Council increases tourism marketing fundingCouncil is looking to increase its direct funding for tourism marketing for the Central Coast and will seek to engage an organisation to deliver on a three year regional strategy.See Separate Media ReleaseCouncil laying the groundwork for a Central Coast Local Environmental PlanWork is now underway to prepare one consolidated Local Environmental Plan (LEP) to guide future development across the Central Coast.Currently there are four planning instruments applying to the Central Coast, each with different planning controls.  The Wyong Local Environmental  Plan 2013 is the local planning instrument for the north and the Gosford Local Environmental Plan 2014, Gosford Interim Development Order and Gosford Planning Scheme apply in the southern areas.

Did you know Australia generates more than 140,000 tonnes of electronic waste per year?Most of this e-waste ends up in landfill, when at least 90 per cent of the materials used to create these items can be recovered and reused.To help residents recycle these items, Central Coast Council will be holding a free e-waste collection weekend at the Gosford Showground on Saturday 26 November and Sunday 27 November 2016.Open between 9am and 4pm on both days, the event is open to everyone – with commercial quantities also accepted.The drop off day targets every day household items such as televisions, computers, DVD players and other items people find difficult to dispose of in an environmentally friendly way.Items that will be accepted as part of the e-waste drop off include:Computers, monitors, notebooks, printers, fax machines, scanners, CD drives, hard drives, keyboards, mice and printer cartridges;Televisions, VCR players, DVD players, projectors;Electronic games/toys, stereos, cameras, video cameras, iPods and MP3 players;

Central Coast Council is looking to increase its direct funding for tourism marketing for the Central Coast and will seek to engage an organisation to deliver on a three year regional strategy.Council’s Administrator, Mr Ian Reynolds, said that the timing was right for Council to examine its approach to tourism.“Destination NSW’s new regional tourism model and the projected population growth expected on the Central Coast has changed the tourism landscape.

Central Coast Council was up against more than 150 Councils across Australia in this year’s Garage Sale Trail and has taken out the national Outstanding Achievement Award.Council would like to thank the Central Coast community for their support contributing to this year’s amazing success.

Central Coast Council has drafted new planning controls to promote development to revitalise the Gosford CBD and create a living city.The amendments to the Gosford Development Control Plan (GDCP) will provide opportunities for growth of the commercial centre of the CBD while ensuring that Kibble Park remains an attractive sunny space for the community to enjoy.

Laycock Street Community Theatre has announced its much anticipated 2017 season at a VIP launch last night, unveiling the national productions and professional theatre on offer to Central Coast audiences in the year ahead.Council’s Section Manager Arts & Culture, Chris King says the sparkling new season is designed to connect audiences with live theatre in a meaningful and exhilarating way.“The 2017 season brings together acclaimed touring productions, household names and quality children’s theatre, to engage and provoke audiences of all ages, backgrounds and inclinations,” said Mr King.“From trailblazing Bell Shakespeare’s uncompromising production of Merchant of Venice, to twisted tales of drama and gothic horror when Dracula swoops the region, contrasted to the beauty and intrigue of Melbourne City Ballet’s interpretation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, to the comedy genius of Shirley Valentine and the glitz and glamour of Prada’s Priscillas — our 2017 season offers something for everyone.“Laycock is also delighted to applaud Gosford Musical Society’s productions for 2017 which include Broadway favourites Evita and Chicago, and for younger patrons Peter Pan and Bring it On.“Substantial theatre member discounts are being offered for all season and Gosford Musical Society shows.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Gosford as Central Coast Council’s annual lighting of the Christmas tree takes place in Kibble Park on Thursday 24 November.The festivities will commence at 5.30pm, with Gosford Library holding a Christmas story time on the grass with comfortable bean bags and Linga Longa chairs available for listeners to relax and enjoy.From 6.15pm, there will be plenty of entertainment for the whole family, including performances by Discovered and The Hub Erina Youth Centre, as well as interactive Christmas skits and dance acts.Santa will be stopping by to spread some festive cheer, and anyone feeling creative can try their skills at making a festive hat that is sure to be a hit on Christmas day.Council Administrator, Ian Reynolds, said the event is a Central Coast tradition that brings the community together to celebrate a special time of the year.“Lighting the Christmas tree in Kibble Park is a tradition that Council has proudly held for many years,” said Mr Reynolds.“The community is invited to join us for the free festivities from 5.30pm, with the lighting of the tree at 8pm.“Liberty Church will be holding a free sausage sizzle, as part of their Random Acts of Kindness program.“Everyone is encouraged to bring a picnic rug and chairs and enjoy the evening.

Last week, the Somersby Water Treatment Plant was the final location to turn solar power on as part of Council’s solar energy project.Since October 2015, over 1,700 solar panels (totalling 455kW in capacity) have been installed across several Council facilities including the Erina Depot, Peninsula Leisure Centre, Central Coast Stadium, Niagara Park Sports Stadium, Gosford Regional Gallery, Laycock Street Community Theatre and the Somersby Water Treatment Plant.Administrator, Ian Reynolds said the development is part of Council’s Climate Change Mitigation Strategy.“Our analysis showed that it’s more cost effective for Council to install solar systems at these locations than to purchase electricity solely from the grid,” said Mr Reynolds.“We were able to generate greater value from the project by using the solar electricity on site to offset high daytime peak and shoulder rates.”The $910,000 project, which received $360,000 in funding under the Renewable Energy Target, will reduce electricity costs at each of the project sites by approximately 10 percent - saving ratepayers more than $65,000 a year.It also generates about 620MWh of renewable energy per annum, saving 520 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions (equivalent to the electricity consumed by nearly 100 local homes).“We hope the cost savings and benefits obtained by switching to solar will inspire local businesses and residents to follow in our footsteps,” he said.

Central Coast Council will reveal preliminary plans for Scenic Highway Terrigal at a public meeting to be held in the coming weeks.Immediately following the tragic accident that claimed the life of Annabelle Deall in early August, Council inspected the site and started a detailed review of the road.The draft plans, which include improved pedestrian facilities and roadworks designed to slow down traffic, were shown to Federal Member for Robertson, Mrs Lucy Wicks, in late August so she could begin the process to secure federal government black spot funding.Council’s CEO Mr Rob Noble said Council understands and is empathetic to community concerns and is working on designing a plan for this area.“This was a terrible, terrible tragedy, and my heart goes out to Annabelle’s family,“ Mr Noble said.“We have been refining the initial plans and are now in a position to share them with the local community, who have been galvanised by this tragedy.“Driver education and pedestrian awareness remains a key component of reducing fatalities of pedestrians and drivers alike on our roads.  We will continue to partner with the NSW Police in their endeavours to achieve a zero road toll across NSW.”Council will secure the services of an independent facilitator to run a public meeting near the site, possibly at the Cowrie restaurant itself, before the end of the year with details to be revealed shortly.

If you can’t stand the heat in your kitchen this summer, why not get out to eat in one of the Central Coast’s many great restaurants.As the festive season kicks into gear, restaurants across the Central Coast are preparing for a busy period and restauranteur and chef Alessandro Cigola of Osteria A Mano is no exception.“The great thing for Central Coast residents is that there are so many good restaurants across the Coast now, and there is a real variety of places to go,” Alessandro said.A proud participant in the This is the life marketing campaign promoting the Central Coast, Alessandro loves living and raising his young family in our beautiful Central Coast region.“With my one year old son, we love going to the beach and enjoying the bushland areas in our leisure time,” Mr Cigola said.  “It is a really beautiful area, and also close to everything we need.”“There’s a growing sophistication in food on the Central Coast.

Residents in Point Frederick, East Gosford, North Gosford and Springfield can expect cleaner water as Central Coast Council undertakes ice pigging works over a three week period from Thursday 1 December 2016.Council’s Coordinator Water and Sewer Civil Works, Joe Weston, said that the works are an important part of Council’s water mains cleaning program to prevent discoloured water.“Ice pigging involves pumping a thick slurry of ice through the water mains to clean off any sediment and other particles that may build up over time and discolour our water,” said Mr Weston.“It’s a fairly new procedure that Council helped bring into Australia and is very effective as well as environmentally friendly.“During the ice pigging process residents may experience temporary decreases in water pressure and interruptions to their water supply.

With the recent fires raging not so far from the Central Coast, now is the time to make sure we are all fully prepared for the bushfire season officially underway.Council, the Rural Fire Service (RFS) and Fire and Rescue NSW have a range of tools and documents to help you Prepare, Act, Survive.

Central Coast Council Administrator, Ian Reynolds has welcomed the announcement of funding to deliver CCTV cameras for Terrigal and Copacabana as part of the Federal Government’s Safer Streets Programme.In an announcement from Minister for Justice, the Honourable Michael Keenan and Federal Member for Robertson, Lucy Wicks the $550,000 for the project was confirmed.“This is a fantastic result for the communities of Terrigal and Copacabana,” said Mr Reynolds.“Safer Streets funding has already been rolled out through Kariong, Kincumber, Gosford and the Peninsula thanks to first round funding received in September 2014.“The installation of CCTV has gone a long way to ensuring that residents can feel safe in their community while acting as a strong deterrent for anti-social behaviour,” he said.The round two funding will see the installation of 16 new CCTV cameras across a range of locations in Terrigal and Copacabana in addition to upgrading four existing cameras.Installation locations include the Haven, Copacabana Skate Park, the Captain Cook Lookout and shopping strips in both suburbs.Mr Reynolds added that the process to date had included consultation with community representatives and the NSW Police to ensure the project will best meet the needs of the community.“Stakeholder consultation is vital to ensuring a project like this can be as effective as possible.

Time is running out to nominate a community hero for the inaugural Central Coast Council 2017 Australia Day Awards.These awards are open to anyone from across the Central Coast and include the chance to be named the first-ever Central Coast Citizen of the Year.The awards span seven categories and are designed to showcase locals who have shown outstanding dedication to their community, their workplace or the arts, culture and sport.All too often this work goes unrecognised, and these Awards are about shining a spotlight on those who give back to the Central Coast community.The categories for the Central Coast awards include:Arts, Culture and EntertainmentBusiness Connecting CommunitiesCommunity Service and ActivityVolunteer of the YearEnvironmentalSportsperson of the YearYouth of the YearThe Citizen of the Year will be selected from one of the winners of these categories and will display the highest level of skill, talent and service in their chosen field and act as a role model across all facets of the broader community.To be eligible, applicants must be an Australian Citizen and live in the Central Coast Local Government Area.Nominations must be received by 5pm, Friday 25 November 2016.

Artists from all over NSW are invited to enter Gosford Regional Gallery’s Emerging 2017 competition and exhibition.The competition is open to artists aged between 18 and 30, who are asked to submit a body of work across any visual art medium.  With over $9,000 in total prize money, the biennial competition and exhibition showcases the talents of emerging young artists across the state, giving them the opportunity to exhibit a series of works or site-specific installation at the gallery.Gosford Regional Gallery Team Leader, Tim Braham, said Emerging 2017 is an exciting opportunity for young artists to enter and compete across any medium.“Selected finalists will form an exhibition at Gosford Regional Gallery from Saturday 8 April until Sunday 21 May 2017,” said Mr Braham.“This is the eighth year that we have held the Emerging competition and exhibition.

Central Coast Council is helping to bring the Coast community together with a fun International Games Day at Gosford and Lake Haven Library from 10am on Saturday 19 November.This international event gives the community a place to explore adventure games, secret decoding games, the latest tabletop games and check out the diverse range of activities the Libraries have on offer.Council’s Library Services Manager, Ms Andrea Edwards said, Gosford and Lake Haven Libraries will join in with over a thousand libraries around the world which are opening up their libraries on the same day for gaming.“This international initiative is supported by the Australian Library and Information Association, American Library Association and Nordic Game Day.

The award winning Wyong Lakes Festival continues this week with the final weekend expected to draw big crowds for key events.The final couple of days will see outdoor cinemas, obstacle races, street festivals, kayak tours, concerts and more.Council’s Administrator, Mr Ian Reynolds, said the Festival had already proved popular with residents and visitors alike and the final weekend is expected to attract even more people to the area.“The opening weekend saw thousands of people flock to The Entrance for the free concert, breakfast, colour run and stand up paddle board competition as well as compete in the triathlon at Budgewoi,” Mr Reynolds said.“It was great to see so many people flock to our lake’s foreshore to be part of a festival that has something for everyone.“The weather was perfect and the Lakes really took centre stage – they looked pristine!“The Wyong Lakes Festival is a great chance to see the lakes from a different angle and see how beautiful the Coast really is to live, work and play.”Don’t miss out - there is something for everyone in the program designed to entertain, delight and educate.

Local Olympians and Paralympians have today been recognised in a civic reception held at Central Coast Council.Eight athletes and two officials from the Central Coast took part in the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio earlier this year and today’s event acknowledged their representation of our country and our community.Council Administrator Ian Reynolds said the reception provided an opportunity to formally recognise the efforts of our local athletes and officially congratulate them on their extraordinary achievements.“The Rio Games marks 120 years of Australians excelling in Olympic events, wearing the green and gold.

End of year exams are in full swing and Central Coast Council is encouraging students to take advantage of its free online tutoring service.Available through Coast libraries in the North, YourTutor is an online service where students in years 3 to 12 can get study and exam tips and help with assignments from professionals in real time.The service is free for all library members and is available from 3pm to 10pm, Sunday to Friday.Students who are members of the library can log in from any device, anywhere to access the service.Council’s Library Services Coordinator, Ms Andrea Edwards, said help was just a click away and was available in a safe online learning environment on a range of subjects, including English, maths and science, and advice was also given on study skills.“Many parents today are time poor so they struggle to help their children with homework.

An international cricket team will steam in to the Central Coast next week for a game against NSW Country.Central Coast Council has been working with the Central Coast Veterans Cricket Association (aka the Cyclones) to host a match between the NSW Country Over 60s and the touring England Over 60s on Tuesday 22 November at Baker Park, Wyong.Council’s Administrator, Mr Ian Reynolds, said he was really pleased when he heard the Central Coast will be hosting its first international cricket game.“What a great opportunity for the Central Coast to show off our great region to international visitors,” Mr Reynolds said.“We are happy to be working with the Cyclones and are directly sponsoring this international match through one of our grants.“Let’s hope NSW Country give the English team a good run before they take on the Australian team in three one day tests.”Council staff are working hard this week to make sure the oval is in tip top shape for the upcoming match.Baker Park has one of the best turf pitches on the Coast as well as a grand stand for great viewing so spectators won’t miss a ball.Central Coast Seniors Cricket Association President, Mr Bob Newman, was hit for six with the support he has received.“This is the first time Central Coast Cricket has hosted an international match so we wanted to make sure we had the best suited facilities and worked closely with Council to achieve this,” Mr Newman said.“Veteran’s Cricket is the biggest growing demographic in Australia and really highlights the comradery and fellowship we have.“We are lucky enough to have two Coast players representing NSW Country in the game - Doug Trigg and Greig Buscombe, with Doug named as captain!“All-round, this will be a massive day for Veteran’s Cricket on the Central Coast.