New signage and road pavement line marking will be installed at Scenic Highway at Terrigal starting tonight.The move is in response to concerns raised by residents who attended a public meeting on Monday 19 December.Four 50km an hour signs will be replaced with larger signs and five new signs will be installed from Terrigal Esplanade to Charles Kay Drive. Six new 50km indicators will also be printed on the road surface itself.This signage is to make it very clear to drivers the speed limit along this busy road is 50km an hour.Council is also currently getting additional information on the number of vehicles and speeds along the road and will work with Police to reduce the incidences of speeding.Council is entering into discussion with Ausgrid to relocate a power pole and a number of trees just east of Bellevue Crescent to improve sight lines for drivers approaching this intersection with Scenic Highway.At the community meeting on Monday, Council unveiled plans to upgrade Scenic Highway at the intersection with Bellevue Crescent, including a pedestrian refuge, a footpath on both sides of Scenic Highway, removal of trees, lowering of an embankment, street lighting and parking restrictions.Community comment is now being sought on the plans which can be viewed at haveyoursaycentralcoast.nsw.gov.au. Submissions will be received up until Friday 3 February 2017.
Central Coast Council will celebrate strong post-merger development activity this festive season.A combination of increased investment and decreased assessment times has resulted in an overall investment of over $600 million into the Central Coast region since the new Council was formed in May.Council Administrator, Mr Ian Reynolds, said that the latest figures were a promising sign of things to come in 2017.“These results are particularly pleasing, given all the hard work of our development assessment teams since the merger was announced in May,” said Mr Reynolds.“Amidst the many changes taking place internally, their commitment to getting the job done and facilitating appropriate development right across the region has been second to none.“In addition to the great results this year, there is currently over $500 million worth of development projects to go before the Joint Regional Planning Panel for their determination in the new year.”Council’s Group Leader of Environment and Planning, Mr Scott Cox, said that while the 2016 results were positive, there is always room for improvement.“This is the beginning of a significant journey for us in development assessment, improving the way we operate and ultimately, promoting sustainable growth and investment right across the Central Coast,” said Mr Cox.“Since the merger announcement, Council has determined 1837 Development Applications – compared to 1600 in the 7 months prior to amalgamation across the two former Councils.“We’ve also seen an increase in Section 96 determinations, with 396 applications processed post-merger.“The benefits of changes in our processes are already being realised with the median determination times down as the development teams come together.Council’s current median determination time sits at 38 days, below the State Government benchmark of 40 days.The largest Development Applications determined since amalgamation are for mixed use and commercial buildings in the Gosford CBD including Creightons, Ikon Tower, the Australian Taxation Office building and Duttons.A Developer’s Forum is planned for Monday 27 February 2017 to explore ways Council can better work with the industry to facilitate development opportunities on the Central Coast to meet our growing housing and employment needs.
Central Coast Council advises Enterprise Drive (Chittaway Road) between Burns Road and The Boulevard (University of Newcastle, Central Coast Campus), Ourimbah will be closed for approximately four hours due to repairs to a leaking water service.Local diversions are in place and motorists are advised to avoid the area if possible.Heavy vehicles should use the Pacific Highway or the M1 Pacific Motorway (F3) due to the clearance height (3m) of the Burns Road railway underpass.Council will advise when Enterprise Drive reopens to traffic.
Enterprise Drive (Chittaway Road) between Burns Road and The Boulevard (University of Newcastle, Central Coast Campus), Ourimbah has now reopened to all traffic.Council would like to thank motorists for their patience while we made these important repairs.
Central Coast Council will hold a community information session on changes to the Gosford CBD Development Control Plan (DCP) on Wednesday 11 January.The new planning controls seeking to move the commercial core of the CBD to have more of a focus around Kibble Park, create a living city and revitalise the CBD have generated a great deal of community interest.Council’s Group Leader of Environment and Planning, Mr Scott Cox, said Council had already extended the public exhibition period and the information session was the next step in helping residents understand the changes and make their own contribution to the future of the CBD.“There is a lot of interest in what is happening in the Gosford CBD and we want to harness that interest to ensure Gosford reaches its full potential and becomes the great city we all want it to be,” Mr.
Central Coast Council has welcomed the decision by Remondis drivers to reverse their planned stop work meeting for today.Council understands the dispute between the drivers, represented by the Transport Workers Union (TWU) and Council’s waste contractor, Remondis, relates to their current enterprise agreement.Council’s Administrator, Mr Ian Reynolds, said he was pleased the parties involved had agreed to come to the negotiating table as it is important to ensure essential waste services to Central Coast residents are maintained.“Council is not a party to these proceedings. We contract Remondis to deliver waste services to our residents and we expect that service to be delivered,” Mr Reynolds said.“Remondis have acted quickly to stave off this potential action which could have affected bin services for a number of residents, and I am pleased the drivers are willing to return to the negotiating table.“This is where the TWU’s focus needs to be, on these negotiations and not on Council’s waste tender process.“We have met with them on several occasions and made it clear our role is to ensure our 331,000 residents get the most reliable and best waste services in the next waste contract that we sign.”The current contract with Remondis runs until end of January 2018. Council is currently finalising tender documents to deliver services beyond January 2018.
A lake foreshore recreation area at the end of Archbold Road, Long Jetty is now able to be used by the public over the summer.Central Coast Council has completed the first stage of works of a $150,000 project designed to stop pollutants from entering the lake from the stormwater that runs off the local catchment.Council’s Group Leader of Assets, Infrastructure and Business, Mr Mike Dowling, said the area was previously a low-lying boggy area, making it inaccessible to the public.“These water quality improvement works included filling in this boggy area, which is now an 80 metre grassed area that the public can use over the summer,” Mr Dowling said.“It’s perfect for picnics with some lovely trees to sit under, amenities and new showers.”The project involves the establishment of a planted swale to filter the stormwater and draw out nutrients and other deplorables, together with a Gross Pollutant Trap (GPT) that collects rubbish and dirt before the water enters the swale.The area is next to a constructed beach immediately south of Long Jetty.Saltmarsh, and a range of native Australian plants including succulents with flowers, will be planted in the swale in February 2017.The plants absorb excess nutrients and trap the dirt in water before it enters the lakes, in a process called polishing.The result is cleaner water in the lakes.The project is supported by Council from funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Programme and is due for completion in March 2017.
Central Coast Council’s Waste Wise Workshops are back for 2017, providing practical and hands-on advice to help the whole family reduce, reuse and recycle food waste.Food waste accounts for over forty percent of general household waste which ends up in landfill and adds to the Coast’s carbon emissions.Council’s Group Leader of Assets, Infrastructure and Business, Mr Mike Dowling, said everyone has a role to play in reducing the amount of household food waste sent to landfill and attending a workshop is a great way to start.“Around ninety percent of greenhouse gas emissions from landfill are a result of decomposing organic material which can easily be reduced by composting garden organic materials and food scraps,” Mr Dowling said.“Up to fifty percent of the waste in the red lid bin could be diverted from landfill by composting and warm farming alone.”Most organic matter, excluding meat, is suitable for home composting. The combined materials break down into a cheap, non-polluting, natural and effective garden fertiliser.Workshops will be held on composting and worm farming with participants taking home a free worm farm or compost bin so they can get started straight away.There will also be workshops on no dig gardening – how to create a productive garden that does not take up space by using a box or even something as small as a jar.“These enjoyable workshops will give residents practical tips and tools to reduce and recycle food waste and turn it into a great resource for the garden,” Mr Dowling said.“Worm farms can be kept outside, inside, on the balcony or in the garage so you don’t need a lot of space – they are ideal for units.”Worms turn leftovers into a rich soil-like substance called 'castings'.
A NSW regional riders comp and festival will kick off the first of many major competitions at Bato Yard next week.Central Coast Council is supporting one leg of the YMCA’s Skate Park Leagues local round competition on Tuesday 17 January.The YMCA competition is open to riders aged 12-25 years old and will have four categories in street and bowl – skate, scooter, BMX and wheelies (for amputees and wheelchairs).The competition provides residents with an opportunity to cheer on the best riders on the Coast as they compete for their chance to gain a spot in the national final and be named champion of the region.The day also includes free food, activities and entertainment for all ages.Bato Yard is located in the EDSACC sporting precinct, opposite Bateau Bay Square shopping centre, and is gaining a reputation in skating circles as one of the premier facilities to ride.The pre-eminent national skate competition, King of Concrete, is also bringing two rounds to Bato Yard which is expected to attract some of the best riders from the Coast, state and country.The bowl competition will be held on Saturday 11 February and the street competition will be held on Saturday 22 April – both will give the best riders a chance to use it as a stepping stone to international competitions at Bondi and in the USA.For more details on what’s happening at Bato Yard, visit centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/batoyard