Central Coast Council acknowledged yesterday’s release of the State Government’s independent review into the Warnervale Airport (Restrictions) Act 1996 (the Act) and would now review the recommendations in detail and respond to the impacts of this on Council’s operational management of Warnervale Airport. Mayor Lisa Matthews said that Council can only operate Warnervale Airport under the legislative environment that the State Government sets.“I want to emphasise that Council does not make the laws about the operation of this community owned asset," Mayor Matthews said.“Council must and does adhere to the State legislation that governs Warnervale Airport and this includes the current flight cap limits.“Minister Rob Stokes has publicly notified that this part of the Act is proposed to be repealed, and once that is done Council will respond to the legislation in its management of the airport."The airport management includes safety of the runway and Council has measures in place to ensure that airport users are aware of all conditions for runway use.  Council is continuing to look at long term options to reduce the vegetation hazard and is required to comply with other State legislation to do this.

Central Coast Council’s Trainee and Apprentice (TrApp) Program is currently seeking eligible students to build their careers in a range of roles.The program offers students an opportunity to complete a nationally recognised qualification in their chosen field as a full-time paid employee at Council.Council’s Executive Manager People and Culture, Krystie Bryant said the program aims to develop students to become job ready.“We are committed to supporting our residents studying at a vocational level with an opportunity to increase their chances of securing employment,” Ms Bryant said.“Our TrApp Program aims to educate students, so they are qualified at a high industry standard by developing their practical and professional skills in a safe and supportive environment.“Students that complete the program are armed with workplace development and expert training, so they are more competitive in the job market and they are also exposed to career opportunities with Council.“Local youth and mature age students looking to start a career or want to gain new skills in a range of fields are encouraged to apply for our 2021 program.”Successful applicants must undertake a range of requirements for the duration of the program including working 35 or 38 hours per week, completion of all work, attending all classes, completing all assessments, gain competency in all qualification units and completion of certification and employment service.Mayor Lisa Matthews said Council’s TrApp Program has been a success and continues to provide an exciting opportunity particularly for our young people.“This important program offers our community an opportunity to build their careers within Local Government and gain valuable training in their chosen path,” Mayor Matthews said.“Council has an important role to play in providing our youth with employment opportunities and supporting our residents with roles to live and work locally.“I am proud that Council offers opportunities for our community to gain professional experience and become job ready in their chosen career.”Applications for Council’s 2021 TrApp Program are now open.

Council focuses on delivering essential services and supporting the communityCentral Coast Council tonight adopted its Operational Plan for the 2020-21 financial year.  Council has budgeted $564.3 million for the delivery of essential services and $225 million for capital works across the local government area.

Emergency remediation works continued over the weekend at Wamberal and the North Entrance in a bid to get as much done before the predicted second east coast low hits our coastline early this week. At Wamberal, all available rock filled bags have now been placed on Wamberal Beach to help secure the base of the escarpment.

Emergency remediation works are continuing at Wamberal and North Entrance this weekend.At Wamberal, 180 rock bags (weighing two tonnes each) have been installed using a crane.

Council are calling on Central Coast individual visual artists or creative groups to submit their interest in utilising a variety of spaces in several town centre locations for creative endeavours.Council’s Director Connected Communities, Julie Vaughan said the local creative and arts industry has been significantly impacted by COVID-19 and this initiative will provide much needed support.“Council are actively developing a number of initiatives to support and sustain the Central Coast’s creative community and this one has the added benefit of activating town centres which also supports local businesses,” Ms Vaughan said.“Council are investigating opportunities to provide access to a variety of places and spaces in our town centres to support creative practitioners and would like to hear from individual artists, collectives or community groups wishing to use these places to create art, showcase their work or run community workshops.”Expressions of interest are now being sought from creatives of any visual medium - including arts and crafts, ceramics, sculpture, photography, printmaking, textile and fashion, filmmaking, and other innovative visual art installations. These spaces are located in high traffic areas and available on a ‘pop-up’ temporary, casual or semi-permanent basis.Mayor Lisa Matthews said this project is a chance for creatives to develop their practice and take up this opportunity to create, display and promote their work in the parameters that COVID-19 restrictions allow.“This Council initiative will not only support our local artists and creative industry but will also provide a boost to the local economy by helping to create vibrant town centres brimming with cultural vitality to attract both residents and visitors,” Mayor Matthews said.In the meantime, Council has been working with commercial property owners and real estate agents to decorate vacant shop windows with creative decals which visually highlight the area’s key features and attractions.

Central Coast Council is planning to hold a program of entertainment and performances as part The Lakes Festival in November with a range of COVID-safe measures in place.While the event will look a little different this year, the popular 10-day program celebrates the Central Coast’s beautiful and diverse waterways and Council is currently seeking Expressions of Interest (EOI’s) from local businesses, companies, organisations and community groups who would like to be involved.Council Unit Manager Community Partnerships, Glenn Cannard said The Lakes Festival is built on creative and ‘outside the box’ ideas from across the Coast.“We’ll have to do The Lakes Festival a little differently this year to ensure we are COVID-safe but it is exciting that we are able to move forward with this special program that celebrates our region’s incredible waterways,” Mr Cannard said."This year Memorial Park will come alive with ‘Under The Wave’, a pop up wave structure that will play host to fantastic entertainment featured across the ten day program."If you have creative vision and would love to be part of the ten day program we want to hear from you – we’re looking for great music, theatrical performances and ‘outside the box’ creative ideas to fill the space.“Contributors will need to stay true to the overarching theme of our waterways and will benefit inclusion in our marketing campaign and a listing in the program.”Guidelines for EOI's include:inclusive and immersive entertainment, including live music, magic shows, circus performances, dance groups, comedy nights, movie nights plus moreenvironmental focus or a connection to the waterwaysbold, innovative, fun and ‘out of the box’ ideasshows need to be ticketed, either paid or free, for 100 participants maximum, while abiding to all social distancing requirements.Mayor Lisa Matthews said it was exciting to see plans underway to hold this special program for the Coast in a challenging year.“The Lakes Festival is without a doubt an annual highlight for our region and it is made possible through the contributions of so many amazing local businesses, groups and organisations,” Mayor Matthews said.“It has been disappointing to see so many events cancelled due to COVID-19 and I’d encourage creative locals to come together and be part of The Lakes Festival for 2020.”Submissions close on Friday 7 August 2020 at 2pm and can be completed by visiting – centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/lakesfestivaleoi

Central Coast Council has started emergency remediation works at Wamberal Beach today.The works include placing rock filled bags on the beach by crane from the road.

The Emergency Operation Centre (EOC), established to coordinate the emergency response to coastal erosion at Wamberal will move from operational to alert status. Superintendent Tony Joice said with the response phase now complete and emergency works underway, it is time for a focus of recovery.“I want to thank all the combat agencies for their work over the past week in coming together to keep the community and providing immediate relief for affected residents,” Superintendent Joice said.“I am pleased to see the emergency works underway which is a direct outcome of the work of the EOC.“All combat agencies will remain on standby and we will reopen the EOC as needed.”Local Recovery Coordinator, Lee Shearer, is now in charge of working with the community on recovery.

Central Coast Council is continuing to work with the NSW State Emergency Service, NSW Police and local residents in response to coastal erosion affecting a number of properties at Wamberal. Ocean View Drive at Wamberal is currently closed to general traffic to allow emergency vehicles, residents and essential services access to the area.

Council proudly invests in and manages 260 playspaces across the Central Coast, delivering on our communities’ vision for activated spaces and places for communities to build social networks. Effectively designed playgrounds and parks encourage play at all levels and offer a place for children to learn, exercise, reflect, run, explore and take safe risks;

Central Coast Council has confirmed it is responding to disaster response requests from the Local Emergency Operations Controller (LEOCON) as one of the organisations responding to the severe coastal erosion event caused by the recent weather that continues to detrimentally impact areas of the coastline.Under the legislative requirements of the State Emergency Management Plan, Council provides resources to support the LEOCON and in this instance is taking direction from Superintendent Joice – LEOCON, Central Coast Emergency Management District.   The Local Emergency Operations Centre at Kariong has been activated to bring agencies together and take critical actions to manage the immediate resident and public safety risks at Wamberal and North Entrance.

Central Coast Council held an Extraordinary Meeting tonight to update the full Council and community members about the damage caused by coastal beach erosion at Wamberal and The Entrance North.Council has called on the State Government to declare a natural disaster after last week’s severe weather created severe coastal erosion damage and damaged properties at Wamberal.

Central Coast Council has continued to work overnight with NSW State Emergency Service and other essential services who are leading the emergency recovery as part of the State Emergency Rescue Management Act.While strong winds and hazardous surf conditions have impacted the whole Coastline from Budgewoi right down to Pearl Beach, current areas of focus for emergency services are Wamberal, North Entrance, Terrigal and Avoca.

Central Coast Mayor Lisa Matthews is encouraging all levels of government to work together after inspecting severe damage to infrastructure and homes at Wamberal and the North Entrance this morning.An east coast low was predicted to hit the NSW North Coast earlier in the week, bringing with it damaging winds, surf and heavy rainfall.

Central Coast Mayor Lisa Matthews has called an Extraordinary Council Meeting for Monday 20 July 2020 to receive a thorough public update around the unfolding coastal crisis at Wamberal and The North Entrance.

Kids across the coast will be squealing with delight with an abundance of new playspaces to visit across the Central Coast and more in the works.The past twelve months has seen the design, construction and delivery of 18 new or renewed local playspaces across the region, five playspace upgrades with the best and biggest soon to come.

Tourists and locals alike rightfully celebrate the 29 glorious beaches that pepper the length of the Central Coast, but there is much fun to be had in the region during the winter months – no swimsuits required.From breathtaking vantage points to watch the whales migrate, stunning bushwalks and incredible outdoor adventures, to unique experiences and some of Australian’s finest local produce, not to mention a world of culinary delight and bespoke retail therapy opportunities, there is something for everyone.Central Coast Mayor Lisa Matthews said the region has so much to offer during the winter months it was a difficult task to narrow down a list of highlights.“The Central Coast is obviously fantastic in the summer but it’s also a special place to be during the cooler months, there are so many options for short or long trips or for locals embracing the staycation in our beautiful region,” Mayor Matthews said.“‘Visit Central Coast’ have pulled together a list of just some of the Coast’s winter highlights, but this is by no means exhaustive – there is so much on offer!“We’re often blessed with beautiful winter weather, which makes our incredible bushwalks, stunning hinterland region and outdoor adventure experiences very appealing, but there are also lots of opportunities to get comfortable in a cozy spot with your drink of choice and mouth-watering food made with locally grown produce.“Winter is not the time for hibernation on the Coast – I encourage visitors to explore all that’s on offer and for locals to rediscover their own backyard.”Here is a snapshot of some of the winter highlights from ‘Visit Central Coast’:Breathtaking vantage points to watch the whales migrate - There is nothing quite like the majesty and beauty of seeing a whale in the wild.

Central Coast Council is continuing to support the local economy with a range of measures to help local businesses experiencing hardship in the current economic climate.The initiatives follow an earlier support package for businesses during the recent COVID-19 closures.The phase two support package takes a multi-pronged approach to assisting business owners.

Council are calling on the community to dream big and share their ideas to shape the future of The Entrance Town Centre with consultation running online until 2 August 2020.Council’s Director Connected Communities, Julie Vaughan said The Entrance Town Centre has the foundations to be a thriving and engaging destination all year round - not just during the holiday season.“To help this vital Town Centre live up to its full potential we are looking to the community to provide their input as we develop a Place Plan to create a revitalised and activated area for work, play and social connection," Ms Vaughan said. This Place Plan will identify a series of future initiatives and projects that will improve the visitor experience and transform how the community interacts with this area whilst providing an ongoing boost to local businesses.Mayor Lisa Matthews said the importance of effective Place Plans is now more important than ever for our local economy.“Local businesses are still feeling the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and it’s important for recovery and ongoing resilience that this Town Centre is bustling with activity and draws the community and visitors to the area,” Mayor Matthews said.“I encourage the community, and especially the local business operators, to jump online and share their thoughts on what is and isn’t currently working and their vision for future of The Entrance Town Centre.“Together we can create an engaging, safe and welcoming space for everyone to enjoy and be proud of.”Go to www.yourvoiceourcoast.com before 2 August to share your ideas and aspirations.