Kariong Library will relocate to new premises in a move that will improve serviceability to the community at a reduced operating cost.After 16 years at its current location, Kariong Library will relocate to a new space in the Council owned Hill Youth Centre, 98 Mitchell Drive, Kariong on Tuesday 31 March.To ensure a smooth relocation, the existing Kariong Library branch will be closed from Tuesday 17 March.

Central Coast Council has announced it is working with multiple providers to deliver 100 Gigabit per second connectivity to the Central Coast.Access to a 100Gb/s connection will enable high-speed, high-performance fibre optic data network for Central Coast businesses, providing access to 100Gb/s data speeds and a range of high performance services.Council CEO Gary Murphy said this enabling infrastructure was a key component of Council’s strategy to generate economic returns for the Central Coast."We will partner with a commercial provider to install the 100Gb/s network to give business on the coast a distinct competitive advantage."We are confident in the coast’s affordability, lifestyle, natural beauty and welcoming community making it a desirable destination.   Being able to enable better business digital infrastructure is a game changer,” said Mr Murphy.The 100Gb/s network moves business traffic from the internet to dedicated links and interconnects.   It helps businesses overcome cloud connectivity issues due to ever-increasing domestic traffic caused by streaming television, online gaming, and high definition multimedia.  It provides another choice for cloud connectivity for businesses.“Council is involved for more reasons than facilitating a competitive business edge,” said Mr Murphy. "44,200 Central coast residents live the commuter life daily.   This means over a quarter of our workforce commute outside the Central Coast.  The impacts of this are beyond travelling time to and from work – sometimes up to five hours per day - whether by car or public transport.  Our research shows leaving the coast for work can impact on family and social relationships, mental health wellbeing and community betterment.  This all has serious impacts on the quality of life for our residents.  That is why Council is driving this initiative,” said Mr Murphy.Mr Murphy added that research showed more than fifty per cent of commuters could do their work remotely, or if better enabled, their businesses could be predominantly based on the Central Coast.“As a snapshot, the potential impact to local businesses per day from the loss of the commuting population has been calculated as $400,000 in coffee and lunches, and $35,000 in haircuts daily.  This is a significant loss for Central Coast businesses in that money not being spent here on the coast.  “There are many other multiplier economic impacts such as business supplier chains and health service providers that could impact from more residents being able to work physically on the coast instead of commuting.

Funding commitments identified for the Central CoastCouncil has identified funding commitments for the Central Coast region from the New South Wales and Federal Governments in 2019 as a welcome development but says more needs to be done to ensure promises are delivered for the community.The bulk of the funding – $387million dollars will be invested in the duplication of the Central Coast Highway between Wamberal and Bateau Bay, which will see a dual carriageway along the full route between the M1 Pacific Motorway at Kariong and Bateau Bay, easing congestion and improving safety for motorists who use this section of the Highway each day.Mayor Lisa Matthews said Council will continue to work with all levels of outcomes to deliver for the Central Coast community.“It’s fantastic that both the New South Wales and Federal Governments have recognised that the Central Coast is a growing region in its own right,” Mayor Matthews said.“These funds are important to help us deliver important infrastructure to our community, and we look forward to seeing these projects and associated benefits come to fruition in the coming years.”Council secures funding in December quarterCouncil staff sourced, developed and successfully received grants from the NSW and Australian Government across a broad range of areas in the December quarter.A report covering the period of October-December 2019 identified that $338,600 in funding was allocated to 19 projects, bringing the value of grants in the first two quarters to more than $9.9million dollars.Mayor Lisa Matthews said Council will continue to apply for funding from the NSW and Federal Governments in order to continue to deliver important projects for the Central Coast Community.“It has been a huge effort from staff which has resulted in many elaborate andthoroughly considered expressions of interests, business cases and applications being submitted,” Mayor Matthews said.“It’s important that we advocate for funding and grant opportunities wherever we can to help us deliver on our goal of delivering services, programs and infrastructure for our community.”Council calls on State Government to allocate $50M to permanent solution for The Entrance ChannelFollowing a Mayoral Minute, Council will call on the State Government to allocate $50million from the 2020-2021 state budget towards a permanent solution for The Entrance Channel.Council acknowledged the ongoing clean-up efforts and support provided by Council Staff, community groups and volunteers following the recent floods on the Central Coast.Council noted that as of 27 February, 4,200 tonnes of additional storm waste has been sent to Council waste facilities collected from affected properties, 2,500 tonnes of wrack has been cleared from our foreshores and over 1,200 tonnes of debris has been collected from Central Coast beaches, with more expected to be cleared over the coming weeks.The 2018-19 audited financial statements for Central Coast Council and Central Coast Council Water Supply Authority functions presented to CouncilThe NSW Audit Office has issued unqualified audit opinions however noted a breach of the Environment Planning and Assessment Act 1979 from a self-reported error with administration fees which was corrected in the 2018-19 financial statements for Council.Central Coast Council 2018-19 fast facts:total income from continuing operations of $637.3millionnet operating surplus of $62.4million including capital grants and contributionsnet operating deficit of $5.1million excluding capital grants and contributionsnet assets increased to $7.2billion with Infrastructure, Property, Plant and Equipment totalling $7.1billionexceeded the Office of Local Government performance measures for own source operating revenue ratio, unrestricted current ratio, debt service cover ratio and cash expense cover ratioexceeded the building and infrastructure renewals ratio.Council’s Water Supply Authority 2018-19 fast facts:total income from continuing operations of $227.4millionnet operating surplus of $31.3million including capital grants and contributionsnet operating surplus of $5.4million excluding capital grants and contributionsnet assets of $3.6billion with Infrastructure, Property, Plant and Equipment totalling $3.7billion.Community facilities review concludesCouncil has developed a new Draft Facilities Leasing and Licencing Policy following an extensive review of the use and management of all community facilities.The review focused on the use and management of community facilities that operate under lease, licence, hire and volunteer models, consisting of over 300 community facilitiesDuring the review process community engagement was encouraged through stakeholder discussions, workshops and the opportunity to participate in an online survey.Mayor Lisa Matthews said the review was important to provide clear equity across Council’s portfolio of community facilities in a consistent and transparent manner.“Our community facilities provide opportunities for sport, recreation, cultural activities, events, meeting spaces, social gatherings, learning, volunteering and business premises,” Mayor Matthews said.“Council is committed to continue to provide community facilities at an affordable rate and to keep them maintained to a standard the community expects.”The new Draft Facilities Leasing and Licencing Policy is a good news story for the community with many organisations providing vital services and programs through the wide range of community facilities that are leased, licenced or hired.The Draft Facilities Leasing and Licencing Policy will be placed on public exhibition for a period of 60 days to enable community feedback.Outcomes of Urban Spatial Plan consultationCouncil considered the outcomes of the draft Urban Spatial Plan (USP) community consultation and public exhibition which was completed late 2019.More than 170 submissions were received online throughout the consultation process with stakeholders and the public also engaging through community information sessions.Community feedback and the USP will provide an initial framework for the development of the Central Coast’s first Local Strategic Planning Statement (LSPS).The LSPS will focus on the vision and planning priorities for land use planning in the region over the next 20 years and together with Council’s Community Strategic Plan (CSP) will identify the long-term social, environmental and economic aspirations of the community and provide a clear direction for growth that will inform future strategic plans and planning instruments.Mayor Lisa Matthews said the Community Strategic Plan or ‘One Central Coast’ is a platform to build a region that all Central Coast Community members can be proud of.“The upcoming LSPS is an opportunity for the community to have their say and engage as we seek to make the Central Coast an even more liveable and desirable place to call home,” Mayor Matthews said.Council defers decision on consolidated planning controlsCouncil recommend changes to the draft Central Coast Local Environment Plan (CCLEP) and Central Coast Development Control Plan (CCDCP) and deferred its decision on the Plans.Councillors will receive a further briefing on the draft CCLEP and CCDCP and Councillors and Staff will meet with Department of Planning, Industry and Environment to discuss and outline a process to take key strategic planning processes forward.The draft CCLEP and CCDCP were developed following a period of public consultation, which generated over 700 written submissions.The purpose of the Plans is to consolidate and harmonise planning controls across the region and simplify planning processes and is the first stage in the Central Coast Comprehensive LEP Review.

As part of its commitment to continual improvement, Central Coast Council is inviting community feedback on leisure and lifestyle facilities across the region.Community members can share their insights on Council’s leisure centres and pools, theatres and galleries and all Council-owned facilities by completing simple online or hard-copy surveys.Council Director Connected Communities, Julie Vaughan said Council is seeking to discover what is working well and areas for improvement.“Our numerous facilities across the Coast are well utilised by our community and we want to find out what we should keep doing and ideas for how the customer experience could be enhanced,” Ms Vaughan said.“The last surveys were completed in 2018 and we’ve addressed much of the community feedback provided, including a range of capital upgrades, improved programs and services.“For 2020 we have added a community facilities survey, which will give locals the chance to provide feedback on a range of facilities including community halls, community centres, youth centres, senior centres, sporting complexes and tennis facilities.”Community members can complete surveys on the following:Leisure Centres and PoolsLaycock Street Community TheatreGosford Regional Gallery and Edogawa Commemorative GardenCommunity FacilitiesFeedback from surveys will be used to guide funding and resourcing decisions and to shape a number of key decisions including construction projects, programs offered and marketing.Mayor Lisa Matthews said Council is committed to ensuring its cultural venues, assets and facilities are the best they can possibly be.“We have so many fantastic leisure and lifestyle facilities across the Coast and these surveys are an opportunity for us to check in with the community to identify strengths and opportunities, and shape plans for the future,” Mayor Matthews said.Community members have until Tuesday 31 March 2020 to complete the surveys which are available at yourvoiceourcoast.com/llcustomersatisfaction

Small businesses can discover how to slash their water, sewage and trade waste costs, thanks to Central Coast Council’s new business water conservation education program. Using a range of “smart” technology and physical plumbing audits, Council will help businesses monitor how they use water and identify areas of waste, including hidden leaks. Council’s Director Water and Sewer, Jamie Loader said the new program will not only help small businesses to reduce their utility costs and increase their profits but will also help further secure the region’s water supply. “We already work with big businesses which use high volumes of water, and now we would like to provide practical water-saving tips for smaller businesses,” Mr Loader said. “With more than 23,000 businesses on the Coast, a small water saving for each business can add up to a large saving for the region.” As part of the program, a “smart” water logger will be installed for up to two months on the business’ water meter.

In light of the advice from the Australian Government regarding COVID-19, Central Coast Council has made the difficult decision to cancel Flavours by the Sea.

Central Coast Council is committed to working closely with the community and police in 2020 to reduce illegal graffiti across the Central Coast.Council Director Connected Communities, Julie Vaughan said Council continues to offer free graffiti removal kits to help the community to tackle graffiti.“It’s important to remember that graffiti is an act of vandalism and should be reported directly to police via the Police Assistance Line on 131 444,” Ms Vaughan said.“Removing graffiti as quickly as possible not only makes the process much easier, it reduces the likelihood that offenders will recommit.“Council is seeking to make graffiti removal as easy as possible by continuing to offer free graffiti removal kits to our community – the kits are available at all our libraries and our customer service centres.“The kits provide the chemicals and equipment needed to remove graffiti from your own property or, with permission, the properties of friends and neighbours.“Council is responsible for the removal of graffiti on our facilities and we encourage community members to notify Council if they observe graffiti on any of our properties.”Mayor Lisa Matthews said wiping out illegal graffiti across the Central Coast was a top priority for Council.“Graffiti can affect business, tourism, neighbourhood amenity and safety which is why we need to work together with police, businesses and the community to stamp it out,” Mayor Matthews said.“We all have a part to play by reporting it when we see it and if it is on your own property you can pick up a free kit and remove it straight away.”                                                                                           Free graffiti removal kits are available from all Central Coast libraries and Council’s Gosford and Wyong customer service centres.

Central Coast Council is encouraging residents to celebrate the first Australia Day of the 2020s by attending a fun-filled, family-oriented day at one of the special events across the region.Council Unit Manager Community Partnerships, Glenn Cannard said vibrant events at Canton Beach, Woy Woy and The Entrance will celebrate all things Australian.“The devastating bush fire situation our nation is facing has seen so many incredible demonstrations of what it means to be Australian and Australia Day is an opportunity for us all to come together and celebrate our country,” Mr Cannard said.“We have three great Australia Day events across the Coast – each is jam-packed with fun and entertainment for the entire family.“If you’re looking to kick-off celebrations early, head to Canton Beach foreshore on 25 January where you can satisfy your appetite with a dazzling array of foods, be entertained by live music, and engage in a number of activities.“Head to Woy Woy to be entertained by a fantastic artists including headliner Live Baby Live:

The new wharf at Spencer on the Central Coast will open to boaters this weekend as part of a key wharf implementation project to increase safety and accessibility on the Hawkesbury River.NSW Maritime Executive Director Mark Hutchings said the NSW Government’s Boating Now program provides $98million in grants to provide NSW boaters with better and safer access to NSW waterways with upgrades and new infrastructure such as boat ramps, jetties, pontoons, car parks and sewage pump-out facilities.“This project demonstrates how the NSW Government and local council can work together to provide boating infrastructure for boaters accessing the popular Hawkesbury River,” Mr Hutchings said.Central Coast Council Director Roads, Transport, Drainage and Waste, Boris Bolgoff said the $317,515 project was co-funded by the NSW Government and Central Coast Council and involved removal of the existing timber structure, building a new gangway, pilings, floating pontoon and solar lighting.“The Central Coast community can look forward to enjoying this new facility with increased visibility and accessibility in a variety of tides and weather conditions well into the future,” Mr Bolgoff said.“Spencer is located on the Hawkesbury River and this new wharf is already being utilised to assist in launching powered vessels and non-powered vessels such as kayaks by the local community.”Central Coast Council Mayor Lisa Matthews said the new Spencer Wharf is delivering significant benefits for the local community.“This fantastic new amenity is helping Spencer locals and visitors to enjoy our beautiful waterways,” Mayor Matthews said. “Central Coast Council is pleased to work with the NSW Government through the Boating Now program to deliver new services and infrastructure to our community.“The new wharf at Spencer is a great example of what can be achieved in partnership with the NSW Government.”Information on maritime infrastructure funding and other projects can be found at rms.nsw.gov.au/boatingnow

Applications for Central Coast Council’s second round of Community Grants and Sponsorship funding for 2019/20 are opening soon.