Central Coast Council is launching an innovative program designed to encourage men to read to their children.Suitable for children aged 0-5 years and their families, Dad’s Read, originally developed by the State Library of Queensland, encourages Dads, male carers and relatives males to read to children.Dad's Read Family Storytime will be held on one Saturday a month from May to August and will run at Erina and Tuggerah Libraries.Council Section Manager, Library Services, Ms Andrea Edwards, said research clearly shows that when fathers are involved with their children’s literacy education from a young age their children demonstrated increased cognitive abilities, higher self esteem and greater social competence, and Council was keen to promote the program.“Council is committed to developing educational opportunities in the community,” Ms Edwards said.“Reading with your child strengthens their literacy skills and builds their self esteem around reading, which is a fundamental and necessary life skill in today’s complex, digital world.“It also strengthens the bond between fathers and their children and between male relatives and carers and young people.”Research confirms reading to children just 10 minutes each day strengthens literacy, models positive reading behaviour, and builds children’s self esteem about reading (especially for boys).

A number of key development applications have been approved by Central Coast Council bringing the number determined since amalgamation, including section 96 applications, to over 3000, worth over $1 billion to the local economy.Council has approved a redesign of the Bonython Tower on Mann Street Gosford, which will create a residential tower and ground floor commercial space right in the heart of the CBD – injecting $17.6 million into the local economy.More housing options are also on the way close to the CBD with the approvals for additional residential units in Gosford, West Gosford, and Point Frederick.New housing opportunities will also be available close to one of the Coast’s greatest attractions – the beaches – with residential unit developments approved for Umina Beach, Canton Beach and more to come.The Central Coast also remains the ideal place to build the family dream home with 914 additional lots created since the merger.Council Group Leader Environment and Planning, Mr Scott Cox, said Council’s role was to ensure it had the right planning controls in place to continue to grow and encourage sustainable development on the Central Coast.“We have a huge challenge to meet the housing and employment needs of our growing community while maintaining the enviable lifestyle and environment we all enjoy here,” Mr Cox said.“We are in the process of consolidating our planning controls so there is consistency across the Coast as we want to ensure we can facilitate the right development we want to see here.“The growth in housing, particularly unit style development needs to be where transport connections and opportunities are – in our town centres and tourism hubs and we want to encourage development there.“The mix needs to be right in delivering a range of housing options to match various household needs but also ensuring the unique environment on the Coast is enhanced and protected.”Council is currently undertaking a Strategic Lands Biocertification Project in Warnervale.

Central Coast Council Administrator has outlined the achievements and priorities of the new Council at the Urban Development Institute of Australia’s (UDIA) NSW’s Regional Cities Summit.UDIA NSW is the state’s leading development industry body, representing more than 500 member companies and agencies across the public and private sector.  The Summit heard from a range of speakers discussing housing affordability, the economic outlook and opportunities in the regions.Council Administrator, Ian Reynolds, said Council is now a key economic player on the Central Coast, in the State and in Australia and is uniquely placed as a region in its own right to really deliver outcomes for its community.“We want to build productive partnerships with the private sector and government to secure the future of our region, which is going to grow by more than 75,000 residents by 2036.“It is quite simple really, there needs to be more physical and social infrastructure to meet the needs of our growing population.“Transport availability and connectivity is also essential to ensure our community can get around the Coast.“We have high levels of youth unemployment on the Coast so there is an urgent need to create more jobs to ensure they have a future here.“These are just some of the issues we will continue to raise in key industry forums and directly with State and Federal Government.”“We know what we need to make our community sustainable and economically viable and it is great to know we have 331,000 residents behind us giving us the real bargaining power we need to deliver.”

Central Coast Council will take over management of the Lake Haven Recreation Centre, the Toukley Aquatic Centre and the Wyong Olympic Pool from current operators YMCA NSW, effective from 1 July 2017.The decision comes following a detailed examination and a confidential report at Wednesday night’s Council Meeting.Council Administrator, Mr Ian Reynolds, said that current members could be assured that it will be business as usual for these popular facilities.“Fees and charges will remain the same at all three locations for 2017/18, apart from the standard CPI increase,” said Mr Reynolds.“These centres will now be added to our existing recreational facilities network including the Entrance Ocean Baths, Gosford Olympic Pool, the Peninsula Leisure Centre and Niagara Park Stadium.”Council will continue to offer the existing programing available at these facilities, with the exception of YMCA’s Brightside and Ability programs.YMCA NSW CEO Leisa Hart said, “It has been an honour for YMCA NSW to manage these three fantastic centres in recent years and we have loved being a part of the Central Coast community.“We look forward to continuing to work with Central Coast Council to support the region in other ways in the future, including through initiatives such as Youth Week and programs like our SkatePark League events.“To our members and the wider community, we’d like to say thank you very much for your support.”YMCA staff at each centre will be supported through this change process and will be able to apply for positions through Council.Mr Reynolds added that the decision was focused on building an efficient network of facilities to meet the needs of the Central Coast.“With the necessary resources and expertise to operate these facilities internally, it was considered that this change will promote further efficiencies across the Coast,” said Mr Reynolds.“It will allow us to invest in each of these centres and ensure our entire network of facilities is the best it can be.“We’re looking forward to improving the facilities, services and programs for the current users and the wider community.“The YMCA NSW have done fantastic job and I would like to congratulate them on the successful operation of these facilities since 2009.”For any enquiries about the centres after Friday 30 June 2017, please email Central Coast Council at leisure@centralcoast.nsw.gov.auCCLP - Direct Debit and Membership Agreement FormCCLP - Direct Debit Swim Programs and Enrolment Form  

Council advises water quality may have been affected at Correa Bay, Woy Woy, following the severe thunderstorm on Wednesday 22 March.A combination of large stormwater flows and a power outage at a sewage pump station has led to some effluent being discharged into Correa Bay.Council has, as a precaution, closed Correa Bay boat ramp and the adjoining foreshore area.

On 24 March 2017 the Transport Workers Union (TWU) and the Central Coast Council participated in confidential mediation, at the request of the Minister for Local Government, the Hon Gabrielle Upton MP.The TWU and Council agreed to insert a clause in the Council's tender documents that require that to be conforming, tenders must offer ongoing employment to the employees of the current contractor, ensure all existing employee statutory leave entitlements are recognised by the tenderer, provide for an agreed minimum rate of pay for those employees, and an immediate cessation of industrial action.This provides significant protections for the local drivers of the current contractor.The Minister for Local Government is aware of and has congratulated the TWU and Council on their resolution of those matters.The TWU and Council have agreed to the terms of this media release.

Central Coast Council is throwing its support behind the state-wide campaign to stop littering.Hey Tosser! is all about raising awareness about the impacts of littering on the local environment, and changing the behaviour of litterers.Litter can damage the environment, harm wildlife, cause safety issues in open spaces as well as injuries to people.Council Administrator, Mr Ian Reynolds, said everyone can play their part in helping to reduce the amount of litter.“By working together, we can all help keep the Coast clean,” Mr Reynolds said.“Council is using community education to help control littering and works such as gross pollutant traps to capture litter before it enters our waterways.“We also support the Take 3 initiative which encourages everyone to clean up three pieces of litter when they visit a beach or park.“We live in such a beautiful part of the country.

Central Coast Council has reopened Correa Bay Boat ramp after confirming water quality is suitable for recreational activities.Council thanks residents for their patience.

Central Coast Council advises the water supply for residents and business in Hardys Bay, Wagstaffe and Pretty Beach will be interrupted tonight, Tuesday 28 March, between 9.00pm and midnight.The water supply will be interrupted in order for Council to complete essential repairs on a major water main in the area.Once water supply returns residents may experience some discoloured water.

It’s the crossover between the summer and winter seasons with local sport, and Council has been working hard to make sure our fields are ready for play.New drainage has been installed at four local sports fields as part of our commitment to improve the playing surface of ovals across the Coast.Chittaway Oval, Gavenlock Oval at Narara, Rogers Park at Woy Woy (fields two and three), and Baker Park at Wyong have had drainage installed to improve the quality of the field and increase usage rates.The new drainage will see water quickly disappear from the surface of the field during wet weather, and enable the field to dry out faster after rain - this means after a downpour, people can use the field for training and playing a lot sooner than what they used to.Additionally, irrigation was installed and relevelling carried out at both Rogers Park (fields two and three) and Gavenlock Oval to encourage stronger turf establishment and growth resulting in faster rehabilitation of the playing surface.We have been working with the local sporting clubs who use these fields, and appreciate their patience as we relocated them to other facilities while we carried out these improvement works.Improvements are also continuing at Baker Park, as contractors replace the roof on the grand stand.