Nominations for the Australia Day 2021 Awards are now open, providing an opportunity to recognise Central Coast individuals and groups who make an outstanding contribution to the region.Central Coast Council Director Connected Communities, Julie Vaughan said the awards are more important than ever after a year of unprecedented challenges.“An Australia Day nomination is a wonderful way to honour the local leaders who go the extra mile for our community,” Ms Vaughan said.“There is no denying that 2020 has been a year of unprecedented challenges and in the midst of it all we’ve seen individuals and groups step up and make a difference in our community.“Our Australia Day nominees and winners are often unsung heroes who work quietly behind the scenes to make the Coast a better place to live, work and play.”Mayor Lisa Matthews said the Australia Day Awards celebrate the Central Coast’s diversity, values, national achievements and hopes for the future.“We’ve demonstrated tremendous resilience as a community in 2020 and there are so many individuals and groups who deserve recognition,” Mayor Matthews said.“The breadth of the Australia Day Award categories mean that a diverse range of contributions will be recognised and I encourage our community to nominate the local heroes they believe should be acknowledged.”The 2021 Award categories are:Arts, Culture and Entertainment - Awarded to an individual who has demonstrated excellence in their chosen art form and made a significant contribution to arts, culture and entertainment on the Coast.Business Connecting Communities - Awarded to a local business or enterprise with less than eight fulltime employees that has established a genuine involvement and long-term value to the life of their community.Community Service and Activity - Awarded to an individual or group responsible for creating community activities or services that benefit the Coast.Environmental - Awarded to an individual who is leading the way in sustainability and making the Central Coast a place where people and nature can thrive.Sportsperson of the Year - Awarded to an individual who has shown acts of sportsmanship and team building, been an outstanding sportsperson or made significant contributions as organisers or promoters of sports on the Coast.Volunteer of the Year - Awarded to an individual (26 years and over) who has made a significant long-term commitment to volunteer work and demonstrated outstanding service and dedication to our local community.Youth of the Year - Awarded to an individual (25 years or under) who has succeeded in his or her chosen field, acts as an inspiration to his or her peers and has made a significant contribution to the Coast community.Each winner from the above categories will go into the running to be named Central Coast Citizen of the Year.Nominations are now open and close Friday 27 November at 2pm.For further information, eligibility criteria and to make a nomination search 'Australia Day' at centralcoast.nsw.gov.au
Central Coast Mayor Lisa Matthews will move a Mayoral Minute at the rescheduled Council Meeting calling on the NSW Premier to visit the Central Coast to see firsthand the devastation caused by the recent extreme weather event. Services and infrastructure have been severely impacted on the Coast with numerous roads closed, powerlines down and services out and homes and businesses inundated by floodwaters. Mayor Lisa Matthews said the repair bill was unknown at this time but is growing with each day and recovery will be long. “Following the extended drought, we thought rain was the answer to all our prayers including for our waterways and our dams but we didn’t expect it to come in quite this volume,” Mayor Matthews said.
Mayor Lisa Matthews said Central Coast Council has formally acknowledged the response from Minister for Local Government Shelley Hancock, to Council’s financial situation, at an Extraordinary Meeting held today.
Central Coast Mayor Lisa Matthews has today taken the extraordinary step of publicly announcing her loss of confidence in Central Coast Council’s CEO Mr Gary Murphy in the wake of revelations about long term, structural problems with the Council’s finances.Councillors and the Mayor have been provided with inadequate information about the financial position of Council and discovered the full extent of the problem only last night when it was revealed that Council would struggle to pay its own staff.“In light of the long-term problems that have been allowed to grow unchecked within the operational division of Council, the only course of action now available is to insist on a new CEO to manage the day to day operations,” Mayor Lisa Matthews said.“It is unforgivable for council staff to be left in a position where they might not be paid and it is unacceptable that the elected Councillors and I were not given information about the precariousness of Council’s finances until yesterday.”
Mayor Lisa Matthews said Central Coast Council last night adopted Council’s submission in response to the Minister for Local Government’s Notice of Intention to Issue a Suspension Order.
Last night at Council’s Ordinary Meeting held, Councillors adopted Council's submission in response to the Minister for Local Government’s Notice of Intention to issue a suspension order to Central Coast Council.This submission outlines a chronological timeline of when and how Councillors were advised of the financial crisis, including the actions to date being taken by Council to resolve the issue.
Central Coast Council confirmed it will complete staff payroll for the week ending 18 October.This follows confirmation by the State Government Minister for Local Government, Shelley Hancock today at 1pm that the NSW Government will advance Council $6.2million to meet payroll expenses and overdue payments to suppliers. An Extraordinary Council Meeting is underway this afternoon.
Central Coast Council and the Central Coast Aero Club (CCAC) have been meeting to find common ground on the business and operation needs of the Warnervale Aircraft Landing Area (ALA) now and in the future.Mayor Lisa Matthews said Council has had ongoing and productive discussions with the Aero Club about the prospect of future operational possibilities for the Warnervale ALA.“The Warnervale ALA is an important asset that facilitates a wide range of community needs and is critical to creating employment opportunities for the Coast,” Mayor Matthews said.“Council understands that the Aero Club is committed to long-term business prospects at Warnervale ALA and is seeking direction from Council with respect to its future.‘We are happy to engage with the Aero Club in this regard.”Aero Club President, Andrew Smith said that The Central Coast Aero Club looks forward to a long, productive relationship with Council at Warnervale ALA.“At the end of the day, the CCAC wants to continue training Central Coast locals for a career in Aviation, providing scenic joy flights for the Central Coast tourism sector, Charter flights for Central Coast businesses and highly skilled maintenance apprenticeships for our local youth,” Mr Smith said.“We have successfully been doing this for many decades, and these activities align with Council’s goal of keeping the ALA in its current state, of a successful light aircraft airfield which contributes to the community through employment generation, income generation and to retain our status as a proper region.“With the recent news that the repeal of the WAR Act is progressing, CCAC sees that the this as a perfect opportunity for Council and the CCAC to move towards a new partnership, cementing the future of the ALA, and the wishes of the Central Coast community.”Council Director Boris Bolgoff said the Aero Club had been provided with ongoing updates as Council progresses the necessary measures to restore normal operations to Warnervale ALA.“Displaced runway thresholds have been introduced along the runway as we work through the environmental studies and the necessary approvals to be able to trim trees at the northern end of the runway," Mr Bolgoff said.“Council will continue to consult with the Aero Club around operational changes and associated works at the ALA.”More information about the operation of the Warnervale ALA can be found by searching ‘Warnervale’ on Council’s website.