Central Coast Council has closed The Entrance Beach today following a shark sighting.A shark believed to be a 3.5 metre bronze whaler was observed by Council lifeguards chasing a school of fish off The Entrance Beach.The beach is expected to be closed for at least several hours.  Lifeguards will reassess the beach over the next few hours and it will only be reopen when deemed to be safe.All other beaches across the Central Coast remain open at this time.  Lifeguards at nearby beaches are being extra vigilant to ensure the safety of swimmers.

Temporary traffic controls will be in place along Georgiana Terrace in Gosford from Monday 24 October until Friday 11 November 2016, while Central Coast Council completes essential sewer works.A section of Georgiana Terrace, adjacent to the Baker Street intersection, will be temporarily closed to through traffic.

Central Coast families and visitors to our region will soon have new ways to play, with council investing more than $2 million in playground and play space upgrades this financial year.Council Administrator Ian Reynolds says that upgrading our playgrounds and play spaces is an investment in the quality of life of our local community.“Playgrounds and play spaces are an essential element in strengthening social networks.

Central Coast Council is encouraging residents and visitors to be aware of snakes as the summer weather hits the Coast.As the weather warms up, snakes will begin to emerge from their winter abode in search of food, water and sun.Council’s Natural Areas Section Manager, Mr Alan Cibilic, reminded residents it’s time to be vigilant when outdoors.“Snakes might appear in open spaces, parks, beachside reserves and even our own gardens,” Mr Cibilic said.“Please take care when walking along beach accesses, bush walking trails and shared pathways, especially if you have your dog with you - make sure they stay on their leash.“Baby snakes are also about now and once they hatch they are on their own – which means they’re just as venomous as adults.

Local students entering their first or second year of university are invited to apply for Central Coast Council’s 2017 scholarship program.The annual program provides an outstanding opportunity to gain valuable on the job training in a professional field while studying.Council’s Executive Manager People and Culture, Mrs Kellie Reeves, said the program is designed to inspire young people to continue their education.“Currently less than 11 per cent of our residents have university qualifications, compared to 24.1 per cent for Greater Sydney and 18.8 per cent across Australia,” Mrs Reeves said.“Through this program we hope we can positively change these statistics by motivating students to continue with their studies and by giving them paid work experience in their chosen field.“During this time students work alongside and are mentored by professionals, which help them to develop skills and give them an edge on the competition when they enter the workforce.

Council is investing in the quality of life of our local community, with more than  $2 million in play spaces underway.With more families living and moving to the Coast, we need better play spaces to meet this growing need.

Central Coast Council will broadcast proceedings of tonight’s meeting by live webcasting for the very first time.A fixed camera has been installed in the Gosford Chambers and residents will be able to watch the proceedings live from 5pm.Council agreed to trial webcasting to provide the community with an additional and convenient means of seeing the decision-making of Council first-hand.Meetings are open to the public to attend and now can also be viewed live on Council’s YouTube Channel.Meetings are held on the fourth Wednesday of every month alternating between Gosford and Wyong Chambers.  This meeting will be held at the Gosford Chambers in Mann Street.

A friendly face at this week’s State Firefighting Championships at Norah Head on the Central Coast will be Wyong firefighter Matt Perry.Matt is one of the local stars of the This is the life social media campaign which tells the story of what’s great on the Central Coast.“I agreed to be in the This is the life campaign because I think it is really important that we tell people about the wonderful things that are here on the Central Coast,” Matt says.A proud Coastie who grew up in Mangrove Mountain, then spent 10 years in Sydney and now lives in Wyong, Matt says the Central Coast gives him everything he needs to live a happy and balanced life.“I love the sense of connection to the community, the outdoors, the people and the lifestyle on the Central Coast,” he says.  “You’re close to lots of great spots for camping, four-wheel drive and fishing, I particularly like fishing near The Entrance.”With a wish to give back to community and a long term dream to become a firefighter, Matt jumped at the chance when a part-time position as a retained firefighter became available at Wyong Fire Station shortly after he returned to the Coast.His role is heavily involved with the local community and Matthew says the sense of ‘togetherness’ is strong amongst everyone who works at the station.

Wyong Lakes Festival is set to bring out the Coast’s competitive spirit with a number of great sporting events.Colour Ya World on 12 November and TriWyong on 13 November are two fun sporting events at Wyong Lakes Festival that involve getting out and being active by walking, running, cycling and swimming against the stunning backdrop of the lakes.The Colour Ya World Fun Run at Picnic Point involves walking, running, dancing and singing across a simple 5km course.The perfect event for families, participants can move or groove in whichever way they like to the latest tunes being mixed by one of the Lakes’ hottest DJs as they get peppered with liquids, powders and gels of blue, green, pink, purple and yellow, turning them into rainbows.After the success of 2015 some of the nations’ top triathletes are again expected to hit MacKenzie Reserve, Budgewoi for the second Wyong Triathlon Festival.For those who feel like trying something new enter the Try-a-Tri for free, which involves a 200m swim, 8km ride and 2km run – a friendly and achievable distance for newcomers to the sport.Five separate distances will be held over the course of the day, including the signature Standard distance, the high speed Sprint and the more welcoming distances in the Enforcer and Enticer.Race organiser, Elite Energy CEO, Mr Mark Emerton, said “Wyong provides an ideal natural landscape for triathlon and fun run events and is excited to provide two great events for the massive hub of triathletes and locals.“For the kids, we have the ever popular MINIMAN,” Mr Emerton said.Registrations for TriWyong close 9 November at 5pm and entries are accepted on race day.Registrations for Colour Ya World close 10 November at 5pm and children under the age of five are free.

Lakeside Parade at The Entrance is being transformed as the important second stage of the upgrade gets underway.Some $1.2 million has been set aside for this second and final stage of this project, which involves the upgrading of pavement and drainage from Fairview Avenue to Lentara Walk.The first stage of the upgrade cost $900,000 and was completed in the previous financial year.The upgrade includes full drainage and road pavement upgrade, including kerb and channel and driveways.The works are due to be completed in February 2017 and will help to make the area more accessible to residents and holidaymakers.The upgrade complements a number of recent street upgrades by Council in the immediate area including Ashton Ave, Campbell Ave, Oakland Ave (part), the southern end of Lakeside Parade and View Street (part).Upgrade of the nearby Manning Road has also been earmarked for a future project, with a budget of some $1.5 million.