Central Coast Council will celebrate strong post-merger development activity this festive season.A combination of increased investment and decreased assessment times has resulted in an overall investment of over $600 million into the Central Coast region since the new Council was formed in May.Council Administrator, Mr Ian Reynolds, said that the latest figures were a promising sign of things to come in 2017.“These results are particularly pleasing, given all the hard work of our development assessment teams since the merger was announced in May,” said Mr Reynolds.“Amidst the many changes taking place internally, their commitment to getting the job done and facilitating appropriate development right across the region has been second to none.“In addition to the great results this year, there is currently over $500 million worth of development projects to go before the Joint Regional Planning Panel for their determination in the new year.”Council’s Group Leader of Environment and Planning, Mr Scott Cox, said that while the 2016 results were positive, there is always room for improvement.“This is the beginning of a significant journey for us in development assessment, improving the way we operate and ultimately, promoting sustainable growth and investment right across the Central Coast,” said Mr Cox.“Since the merger announcement, Council has determined 1837 Development Applications – compared to 1600 in the 7 months prior to amalgamation across the two former Councils.“We’ve also seen an increase in Section 96 determinations, with 396 applications processed post-merger.“The benefits of changes in our processes are already being realised with the median determination times down as the development teams come together.Council’s current median determination time sits at 38 days, below the State Government benchmark of 40 days.The largest Development Applications determined since amalgamation are for mixed use and commercial buildings in the Gosford CBD including Creightons, Ikon Tower, the Australian Taxation Office building and Duttons.A Developer’s Forum is planned for Monday 27 February 2017 to explore ways Council can better work with the industry to facilitate development opportunities on the Central Coast to meet our growing housing and employment needs.

New signage and road pavement line marking will be installed at Scenic Highway at Terrigal starting tonight.The move is in response to concerns raised by residents who attended a public meeting on Monday 19 December.Four 50km an hour signs will be replaced with larger signs and five new signs will be installed from Terrigal Esplanade to Charles Kay Drive.  Six new 50km indicators will also be printed on the road surface itself.This signage is to make it very clear to drivers the speed limit along this busy road is 50km an hour.Council is also currently getting additional information on the number of vehicles and  speeds along the road and will work with Police to reduce the incidences of speeding.Council is entering into discussion with Ausgrid to relocate a power pole and a number of trees just east of Bellevue Crescent to improve sight lines for drivers approaching this intersection with Scenic Highway.At the community meeting on Monday, Council unveiled plans to upgrade Scenic Highway at the intersection with Bellevue Crescent, including a pedestrian refuge, a footpath on both sides of Scenic Highway, removal of trees, lowering of an embankment, street lighting and parking restrictions.Community comment is now being sought on the plans which can be viewed at haveyoursaycentralcoast.nsw.gov.au.  Submissions will be received up until Friday 3 February 2017.

This holiday season, Central Coast Council is again joining forces with the Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation to help promote its important road safety campaign.The foundation was established in 2014 after the tragic death of Tom McLaughlin in a pedestrian accident during a family holiday at MacMasters Beach.Council Administrator, Mr Ian Reynolds said the Holiday time:

Please be advised that a number of road closures will be in place in Gosford and The Entrance on Saturday 31 December 2016, as we celebrate New Year's Eve.GosfordCentral Coast Highway between Moore Street and Masons Parade (including the Brian McGowan Bridge) will be closed to traffic from 6pm – 11pm.

Residents are advised that Central Coast Council will be closed for the Christmas and New Year period, from Monday 26 December 2016 until Monday 2 January 2017 (inclusive).Essential services will continue during the closure, including waste collection, water treatment and lifeguards.For any urgent council-related emergencies during the period such as water main breaks, residents can contact 4325 8222 (Gosford office) or 4350 5555 (Wyong office) 24-hours a day.Limited services will also be available on Friday 23 December, as systems maintenance is undertaken.Council Libraries in the north (Tuggerah, Lake Haven, The Entrance, Bateau Bay, Toukley and Gwandalan branches) will close at 12pm.Additionally, Libraries in the south (Erina, Gosford, Kariong, Kincumber, Umina and Woy Woy branches) will cease operations at 2pm.Council’s Customer Service Centres will also close at 12pm in the north and 2pm in the south to accommodate these important scheduled works.Central Coast Council management and staff would like to wish residents a safe and merry Christmas and a happy New Year.For more information contact 4325 8222 or 4350 5555, go to centralcoast.nsw.gov.au or follow Council on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

With the festive season upon us, there are plenty of opportunities to get out and about and celebrate with family and friends on the Central Coast.Central Coast Council is supporting a number of events for families and friends to celebrate the past year.Council’s Administrator, Mr Ian Reynolds, said there’s plenty to enjoy, starting this weekend at The Entrance.“Memorial Park at The Entrance will be lit up on Christmas Eve as thousands flock for the annual Carols by Candlelight,” Mr Reynolds said.“It’s set to be another spectacular night by the water with rides, entertainment and of course the Christmas Carols we all love, followed by a spectacular fireworks display.“It’s a great time of the year to remember and celebrate what’s great about living here on the Coast.”The annual carnival will be back operating from 6pm from Boxing Day along the Gosford waterfront, full of rides for all ages or bring a picnic rug along to the Gosford Leagues Club field to enjoy the New Year’s Eve fireworks.Residents and visitors will be able to bring in the New Year with a bang starting with the Gosford Races at Midday.At Central Coast Stadium the New Year’s Eve Mariners game against Melbourne Victory will kick off at 7pm.Council will also welcome in the New Year with live entertainment, stalls, rides and a fireworks display by the waterfront at Memorial Park, The Entrance, from midday.Council’s Group Leader Connected Communities, Ms Julie Vaughan, said with all these great activities available, make sure you have a Plan B to get home.“The best night out starts with a plan to get home safely, and we have a guide to help,” Ms Vaughan said.“If you don’t have a designated driver organised, check out the Late Night Transport Guide - it provides a full list of phone numbers on the Central Coast for courtesy bus services, taxis and local timetables for trains and buses.”Council would like to wish all residents and visitors a very happy Christmas and a safe and joyful New Year.Visit liquoraccords.org.au/transport-links/ to help with a Plan B and for more information on transport options.

A landmark ruling today by the Land and Environment Court of NSW has given the green light to the Australian Taxation Office proposed for Gosford.Earlier today the Court dismissed an appeal by the Gosford Waterfront Alliance.This will provide more certainly for employment prospects in Gosford CBD.

Amphibian Aerospace Industries (AAI) has lodged a Development Application (DA) for the first stage of a new aircraft manufacturing facility at Central Coast Airport.The DA seeks consent to erect an aircraft hangar with a roof area of 2760 square metres and related works including temporary parking.The estimated value of the proposed development is $3M.AAI has previously stated it will invest a total of $100 million in setting up the full manufacturing facility.Details about the DA can be found on Council’s website.

A range of works associated with Central Coast sporting fields have been carried out from Woy Woy to Woongarrah.The assortment of projects will assist with participation in summer sports, while also preparing playing surfaces for next year’s demanding winter season.Council Administrator, Mr Ian Reynolds said the program of upgrades, in combination with regular maintenance, was important for the region’s sporting infrastructure.“Our maintenance schedule is comprehensive and ensures playing surfaces are in the best possible shape for local sporting clubs,” said Mr Reynolds.“We are home to a fantastic sporting culture here on the Central Coast and as a Council we want to provide the community with first-class sporting facilities to support that.”In the south, synthetic cricket wickets were resurfaced at McKillop Oval, Kariong Oval and Ettalong Oval as well as all playing fields receiving significant rejuvenation works.“Rejuvenation works generally involve weed spraying, aeration, fertilisation and in some cases turfing – depending on the needs of each location and the sports predominately played there,” added Mr Reynolds.“Many of our cricketers have new synthetic playing surfaces for the summer, while footballers of all codes will hit the ground running with lush, well-prepared surfaces for the 2017 season.”Council’s Group Leader of Assets, Infrastructure and Business, Mr Mike Dowling said consistent and effective management of playing surfaces can reap greater efficiency within maintenance teams.“It’s a year-round job, our fields always require upkeep and crews do a fantastic job providing this service to the community,” said Mr Dowling.“In combination with regular rejuvenation works, we’ve been utilising a number of techniques to naturally improve drainage - increasing turf growth and drought tolerance.“Sporting fields in the north including Chittaway Oval and Baker Park are also part of an intensive works upgrade program with subsoil drainage being installed.“Healthy, well-maintained playing surfaces reduce ground closures due to wet weather, facilitates faster recovery rates and reduces maintenance costs moving forward.”

School holidays are almost upon us and Central Coast Council’s libraries have plenty of fun educational activities to keep the kids entertained.Highlights of this year’s activities include a workshop on 3D Printing and Design, a Japanese ghost show and a workshop on how to prepare for the HSC.Council’s Library Services Section Manager, Ms Andrea Edwards, said there was an array of events on offer catering to children as young as three as well as tween and young adult interests.“We have everything from a 3D print and design workshop and computer game workshops to music sessions where children can learn to play the ukulele and dance the samba,” Ms Edwards said.“If previous holiday sessions are anything to go by these events are sure to book out quickly, so I’d encourage interested parents to book in as soon as possible!“These holidays we are offering discounted prices for our members for select events.”“Simply visit any one of our branches to join in person or visit our website to join online anywhere, anytime.”Participants for the 3D Printing and Design workshop on 17 January at 10am at Blue Haven Community Centre need to create a Tinkercard before the workshop and bring their own laptops that can connect to WiFi.Led by Howard Wood from 3D Printing Studios, the workshop includes learning about the different technologies used for the 3D printing process and designing a pen that will be posted to participants after the workshop.Sean Murphy’s Ghost Jam Comedy Show was very well received when it was premiered at the Sydney Fringe Festival in September, and he will be premiering it on the Coast on 24 January at 2pm at Tuggerah Library.This free event is based on traditional Japanese ghost stories that most people have not heard before and has some fun and scary moments that will delight kids and adults alike.

We love our sport on the Central Coast and we’re home to a talented and vibrant sporting community at all levels.Council is committed to providing the best facilities and playing surfaces year-round, and we have been carrying out a comprehensive maintenance and improvement program to ensure the best quality grounds for local sport.Sporting fields have been resurfaced, rejuvenated, returfed and regraded as part of a range of works from Woy Woy to Woongarrah.The works will assist our sporting codes during the summer, while also preparing playing surfaces for next year’s demanding winter season.Significant rejuvenation works involving weed spraying, aeration, fertilisation and, in some cases, turfing has been done to meet the specific needs of each ground and the sports predominately played there.The benefits of these works have already been seen in locations across the region, with reductions in ground closures due to wet weather, faster recovery rates for playing surfaces and a decrease in the need for ongoing maintenance.Crews have been busy at Bill Sohier Park and EDSACC Oval with work also scheduled for Darren Kennedy, Blue Haven, Hamlyn Terrace, Wadalba, Woongarrah and Jubilee ovals over the coming weeks.The maintenance work has been focused on naturally improving drainage, increasing turf growth and improving drought tolerance.At McKillop, Kariong and Ettalong ovals, synthetic cricket wickets have also resurfaced.In addition, we have upgraded the carpark facilities at Hylton Moore Oval and recently finalised a community art installation at Woy Woy Oval.The new mural depicts unity and our local sporting history, overlooking the recently redeveloped sports field.Measuring 36 metres in length and three metres high, the mural is made up of 24 colour printed steel panels, featuring a pelican symbol surrounded by around 100 original photographs of the Peninsula’s sporting culture from the past 65 years.We have just finished major drainage and irrigation upgrade works at Gavenlock Oval, Rogers Park and Chittaway Oval, with works scheduled to start at Baker Park in January.The new systems will assist our sporting fields in dealing with extreme weather conditions and support quality playing surfaces for the entire season.It will also support the maintenance of surfaces during long periods of dry weather thanks to a highly effective and efficient irrigation system.The improvement works at Gavenlock Oval, Baker Park and Chittaway Oval have been completed in partnership with Central Coast Football - who contributed $140,000 to the projects.Works have been finalised at Chittaway Oval, while the Rogers Park upgrade is currently underway, with Baker Park scheduled to reopen in April.Across the Central Coast, we maintain more than 75 sports fields, 12 multi-purpose courts, three netball facilities and a wide range of other sporting facilities, such as a Disc Golf course.Investing in our sports grounds, facilities and amenities is a key priority of Council as it helps promote an active, healthy and connected community.

Central Coast Council has extended the public consultation period for new planning controls for the Gosford CBD until Friday January 20, 2017.The planning controls seeking to move the commercial core of the CBD to Kibble Park, create a living city and revitalise the CBD have generated a great deal of community interest.Council is planning on holding and information session on the Development Control Plan (DCP) in the New Year, with details to follow.The amended Gosford DCP can be viewed online at haveyoursaycentralcoast.com.au, under Items on Public Exhibition or at Council’s Office in Mann Street and Libraries.

A fantastic new 500 square metre playground for kids of all ages is now open at popular holiday spot The Entrance.Central Coast Council has invested $500,000 in the colourful new play space which is right next to the much loved Vera’s Water Garden.The new playground has multiple climbing stations, tunnels, a seated merry-go-round, an in-ground trampoline and the classic old favourite, hopscotch.It also has synthetic grass mounds and a rock climbing wall and slide, all surrounded by spongy soft fall and shaded with shade cloths.There’s plenty of seating for parents to sit and watch their kids play against the backdrop of the Pacific Ocean.“My kids tried it out and they loved it!

A new mural depicting unity and our local sporting history has been installed at the recently redeveloped Woy Woy Oval.From Wednesday 14 December, passers-by and spectators visiting the Oval can expect to see the eye-catching community project, which has taken more than eight months to produce and over six weeks to construct.Measuring 36 metres long and three metres high, the installation is made up of 24 colour printed steel panels that, when constructed, feature a pelican symbol surrounded by approximately 100 original photographs of the Peninsula’s sport culture over the past 65 years.In February 2016, more than 1,200 primary school children from Woy Woy Public School, Umina Beach Public School and St John the Baptist Catholic School united on Woy Woy Oval to create the pelican symbol.

A day out on the water with Tim Conway at Central Coast Ferries and his friendly companion Milo the chocolate Labrador is a day to remember.Tim is a seventh generation ship’s captain whose family has been operating ferry services on Central Coast waters for 25 years.With the opportunity to be on the water every day, well, Tim nails it when he says "there’s something about being on the water – the sights and smells.

Drainage and irrigation upgrade works are underway at a number of popular sporting fields around the Central Coast.Gavenlock Oval, Rogers Park, Chittaway Oval and Baker Park will all have new systems in place by the end of the summer season.Council’s Administrator, Ian Reynolds said the new systems will assist our sporting fields in dealing with extreme weather conditions“The new drainage and irrigation will allow playing surfaces to recover much quicker after rain periods, significantly reducing ground closures and helping to maintain a quality playing surface for the entire season.“It will reduce maintenance costs moving forward and importantly, it will assist with the maintenance of surfaces during long periods of dry weather - with a highly effective and efficient irrigation system.”Works at Gavenlock Oval, Baker Park and Chittaway Oval have been completed in partnership with Central Coast Football - who contributed $140,000 to the projects.Central Coast Football’s Chief Executive Officer, Darren Sprod said the partnership with Council was important for the local football community.“As a major user of council sporting grounds it is important that we partner and invest with council to deliver better facilities for our footballers,” said Mr Sprod.“We have worked with council to have drainage installed at a number of grounds over the past few years and are seeing the benefits in reduced downtime after rain events.”“This year we are investing in Gavenlock Oval, Baker Park and Chittaway Oval to assist council in completing these important works.”Mr Reynolds added that the oval upgrades are an excellent example of Council working with the community to achieve a common goal.“Central Coast Football has been exceptional during the duration of this project and I’d like to thank Darren and his team for their support,” Mr Reynolds said.“The working relationship we have with Central Coast Football is invaluable as we continue to develop and improve sporting infrastructure across the region.”Works have been finalised at Chittaway Oval, while the Rogers Park upgrade is currently underway, with Baker Park scheduled for completion in early February.

Crowne Plaza at Terrigal is the new venue for a public meeting to review potential road works in part of Scenic Highway on Monday 19 December 2016.The public meeting will commence at 5.30pm, will be run by an independent facilitator, and be held at the Forresters Room at the Crowne Plaza.The venue for the public meeting has been changed to better accommodate the number of interested community members expected to attend.

Central Coast Council is delivering key infrastructure projects on time and on budget according to a progress report presented at last week’s Council meeting.Roads, water, drainage and community facilities were the big ticket items in the first ever Central Coast Council Operational Plan, adopted on 29 June 2016 which outlined its annual spend, including management of more than $11 billion of assets.Council’s Administrator Mr Reynolds acknowledged the vision and hard work of the former Councils that have carried over into the new Council with a focus on delivering projects the community need, want and value.“We’ve reached some major milestones, including the opening of Bato Yard skate park in August, which has already attracted three majoring sporting events to the Coast, and the construction of shared pathway to connect locals with this new park,” Mr Reynolds said.“The Art House opening in May – was in fact one of my very first tasks as Administrator here and was the realisation of a long term dream and then plan by the former Wyong Shire Council.“The $8 million redevelopment of Woy Woy Oval grandstand has also added to the sporting infrastructure on the Coast.“An $8.25 million project to install a new odour control system at the Wyong South wastewater treatment plant will help secure the water supply to the growing population in the north of the Coast.”Central Coast Council manages some 2000 kilometres of roads and has completed a wide range of road works since the amalgamation.

A small section of Yarramalong Road in Wyong Creek will be reduced to single-lane to allow for works to be undertaken to stabilise a rock cutting damaged during the storms in June.Retaining Specialists Pty Ltd will be repairing rock face at a site approximately 100 metres west of 1146 Yarramalong Road on behalf of Council starting on Monday 12 December.One lane of the road will be closed, with traffic controls in place.

Summer signals the end of another school year and the start of a big stretch of holidays, when many of our kids like to get out and about and enjoy the extra time with their friends and family.As the Coast is a popular holiday spot, there will be more people at our facilities and on the roads as local children enjoy the outdoors, families get extra visitors and tourists flock to the region.Council is again joining forces with the Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation (LBDF) to help promote its important road safety campaign: