Fun and informative cycling focussed activities are on offer for the Central Coast community as part of Bike Week 2019.Council Director Connected Communities, Julie Vaughan said Bike Week is a fantastic NSW Government initiative and Council is thrilled to be offering the Central Coast community a great line-up of activities for all age and ability levels.“Bike Week is the perfect opportunity to learn or refine essential skills to ride safely and to maintain your bike,” Ms Vaughan said.“Cycling is a practical transport mode to access work, study and services and a great way to get active and to enjoy our beautiful region using our cycleways and shared pathways – there’s nothing quite like taking in our scenic waterways whilst riding a bike.”Mayor Jane Smith said cycling is a great way to improve community health and wellbeing and is an environmentally friendly transport mode that enhances the liveability and sustainability of the Central Coast.“If you’re keen to use cycling for fun, to get active or to get around, Bike Week is a way to get started,” Mayor Smith said.“Council will continue to invest in new shared pathways and upgrade current ones to ensure our community can cycle safely right around the Coast.”Bike Week runs from 21-29 September and includes a series of activities to promote safe cycling on the Central Coast:Learn to Ride Workshop – Saturday 21 September, 9.30-10am or 10.15-10.45am, PalmdaleCycling Skills Workshop – Saturday 21 September, 11am-12.30pm, PalmdaleBicycle Maintenance Workshop – Saturday 21 September, 1-2.30pm, PalmdaleStorytime at our libraries – Monday 23 September – Friday 27 SeptemberPaddle to Pedal Tour – Friday 27 September, 9am-3pm, Woy WoyCentral Coast Council’s Bike Week activities will provide an opportunity for the community to participate in organised bicycle events in a safe and supported environment.Community members can find out more information about Bike Week activities by visiting centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/whats-on

Council is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of The Entrance Community Centre by hosting an open day on Tuesday 10 September.The community is invited to attend the special event which will include market and food stalls, an art exhibition, Men’s Shed BBQ, Aboriginal smoking ceremony, performances by The Entrance Public School and music.

Central Coast Council is helping undergraduates build their careers and work alongside professionals in a range of fields, from Engineering to Social Sciences.

Central Coast Council is calling on residents to be water-wise by “living to 150L” and has launched new online tools to help them do just that.“Love water:

NSW’s largest indigenous sporting event is coming to the Central Coast over the October long weekend - bringing an abundance of sports entertainment and tourists to our region.

Resident pet owners on the Central Coast are encouraged to have their furry friends microchipped for free at Central Coast Council’s microchipping day on 14 September.

Council is moving forward to deliver a new sporting and recreation complex for the north to meet the needs of this growing community and to promote healthy and active lifestyles.The Colongra Sporting Complex site spans across 2 hectares on Scenic Drive and is surrounded by an abundance of bushland whilst still being conveniently located for the neighbouring residents of San Remo, Blue Haven, Halekulani and Budgewoi.This exciting new facility will include two new turfed sporting fields, three netball courts, sporting amenities building with accessible toilets, playspace, carpark, pathways and access road.This project was initiated prior to the amalgamation of Council, following community consultation that led to detailed design plans being developed.  During the planning stage, two viable sites were identified for this project with the Scenic Drive site being most suitable with the least environmental impact.

Central Coast Council is inviting the community to have their say on the Urban Spatial Plan which establishes a 20 year strategic framework to tackle the challenges of our growing population.The framework, called the Urban Spatial Plan, aims to deliver the housing diversity, transport improvements, infrastructure upgrades and economic and social vitality required by our community, whilst protecting the Coast’s natural attributes and our quality of life.Council Director, Environment and Planning, Scott Cox said development of the Urban Spatial Plan was an important step in setting a clear direction for growth across the coast in order to support the region’s forecast population growth.“The population of the Central Coast is expected to grow to 415,000 by 2036, with as many as 75,000 new residents living in the region,” Mr Cox said.“The Urban Spatial Plan establishes a framework for how we manage this growth in a balanced and sustainable way, enabling urban growth within existing centres, planned precincts and corridors whilst preserving the coastal lifestyle and environment we value so much.“Our direction for growth promotes Gosford Regional Centre as the central connection point of the many coastal and hinterland centres with a networked transport system that connects the community to the services they need.“It addresses six key initiatives across the region including housing, transport and infrastructure, planning for open space and community and creating a sustainable environment with resilient communities.“It also outlines how we will work with the NSW Government to activate Gosford as the capital of the Central Coast with supporting strategic centres at Woy Woy, Erina, Tuggerah, Wyong and Warnervale and how we will drive the coastal economy through planning for new and innovative industries to choose the coast to be their home and grow regionally competitive tourism destinations across the entire Central Coast,” Mr Cox said.The Urban Spatial Plan represents the first step towards defining a Local Strategic Planning Statement for the region and aligns with what our community have already told us they want through the Community Strategic Plan.Mayor Jane Smith said the Plan is the blueprint of what the Coast will look like in the future and it is crucial the community is involved.“This is Council’s vision for sustainable development on the Coast – meeting the needs of our current residents whilst planning for the future,” Mayor Smith said.“We need to accommodate growth whilst enhancing the local character of neighbourhoods and protecting the natural environment that the community has told us are important to them.“We want our community to be a part of that vision.

Central Coast Council is inviting the community to have their say on the draft Community Participation Plan (CPP) now on exhibition.The draft CPP will work alongside the Central Coast Engagement Framework, adopted by Council in January 2017, to ensure the community continues to be informed about planning matters and development proposals that affect them, as well as have meaningful and considered opportunities to participate in strategic planning.Council Director Scott Cox said the draft Plan had been designed to make participation in planning clearer for the Central Coast community by identifying opportunities and timeframes available for community input on strategy development, plan making and proposed development decisions.“It also details our community participation objectives including utilising the knowledge, ideas and expertise of our community, improving the processes that generate two-way engagement and creating a shared sense of purpose, direction and understanding to manage growth and change, while preserving local character,” Mr Cox said.Mayor Jane Smith said by participating in the planning process, the community can be a part of helping manage growth and change in the region, while also ensuring the character of local neighbourhoods and values that are important are protected.“As a large and growing region we need to ensure that the decisions we make and the development we deliver is sustainable now and in the future,” Mayor Smith said. “That is why it is important the community is part of the planning process and have a say on how their neighbourhoods and how our region will develop.“We are listening to you and your opinions.

Central Coast Council is urging community members to be vigilant in their preparation for bush fires with the official bush fire season set to start one month early on the Central Coast.Council Director Environment and Planning, Scott Cox said ongoing warm and dry conditions had prompted the NSW Rural Fire Service to start the Central Coast bush fire season on 1 September instead of 1 October.“We have over 128,500 hectares of bushland on the Central Coast, we are in drought and we are moving into the warmer months – all cues that we need to be on high alert for bush fires,” Mr Cox said.“At Council, we’ve completed our largest bush fire preparation program to date and we encourage each household on the Coast to be as bush fire ready as possible.“We have been working hard to enhance our fire trail network, constructing new fire trails, upgrading a significant number of existing strategic fire trails and protecting our bushland assets through fencing and security measures”.To help the Central Coast community be better prepared for emergencies, Council has joined the NSW Government’s ‘Get Ready’ initiative and is delivering targeted resilience workshops.Mayor Jane Smith said the Central Coast’s unique characteristics make emergency preparedness particularly important for the region.“We are all aware of how dry it has been not just here on the Coast but across NSW and this move by the NSW Rural Fire Service to get ready earlier is welcome,” Mayor Smith said.“Council is doing our part in providing crucial infrastructure and in ensuring our community is resilient too through education and community workshops.“Now is the time to ‘Get Ready’ for the long bushfire season ahead.”The five ‘Get Ready’ steps to prepare for any emergency are:Know your riskPlan now for what you will doGet your home readyBe awareLook out for each otherCommunity members can find more useful emergency preparation information by visiting centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/emergencies.The NSW Rural Fire Service provides the latest information on fires currently burning and outlines simple steps to prepare for bush fires, including how to develop a bush fire survival plan.