Central Coast Mayor Lisa Matthews said commemorating Anzac Day in 2020 will be quite different but how we remember our fallen and pay our respects holds the same value. 

“We as a community are functioning quite differently at present, whilst how we remember and pay respect to our fallen soldiers has been impacted, our want to acknowledge and commemorate our heroes remains the same,” Mayor Matthews said.

“The Australian way is to band together and support one another through a crisis, the significance of Anzac Day and the sacrifices made allows for a time of reflection and puts things into perspective. 

Formal services across the nation were cancelled on 15 March as a result of gathering restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic.  

“There are many ways Australians, our local community, can commemorate Anzac Day. Physical restrictions and gatherings should not halt people from remembering our fallen heroes. 

“I encourage the community to continue to adhere to current restrictions whilst commemorating Anzac Day. This can be achieved through taking pause in your own home with a minute silence, light a candle and stand in your driveway at 6am for a combined dawn service with your neighbours, view the Anzac Day national dawn services live on ABC, or take part in an online gathering. 

Central Coast Council is taking a precautionary approach and commemorating Anzac Day with Councillors privately laying a wreath at various memorial sites across the coast in a mark of respect for our fallen soldiers.    

“Council has installed Poppy nets on the stairways at Memorial Park Gosford where walkers, maintaining physical distancing, can take a stroll and view this installation. Also available is free online library resources specifically for commemorating Anzac Day.

“A quality of Anzac Day is the camaraderie it brings out in Australians, a quality we as a community can apply in the way we look out for each other at this difficult time.”

ENDS

Media contact: Cass McNamara 0439 488 448

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