, actions included in the Strategy were ranked according to the ability to implement within the current and future resourcing.

“We continue to take a responsible approach to balance our need to achieve financial recovery with proactive projects that benefit and secure the future of our community,” Mr Hart said.

“The Central Coast region is characterised by green ridges and is surrounded by national parks but our population is expected to increase to 415,000 by 2036 – placing an urgent need to meet the demand of housing and therefore resulting in increased housing density.

“Implementing this Strategy now will mitigate the loss of canopy cover and green corridor in urban centres and neighbourhoods, providing shade to residents, habitat to wildlife and maintaining the beauty of our region.”

Council will immediately begin implementing the Greener Places framework in future planning documents, and will look to enhance ecological resilience and respond to climate change across the region through a wetland audit and research partnerships with universities.

Council adopts Mount Ettalong Reserve Masterplan

Following extensive community and stakeholder consultation, Central Coast Council has adopted the Mount Ettalong Reserve Masterplan. 

The Masterplan identifies ways to activate and enhance the Mount Ettalong site for passive recreation, ensuring it is accessible, inclusive and provides a positive visitor experience.

Council Administrator Rik Hart said the community has been instrumental in shaping the Masterplan, which identifies important works required to enhance the safety and enjoyment of the Mount Ettalong Reserve. 

“Situated between Umina Beach and Pearl Beach, Mount Ettalong is a stunning natural reserve and a popular destination for locals and visitors alike to enjoy passive outdoor recreation,” Mr Hart said. 

"Unfortunately, the existing carpark and recreational infrastructure on the site were constructed several decades ago and do not currently meet Australian standards. A Masterplan has been developed to ensure a coordinated approach to upgrading the reserve, in line with community expectations.

“Feedback received throughout the consultation process has played an important role in the development of the Masterplan, which will see improvements to the current carpark and security facilities, provision of additional amenities and the repair and upgrade of existing infrastructure at the reserve.

“However, Council’s long-term financial sustainability still remains in peril and in three years we potentially will be facing an annual income loss of $25million as determined by IPART. This will impact Council’s ability to deliver the Ettalong Masterplan plus some of the service reductions our community is vocalising now will worsen.

“Without maintaining the recently set rating levels beyond the current three year horizon, Council may yet again find itself in a dire financial situation.”

The Masterplan and initial implementation of proposed renewals will be delivered using $180,000 dedicated Developer Contribution funds, identified for the upgrade of the Mount Ettalong reserve. The adopted Masterplan will support the development of external grant funding applications for the site.

Reserve upgrade works will be carried out in accordance with the Masterplan when funds become available and as capacity allows within Council’s capital works program.  

Council shares recommendations for future shark mitigation measures  

Central Coast Council has shared its recommendations on shark attack mitigation measures, advocating for the removal of ocean shark nets across Central Coast and New South Wales beaches in favour of newer and more sustainable technologies.  

Council provided several recommendations to the New South Wales Department of Primary Industry Fisheries (DPI Fisheries) as part of the Department’s recent consultation with individuals, non-government organisations and councils on Preferred Shark Mitigation Measures in New South Wales. 

Council Administrator Rik Hart said due to the high level of public interest in shark attack mitigation, it is important that the community is aware of Council’s position on this matter.

“The use of shark nets is a polarising issue amongst coastal communities,” Mr Hart said.   

“Currently, the Shark Meshing (Bather Protection) Program (SMP) is the primary strategy to mitigate against shark attacks on coastal beaches. Shark nets are deployed at eleven Central Coast beaches under this program.

“In its submission to the NSW DPI Fisheries, Central Coast Council provided feedback that it does not support the use of ocean shark nets and is in favour of more modern technology-based alternatives.

“This includes solutions like aerial surveillance using drones, community education programs, shark listening stations connected to a Shark Smart App, lifeguard towers, Smart drum lines and personal deterrents.

“Council refers such approaches to DPI Fisheries as the agency with the expertise and responsibility for designing and implementing shark bite mitigation strategies in NSW and will continue to rely on its advice on the appropriate detection and deterrence actions for shark interactions on the Central Coast.”

ENDS