Copacabana, Umina and Soldiers Beach have all been given a facelift with the help of Council’s Waterways and Coastal Protection Beach team, local surf clubs and community groups.Residents and visitors will reap the benefits and have access to a cleaner, more inviting beach area free from debris and ageing infrastructure.Council Director, Assets, Infrastructure and Business, Mike Dowling said the community and Council had pulled together to deliver a great outcome and the feedback from local businesses was immediate and positive.“Copacabana shopkeepers have complimented us on the fence repairs to the whale watching platform and said that the improvements have really enhanced the area,” Mr Dowling said.“There is no rubbish left lying around now and people are using and enjoying the area again.“The picnic area has been cleaned up and the shower drains unblocked, and local residents are now enjoying the rejuvenated space.“Umina Beach now has a rubbish and vandalism free viewing area.“Council worked closely with the local community and surf club to find the best way to enhance this area and the results speak for themselves.”At Soldiers Beach natives have been planted around and under the main access stairs and a large area of Bitou bush and other noxious weeds have been removed.Council installed new rail fencing along the beachfront, garden edging, mulching and re-planting of natives providing a more pleasant viewing area.

Central Coast Council has appointed Council’s General Counsel, Mr Brian Glendenning, as the interim Chief Executive Officer following an extraordinary meeting held tonight.  The appointment follows the resignation of the current Chief Executive Officer, Mr Brian Bell, who resigned last week due to personal health reasons.

One of Australia’s most recorded musicians and songwriters, Rod McCormack, has been officially appointed as the Central Coast’s Australia Day Ambassador for 2018.Rod is one of the most in-demand record producers in the country and has been responsible for many high selling and award winning albums, as well as being named CMAA (Country Music Association of Australia) Producer of the Year in 2004, 2008 and 2010 and has more recently has produced several Top 10 hits.Rod is proud to call the Central Coast home and his recording studio at Erina, The Music Cellar, has played host to some of Australia’s best artists such as Paul Kelly, Stan Walker, Jimmy Barnes, Shannon Noll, Kasey Chambers, The Wiggles, Casey Donovan, Gina Jeffreys, Adam Harvey, Beccy Cole, Anthony Callea and many more.Rod and his wife, Gina Jeffreys, are ambassadors of Central Coast Council’s This is the Life campaign – helping promote all the things they love about the Coast and showing off the remarkable people that live here.“When you’re in such a beautiful environment all the time, with such a great lifestyle, I think your creativity just flows out of you much more naturally – and that works for me,” Rod said.“I have always lived on the Central Coast and love it so much that I convinced Gina this is the best place to raise our family.“So when I was asked to be the Central Coast’s Ambassador for Australia Day, I was really honoured.“I’m really looking forward to getting out and about on Australia Day and celebrating everything that’s great about this country, but especially living here on the Coast.“I think one of the great things that the Central Coast affords is being able to maintain a great lifestyle that doesn’t overstretch everybody.”Find out more on Rod’s story by visiting thisisthecentralcoast.com.auRod will be joined by Council’s Mayor, Jane Smith, to officiate at community events at The Entrance and Woy Woy as well as help present the Australia Day Awards on Thursday 25 January.Mayor Jane Smith said it’s fantastic to have a local representative like Rod McCormack involved in the Central Coast’s Australia Day celebrations.“Rod has gained the reputation as one of Australia’s finest music producers and song writers and proudly shares his passion for music here on the Coast,” Mayor Smith said.“He continues to produce and write music, but is now also giving back to the industry by running performance workshops to help mentor new and young performers.“Rod embodies what it means to be a Coastie and he will share his pride and passion for the area as he takes part in all our Australia Day events.”Central Coast Australia Day events for 2018 include:Thursday 25 January – Australia Day Eve celebrations at Canton Beach.Friday 26 January – Australia Day celebrations at Woy Woy and The Entrance and the annual Citizenship Ceremony.Find out more on community events for Australia Day by visiting centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/events 

What was once a barely recognisable track is now a fully functioning fire trail thanks to an upgrade by Central Coast Council and the Rural Fire Service (RFS).The Pleasant Valley Fire Trail in Fountaindale provides safe access for Council and the RFS to manage bush fire risks and emergency situations.Central Coast Council Director, Assets, Infrastructure and Business, Mike Dowling, said the Council had completed an extensive upgrade to the previously impassable fire trail.“The Pleasant Valley Fire Trail is in a particularly rugged, steep and dense bushland area in an extreme bushfire zone,” Mr Dowling said.“Council has undertaken extensive work to regrade and seal parts of the trail with gravel, bitumen and concrete, improve surface drainage and installed passing bays for emergency management vehicles.“This upgrade will allow the local RFS and Council to better manage the extreme bush fire risk in this area, allow for Hazard Reduction burning to take place and provide safe access for fire fighters should an emergency arise.Council and the Rural Fire Service have funded the much needed upgrade to the Pleasant Valley Fire Trail to the tune of $450,000.Central Coast Mayor, Jane Smith, said the upgrade would benefit residents, emergency services and land management crews.“Fire trails are an essential part of our landscape and vital for firefighters to be able to access and contain fires safely,” Mayor Jane Smith said.“They are also vital for the management of bush fire risks and the safety of residents and their property.“Council is committed to working with the RFS and investing in infrastructure to keep our community accessible and safe.”The 1.2km upgrades included:Approx.

Central Coast Council will hold an Extraordinary Meeting on Monday 15 January 2018 to appoint an interim General Manager following the resignation of current Chief Executive Officer Brian Bell.Under the Local Government Act the Council’s governing body must appoint a person to be General Manager.

Central Coast commuters never have to worry about forgetting reading material again by taking advantage of the free eBranch collections through their local Library.Following the launch of the combined Library Management System in October, members now have access to more than 18,000 junior and adult eBooks and eAudiobooks as well as 278 eMagazines.With many commuters returning to work this week, Council Unit Manager Libraries, Michelle Swan-Beardmore, reminds residents that access to their local library can be found in their back pocket.“With over a quarter of our residents travelling outside of the region for work, our eBranch provides a convenient way to access books and magazines from any digital device with internet connection,” Ms Swan-Beardmore said.“Unlike eBooks, our eMagazines aren’t ‘borrowed’ – once downloaded to your device they can be read anywhere, anytime, even without access to WIFI – there is no limit to the number you can download.“Best of all it is all free, meaning residents never have to pay for a magazine subscription again.“This is just one of the ways we are ensuring we deliver the services residents want in the format they want it.”There are three eBook and eAudio platforms – BorrowBox, Overdrive and RBdigital – with RBDigital also offering eMagazine access.To find out how to borrow or download platform applications visit centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/libraries and click on eLibrary for information.“Our eBranch isn’t limited to eBooks and eMagazines, offering a dynamic collection of online resources to meet the growing demand from our community,” Ms Swan-Beardmore added.“Our comprehensive eBranch includes eMovies, educational resources for kids, language courses, word puzzles, computer programs, online newspapers and much, much more!“All these fantastic resources and services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, allowing members to connect, learn or relax in a manner and time that works for them.“If you have friends or family who are visiting the area let them know they can also benefit from amazing eBranch services, with temporary online memberships available.“With so much on offer online, summer holidays are the perfect time to rediscover your local library.”To become a member and take advantage of what is on offer go to centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/jointhelibrary

Council advises that the Public Health Alert has now been lifted for The Entrance Channel at Karagi Park.Council would like to thank the community for their patience and understanding this week.

Council advises that The Entrance Channel is not affected by the sewer overflow that occurred earlier this week.However, water quality monitoring indicates the Karagi Park location remains unsuitable for recreational activities.

Central Coast Council has recently engaged with a new e-waste contractor, Toxfree, to maximise e-waste recycling and reduce the amount of electronics ending up in landfill.Thanks to state of the art European technology applied by Toxfree more e-waste items are now being accepted with more components being recycled.Council Mayor Jane Smith said this was an excellent initiative and is encouraging residents to take advantage of this free service.“E-waste can pose major problems when not disposed of correctly, with toxic chemicals such as mercury and lead causing possible pollution and contamination,” Mayor Smith said.“Through this new engagement, residents can now drop off up to 15 household e-waste items at our Waste Management Facilities at Jilliby, Kincumber or Woy Woy.“Previously we were required to pay for e-waste items to be recycled, but now Council is being paid with funds able to be redirected towards community assets and services.“With Toxfree more of the items parts are also being recycled including circuit boards, plastic and metals, reducing the impact on our landfills.“It has never been easier for our community to ensure waste is disposed of responsibly.”Toxfree utilise the BluBox process – a Swiss designed processing technology packed in a 40ft container – to break down modern e-waste items such as flat panel displays, smart phones, laptops and most e-waste items found in households.The process uses an innovative system to break down and separate parts including the extraction of mercury from LCD backlighting tubes.“This new system has come on at the perfect time following Christmas,” Mayor Smith added.“I would like to remind residents if they did receive any new electronics for Christams to dispose of unused electronic items responsibly by taking advantage of this free service.”Visit centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/ewaste for a list of accepted e-waste materials.

Council advises water quality in The Entrance Channel may have been affected following a sewer overflow on the northern side of the channel, today Tuesday 2 January.Council has contained the overflow and erected warning signs at the Karagi Park location (Hutton Road, The Entrance North, east of Dunleith Tourist Park).

In relation to the incident concerning fireworks at Terrigal on New Year’s Eve, Council is of the strong view that public safety is paramount.The fireworks were stored and discharged from a barge on the open waterway.The NSW Government agencies Roads and Maritime Services and Safe Work NSW are the responsible bodies for the issuing of the necessary permit regulating the control and safety of fireworks on the open water.The organiser of the event submitted an application to Council which sought permission for the congregation of people on the Terrigal foreshore.

Central Coast Council is reminding motorists to be safe on the roads as the summer holidays kick off.

Central Coast Council Offices and a number of services will close from midday Friday 22 December for the annual Christmas closure and reopen on Tuesday 2 January 2018.This includes Gosford and Wyong Offices, Libraries and works depots.Essential services will continue throughout the closure period including residential waste collection, water treatment and lifeguards will patrol beaches.All Council run leisure facilities will be closed on Christmas and Boxing Day but open other days with the exception of Lake Haven Recreation Centre which will also be closed on New Year’s Day.Gosford Regional Gallery will be closed on the designated public holidays – Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day but will be open the other days.Kincumber Transfer Station and Woy Woy and Buttonderry Waste Management Facilities will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day but is open on the other days for waste disposal.Central Coast Council management and staff would like to wish residents a safe and Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.Council will have emergency and essential services available as required.

From specialist adult learn to swim classes to a Central Coast Festival of women, a program to promote job creation and Aboriginal cultural training as well as a kid’s try-athlon, an Ecoline ‘Bush Tucker Trail’ to the Central Coast’s Academy of Sport’s Annual Program, the latest recipients of Council’s grants and sponsorship program cover a diverse range of projects and groups on the Central Coast.

Council moves towards progressive asbestos removal policy Council is looking to model progressive asbestos removal by unanimously calling for a report following consultation with a number of stakeholders including Cumberland and Parramatta Councils.Cumberland Council has recently offered free household inspections and free collection or disposal of small amounts of asbestos from residences during Asbestos Awareness Month.Mayor Jane Smith said Council was keen to raise awareness about the dangers of asbestos in the community and the best way to dispose of it that protects people and the environment.“Council staff are to be congratulated for the work they have done to promote the importance of safe disposal of asbestos during Asbestos Awareness Month, and indeed throughout the year,” Mayor Smith said.“Council has called on the Chief Executive Officer to provide a report on what other Councils are doing in this key area so we can model best practice and a progressive approach to this key issue.“Any policy that is developed by Council will be subject to community consultation and we welcome their involvement in the process.”Council rejects proposed rescission of resolutions on the Central Coast AirportA motion moved by Councillors Best, Pilon and McLachlan to rescind the Council’s 27 November 2017 was lost, with 8 of the 15 councillors voting against the proposed rescission.Mayor Jane Smith said it was time for the Council to move on and look at other options to create employment for the Central Coast.“The Airport is not a priority project in the Central Coast Regional Plan,” Mayor Smith said.“It is time to move on and create job opportunities across the Coast – particularly in the Wyong Economic Zone.”The Council’s resolutions of 27 November 2017 also called for a report on the biodiversity of the Porters Creek wetlands and other employment generating options to be reported back to the 26 February 2018 meeting.Advisory Committees established for community input to drive the Central Coast forward Council has resolved to establish six new Advisory Committees of key stakeholders to give the community input into the decision-making processes of Council.Two Catchment and Coast Committees will be established – one for Brisbane Water and one for Tuggerah Lakes to assist Council in the development and implementation of Coastal Management Plans.Other committees include a Coastal Open Space (COSS) Committee, an Employment and Economic development committee, a Gosford CBD and Waterfront Committee as well as a Heritage Advisory Committee.Mayor Jane Smith said a more formal Committee structure will give active and interested community members a chance to be involved in driving the strategic direction and decision-making of Council on matters directly affecting them.“We are a large Council area, representing over 330,000 residents and we need to ensure we are representing the community’s interests in the best way we can,” Mayor Jane Smith said.“The Committee structure will give those with a real passion, interest and expertise in a key economic, environmental or development area a chance to have input into the decision-making table.”The establishment of other Committees will be considered at a Strategic Planning Workshop of Councillors in February.  A full report including the terms of reference and make-up of the Committees will return to Council for consideration.Recruitment of a permanent General Manager underwayThe search for a new permanent General Manager is underway with Council resolving to call for Expressions of Interest from suitably qualified agencies to undertake the recruitment.The current interim Chief Executive Officer, Brian Bell, was appointed by the former Administrator on a temporary contract which must expire on or before 13 September 2018.

Central Coast Council has adopted the Norah Head Village Centre Masterplan which will guide public domain improvement works in the Village Centre as one of the key actions of the Toukley Planning Strategy.

Central Coast Council’s motion calling on the NSW Department of Planning to create a new zone to protect conservation lands has been unanimously endorsed at the 2017 Local Government Conference.

With only six weeks to go, the countdown is on for the Queen’s Baton Relay and Central Coast Council would like to acknowledge the community representing the Coast on the world stage.The Queen’s Baton Relay recognises the achievements and aspirations of Australians from all walks of life, from youngsters to some of Australia’s most accomplished legends, such as the Coast’s local hero and Central Coast Citizen of the Year, Lester Pearson.Lester will be joined by 16 other batonbearers nominated by their peers, including:Rae Anderson, WamberalMargaret Beardslee, Killarney ValeMary Betts, JindaleeBenjamin Brown, Bateau BayGraeme Carroll, Woy WoyAngela Deacon, DavistownChristopher Dodd, SpringfieldDimity Douglas, LisarowSara Evans, Hamlyn TerraceStuart Hayward, AlisonMaria McConville, Green PointJamie Pittman, ShortlandKallan Strong, WadalbaPeter Thomson, ErinaTeigan Van Roosmalen, Bateau BayPhil Walker, Blue BayThe Baton will start its journey in Australia on 25 December, 100 days before the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony on 4 April 2018.The Baton will make its way to the Central Coast on Saturday 3 February 2018 when it runs through Gosford town centre, starting at Laycock Street Theatre and visiting Central Coast Stadium and the picturesque waterfront along the way.To celebrate its arrival, and commemorate this momentous occasion, Central Coast Council will host a free family fun day at the stadium with activities and entertainment for everyone.Find out more about this historic event for the Central Coast by visiting centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/QBR2018

The holiday spirit comes alive this summer as Central Coast Council delivers activities and events at The Entrance, from Christmas Eve right through to Australia Day.Central Coast Council Director Connected Communities, Julie Vaughan, said The Entrance is set to shine with a fun packed summer of events aimed at entertaining the whole family.“The annual Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve celebrations at The Entrance are the perfect opportunity to bring family, friends and the community together to celebrate the end of another year,” Ms Vaughan said.“Join in the magic of Christmas with a visit from Santa, and special guests performing your favourite Christmas Carols live on stage on Christmas Eve.“The Entrance is always a favourite holiday spot for residents and visitors alike and Council is pleased to activate the area this summer with a range of free activities for the whole family.”Carols by Candlelight — Sunday 24 December Bring a picnic rug and your best singing voice down to Memorial Park from 6pm and join in an evening singing along to the Christmas classics, including a spectacular fireworks display at 9pm.

From February 1, Council will partner with Cleanaway Pty Ltd to deliver essential waste services across the Central Coast.For most residents, there will be no impact or disruption to the current service.We will continue to offer general waste, recycling and green waste collection services as well as six free kerbside bulk waste collection services per year.What does this mean for you?For most residences, there will be little or no disruption to your current service.However, streamlining our routing across the former Central Coast local government areas will mean a change to the bin collection day for some residences.Letter notifications are being sent to all affected residences whose bin collection day will change.