Throughout November, Central Coast Council is reminding residents about the risks associated with the removal and handling of asbestos, as part of Asbestos Awareness Month.Asbestos Awareness Month aims to educate homeowners, renovators, handymen and tradespeople about the dangers of working with asbestos and how to manage those dangers safely.Australia was one of the largest consumers of asbestos-containing materials in the world, with asbestos found in one in every three homes built or renovated before 1987.While considered safe if left undisturbed, when products containing asbestos are disturbed, handled incorrectly or not disposed of properly, asbestos fibres can be released into the air and inhaled;

Funding to maintain or restore heritage items in the area covered by the former Wyong Shire Council is now available.As a result of funding from the Office of Environment and Heritage, Council is offering grants of up to $2000 per project for heritage items and properties.Owners or managers of heritage buildings and items, and owners of properties within the former Wyong Shire Council heritage conservation areas are now invited to apply.Applications can be made through Central Coast Council’s Local Heritage Assistance Fund.Council’s Group Leader Scott Cox said the level of funding for individual projects will be determined on a case by case basis however greater funding may be considered in some instances.“Projects that involve the repair or reinstatement of items on heritage buildings, such as the reinstatement of fences, verandas and decorative items, are encouraged,” Mr Cox said.“Projects can also include structural work through to final painting.”Council will also consider projects outside this scope that lead to good heritage outcomes.Council recognises the environmental, social and economic value contained in local heritage assets and the contribution these assets have made to our identity.The fund aims to help residents and business owners protect and manage important heritage items and heritage conservation areas into the future.“Well known heritage assets attract tourism and owners of heritage-listed private property can significantly increase their value of land and property over time,” Mr Cox said.Heritage listings can be found in the Wyong Shire Local Environmental Plan which also outlines how these items are protected by legislation.Heritage building owners are encouraged to contact Council’s Heritage Advisor to ensure their project is eligible.Applications close 2 December 2016 and projects must be completed by 31 March 2017.For more information go to wyong.nsw.gov.au/environment/heritage. 

Fourteen not-for-profit groups will share in $250,000 in Stronger Communities Fund grants for projects that will encourage a more vibrant, sustainable and inclusive community.Newly merged councils, like the Central Coast, received $10 million under the State Government’s Stronger Communities Fund to kick start the delivery of projects to improve infrastructure and services - with $1 million earmarked for grants for local community groups.

Council is calling for final feedback on the concept design plan for the $1.4 million Koolewong boat ramp upgrade.This design is the product of two stages of stakeholder and community consultation commencing in May this year.Final comment is being invited via the Have Your Say Central Coast Website, by Friday 4 November.Council is upgrading this important aquatic infrastructure to provide a more user-friendly facility and accommodate increased usage capacity now and into the future.The upgrade will include construction of a dual-lane boat ramp, an on-ramp pontoon and a sailing pontoon.This upgrade has been made possible thanks to a $750,000 grant from the NSW Government’s NSW Boating Now program.Construction is planned for mid-2017.

A whale calf found caught in a shark net at Shelly Beach this morning has now freed itself.Council Lifeguard’s spotted the whale on their daily patrol this morning and called in ORRCA.A jet ski inspection by Lifeguards and ORRCA have confirmed the whale calf is no longer trapped in the nets and has been reunited with its mother.National Parks and Wildlife were notified and had launched a rescue boat from Sydney which has since turned back.A Channel Nine helicopter also confirmed to Council lifeguards the whale was definitely free.Hundreds of whales have been spotted along the Central Coast coastline over the last few days as they make their way south after their winter solstice.

Residents are encouraged to make their homes and gardens more sustainable by learning about permaculture, composting, worm farming and keeping chickens at a new eco education garden at Buttonderry Waste Management Facility.The garden is being used for eight free community workshops during Wyong Lakes Festival, and bookings are essential.It contains raised garden beds, tepee display posts, gardening table, brick area for functions, foot bridge, children’s garden and play area, training amphitheatre and edible and native gardens.Council’s Senior Project Officer, Ms Narelle Peterson, said the garden had been specifically designed to facilitate community workshops where residents could learn to reduce waste and their use of household chemicals.“The garden was developed as part of Council’s Waste Less Recycle More program and the workshops are designed to teach the community how they can reuse and recycle,” Ms Peterson said.“Permaculture workshops will teach people how to harvest and maximise water, sun and other natural resources such as leaves, bird droppings and dust.”“Simple things such as planting seedlings in newspaper pots that can then be planted straight into the soil help minimise the amount of work needed in the garden and it’s environmentally friendly.”Some workshops include free starter packs which are limited to one per household.

Central Coast Council has announced the first round of funding as part of the Stronger Communities Fund Community Grants Program.

Congratulations to the winners of the 2016 Central Coast Council annual Short Story Competition, who were announced at a well-attended awards ceremony on the weekend.This is the fifth consecutive year the competition has been held, but the first time the competition has been held across the whole Central Coast region.This year entries were invited from four categories and the theme was open, with a 1500 word limit.The competition aims to boost the profile of creative writing on the Coast while providing a platform for hopeful authors to be discovered and celebrated.Council’s Section Manager of Library Services, Ms Andrea Edwards, said she was delighted with the response from the community.“We received a record number of 224 entries.

Three of Central Coast Council’s projects have been recognised as the best in New South Wales for their engineering excellence.The winners were announced at the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia (IPWEA) state conference last night in the Hunter Valley.The Wyong CBD drainage upgrade received top honours taking out the award for Design and/or Construction of a Local Government/Public Works Project.The multi-million dollar project was split into six stages and saw drainage three times bigger than previous installed through the Wyong Central Business District (CBD) to reduce the impact of flooding in the area and support future growth and development.In the same category, Council received a Highly Commended for the upgrade of high voltage assets at Mooney Mooney Water Pump Station.Council also took out the Excellence in Road Safety Engineering for its proactive work in making our local roads safer.Council’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Rob Noble, said the awards highlighted the quality of essential services Council provides to the community.“They are a testament to the hard work of our staff,” Mr Noble said.“These awards recognise our outstanding performance while carrying out some of our core services – water supply, planning and drainage.”

Central Coast Council’s innovative approach to tackle graffiti will see the local legends of Toukley immortalised as part of a community mural.Council is working with a group of visual artists to create a mural at the Toukley Neighbourhood Centre Precinct and is calling on the community to nominate local legends.Council’s Community Development Coordinator, Ms Shari Young, said the mural is more than artwork, it’s about bringing the community together and creating a sense of pride in the area.“The mural is part of our Graffiti Management Strategy to reduce the amount of blank canvas across the Coast and create murals the local community can identify with,” Ms Young said.“Toukley has been shaped by the people, landmarks and stories that are legendary in the community and we want this to be reflected in our mural.“A local legend can be a person, landmark, event or local story that is significant in the Toukley area.“We have our rich Indigenous history, the Hargraves family and Norah Head Lighthouse, dedicated community members, Canton Beach, Toukley bridge, local sports stars – past and present, great events, our lakes and beaches and the list goes on.“These are only examples and we know there are many, many legends and landmarks out there as well as stories to tell that truly represent the Toukley area.“Make sure you come along and see us at one of our pop up stalls or fun day to nominate your local legend.”A community fun day will be held on Saturday 26 November from 10am-2pm in Heador Street, where residents can go along and nominate their local legend for the mural.The day also includes a free BBQ, petting zoo, games, activities, art workshops with the mural artists and much more.Council staff and the artists will also have a stall at the Toukley Markets on Sunday 6 November and Sunday 27 November taking nominations for the community mural as well as running free art workshops.Council’s Administrator, Mr Ian Reynolds, said this project is a great way to show off the rich history of Toukley.“We want to uncover the legends of Toukley and display them in a community mural for all to see and be proud of,” Mr Reynolds said.“If you know a community member who has contributed to the Toukley area, a local landmark or story, make sure you nominate them.”Nominations close Friday 16 December.

OneClickDigital and Zinio online library services may be interrupted for up to six hours on Thursday 3 November, while works to update the site in preparation for a new app are undertaken.Between 1pm and 7pm on 3 November library customers may be unable to checkout, listen online or download books via their OneClickDigital and or Zinio site through their app or browser.One Click eBooks and audio eBooks and Zinio magazines will be accessible via the new app in December 2017, making digital library resources easier to access for library customers.Council apologies for any inconvenience.

Everyone loves a good ghost story and Tuggerah Library is presenting two free events about local ghosts in November.Local filmmaker Chris Halling will reveal details of the Coast’s most famous ghost at Jenny Dixon Beach and how hundreds of credible sightings of her over the past 40 years motivated him to make a thriller about her at a talk on Saturday 12 November at 11am.On Thursday 10 November at 2pm Renata Daniel returns by popular demand to present a talk called Ghosts From Our Past:

Council Meeting live webcast for the very first time  Central Coast Council is the latest local government authority to open up democracy by holding its first ever live webcast of a council meeting.Local Councils are increasingly opting to live webcast their meetings to give the community a convenient way to see decision making first-hand.Councils in NSW who also live webcast their meetings include Eurobodalla Shire, Lane Cove, Northern Beaches and Newcastle.Administrator Ian Reynolds said even more members of the community would be able to see democracy in action and hopefully understand better how decisions are made.“This is an historic day for Council,” Administrator Reynolds said.“We don’t know how many may want to watch each meeting but the fact that they can without having to be physically in the Chamber is a great outcome.“I hope our residents will gain a better understanding of what Council actually does.”Council is undertaking a six month trial of live webcasting with a report due back to Council following the trial.Meetings can be viewed through Council’s YouTube channel.The next meeting of Council will be held on Wednesday 23 November at 5pm in the Wyong Office Chamber.Council recognises Engineer’s successCouncil’s Senior Asset Systems Engineer, Misbah Khan, has been officially acknowledged and congratulated on his recent Newcastle Professional Engineer of the Year Award.Misbah undertook a research project to look into how authorities, including Councils, could better manage road pavement performance following storms and flooding.  It is believed these results will help road pavement authorities in managing flood-damaged roads with the appropriate treatment and within budget.Administrator Ian Reynolds said this ground breaking work would go beyond receiving a personal award to directly benefiting the wider Central Coast community.“There are many areas on the Central Coast that are subject to flooding and Council is always looking for ways to best manage and improve our local roads so they can cope,” Mr Reynolds said.“We are lucky to have someone working here at Council with the calibre of Misbah who is working hard to find engineering solutions that will directly benefit our community.“I congratulate Misbah on this well-deserved award and will be looking at how his career progresses with great interest.”Misbah has been nominated for the Australian Professional Engineer Award to be held in November this year.Development Application process streamlined across the Coast Council tonight adopted a new policy to process Development Applications (DAs) to apply across the whole Central Coast.Under the new policy DAs with more than 50 submissions will be reported to a Council meeting for a decision and DAs with less than 25 submissions can be determined by staff under delegated authority.Applications with more than 25 submissions will automatically trigger a briefing note to be sent to the Administrator for consideration.   The Administrator can also call up any DA for deliberation at a Council meeting.The new policy is in place following extensive public consultation which highlighted concerns that 100 submissions, to trigger referral to Council, was too many, particularly in smaller communities.Council’s Administrator, Mr Ian Reynolds, said Council now has one approach across the Coast making the process of determining DAs clearer for everyone.“This has always been about adopting one uniform approach so the community is clear about the process,” Mr Reynolds said.“Because the number of submissions required for an application to come to me for determination has been reduced from 100 to 50, development applications with a high level of public interest will automatically be determined by Council.”“I do want to assure the community that all submissions, are taken into account when considering any DA no matter how many are received.  Staff must assess all DAs on their merit and under planning law and I have confidence in staff to do their job effectively.”Rezoning will deliver a new Rural Village for MardiA new rural residential development for Mardi is closer with Council tonight agreeing to support a planning proposal to rezone the land.The rezoning will allow the large parcel of land on Old Maitland Road, just minutes from Westfield and Wyong CBD to be developed with up to 300 rural residential properties.Importantly the rezoning will secure the long term protection of 167 ha of Environmental land which is 75% of the site.The proposed rezoning has been subject to two rounds of public consultation, generating over 100 submissions.  The submissions have been taken into account with the proponent entering into Voluntary Planning Agreement (VPA) which will require management of the potential impacts of the development relating to biodiversity, bushfire and traffic.Administrator Reynolds said additional rural residential land provides more housing diversity for the growing population on the Coast.“We need more jobs and new housing on the Coast and this development will deliver both of those,” Mr Reynolds said.“It is also about delivering choice in housing.“This is just the rezoning stage.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.