Central Coast Councils’ installation of a new stormwater gross pollutant trap (GPT) at Trafalgar Ave, Umina Beach has been delayed after the discovery of asbestos containing material at the site.Council has commenced asbestos remediation works and engaged licensed asbestos removal contractors to ensure public safety is maintained whilst contaminated soil is removed to a licenced facility, with work expected to be completed by Friday, 9 August.Council Unit Manager of Natural and Environmental Assets, Luke Sulkowski, said the works would allow safe removal of the asbestos and for the gross pollutant trap to be installed safely.“Work on the GPT installation was stopped immediately after bonded pieces of asbestos were discovered during excavation,” said Mr Sulkowski.“Expert advice was sought to test the soil to determine the amount of contamination and if any small fibres were present.“Our licenced contractors are now removing the contaminated soil, as per legislative requirements, and have been conducting on-going air monitoring throughout the removal process.“The first two days of air quality monitoring reported that concentrations were consistent with normal background levels and normal construction processes will resume once the asbestos contaminated material is removed from site.”The installation of the new GPT will reduce litter entering the beach and waterway downstream and will then be cleaned by a large suction truck on a recurrent schedule.Sulkowski reminded community members that they too can play a role in reducing the impact of litter on local beaches and waterways.“It’s up to all of us to ensure less litter makes it to the stormwater in the first place, putting rubbish in the bin or taking it with you is the best way to keep our waterways clear.“Remember If it’s on the ground it’s in our waterways.”

Central Coast Council is celebrating Local Government Week with a special look at how it is part of the everyday lives of Coasties.This week, Council has been highlighting key community programs including responsible pet ownership and its new, first coast-wide Youth Strategy, as well as its water and childcare services, arts and cultural programs and some of the many open space and recreational activities available in the region.Council Chief Executive Officer, Gary Murphy said Council is very much a part of people’s everyday life and more than what people may think.“Central Coast Council delivers on services and programs that expand beyond roads, rates and rubbish, the breadth and diversity of what we do is surprising to many,” Mr Murphy said.“A lot of people don’t know that Council is a leader in ‘green’ policy change, with our innovative ‘Greener Places’ and ‘Climate Change’ policies, and our ‘Reconophalt’ road construction product made from recycled soft plastic, glass and toner cartridges, which will save thousands of tonnes of waste from ending up in landfill.“A lot of people also don’t know that Council offers child immunisations, study support programs like ‘Studiosity’, has a mobile library service that goes out into the community and that we nurture local talent through events, competitions and performing arts.“Council is staffed and run by local people, for local people and it is because of this that the services and projects we deliver, the sustainability of our environment and the growth of our region are just as important to us as they are to our community.”Mayor Jane Smith said local government and its many functions are a big part of people’s lives and Council is creating a smart, green and liveable region with a shared sense of belonging and responsibility.“Council is part of the everyday lives of our community, from our events, childcare centres, libraries, sports fields, beaches, environment, parks and cemeteries, to our galleries, building and development assessment and pet registrations,” Mayor Smith said.“We promote a healthy local economy and create local jobs, we work to make our community accessible for everyone to enjoy and we strive to make the Central Coast a great place to live and visit.“We will continue to look for opportunities to enhance the day-to-day lives of the Central Coast community through effective decision-making, planning and service delivery across all aspects of what we do.”“We hold Councillor Listening Posts throughout the year where you can come along and talk directly to Councillors about issues that affect you.

NSW Touch Football and Central Coast Council are pleased to announce a new venue for the 2019 Country Championships, with Central Coast Regional Sporting and Recreational Complex awarded hosting rights for the annual event.Central Coast Council Mayor Jane Smith said the announcement was a great follow-up to the recent announcement of the venue’s hosting of the 2020 and 2022 NSW Junior Regional Championship.“Touch football is a growing sport in our region and to be able to showcase the best the sport has to offer in NSW is a real coup for the Coast,” Mayor Smith said.“It is great to see the Sporting Complex is living up to the promise of delivering major sporting events to our region.“This event will deliver both a significant boost to our local economy along with an opportunity for our community to see some of the state’s best touch footballing talent in action.“We thank NSW Touch Football for their support of the Central Coast Regional Sporting and Recreational Complex and look forward to these events taking place.”NSWTA General Manager Dean Russell said it was a significant undertaking to bring the event to the region.“This particular area, and indeed those surrounding, have always been big supporters of the NSW Touch Association Country Championships,” said Russell.“For many years now, local participants have travelled across the state to participate in this competition and now they have an opportunity to compete in their own back yard.“To be able to bring a prestigious and important event like the Country Championships to the Central Coast is rewarding for those participants who have long supported this event”The 2019 Country Championships will be held on October 19-20 and sees the best regional touch footballing talent competing to be crowned NSW Country’s best and serves as an important pathway for athletes looking to secure positions in the 2020 NSW Touch Football State of Origin team or attain higher representative honours.The Central Coast Region has a fantastic touch football participation rate and it is hoped that many will try their hand at this event in preparation the 2019 State Cup, with the venue being both easily accessible for participants across the state and being perfectly set up to host the Country Championships.Russell estimates that with 1300 participants and officials, joined by significant family and friends travelling in support to the destination, the event will deliver an expected economic impact of $1.3 million into the local community.“The ability for the event itself to deliver an economic impact into communities is really pleasing and is one of the attractions to why Council’s such as Central Coast Council are interested in securing our events.” Russell said.A media opportunity will be held closer to the event where NSWTA General Manager Dean Russell and Central Coast Council leadership will formally launch the 2019 Country Championships.

The Peninsula sporting community is seeing their vision of new sporting facilities come to life with the completion of a $1.9million redevelopment for the area, including a new sportsground amenities building at Woy Woy’s Austin Butler Oval, a refurbishment of the Woy Woy Tennis Clubhouse and an upgrade to the car park that services both facilities.

Professional artists and producers across all art forms and cultural practices are invited to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) for Central Coast Council’s Creative Art Central annual program.

To help celebrate National History Month this August, Central Coast Council’s Library Service are inviting the community to become super sleuths of family history.Council Unit Manager Libraries, Learning and Education, Beth Burgess said there were events for all levels and interests to help uncover hidden family gems.“Family history is like detective work – it requires hard work, patience and often has surprising discoveries along the way,” Mrs Burgess said.“Our events will help you become a regular Sherlock Holmes when it comes to Family history research helping you navigate the many records and collections available.“These popular events book out so don’t delay – make sure you secure your seat online today.”Visit centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/libraryevents for all events and bookings.“Family history is one of the most popular hobbies around the world, with more than 250,000 Australians members of family history related organisations,” Mrs Burgess added.“To support this lifelong learning opportunity, we provide a wide variety of different resources at Gosford and Tuggerah Libraries, our local history hubs.“These include NSW State Archives Kits, index books, microfilms, electoral rolls, immigration documents, magazines and much more.“These locations also offer free online access to the family history database Ancestry.com and all our branches provide access to ‘Find My Past’ – these platforms are very popular I would encourage community members to book ahead.”Mayor Jane Smith said the strong interest in family history was also tied to the history of the Coast itself with Council’s libraries offering all the resources needed to understand more about how the region and community have developed over time. “Council’s online Library resources, Central Coast Memories and Gostalgia, contain an incredible array of photos, postcards, documents and memorabilia, showcasing our incredible region,” Mayor Smith said.“These fabulous resources help provide insight of how families helped develop this fantastic place we call home.“This is one of the ways our libraries are creating a stronger sense of community identity and what it means to live on the Coast.“If you haven’t already, I encourage you to rediscover your local library and the great range of services they have on offer.” Any history queries can be directed to Council’s passionate library staff via history@centralcoast.nsw.gov.auENDSThroughout August Council’s Library Service will be hosting the following events:Family History Online at Tuggerah Library, Tuesday 13 August, 10.30am-12pm or at Bateau Bay Library, Thursday 22 August, 1.30-3pmTrove for Family History at Toukley Library, Friday 16 August, 10.30am-12pm or Tuggerah Library, Tuesday 20 August, 10.30am-12pmLand Records in Family History Research at Tuggerah Library, Wednesday 21 August, 10.30am-12.30pmDiscover Rookwood Cemetery at Tuggerah Library, Friday 23 August, 10.30am-12pm or Umina Library, Friday 30 August, 2-3.30pmOrganising and Preserving your Family History at Tuggerah Library, Tuesday 27 August, 10.30am-12pmTrove for Family History Research at Gosford Library, Wednesday 28 August, 10.30am-12pmFinding your Military Ancestors at Bateau Bay Library, Thursday 29 August, 1.30-3pm

Central Coast Council has prepared a draft Strategy to promote, maintain and enhance urban greening across the Central Coast by planting and maintaining trees in public areas called the Greener Places Strategy.Council Director, Environment and Planning, Scott Cox said the draft Central Coast wide strategy includes mechanisms to sustain and enhance the urban forest canopy across all land parcels in the urban suburbs of the Central Coast and is based on data derived from scientific investigations. “The Central Coast community has recognised the importance of urban vegetation and asked for more trees and vegetation in our suburbs as a key deliverable identified in the Community Strategic Plan,” Mr Cox said.“We have listened to the community and through the Greener Places Strategy, Council will increase the level of tree planting in 18 priority suburbs with the greatest level of ‘Urban Heat Island Effect’, that is urban areas that experience significantly warmer temperatures than neighbouring areas due to human activities.“Council will also commence successional planting in its passive open space reserves as surveys have found that many of the trees in these areas are over-mature and as such may require replacement in the medium-term,” Mr Cox said.The draft Strategy will also ensure that when public trees are removed, they are replaced by the planting of two new trees in the same suburb.But Council will not be leading this charge alone.

Council to lead on key local government issuesCentral Coast Council will raise its concerns about a range of issues at the upcoming Local Government NSW Conference.Local government representatives from across NSW will meet at the conference in October.Last night, Councillors agreed to put forward seven motions about topics which impact not only the Coast but many council areas:The return of building certification to Council.Establishment of a list of appropriately qualified independent consultants who can be engaged to supply reports during the development process.The investigation of glyphosphate alternatives for effective weed management and the development of guidance and protocols for their use and impact on our environment.The approval and management of short-term rental accommodation.The importance of the State Government engaging with local councils to develop a 20-year Waste Strategy.Consultation about the placement of small cells for the rollout of 5G technology.Extension of the 30 June 2021 deadline for the development of Plans of Management for Crown Land due to the scale of work required to complete the 4,000 Plans of Management required on the Central Coast alone.Mayor Jane Smith said all these topics created challenges for Councils across the State.“Every Council wants to create a community which is both safe and attractive for residents and is also welcoming to visitors,” Mayor Smith said.“We want our development and building approval processes to continue to be robust, resulting in high-quality yet affordable housing.“While we encourage visitors to enjoy short-term stays in our beautiful region, we need to balance that with ensuring that short-term rental doesn’t disrupt potential long-term residents.“We also want to ensure that Councils have a seat at the table when the State Government is planning policies and strategies which have a long-term impact on local communities.” Tree management policy in place Council tonight adopted a single process for the management of trees and vegetation across the Central Coast after considering the feedback received during the public exhibition period.DCP Chapter ‘XX’ will now be inserted to the Wyong and Gosford Development Control Plans for implementation across the Central Coast.Council received more than 200 submissions during the exhibition period, covering a range of issues including environmental and amenity concerns, exemptions and arborists qualifications.To address concerns raised in the public exhibition, Council will provide further definitions and links to relevant legislation in the DCP Chapter and on our website, to ensure our community are fully aware of their obligations.In addition, Council has added further details on exemptions to make it clear for the community, strengthen the approval process and expand the significant tree registerDevelopment Control Plan Chapter “XX” - Tree and Vegetation Management will be inserted as Chapter 3.6 within the Wyong Development Control Plan 2013 and Chapter 6.6 within the Gosford Development Control Plan 2013. Council seeks to address concerns about the ends of the runway at Central Coast AirportCouncil will engage an external specialist to undertake an up-to-date survey and analysis of the height of trees at both ends of the runway at Central Coast Airport.The assessment will be completed in conjunction with environmental studies in order to guide council on options available to improve safety for runway users.Council also resolved to seek a meeting with the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces and representatives from Central Coast Aero Club, the Youth Air League and Emergency Services to work through key issues at hand.

Large property landowners, within prescribed zones across the Central Coast are allowed to carry out open pile burning of dry and dead vegetation on their property subject to a number of conditions.This follows Council’s adoption of the Central Coast Open Pile Burning Policy on 27 May 2019 and Council’s recent notification to the NSW Environment Protection Authority that Council would allow residents to undertake open pile burning due to the possibility of an earlier bushfire season.  Central Coast Council is awaiting the formal amendment of the Protection of the Environment (Clean Air) Regulation 2010 in line with Council’s Open Pile Burning Policy.

Central Coast Council have commenced upgrade works to the public amenity buildings at Forresters Beach and Terrigal Surf Life Saving Club.