An Extraordinary Meeting of Central Coast Council will be held on Tuesday 3 November at 2pm.It will be the first meeting presided over by interim Administrator, Dick Persson AM. The meeting will be held in the Wyong Chambers as well as livestreamed and webcast via Council's website.Members of the public will be permitted to attend Chambers, however the attendance will be limited to meet requirements of the Public Health order.
Central Coast Council has welcomed the release of the NSW State of the Beaches report, with 100% of ocean beaches and baths receiving a good or very good quality rating for 2019-2020.The annual report uses the Beachwatch results to rate designated ocean and estuarine swimming sites across the state.Mayor Lisa Matthews said the report shows Central Coast beaches to be in good condition overall.“It’s great to see all of our ocean beaches and baths receive a Good or Very Good rating for swimming water quality this year,” Mayor Matthews said.“Terrigal Beach, which has been a particular focus for our community, retained a good rating for the second reporting year, while Toowoon Bay and Cabbage Tree Bay Rockpool have returned to good from poor last year.“While we have some work to do on the estuarine beaches, baths and lagoon sites, improvements were seen at Summerland Point baths which was also rated good and no sites declined in rating this year.“Council has a number of significant projects underway, some in partnership with the NSW Government, to address many of these concerns.“We remain committed to pinpointing potential pollution sources and continue to improve the water quality in the area.”Sites that have shown improvement in the 2019-20 year include:Cabbage Tree Bay rockpoolSoldiers BeachSummerland Point bathsToowoon BayUmina Beach.Council’s Director Environment and Planning, Scott Cox said there were a number of processes underway to help Council address some of the issues in the report.“In addition to the audits underway, Council will consider ways to improve the estuarine, lake and lagoon sites as part of the Coastal Management Program processes currently underway and we look forward to the recommendations of the Tuggerah Lakes Expert Panel to assist with this.“In the meantime, Council advises residents to check the Beachwatch website for the latest results before choosing to swim in these locations.”Across NSW, it is recommended that swimming be avoided during and for up to one day after rainfall at ocean beaches and three days at estuaries, lakes and lagoons.For daily forecasts of water quality visit:
Central Coast Council’s dredging program has wrapped up for 2020 with approximately 25,000 cubic metres of sand removed from the channel.In a first for Council, two dredges were used simultaneously to ensure the dredge program was completed in the compressed timeframes.Council’s Environment and Planning Director, Scott Cox, said the use of two dredges allowed sand from two areas of the channel at the same time.“Once the dredging program was underway, staff identified an opportunity to use a second dredge for areas west of The Entrance Bridge,” said Mr Cox.“This meant that the dredging program could be successfully completed in a short timeframe, and the area reinstated before the busy tourist season and to also reduce potential impacts on the nesting of the Little Terns.“The dredging program already looked very different to previous years, with the new EPA requirements requiring the dewatering area to be established inside the channel before sand was transferred to nourish North Entrance beach.“I am pleased to report that all EPA requirements were met during the program this year, and we have met our primary targets of recovering sand from the channel for use on the eroded beach at The Entrance North as well as removing sand from key identified areas within the channel to help enhance water exchange and navigation.”Council has been monitoring the annual arrival of the Little Terns to ensure the dredging program has had no impact on them.Central Coast Mayor, Lisa Matthews said she was pleased to see staff innovation has ensured the program was completed in all the targeted areas.“We know our community had some key areas within the channel they wanted to see dredged,” said Mayor Matthews.“It’s great to see that the staff have been able to find a way to do this quickly and efficiently, ensuring all target areas were completed in time.”The Karagi Reserve carpark staging area will continue to be decommissioned over the coming weeks which will also include some stabilisation of the foreshore in front of the reserve using rocks recovered during the July coastal erosion event.The dredging program is funded by both Central Coast Council and the NSW Government through the Rescuing Our Waterways fund.
Central Coast Council has for the first time found Giant Devil’s Fig (Solanum chrysotrichum) in Umina Beach and is asking residents to be on the look out for this invasive weed.Council’s Biosecurity Officer, Paul Marynissen said weeds are a major threat to our unique natural environment, threatening the survival of hundreds of native plants and animals. “Giant Devil’s Fig is an uncommon weed on the Central Coast, however given that the trunk, branches and even the leaves are covered in very large, sharp prickles, we’d rather it be gone!” Mr Marynissen said.“We now have three known pockets of this weed on the Coast – with the previous two in the Wamberal/Terrigal and Lisarow/Holgate area.“While we know about these areas, the weed can be spread by bats and birds and could easily grow anywhere on the Central Coast, so please keep an eye out and let us know if you think you have seen it.”Council remains proactive in managing risks from animal and plant pests and diseases, weeds and contaminants.Young Giant Devil’s Fig can be easily recognised.
Central Coast Mayor Lisa Matthews is advising the community to continue to take precaution and follow good hand hygiene to reduce the risk of contracting the COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus. “We as a community need to remain calm, use precaution and take preventative measures to ensure in our day to day interactions we are reducing the risk of being exposed to COVID-19,” Mayor Matthews said.Good hand hygiene is likely the single most effective method for reducing the risk of spread of the viral illness, second is avoiding exposure.COVID-19 is having an increasing impact on the New South Wales community and the medical advice is rapidly evolving.
Central Coast Mayor Lisa Matthews has called an Extraordinary Council Meeting for Monday 23 March 2020 due to the current situation regarding COVID-19.
Mangrove Creek Dam picnic area and Dubbo Gully have reopened to visitors after a bushfire tore through the drinking water catchment last year. The area has been closed to allow for the demolition of burnt structures at the picnic area, removal of hazardous trees and natural bush regeneration. The picnic area is open 9am-5pm each day except Christmas Day.
Holidaymakers and the Central Coast go hand-in-hand and this summer tourism season is set to be one of the region’s busiest on record. Visitor numbers for the Coast have boomed this Spring and throughout the traditionally quieter winter months, providing a welcome boost to local businesses hit hard by the impacts of bushfires and COVID-19. Central Coast Director Connected Communities, Julie Vaughan said visitors from Sydney and across Australia are heading to the Coast. “Over this year’s October long weekend some of our key attractions saw numbers up by as much as 300 percent and most accommodation was fully booked,” Ms Vaughan said. “This follows on from consistently strong tourism numbers for the Coast since April – year-on-year growth of 20 percent or higher across key indicators like restaurant and retail spend as well as AirBnB occupancy rates*. “Every indicator suggests this summer on the Coast will be abuzz and Council has taken steps to prepare for the influx of visitors to our beautiful region. “If you head to any of our 15 patrolled beaches you will hear safety announcements, including reminders to be COVID-safe, and we’re rolling out heightened management of bins and public amenities.”Mayor Lisa Matthews said the diverse appeal of the Central Coast is hard to beat. “Our stunning beaches, breathtaking bushland and picturesque hinterland region are at the heart of what makes the Coast so magnetic, but we’re also blessed with so many hidden gems that we’re encouraging visitors and locals to explore,” Mayor Matthews said. “The Coast has become a foodies paradise – we have great local produce and a vibrant dining scene across the region – and we’re also hard to beat for boutique shopping and adventure activities. “With international travel off the cards for the time being, we’re taking the time to discover and rediscover our own backyard and it’s no surprise that our spectacular region is at the top of the list. “It is important that we are all patient and kind this summer, keeping ourselves and others safe is what is most important.” A new destination brand for the Central Coast was launched in 2020 to promote the region as a vibrant, magnetically attractive place to live, work and play. For a full list of where to eat, stay and play on the Central Coast, head to lovecentralcoast.com
Central Coast Council is reminding the community to keep safety top-of-mind if heading to Terrigal these school holidays, as works continue on the construction of Terrigal Boardwalk and upgrade to the existing rockpool.Council advises anyone visiting the area to follow all signage and directions and adhere to the latest COVID-19 restrictions.