Central Coast Council is continuing to progress with developing a Masterplan to upgrade and redesign Mt Ettalong Reserve to make it more accessible, functional and safe for the community.Between February and March 2020 Council conducted an initial survey to understand how the community uses Mount Ettalong Reserve and what changes they would like to see incorporated into the Masterplan for its redesign.Due to the restrictions on public gatherings Council was unable to deliver a planned community engagement workshop, however public submissions are still welcomed on the project online.Phase two of consultation with the public involves Council seeking feedback on the draft concept designs, which have been informed by the results of the initial surveys.Our community can explore the concept plans for Mount Ettalong Reserve Masterplan and fill out the feedback form by Thursday 4 June to have their say:

Following the latest easing of COVID-19 restrictions, Council will reopen additional facilities as outlined below with a range of safety measures in place.Peninsula Leisure Centre – reopened from Saturday 13 June 2020GymCreche (limited numbers)Group fitness (limited numbers)Indoor pools for lap swimming and rehabilitation (limited numbers)Leisure and play swimming not permittedLearn to Swim and Aqua Fitness programs start date still to be determinedCasual basketballLimited change rooms will be available24 hour gym start date to be advisedFor further information call 4325 8123Lake Haven Recreation Centre – reopened from Saturday 13 June 2020GymCreche (limited numbers)Group fitness (limited numbers)Casual basketball/squashLimited change rooms will be availableFor further information call 4304 8020Gosford Olympic Pool – reopened from Saturday 13 June 2020Outdoor pool reopened with updated restrictionsIndoor pools for lap swimming and rehabilitation (limited numbers)Leisure and play swimming not permittedLearn to Swim and Aqua Fitness programs start date still to be determinedLimited change rooms will be availableFor further information call 4304 7250Niagara Park Stadium – reopened from Monday 15 June 2020Bookings and casual programsFor further information call 4325 8194Gosford Regional Gallery – reopened from Monday 15 June 2020From 15 June – Coastal Sanctuaries by Robyn Pedley will be exhibited in the Foyer GalleryFrom 22 June – Emerging will be exhibited in the in the main GalleryLimited number of visitors in line with the four square metres per person requirement and timed entry to reduce queuesMust book onlineFor further information and to book visit centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/galleriesToukley Aquatic Centre – reopened from Monday 22 June 2020Indoor pools for lap swimming and rehabilitation (limited numbers)Leisure and play swimming not permittedLearn to Swim and Aqua Fitness programs start date still to be determinedFor further information call 4304 8060At all Council facilities reopening the following is in place/required for visitors, staff and volunteers:increased cleaning regimehand sanitiser units installedremoval of some seating and other touchable itemsaccess limited to ensure capacity limits are maintained – short waiting periods may be experiencedcontact details (name and mobile number or email address) will be recorded for a period of at least 28 days.

Central Coast Council are calling on the community to think big and make their mark on the future of Gosford’s Kibble Park.Council’s Director Connected Communities, Julie Vaughan said Kibble Park plays an important role as the heartbeat of Gosford but it hasn’t lived up to its full potential and is due to be revitalised as a thriving, safe and welcoming place for work, play and social connection. “The community has told us that Kibble Park is in need of a face lift to help breathe new life into the City, so we are developing a Place Plan and Concept Design for Gosford’s Kibble Park to identify future initiatives and projects that will increase this area’s activation, social connectivity, improve the visitor experience and provide a boost for local businesses," Ms Vaughan said.“To ensure these plans reflect what past and future users want to see, we are now providing online consultation opportunities for the community to share their ideas and aspirations for this vital public space.” This round of community consultation is running online until 15 June at www.yourvoiceourcoast.com/kibblepark.Mayor Lisa Matthews said whilst the COVID-19 pandemic still impacts the way we work, connect and socialise, Council are continuing with essential works, projects and planning to cater for the future needs of our community as we move into a recovery period.“I encourage the community to jump online and share their vision for Kibble Park’s future so we can create a rejuvenated, activated and engaging park for all the community to enjoy and be proud of,” Mayor Mathews said.Go to yourvoiceourcoast.com/kibblepark for more information and to have your say.The draft Place Plan and Concept Design will both be made available for the community to provide feedback on before being finalised.

In line with the NSW Government’s further easing restrictions of COVID-19 restrictions, Central Coast Council’s Gosford administration office will reopen for customer service transactions, including planning-related enquiries, from Monday 6 July.Customer service transactions are also available at five libraries:

Council defers consideration of Operational Plan 2020-21 to JulyCouncil will defer consideration of submissions and adoption of the Operational Plan 2020-21 until its meeting on 27 July 2020.This option for NSW Councils to finalise budgets for the new financial year before 30 July instead of the traditional 30 June cut-off date, was made permissible by the Minister for Local Government in April.  It was due to the extenuating circumstances being faced during the COVID-19 pandemic emergency.Mayor Lisa Matthews said that the additional time would be beneficial to ensure that the final budget proposed was in the best interests of the Central Coast community.“We have had to look at the 2020-21 budget with fresh eyes,” said Mayor Matthews.“As we don’t need reminding the COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on the way that we work, a huge impact on business, and Central Coast Council is no exception.  Whilst the financial impacts are not yet fully understood for Council, ratepayers, or business;

Central Coast Council has demonstrated that a road project – including road base, road surface, kerb and guttering, footpaths and drainage – can be built with over 90 percent recycled material.Significant environmental benefits have been achieved on what looks like a typical road upgrade in Wyongah – with the majority of materials sourced from recycled household and construction products.Council Director Roads Transport Drainage and Waste, Boris Bolgoff said the project recycled over five million glass bottles, 270 kilograms of plastic and thousands of tonnes of used concrete and road gravel.“This project represents a milestone in Council’s commitment to sustainably develop and maintain the Central Coast’s 2,200 kilometre road network,” Mr Bolgoff said.“We started from the bottom and worked our way up – instead of virgin sand we used recycled glass for trench backfills and the sub-base of the road, and the road base itself is made from recycled crushed concrete and the existing road pavement.“For kerb and guttering and the footpath we used a ‘Green concrete’ made from fly ash (a by-product of coal fired powered stations) and recycled glass sand, with the reinforcing made out of recycled plastic, saving the equivalent of 50,000 plastic bags.“We also used the latest construction techniques to save over six thousand kilograms of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere – that’s the equivalent of a 25,000 kilometre car trip.“Our goal was to build a road project predominantly out of recycled material without compromising on quality or costing any more than a standard road project and we are thrilled to have achieved that objective.”The materials used, and technology developed for this project, will be rolled out across Council’s road construction program to generate significant environmental savings on a yearly basis.Mayor Lisa Matthews said Council is combining its commitment to sustainable practices and methods and delivering for the Coast’s large road network.“To complete every element of a road project with over 90 percent recycled materials is an incredible achievement and a reflection of Council’s commitment to sustainability and innovation,” Mayor Matthews said.“This project demonstrates that we can deliver projects with a significantly reduced impact on our environment without impacting the cost or the time it takes to get the job done.”Further innovative products and techniques recently used by Council to deliver for the region’s road network include:Australian-first ‘road train’ technology to lay foamed bitumen in a way that reduces construction time, increases use of recycled road pavement, reduces greenhouse emissions and delivers a more consistent road surface.Use of ‘Reconophalt’ road surfacing product made from plastic bags, glass bottles, used printer cartridges and reclaimed road asphalt.Sourcing of waste from local primary schools – chip packets, muesli bar wrappers, sandwich bags – for recycling into Reconophalt.

Council is piloting new technology to help commuters find available car park spaces faster and more easily whilst reducing traffic congestion caused by drivers looking for car parking.The Smart Parking program is now being trialled at the West Gosford’s Racecourse Road car park using cameras equipped with smart parking analytics that identifies if a space is available.

With this week’s fine weather and the school holidays fast approaching, many of you are keen to get outdoors to exercise, following COVID-19 physical distancing rules of course!This means our beaches in particular are very busy, so it can be hard to stay far enough away from others who are also exercising.Why not take this opportunity to experience all that the Central Coast has to offer, holiday at home and explore your own backyard?

The quality and responsible use of water across the Central Coast remains firmly on our agenda with two new policies now on public exhibition for 28 days.Throughout July, residents will be able to have their say about both the Draft Drinking Water Quality Policy and Draft Recycled Water Quality Policy online.The Draft Drinking Water Policy consolidates the previous policies of the former Wyong Shire and Gosford City Councils and demonstrates Council’s commitment to providing continuous supply of drinking water that is consistent with the requirements of the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.Additionally, the Draft Recycled Water Quality Policy, based on the former Gosford City Council Policy, reinforces Council’s commitment to the responsible and sustainable management and use of recycled water that is consistent with the Australian Guidelines for Recycled Water.Consolidating the two policies allows us to focus on the immediate water needs of the Central Coast as well as begin to take the first tentative steps of planning for future population growth.The drought of recent years and having to constantly monitor the dam storage levels clearly reminds us that water is a precious resource and we can’t afford to waste it.Have your say online on both water policies at yourvoiceourcoast.com   Mayor Lisa MatthewsCentral Coast Council

Central Coast Council has released two draft Floodplain Risk Management Plans and Studies for public consultation.The two documents, one for the Wallarah Creek catchment and the other covering the combined Killarney Vale/Long Jetty catchments, utilise information from floodplain risk management studies, offering options to mitigate the risk of overland flooding caused by excessive rainfall.Central Coast Mayor, Lisa Matthews said that Council understands these communities have been through a lot recently, and that the consultation period has been extended to allow all voices to be heard.“The communities that these floodplain plans and studies address have been directly impacted by either bushfires or flooding in the last six months.