Central Coast businesses, sporting groups and community organisations are rushing to support a new digital promotional campaign for the Central Coast called This is the life.So far over 70 organisations have registered their interest in becoming a partner and helping to tell the Central Coast story.The Central Coast Express Advocate was one of the first to become a Gold Partner to the This is the life campaign.“There is no doubt that the Central Coast is God’s Own Country,” editor Mark Nolan said.“Just the other day I was home after work, walking with my daughter on Umina Beach, watching the sun set over the blue water and enjoying the cool sea breeze, thinking ahh, this is the life.”“We think it’s important to get behind this great initiative and will be sharing positive This is the life stories about the Central Coast in the paper and online.“It’s time all of us Coasties told our friends and family just how great life is in this spectacular region.”Council’s Administrator Ian Reynolds thanked all those organisations who have already signed up to support the campaign.“Now is the perfect time to promote positive perceptions about the Coast and make a strong stand as a region,” Mr Reynolds said.“By all coming together, businesses, sporting groups, community, the arts, the education sector we can help drive positive perceptions of the Central Coast and make it the very best it can be,” Mr Reynolds added.“Since working and living on the Coast I have been amazed by what is on offer here and it’s time we let other people in on these secrets.”Become a Partner - local businesses, educators, sporting and community groups can help spread the word by becoming a campaign partner.

Central Coast Council will hold an Extraordinary Council meeting on Wednesday 21 December to present the financial statements of the former Wyong Shire Council.The meeting will be held at the Central Coast Council Chambers, Hely Street, Wyong at 5pm.The meeting will be open to the public to attend and can be viewed live on Council’s YouTube Channel.

Central Coast Council’s $15 million upgrade to the Wyong South wastewater treatment plant has reached another important milestone.Council’s Manager of Wyong Water Commercial and Planning, Mr Greg Cashin said the new inlet structure was now fully operational.“Wyong South treatment plant receives wastewater from a wide area - spanning from Watanobbi and Wadalba in the north to Ourimbah in the South and to Berkeley Vale and Tumbi Umbi in the east,” said Mr Cashin.“This equates to about 11 million litres of wastewater entering the plant every day.“Transferring the flow of wastewater from the old inlet structure to the new one is no mean feat.

Summer signals the end of another school year and the start of a big stretch of holidays, when many of our kids like to get out and about and enjoy the extra time with their friends and family.As the Coast is a popular holiday spot, there will be more people at our facilities and on the roads as local children enjoy the outdoors, families get extra visitors and tourists flock to the region.Council is again joining forces with the Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation (LBDF) to help promote its important road safety campaign:

A small section of Yarramalong Road in Wyong Creek will be reduced to single-lane to allow for works to be undertaken to stabilise a rock cutting damaged during the storms in June.Retaining Specialists Pty Ltd will be repairing rock face at a site approximately 100 metres west of 1146 Yarramalong Road on behalf of Council starting on Monday 12 December.One lane of the road will be closed, with traffic controls in place.

Central Coast Council is delivering key infrastructure projects on time and on budget according to a progress report presented at last week’s Council meeting.Roads, water, drainage and community facilities were the big ticket items in the first ever Central Coast Council Operational Plan, adopted on 29 June 2016 which outlined its annual spend, including management of more than $11 billion of assets.Council’s Administrator Mr Reynolds acknowledged the vision and hard work of the former Councils that have carried over into the new Council with a focus on delivering projects the community need, want and value.“We’ve reached some major milestones, including the opening of Bato Yard skate park in August, which has already attracted three majoring sporting events to the Coast, and the construction of shared pathway to connect locals with this new park,” Mr Reynolds said.“The Art House opening in May – was in fact one of my very first tasks as Administrator here and was the realisation of a long term dream and then plan by the former Wyong Shire Council.“The $8 million redevelopment of Woy Woy Oval grandstand has also added to the sporting infrastructure on the Coast.“An $8.25 million project to install a new odour control system at the Wyong South wastewater treatment plant will help secure the water supply to the growing population in the north of the Coast.”Central Coast Council manages some 2000 kilometres of roads and has completed a wide range of road works since the amalgamation.

Crowne Plaza at Terrigal is the new venue for a public meeting to review potential road works in part of Scenic Highway on Monday 19 December 2016.The public meeting will commence at 5.30pm, will be run by an independent facilitator, and be held at the Forresters Room at the Crowne Plaza.The venue for the public meeting has been changed to better accommodate the number of interested community members expected to attend.

Drainage and irrigation upgrade works are underway at a number of popular sporting fields around the Central Coast.Gavenlock Oval, Rogers Park, Chittaway Oval and Baker Park will all have new systems in place by the end of the summer season.Council’s Administrator, Ian Reynolds said the new systems will assist our sporting fields in dealing with extreme weather conditions“The new drainage and irrigation will allow playing surfaces to recover much quicker after rain periods, significantly reducing ground closures and helping to maintain a quality playing surface for the entire season.“It will reduce maintenance costs moving forward and importantly, it will assist with the maintenance of surfaces during long periods of dry weather - with a highly effective and efficient irrigation system.”Works at Gavenlock Oval, Baker Park and Chittaway Oval have been completed in partnership with Central Coast Football - who contributed $140,000 to the projects.Central Coast Football’s Chief Executive Officer, Darren Sprod said the partnership with Council was important for the local football community.“As a major user of council sporting grounds it is important that we partner and invest with council to deliver better facilities for our footballers,” said Mr Sprod.“We have worked with council to have drainage installed at a number of grounds over the past few years and are seeing the benefits in reduced downtime after rain events.”“This year we are investing in Gavenlock Oval, Baker Park and Chittaway Oval to assist council in completing these important works.”Mr Reynolds added that the oval upgrades are an excellent example of Council working with the community to achieve a common goal.“Central Coast Football has been exceptional during the duration of this project and I’d like to thank Darren and his team for their support,” Mr Reynolds said.“The working relationship we have with Central Coast Football is invaluable as we continue to develop and improve sporting infrastructure across the region.”Works have been finalised at Chittaway Oval, while the Rogers Park upgrade is currently underway, with Baker Park scheduled for completion in early February.

A day out on the water with Tim Conway at Central Coast Ferries and his friendly companion Milo the chocolate Labrador is a day to remember.Tim is a seventh generation ship’s captain whose family has been operating ferry services on Central Coast waters for 25 years.With the opportunity to be on the water every day, well, Tim nails it when he says "there’s something about being on the water – the sights and smells.

A new mural depicting unity and our local sporting history has been installed at the recently redeveloped Woy Woy Oval.From Wednesday 14 December, passers-by and spectators visiting the Oval can expect to see the eye-catching community project, which has taken more than eight months to produce and over six weeks to construct.Measuring 36 metres long and three metres high, the installation is made up of 24 colour printed steel panels that, when constructed, feature a pelican symbol surrounded by approximately 100 original photographs of the Peninsula’s sport culture over the past 65 years.In February 2016, more than 1,200 primary school children from Woy Woy Public School, Umina Beach Public School and St John the Baptist Catholic School united on Woy Woy Oval to create the pelican symbol.