Central Coast Council has its proverbial fingers and toes crossed for the ten local businesses and individuals who are finalists in the 2018 NSW Business Chamber Business Awards – all of which were winners in their categories in the Central Coast Regional Business Awards last month.Council Director Connected Communities, Julie Vaughan said that Council is proud to sponsor the Central Coast Regional Business Awards.“Not only do the awards showcase the diverse business talent the Coast has on offer, but they also give the winners the opportunity to then be recognised at a state level in the NSW Business Awards,” Ms Vaughan said.“These awards are an acknowledgement and celebration of business excellence on both a local and state level.”The Central Coast has some amazing individuals and businesses leading the way in their industries – from excellence in innovation, sustainability and social enterprise, through to outstanding employers, business leaders and young entrepreneurs.“Congratulations to all ten Central Coast finalists.”The winners of the Central Coast Regional Business Awards, and now finalists for the 2018 NSW Business Chamber Business Awards are:Outstanding Young Entrepreneur:

Central Coast Council is urging Coast residents to speak out about violence against women as part of a global campaign raising awareness about domestic violence. Today is White Ribbon Day, marking an international movement of men and boys working to end men’s violence against women.

Central Coast Council has received an Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA) Engineering Excellence Award for its innovative online interactive map that displays road and drainage capital works projects.Council Director Roads, Transport, Drainage and Waste, Boris Bolgoff said the interactive map provides valuable information for our community including project description, location, budget, construction start time and duration.“We wanted community members to be able to easily find information on road and drainage projects that are of interest to them,” Mr Bolgoff said.“This year we will invest over $70million across 574 road and drainage projects and community members can access a concise summary of any of these projects by simply clicking on the icons on our interactive map or searching a location.“It is wonderful to receive acknowledgement through an IPWEA Engineering Excellence Award, especially in a category recognising an initiative that uses a new or improved technique or innovation.”Council is constantly improving the interactive map and has recently added the capacity to upload photographs and concept designs.The interactive map is one of the most popular features on Council’s website, receiving approximately 6,000 page views each year.Community members can explore road and drainage projects across the Central Coast’s 2,200 kilometre network of roads by visiting www.centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/roadanddrainageprojects.The IPWEA Engineering Excellence Awards for 2018 also acknowledged Council with a highly commended for the upgrade of Pleasant Valley Fire Trail in Fountaindale.The project transformed a track into a fully functioning fire trail in a particularly rugged, steep and dense bushland area in an extreme bushfire zone.Council and the NSW Rural Fire Service can now 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.

Central Coast Council is seeking community feedback on a $995,000 project to construct a new section of shared pathway on the Tuggerah Lake foreshore in Tuggerawong.The community-driven project will extend the popular ‘Tuggerah Lake loop’ by one kilometre and connect an existing pathway at Friday Street with a play area at Tuesday Street.Council Director Roads, Transport, Drainage and Waste, Boris Bolgoff said the project was jointly funded by $542,269 from the NSW Government’s Stronger Country Communities Fund and $452,731 from Council.“This project will improve access to local shops, a play space and the public school,” Mr Bolgoff said.“It will also extend the increasingly popular ‘Tuggerah Lake loop’, which is a great space for locals and the wider community to walk and cycle for exercise and to take in the beauty of Tuggerah Lake and surrounds.“This pathway will increase connectivity and help create a loop around a scenic waterway.”Mr Bolgoff said the current project is the first of five stages, with future works to extend the shared pathway through to the vicinity of Tacoma Oval.“The three metre wide design of this pathway means it can be used by walkers, cyclists and community members who use wheelchairs or other mobility aids.“We have selected a route that minimises the environmental impact by keeping the need to remove trees to an absolute minimum and by raising the pathway in some locations to avoid disrupting tree roots.”Mayor Jane Smith said Council was committed to constructing new pathways to enhance the liveability and sustainability of the Central Coast.“The new section of the ‘Tuggerah Lake loop’ at Tuggerawong will not only create an inclusive space to get active and experience this beautiful location but will also offer a great alternative transport mode that will really connect the local communities,” Mayor Smith said.“This is a great example of how we can protect and enhance the local environment while delivering the infrastructure our growing community needs.”Constructions of Stage 1 of the project is scheduled to commence in March 2019 and should be complete by the end of the financial year, weather permitting.The project will be on public display from Monday 19 November 2018 to Sunday 16 December 2018 and all community members are encouraged to provide feedback by visiting yourvoiceourcoast.com/tuggerawong-shared-pathway.IMAGE AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

Community members are encouraged to attend the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal’s (IPART) Public Hearing, which is part of its review into water, sewerage and stormwater drainage prices for the Central Coast.The Public Hearing is the final opportunity for the community to provide feedback to IPART before it releases its Draft Report and Determinations in April 2019.Central Coast Council Director Water and Sewer, Bileen Nel said Council’s detailed submission to IPART reflected overwhelming community feedback that water, sewerage and stormwater drainage prices should be consistent across the region.“In developing our submission for IPART our community consultation process saw 1,339 residents complete surveys and more than 1,260 attend face-to-face engagement activities,” Ms Nel said.“Our recommendation would see average residential water bills decrease across the Central Coast by lowering the per kilolitre cost of water and significantly reducing the water service fee.“Taking into account all elements of the water bill – water, sewerage and stormwater drainage – Council’s proposal would see typical residential bills reduced by between $27 and $245 annually.”Ms Nel said aligning sewerage prices would see some customers pay less for this service and some customers pay more, with increases predominately offset by a reduction in the overall bill.“The price paid for residential and non-residential sewerage services would decrease in the former Gosford local government area and would increase in the former Wyong local government area, but this increase will be offset by the lower water cost.Council Director Roads, Transport, Drainage and Waste, Boris Bolgoff said Council had proposed to reduce the stormwater drainage charge for all existing residential customers across the Central Coast.“Over 65 percent of residents surveyed indicated that stormwater drainage charges should be consistent across the Central Coast,” Mr Bolgoff said.“Most Central Coast residents and businesses already pay a stormwater drainage charge and Council is proposing that this charge be applied to all rateable properties.“A small number of non-residential customers currently do not pay any stormwater drainage charge and we are proposing that this change.“Coucil believes that all residents and business should contribute to the maintenance and development of our stormwater drainage network as it delivers region-wide benefits.“Stormwater drainage protects public and private property from flooding, enhances our natural assets and waterways, and helps to connect communities by supporting access to homes, schools and places of work.“Very large non-residential/business properties would pay $5,427.81 annually under our proposal but it is important to note that this does not apply to the vast majority of farmland properties on the Central Coast.“Non-residential farmland properties would qualify for a discounted Low Impact rate of $110.77 per year as long as more than 90 percent of their area is designated as agricultural, grassed or vegetated, which would be most farmland properties.“We are investigating ways to make obtaining the Low Impact assessment as easy as possible for farmland customers by making it a one-off or automatic process.For the proposed changes to stormwater drainage charges to come into effect they must be endorsed by IPART and Council must then obtain approval from the NSW Government to establish a new Drainage Area to cover all of the Central Coast local government area.IPART will release its Final Report and Determinations for the Central Coast in late May 2019 and new water, sewerage and stormwater drainage prices will come into effect from 1July 2019.The Public Hearing will be held on 27 November at 10am at the Mingara Recreation Club.Community members wishing to attend the Public Hearing need to register via IPART’s website – ipart.nsw.gov.au.

Central Coast Council is rolling out a $2.5million multiyear project to replace water meters across the Central Coast.Over $675,000 will be invested this financial year to replace approximately 16,000 water meters.Council Director Water and Sewer, Bileen Nel said Council will use a mobile phone application to streamline the process.“Replacing and maintaining our water and sewerage assets is a high priority for Council,” Ms Nel said.“Our water meter program sees us replace meters that are nearing the end of their asset life.“The meters we install measure the actual volume of water used to provide the most accurate reading.“We use an app to enter the details of the old and new water meters in real time and to take a photo before and after replacement.“The app streamlines the replacement process by automatically storing all data captured in Council’s system – saving hours of data entry and thousands of sheets of paper.“This technology also allows us to plan and allocate work across the water supply network electronically and ensure staff are prepared with the specific details of each water meter.Ms Nel said Council will make alternative arrangements with customers who cannot be without water, such as dialysis patients.“The water meter replacement process only takes approximately 10 minutes to complete, which minimises the amount of time residents are without water.“We are also pleased to be implementing a further waste-reduction initiative by recycling components of the old meters.”

Central Coast Council presented Surf Life Saving Central Coast (SLSCC) with a $207,100 cheque yesterday at Toowoon Bay Surf Life Saving Club, the second instalment of a three year sponsorship funding agreement from Central Coast Council.This funding will assist SLSCC with maintaining vital beach safety services across 15 surf clubs on the Central Coast during the 2018-19 summer season.Mayor Jane Smith said Council was pleased to support Surf Life Saving on the Central Coast.“Local surf clubs are vital to our community.

Central Coast Council has topped local workplaces and is a national leader in donating lifesaving blood to the Red Cross’ appeal for urgently required blood and plasma.Council headed a list of more than 30 local workplaces which donated blood in the Red Cross’ Red25 group donation program between January and August.

Central Coast Council has turned on new pedestrian traffic lights in the Terrigal CBD, marking completion of Stage 1 of a $2.2million project to improve traffic flow.Council Acting Director Assets, Infrastructure and Business, Boris Bolgoff said the project had been completed on schedule ahead of the busy summer period.“Local businesses, residents and visitors will now benefit from measures to restrict traffic ‘looping’ and unregulated pedestrian activities, which will significantly reduce traffic queuing in the Terrigal CBD and along Terrigal Drive and Ocean View Drive,” Mr Bolgoff said.“We have installed new traffic control signals, created two-way routes on Campbell Crescent, Church Street and Kurrawyba Avenue, and restricted right-hand turns to and from Terrigal Esplanade.”Mayor Jane Smith said that the project will deliver significant traffic flow improvements for both motorists and pedestrians during peak times.“Activating town centres as key destinations and attractors is a high priority for our community and this project will make Terrigal even more appealing,” Mayor Smith said.“Council recognises that it will take time for motorists and pedestrians to adjust to the changes and we will monitor the site carefully.“Completing this project before the summer holiday period was a high priority for Council and the support of local businesses and residents helped to make this happen.”Key project features include:New/ modified pedestrian crossings throughout the CBDTraffic control signals at Terrigal Esplanade and Campbell Crescent intersectionMid-block pedestrian traffic control signals on Terrigal EsplanadeNo right turn from Campbell Crescent into Terrigal EsplanadeNo right turn from Terrigal Esplanade into Kurrawyba Avenue (emergency vehicles and vehicles over six metres excepted)Two-way traffic on Campbell Crescent, Church Street and Kurrawyba AvenueMountable roundabout at Church Street, Pine Tree Lane and Kurrawyba Avenue intersectionModified kerb and guttering and new road pavementMember for Terrigal Adam Crouch said the State Liberal Government was proud to fully fund the project through the Stronger Communities Fund.“This funding is a direct result of the successful amalgamation and creation of Central Coast Council,” Mr Crouch said.“The Terrigal traffic flow improvements are an example of effective consultation with residents and local businesses to achieve the best possible result.“Terrigal is one of the jewels in the crown of the Central Coast, which is why it is so vital that it exceeds the expectations of visitors and locals alike.

MEDIA RELEASEYoung people are being asked to get involved and be part of developing the first-ever Central Coast Youth Strategy.Central Coast Council wants to hear from young people and local youth services about what they see as important for young people who live, work or study on the Coast.Throughout October and November, all young people aged 12-24 can complete an online survey which explores their views about life on the Central Coast and what they would like to see for young people, now and in the future.The online survey will be complemented by face-to-face interviews at popular youth venues, events and schools, including focus groups with youth service providers.Mayor Jane Smith said it is important that Council listens to young people to hear about their challenges, issues and opportunities.