It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Gosford as Central Coast Council’s annual lighting of the Christmas tree takes place in Kibble Park on Thursday 24 November.The festivities will commence at 5.30pm, with Gosford Library holding a Christmas story time on the grass with comfortable bean bags and Linga Longa chairs available for listeners to relax and enjoy.From 6.15pm, there will be plenty of entertainment for the whole family, including performances by Discovered and The Hub Erina Youth Centre, as well as interactive Christmas skits and dance acts.Santa will be stopping by to spread some festive cheer, and anyone feeling creative can try their skills at making a festive hat that is sure to be a hit on Christmas day.Council Administrator, Ian Reynolds, said the event is a Central Coast tradition that brings the community together to celebrate a special time of the year.“Lighting the Christmas tree in Kibble Park is a tradition that Council has proudly held for many years,” said Mr Reynolds.“The community is invited to join us for the free festivities from 5.30pm, with the lighting of the tree at 8pm.“Liberty Church will be holding a free sausage sizzle, as part of their Random Acts of Kindness program.“Everyone is encouraged to bring a picnic rug and chairs and enjoy the evening.

Laycock Street Community Theatre has announced its much anticipated 2017 season at a VIP launch last night, unveiling the national productions and professional theatre on offer to Central Coast audiences in the year ahead.Council’s Section Manager Arts & Culture, Chris King says the sparkling new season is designed to connect audiences with live theatre in a meaningful and exhilarating way.“The 2017 season brings together acclaimed touring productions, household names and quality children’s theatre, to engage and provoke audiences of all ages, backgrounds and inclinations,” said Mr King.“From trailblazing Bell Shakespeare’s uncompromising production of Merchant of Venice, to twisted tales of drama and gothic horror when Dracula swoops the region, contrasted to the beauty and intrigue of Melbourne City Ballet’s interpretation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, to the comedy genius of Shirley Valentine and the glitz and glamour of Prada’s Priscillas — our 2017 season offers something for everyone.“Laycock is also delighted to applaud Gosford Musical Society’s productions for 2017 which include Broadway favourites Evita and Chicago, and for younger patrons Peter Pan and Bring it On.“Substantial theatre member discounts are being offered for all season and Gosford Musical Society shows.

Central Coast Council will reveal preliminary plans for Scenic Highway Terrigal at a public meeting to be held in the coming weeks.Immediately following the tragic accident that claimed the life of Annabelle Deall in early August, Council inspected the site and started a detailed review of the road.The draft plans, which include improved pedestrian facilities and roadworks designed to slow down traffic, were shown to Federal Member for Robertson, Mrs Lucy Wicks, in late August so she could begin the process to secure federal government black spot funding.Council’s CEO Mr Rob Noble said Council understands and is empathetic to community concerns and is working on designing a plan for this area.“This was a terrible, terrible tragedy, and my heart goes out to Annabelle’s family,“ Mr Noble said.“We have been refining the initial plans and are now in a position to share them with the local community, who have been galvanised by this tragedy.“Driver education and pedestrian awareness remains a key component of reducing fatalities of pedestrians and drivers alike on our roads.  We will continue to partner with the NSW Police in their endeavours to achieve a zero road toll across NSW.”Council will secure the services of an independent facilitator to run a public meeting near the site, possibly at the Cowrie restaurant itself, before the end of the year with details to be revealed shortly.

If you can’t stand the heat in your kitchen this summer, why not get out to eat in one of the Central Coast’s many great restaurants.As the festive season kicks into gear, restaurants across the Central Coast are preparing for a busy period and restauranteur and chef Alessandro Cigola of Osteria A Mano is no exception.“The great thing for Central Coast residents is that there are so many good restaurants across the Coast now, and there is a real variety of places to go,” Alessandro said.A proud participant in the This is the life marketing campaign promoting the Central Coast, Alessandro loves living and raising his young family in our beautiful Central Coast region.“With my one year old son, we love going to the beach and enjoying the bushland areas in our leisure time,” Mr Cigola said.  “It is a really beautiful area, and also close to everything we need.”“There’s a growing sophistication in food on the Central Coast.

Last week, the Somersby Water Treatment Plant was the final location to turn solar power on as part of Council’s solar energy project.Since October 2015, over 1,700 solar panels (totalling 455kW in capacity) have been installed across several Council facilities including the Erina Depot, Peninsula Leisure Centre, Central Coast Stadium, Niagara Park Sports Stadium, Gosford Regional Gallery, Laycock Street Community Theatre and the Somersby Water Treatment Plant.Administrator, Ian Reynolds said the development is part of Council’s Climate Change Mitigation Strategy.“Our analysis showed that it’s more cost effective for Council to install solar systems at these locations than to purchase electricity solely from the grid,” said Mr Reynolds.“We were able to generate greater value from the project by using the solar electricity on site to offset high daytime peak and shoulder rates.”The $910,000 project, which received $360,000 in funding under the Renewable Energy Target, will reduce electricity costs at each of the project sites by approximately 10 percent - saving ratepayers more than $65,000 a year.It also generates about 620MWh of renewable energy per annum, saving 520 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions (equivalent to the electricity consumed by nearly 100 local homes).“We hope the cost savings and benefits obtained by switching to solar will inspire local businesses and residents to follow in our footsteps,” he said.

Residents in Point Frederick, East Gosford, North Gosford and Springfield can expect cleaner water as Central Coast Council undertakes ice pigging works over a three week period from Thursday 1 December 2016.Council’s Coordinator Water and Sewer Civil Works, Joe Weston, said that the works are an important part of Council’s water mains cleaning program to prevent discoloured water.“Ice pigging involves pumping a thick slurry of ice through the water mains to clean off any sediment and other particles that may build up over time and discolour our water,” said Mr Weston.“It’s a fairly new procedure that Council helped bring into Australia and is very effective as well as environmentally friendly.“During the ice pigging process residents may experience temporary decreases in water pressure and interruptions to their water supply.

With the recent fires raging not so far from the Central Coast, now is the time to make sure we are all fully prepared for the bushfire season officially underway.Council, the Rural Fire Service (RFS) and Fire and Rescue NSW have a range of tools and documents to help you Prepare, Act, Survive.

Central Coast Council Administrator, Ian Reynolds has welcomed the announcement of funding to deliver CCTV cameras for Terrigal and Copacabana as part of the Federal Government’s Safer Streets Programme.In an announcement from Minister for Justice, the Honourable Michael Keenan and Federal Member for Robertson, Lucy Wicks the $550,000 for the project was confirmed.“This is a fantastic result for the communities of Terrigal and Copacabana,” said Mr Reynolds.“Safer Streets funding has already been rolled out through Kariong, Kincumber, Gosford and the Peninsula thanks to first round funding received in September 2014.“The installation of CCTV has gone a long way to ensuring that residents can feel safe in their community while acting as a strong deterrent for anti-social behaviour,” he said.The round two funding will see the installation of 16 new CCTV cameras across a range of locations in Terrigal and Copacabana in addition to upgrading four existing cameras.Installation locations include the Haven, Copacabana Skate Park, the Captain Cook Lookout and shopping strips in both suburbs.Mr Reynolds added that the process to date had included consultation with community representatives and the NSW Police to ensure the project will best meet the needs of the community.“Stakeholder consultation is vital to ensuring a project like this can be as effective as possible.

Time is running out to nominate a community hero for the inaugural Central Coast Council 2017 Australia Day Awards.These awards are open to anyone from across the Central Coast and include the chance to be named the first-ever Central Coast Citizen of the Year.The awards span seven categories and are designed to showcase locals who have shown outstanding dedication to their community, their workplace or the arts, culture and sport.All too often this work goes unrecognised, and these Awards are about shining a spotlight on those who give back to the Central Coast community.The categories for the Central Coast awards include:Arts, Culture and EntertainmentBusiness Connecting CommunitiesCommunity Service and ActivityVolunteer of the YearEnvironmentalSportsperson of the YearYouth of the YearThe Citizen of the Year will be selected from one of the winners of these categories and will display the highest level of skill, talent and service in their chosen field and act as a role model across all facets of the broader community.To be eligible, applicants must be an Australian Citizen and live in the Central Coast Local Government Area.Nominations must be received by 5pm, Friday 25 November 2016.

Artists from all over NSW are invited to enter Gosford Regional Gallery’s Emerging 2017 competition and exhibition.The competition is open to artists aged between 18 and 30, who are asked to submit a body of work across any visual art medium.  With over $9,000 in total prize money, the biennial competition and exhibition showcases the talents of emerging young artists across the state, giving them the opportunity to exhibit a series of works or site-specific installation at the gallery.Gosford Regional Gallery Team Leader, Tim Braham, said Emerging 2017 is an exciting opportunity for young artists to enter and compete across any medium.“Selected finalists will form an exhibition at Gosford Regional Gallery from Saturday 8 April until Sunday 21 May 2017,” said Mr Braham.“This is the eighth year that we have held the Emerging competition and exhibition.

Central Coast Council is helping to bring the Coast community together with a fun International Games Day at Gosford and Lake Haven Library from 10am on Saturday 19 November.This international event gives the community a place to explore adventure games, secret decoding games, the latest tabletop games and check out the diverse range of activities the Libraries have on offer.Council’s Library Services Manager, Ms Andrea Edwards said, Gosford and Lake Haven Libraries will join in with over a thousand libraries around the world which are opening up their libraries on the same day for gaming.“This international initiative is supported by the Australian Library and Information Association, American Library Association and Nordic Game Day.

The award winning Wyong Lakes Festival continues this week with the final weekend expected to draw big crowds for key events.The final couple of days will see outdoor cinemas, obstacle races, street festivals, kayak tours, concerts and more.Council’s Administrator, Mr Ian Reynolds, said the Festival had already proved popular with residents and visitors alike and the final weekend is expected to attract even more people to the area.“The opening weekend saw thousands of people flock to The Entrance for the free concert, breakfast, colour run and stand up paddle board competition as well as compete in the triathlon at Budgewoi,” Mr Reynolds said.“It was great to see so many people flock to our lake’s foreshore to be part of a festival that has something for everyone.“The weather was perfect and the Lakes really took centre stage – they looked pristine!“The Wyong Lakes Festival is a great chance to see the lakes from a different angle and see how beautiful the Coast really is to live, work and play.”Don’t miss out - there is something for everyone in the program designed to entertain, delight and educate.

Local Olympians and Paralympians have today been recognised in a civic reception held at Central Coast Council.Eight athletes and two officials from the Central Coast took part in the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio earlier this year and today’s event acknowledged their representation of our country and our community.Council Administrator Ian Reynolds said the reception provided an opportunity to formally recognise the efforts of our local athletes and officially congratulate them on their extraordinary achievements.“The Rio Games marks 120 years of Australians excelling in Olympic events, wearing the green and gold.

End of year exams are in full swing and Central Coast Council is encouraging students to take advantage of its free online tutoring service.Available through Coast libraries in the North, YourTutor is an online service where students in years 3 to 12 can get study and exam tips and help with assignments from professionals in real time.The service is free for all library members and is available from 3pm to 10pm, Sunday to Friday.Students who are members of the library can log in from any device, anywhere to access the service.Council’s Library Services Coordinator, Ms Andrea Edwards, said help was just a click away and was available in a safe online learning environment on a range of subjects, including English, maths and science, and advice was also given on study skills.“Many parents today are time poor so they struggle to help their children with homework.

An international cricket team will steam in to the Central Coast next week for a game against NSW Country.Central Coast Council has been working with the Central Coast Veterans Cricket Association (aka the Cyclones) to host a match between the NSW Country Over 60s and the touring England Over 60s on Tuesday 22 November at Baker Park, Wyong.Council’s Administrator, Mr Ian Reynolds, said he was really pleased when he heard the Central Coast will be hosting its first international cricket game.“What a great opportunity for the Central Coast to show off our great region to international visitors,” Mr Reynolds said.“We are happy to be working with the Cyclones and are directly sponsoring this international match through one of our grants.“Let’s hope NSW Country give the English team a good run before they take on the Australian team in three one day tests.”Council staff are working hard this week to make sure the oval is in tip top shape for the upcoming match.Baker Park has one of the best turf pitches on the Coast as well as a grand stand for great viewing so spectators won’t miss a ball.Central Coast Seniors Cricket Association President, Mr Bob Newman, was hit for six with the support he has received.“This is the first time Central Coast Cricket has hosted an international match so we wanted to make sure we had the best suited facilities and worked closely with Council to achieve this,” Mr Newman said.“Veteran’s Cricket is the biggest growing demographic in Australia and really highlights the comradery and fellowship we have.“We are lucky enough to have two Coast players representing NSW Country in the game - Doug Trigg and Greig Buscombe, with Doug named as captain!“All-round, this will be a massive day for Veteran’s Cricket on the Central Coast.

Central Coast Council’s $7 million investment in the Tuggerah Lakes Estuary over the past financial year is paying off, with three areas achieving improved water quality in the past 12 months.The annual Report Card on the ecological health of the Tuggerah Lakes Estuary shows that Lake Munmorah, Tuggerah Lake North and Tuggerah Lake Central have all gone up a grade, from C to B, due to an improvement in water quality.Ratings are graded from A to E, with A being excellent and E being very poor.Council’s Section Manager of Waterways and Coastal, Mr Ben Fullagar, said council had spent close to $30 million on the estuary over the past eight years, had worked hard to improve and restore important areas in the catchment area, and the results are starting to show.“In the past 12 months council has installed 14 new gross pollutant traps in urban areas, removed 1250 tonnes of pollutants from stormwater treatment devices, collected 200 tonnes of litter, dredged 60,000 cubic metres of sand from The Entrance channel to maintain connection with ocean, removed 10,500 cubic metres of seagrass wrack from nearshore areas and installed new recreational facilities at a number of locations,” Mr Fullagar said.“We are investing in the health of the stunning Tuggerah Lakes Estuary catchment area and have done work on river banks, natural wetlands and foreshore vegetation communities.”Council has been producing annual report cards on the Tuggerah Lakes Estuary since 2012 in an effort to determine whether the health of the estuary is improving, declining or remaining stable.The annual report cards are a summary of the ecological health of the estuary and are the result of scientists from the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) collecting and analysing water quality data.Council’s Administrator, Mr Ian Reynolds, said while council is investing a lot of time and money into making the Tuggerah Lakes Estuary cleaner, everyone could play a role in keeping the lakes clean.“The Lakes are one of our best natural assets and we want to keep it that way,” Mr Reynolds said.“Every time you wash your car on pavement, all of those chemicals end up in the lake.

Students and teachers from across the Central Coast took part in Council’s 2016 Primary School Environment Award Program encouraging students to consider stormwater issues in and around their school.This year’s theme, the drain is just for the rain, got students thinking about the impact waste has in their local environment such as waterways as well as the bigger picture of marine debris and how all drains lead to the ocean.Warnervale Public School and Mannering Park Public School were named the two overall winners for the former Wyong Shire area.Council’s Team Leader Community Education, Ms Danielle Hargreaves, said she was impressed at how Warnervale Public School has made it a key part of their everyday activities.“The school has developed a program to address the litter issues on top of their already successful environmental management program,” Ms Hargreaves said.“Extra bins have been placed in litter focus areas and during lunch and recess all the students use the Take 3 approach to make all rubbish is picked up before they go and play.“Food scraps are collected for the chickens to reduce any avoidable food waste, and the canteen now buys items with less packaging which results in less waste.“And this is just a sample of how the school is taking the 3-Rs approach – reduce, recycle and reuse.”Mannering Park Public School has also integrated the theme, the drain is for the rain, into all aspects of school life.From a waste audit, to Waste Free Wednesdays and a new recycling system, this small school is also leading the way in changing behaviours and teaching students about what goes down the drain impacts stormwater and wildlife.Council’s Administrator, Mr Ian Reynolds, was excited at the work produced in an effort to help the local environment.“It’s great to see so many schools participate in this annual program and how the learnings from this become part of everyday life at school and home,” Mr Reynolds said.“The program gives primary school students a chance to become involved in fun, innovative and environmentally sustainable projects that make a real positive difference to our community.”Other winners announced today included Brooke Avenue Public School, Ourimbah Public School, Tacoma Public School and Wyong Creek Public School.The winners of the school in the former Gosford City area will be announced on Friday 25 November at Laycock Street Community Theatre.

Central Coast Council is bringing an acclaimed writer, Andrew Patterson, to Tuggerah Library in November to share his debut novel ‘Harry’s World.’This award winning author will inspire his listeners to fall in love with crime fiction as he chats about his novel of corruption, crime, and politics.Council’s Library Services Manager, Ms Andrea Edwards said, she is excited to present such a fascinating and award winning author who has released his novel with much acclaim.“Crime fiction lovers will be enthralled as Andrew’s passion for writing and knowledge of crime really jumps out as he talks about ‘Harry’s World,’ said Ms Edwards.“Andrew’s experience as a Detective Sergeant in the Police Force and as a Chief Investigator with the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption has given him a vast amount of knowledge that really shines through this fascinating read.“Harry’s World’ is running hot off the press and if you haven’t bought your copy yet, the book will be available for purchase on the day with the author on hand to personally sign each copy.”Andrew Patterson is an independent author who has won five awards including Outstanding Mystery at the 2016 Independent Author Network Book of the Year Awards in Canada and the Bronze Medal Winner at the 2016 Independent Publisher Book Awards in Australia.Andrew will be at Tuggerah Library on 23 November at 10am until 11.30am to share his work with readers.“All of our libraries are great places to meet up with friends, catch an event or just be inspired by the dynamic learning spaces we have created", Ms Edwards added.“So drop in to one of your local libraries on the Coast and you will be amazed at what they have to offer for all ages of the community.”More information on local libraries, events and programs can be found by visiting centralcoast.nsw.gov.au.

Central Coast Council has completed two sections of fire trails at Mardi to help protect residences in the area from the risk of bushfire.The fire trails between Old Maitland Road and Scadden Ridge Road in Mardi have been upgraded with corrugated concrete to allow better access for emergency services to the area in the event of a fire and for hazard reduction burning activities.Corrugated concrete has proven effective in steeper areas of the Coast and significantly reduces maintenance costs.  Council has saved around $50,000 a year after a similar upgrade to Kincumba Mountain six years ago.Council’s Senior Manager, Property Management, Mr Peter Stokes, said Council had been upgrading fire trails across the Coast to ensure emergency services can better protect the community from the threat of bushfire.“Mardi has been assessed as a high risk area for bushfires which is why these trails were prioritised in this round of works,” Mr Stokes said.“We know that better fire trails mean our emergency services can get to where they need to be more quickly and every minute counts when it comes to saving lives and properties.”Council invested $240,000 on 280 metres of new fire trails through some of the most rugged terrain in the Mardi area.Council’s Administrator Mr Ian Reynolds, said with the threat of fire now quite real, it is time for local residents to prepare their own properties for the bushfire season, if they haven’t already done so.“We are doing everything we can to mitigate direct and indirect bushfire impacts on residents and will continue to do so,” Mr Reynolds said.“Last financial year with the support of Rural Fire Service grants programs, Council invested over $1.3 million in bush fire mitigation activities.“The threat of fire on the Coast is very real and I urge everyone to prepare a bushfire survival plan for their home and family and ensure that their property is ready for the fire season.“Embers can travel long distances and are one of the main reason houses are lost during a bushfire.

This weekend will see a hive of activity around Tuggerah Lakes as Central Coast Council kicks off its award winning Wyong Lakes Festival.The Festival will make a splash on Saturday 12 November and will continue with more than 30 events until Sunday 20 November.The opening weekend will see up to 1500 competitors take part in three massive sporting events – Colour Ya World, TriWyong and the Saltwater Festival (Stand Up Paddle Boarding).Crowds are also expected to flock to Memorial Park, The Entrance for Light up the Lake and fireworks with a free concert including headline act, Thirsty Merc on Saturday 12 November from 4pm.On Sunday 13 November, festival goers can wind down with Brunch by the Lake including a free breakfast, activities and entertainment at Memorial Park from 10am.There is something for everyone in the nine day program designed to entertain, delight and educate the community about one of the Coast’s greatest natural assets.See the full program at wyong.nsw.gov.au/wyonglakesfestival