Central Coast Mayor Jane Smith will meet with Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation’s CEO Michelle McLaughlin on Tuesday 13 November to emphasise the importance of the ‘Hold My Hand’ road safety campaign.Developed by the Foundation, the campaign promotes the importance of adults holding young children’s hands when they are close to roads.

Central Coast Council will support a Hunter Water initiative to help drought-affected farmers by donating a water tanker and driver to transport much needed drinking water.Central Coast, Newcastle and Lake Macquarie City Councils are each donating a truck and driver to transport water from Branxton and Scone across the Hunter and Upper Hunter.The water will help properties which are not connected to a town supply and need to top up their domestic rainwater tanks.Council Director Water and Sewer, Bileen Nel said Council was thrilled to contribute to the initiative and would start with an initial delivery of 20,000 litres of drinking water collected from Hunter Water’s Branxton and Scone supplies.“Farmers from towns including Murrurundi, Merriwa and Cassilis are receiving this support and their feedback is very positive,” Ms Nel said.“We could not be happier to contribute to an initiative that is making a real difference, with our first deliveries taking place on the 12 and 13 November.”Mayor Jane Smith said Council had been looking for the best way to provide direct support to farmers in need.“The Central Coast has been giving so generously to farmers doing it very tough,” Mayor Smith said.“Across the Coast I hear stories of individuals and groups acting to support our farmers and I want to thank our community for all they have done and will continue to do.“I am also pleased that Council is helping our farmers in such a tangible and practical way.”More than 1.4 million litres of water has been donated to 100 properties in need since the initiative began on August 24.Farmers in the Hunter and Upper Hunter experiencing a shortfall in their domestic water supply are invited to contact Hunter Water’s Drought Support Team – droughtsupport@hunterwater.com.au or 1300 657 657.

Central Coast Council will kick start comprehensive engagement with the community on a draft Climate Change Policy with an online survey which opens today.Council endorsed a draft Climate Change Policy in August 2018 for public exhibition.

It’s National Recycling Week, and Central Coast Council is encouraging residents to celebrate by discovering how they can recycle beyond the yellow bin at a number of free Green Living events.The workshops will assist residents to refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose and recycle around the home to help live a more sustainable life and divert waste from landfill.Mayor Jane Smith said Council was committed to helping the community find ways to reuse items and reduce an increasing reliance on single use items.“Through Community Strategic Plan (CSP) consultation, our community have told us they want ongoing education opportunities to help minimise waste,” Mayor Smith said.“During National Recycling Week we will be running a number of events to help our community create a more vibrant and sustainable Central Coast.“There will be workshops to reduce food waste, an op shop event to pick up clothing bargains and a free movie screening of ‘Closing the Loop’ for those interested in how to eliminate waste going to landfill.”Bookings are essential for all events.

Central Coast Council has received an Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA) Engineering Excellence Award for its innovative online interactive map that displays road and drainage capital works projects.Council Director Roads, Transport, Drainage and Waste, Boris Bolgoff said the interactive map provides valuable information for our community including project description, location, budget, construction start time and duration.“We wanted community members to be able to easily find information on road and drainage projects that are of interest to them,” Mr Bolgoff said.“This year we will invest over $70million across 574 road and drainage projects and community members can access a concise summary of any of these projects by simply clicking on the icons on our interactive map or searching a location.“It is wonderful to receive acknowledgement through an IPWEA Engineering Excellence Award, especially in a category recognising an initiative that uses a new or improved technique or innovation.”Council is constantly improving the interactive map and has recently added the capacity to upload photographs and concept designs.The interactive map is one of the most popular features on Council’s website, receiving approximately 6,000 page views each year.Community members can explore road and drainage projects across the Central Coast’s 2,200 kilometre network of roads by visiting www.centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/roadanddrainageprojects.The IPWEA Engineering Excellence Awards for 2018 also acknowledged Council with a highly commended for the upgrade of Pleasant Valley Fire Trail in Fountaindale.The project transformed a track into a fully functioning fire trail in a particularly rugged, steep and dense bushland area in an extreme bushfire zone.Council and the NSW Rural Fire Service can now better manage the extreme bush fire risk in this area, allow for hazard reduction burning to take place, and provide safe access for fire fighters should an emergency arise.

Dredging will continue within Ettalong Channel as Council and the NSW Government begin longer-term dredging and beach nourishment activities.Earlier this year Council welcomed $1.225million in matching funding from the NSW Government for the long-term dredging of the Ettalong Channel under the Rescuing Our Waterways program.Central Coast Mayor Jane Smith said that through a cooperative relationship, the dredging will continue beyond the initial emergency dredging.“The NSW Government will continue the dredging operations currently underway as part of the emergency works using Rescuing Our Waterways funding,” Mayor Smith said.“Of the grant funding announced in September, it is proposed to spend up to $1M this financial year, so we can get on with the longer-term dredging program as that is what the community want to see.“This will ensure the program continues beyond the emergency works and avoid additional mobilisation costs for Council.

Central Coast Council is seeking community feedback on a $995,000 project to construct a new section of shared pathway on the Tuggerah Lake foreshore in Tuggerawong.The community-driven project will extend the popular ‘Tuggerah Lake loop’ by one kilometre and connect an existing pathway at Friday Street with a play area at Tuesday Street.Council Director Roads, Transport, Drainage and Waste, Boris Bolgoff said the project was jointly funded by $542,269 from the NSW Government’s Stronger Country Communities Fund and $452,731 from Council.“This project will improve access to local shops, a play space and the public school,” Mr Bolgoff said.“It will also extend the increasingly popular ‘Tuggerah Lake loop’, which is a great space for locals and the wider community to walk and cycle for exercise and to take in the beauty of Tuggerah Lake and surrounds.“This pathway will increase connectivity and help create a loop around a scenic waterway.”Mr Bolgoff said the current project is the first of five stages, with future works to extend the shared pathway through to the vicinity of Tacoma Oval.“The three metre wide design of this pathway means it can be used by walkers, cyclists and community members who use wheelchairs or other mobility aids.“We have selected a route that minimises the environmental impact by keeping the need to remove trees to an absolute minimum and by raising the pathway in some locations to avoid disrupting tree roots.”Mayor Jane Smith said Council was committed to constructing new pathways to enhance the liveability and sustainability of the Central Coast.“The new section of the ‘Tuggerah Lake loop’ at Tuggerawong will not only create an inclusive space to get active and experience this beautiful location but will also offer a great alternative transport mode that will really connect the local communities,” Mayor Smith said.“This is a great example of how we can protect and enhance the local environment while delivering the infrastructure our growing community needs.”Constructions of Stage 1 of the project is scheduled to commence in March 2019 and should be complete by the end of the financial year, weather permitting.The project will be on public display from Monday 19 November 2018 to Sunday 16 December 2018 and all community members are encouraged to provide feedback by visiting yourvoiceourcoast.com/tuggerawong-shared-pathway.IMAGE AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

Central Coast Council is rolling out a $2.5million multiyear project to replace water meters across the Central Coast.Over $675,000 will be invested this financial year to replace approximately 16,000 water meters.Council Director Water and Sewer, Bileen Nel said Council will use a mobile phone application to streamline the process.“Replacing and maintaining our water and sewerage assets is a high priority for Council,” Ms Nel said.“Our water meter program sees us replace meters that are nearing the end of their asset life.“The meters we install measure the actual volume of water used to provide the most accurate reading.“We use an app to enter the details of the old and new water meters in real time and to take a photo before and after replacement.“The app streamlines the replacement process by automatically storing all data captured in Council’s system – saving hours of data entry and thousands of sheets of paper.“This technology also allows us to plan and allocate work across the water supply network electronically and ensure staff are prepared with the specific details of each water meter.Ms Nel said Council will make alternative arrangements with customers who cannot be without water, such as dialysis patients.“The water meter replacement process only takes approximately 10 minutes to complete, which minimises the amount of time residents are without water.“We are also pleased to be implementing a further waste-reduction initiative by recycling components of the old meters.”

Community members are encouraged to attend the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal’s (IPART) Public Hearing, which is part of its review into water, sewerage and stormwater drainage prices for the Central Coast.The Public Hearing is the final opportunity for the community to provide feedback to IPART before it releases its Draft Report and Determinations in April 2019.Central Coast Council Director Water and Sewer, Bileen Nel said Council’s detailed submission to IPART reflected overwhelming community feedback that water, sewerage and stormwater drainage prices should be consistent across the region.“In developing our submission for IPART our community consultation process saw 1,339 residents complete surveys and more than 1,260 attend face-to-face engagement activities,” Ms Nel said.“Our recommendation would see average residential water bills decrease across the Central Coast by lowering the per kilolitre cost of water and significantly reducing the water service fee.“Taking into account all elements of the water bill – water, sewerage and stormwater drainage – Council’s proposal would see typical residential bills reduced by between $27 and $245 annually.”Ms Nel said aligning sewerage prices would see some customers pay less for this service and some customers pay more, with increases predominately offset by a reduction in the overall bill.“The price paid for residential and non-residential sewerage services would decrease in the former Gosford local government area and would increase in the former Wyong local government area, but this increase will be offset by the lower water cost.Council Director Roads, Transport, Drainage and Waste, Boris Bolgoff said Council had proposed to reduce the stormwater drainage charge for all existing residential customers across the Central Coast.“Over 65 percent of residents surveyed indicated that stormwater drainage charges should be consistent across the Central Coast,” Mr Bolgoff said.“Most Central Coast residents and businesses already pay a stormwater drainage charge and Council is proposing that this charge be applied to all rateable properties.“A small number of non-residential customers currently do not pay any stormwater drainage charge and we are proposing that this change.“Coucil believes that all residents and business should contribute to the maintenance and development of our stormwater drainage network as it delivers region-wide benefits.“Stormwater drainage protects public and private property from flooding, enhances our natural assets and waterways, and helps to connect communities by supporting access to homes, schools and places of work.“Very large non-residential/business properties would pay $5,427.81 annually under our proposal but it is important to note that this does not apply to the vast majority of farmland properties on the Central Coast.“Non-residential farmland properties would qualify for a discounted Low Impact rate of $110.77 per year as long as more than 90 percent of their area is designated as agricultural, grassed or vegetated, which would be most farmland properties.“We are investigating ways to make obtaining the Low Impact assessment as easy as possible for farmland customers by making it a one-off or automatic process.For the proposed changes to stormwater drainage charges to come into effect they must be endorsed by IPART and Council must then obtain approval from the NSW Government to establish a new Drainage Area to cover all of the Central Coast local government area.IPART will release its Final Report and Determinations for the Central Coast in late May 2019 and new water, sewerage and stormwater drainage prices will come into effect from 1July 2019.The Public Hearing will be held on 27 November at 10am at the Mingara Recreation Club.Community members wishing to attend the Public Hearing need to register via IPART’s website – ipart.nsw.gov.au.

Central Coast Council has its proverbial fingers and toes crossed for the ten local businesses and individuals who are finalists in the 2018 NSW Business Chamber Business Awards – all of which were winners in their categories in the Central Coast Regional Business Awards last month.Council Director Connected Communities, Julie Vaughan said that Council is proud to sponsor the Central Coast Regional Business Awards.“Not only do the awards showcase the diverse business talent the Coast has on offer, but they also give the winners the opportunity to then be recognised at a state level in the NSW Business Awards,” Ms Vaughan said.“These awards are an acknowledgement and celebration of business excellence on both a local and state level.”The Central Coast has some amazing individuals and businesses leading the way in their industries – from excellence in innovation, sustainability and social enterprise, through to outstanding employers, business leaders and young entrepreneurs.“Congratulations to all ten Central Coast finalists.”The winners of the Central Coast Regional Business Awards, and now finalists for the 2018 NSW Business Chamber Business Awards are:Outstanding Young Entrepreneur: