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Shorter deadline to cut power station emissions
The NSW Environment Protection Authority has given Delta Electricity a two-year deadline to comply with tighter emission controls for nitrogen oxides, imposed on Vales Point Power Station last December.
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Delta wanted a five-year renewal of the pollution exemption in its Environmental Protection Licence (EPL), to emit 1,500mg per cubic metre of nitrogen oxide (NOx) per day.
At first the EPA issued the five-year licence but ordered the power station to reduce daily levels by 35 percent to 850mg per cubic metre for 99 percent of the time, and a 23 percent reduction to 980mg per cubic metre for the remaining time to allow for occasions of burning at higher temperatures.
Environmental Justice Australia lawyers, representing the Nature Conservation Council and Australian Conservation Foundation, notified the EPA in February that approval of the power station’s pollution exemption was illegal because Delta had failed to meet the deadline to submit its application.
The EPA acted on that notification by declaring the previous licence conditions invalid and issuing a new exemption for only two years.
Delta spokesperson Steve Gurney said “this is an administrative interpretation issue, not an environmental one”.
“Delta’s EPL was varied in December 2021 after considerable input from the community and other groups, notably tightened limits for emissions such as oxides of nitrogen and Delta continues to comply with these reduced limits,” he said.
The new licence exemption, announced on October 28, also includes a new requirement that Delta investigate, mitigate and report on the causes of NOx emissions when the power station is operating at low loads or less than 50 percent capacity.
The EPA says there was a thorough review including independent technical advice, expert modelling, discussions with NSW Health and public consultation.
Chief Executive Officer of NSW EPA, Tony Chappel, said modelling conducted by the Department of Planning and Environment’s science team found that the ground level concentration of NOx in the community met the national health-based standards.
“We believe this exemption strikes the right balance – reducing emissions to support the health of our communities and environment but also supporting the state’s need for ongoing reliable and affordable energy,” he said.
“As part of Delta’s updated licence conditions, the company must begin to implement better controls to proactively address their emissions and the results of this work will be considered by the EPA in 2023.
“As set out in our draft Climate Change Policy and Action Plan, licensees must also consider how to improve the resilience of their infrastructure and management practices.
“A failure to act is no longer an option,” Chappel said.
The EPA ruling on emissions comes amid growing concerns across the community and environmental groups about the future of the ageing Vales Point Power Station which is scheduled to close in 2029.
A decision is yet to be announced by the Foreign Investment Review Board over the Sev.en Global Investments purchase of the power station and associated coal mines, Mannering Colliery and Chain Valley Colliery.
Also, there is still an EPA investigation to be resolved whether the power station operations contributed to two significant fish kills in Wyee Bay in August and September.
Vales Point Power Station at Mannering Park
Sue Murray
Environmentalists applaud EPA decision on Vales Point
Local environment group, Future Sooner, has congratulated the Environmental Protection Authority on its decision to reduce the Vales Point coal-fired power station’s exemption licence from five years to two.
Future Sooner spokesperson, Gary Blaschke of Lake Munmorah, said the decision was a fair one.
“It proves that the EPA has considered the welfare of the people above the profits of a dirty coal-fired power station,” he said.
“It also demonstrates that all the work Future Sooner did presenting health evidence to NSW Health, our local politicians and the EPA has proven effective.
“We thank Environmental Justice Australia for its incredible forensic work and local politicians Dr Gordon Reid, Emma McBride and Liesl Tesch for their representations on our behalf to Parliament as well as support from the NSW Nature Conservation.
“Vales Point has two years to comply and for the health of Central Coast residents we urge the power station to immediately begin the process of upgrading.
“Future Sooner believes the EPA decision to reduce the Vales Point exemption licence to two years is a fair one and we hope Delta Electricity will act with as much integrity and cut the air pollution from power station or close it down,” Blaschke said.
He said Future Sooner continued to oppose the sale of Vales Point power station to foreign owners, Sev.en Global Investments, and more information is available through the group’s facebook page.
Source: Media release, Nov 1 Future Sooner
Offshore wind farm planned off The Entrance
Planning is underway for a 1.65 GW floating offshore wind farm to be located between The Entrance and Newcastle with a drop-in information session to be held on November 8.
The Hunter Coast Offshore Wind Project is set to be located 25-55 kilometres off the coast and is expected to comprise 110 floating offshore turbines, each with a capacity between 15 MW and 20 MW, as well as three floating substations.
The project is proposed to connect to the grid at the former Munmorah Power Station site.
It is being jointly developed by BlueFloat Energy and Energy Estate with a shared set of development principles which include a focus on early and honest engagement and genuine partnerships.
BlueFloat Energy is a leading global offshore wind developer with a portfolio of projects in multiple geographies and Energy Estate is an Australian company with a mission to accelerate the transformation of the energy sector and the decarbonisation of industry.
The developers acknowledge a project of this scale will have some impacts and are committed to working closely with the community and other stakeholders to deliver honest, transparent and informative engagement.
The first two drop-in sessions are to be held this month, on November 9 in Newcastle and on Tuesday, November from 4-7 pm at Diggers @ The Entrance.
The developers will also host a webinar on Thursday, November 10, from 5-6pm.
“An offshore wind project is complex and typically takes 6- 11 years to carry out feasibility activities, obtain the necessary approvals and to be built,” they said.
“We are currently in the feasibility, development and approvals stage of the project.
“We will need environmental and planning approvals under State and Commonwealth processes.
“A co-ordinated approach will be used to assess the cultural heritage, environmental, economic and social impact of our project.”
They are in the process of organising referral of the project under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the EPBC Act), expected to occur in December.
They will then require a feasibility licence under the Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Act 2021, to be assessed by the National Offshore Petroleum Titles Administrator (NOPTA).
A preliminary visual simulation is available on the Hunter Coast Offshore Wind Project website: www. huntercoastowp.com.au.
Source: Media release, Nov 2 Hunter Coast Offshore Wind Project
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ADMINISTRATOR MESSAGE
Council’s debt now lower than pre-merger levels
At the 31 October 2022 Extraordinary Council Meeting, the Monthly Financial Results for September provided an update on how Council is tracking financially year-to-date (YTD).
I’m pleased to confirm that Council is trading favourably this financial year and continuing the trajectory we’ve been on for the past 18 months. At the end of September 2022, we showed a $10.3M YTD surplus, which is approximately $6M better than budget. Most interestingly though, we’re showing $307.9M worth of borrowings (that is, loans outstanding) and this amount has been trending downwards since December 2020. Council’s total amount of borrowings is now $10M less than the two combined Councils had when they merged in May 2016, and that’s including the $150M worth of emergency loans required. This means our total gross debt is lower than what was outstanding at the merger in May 2016. This is great news, and demonstrates Council’s commitment and focus on financial sustainability is steadfast.
As I have said previously, the financial crisis is behind us and there are clear and transparent guidelines in place which can keep us on track financially into the future. With this positive trajectory and momentum continuing, Council can target productivity and service improvements in key areas where the community expectation is not being met, and I look forward to these services improving for the community.
Rik Hart, Administrator
Did you miss the last Council meeting?
Re-watch the webcast on our YouTube channel. Links can be found on our website at centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/meetings, along with meeting agendas, reports and minutes.
Next ordinary Council meeting will be held at Wyong on Tuesday 22 November 2022.
Have your say on the Gosford waterfront concept plan
You’re invited to reimagine Gosford waterfront with us by sharing your feedback, opinions, and ideas on a new concept plan. You can help shape the future of the Gosford waterfront by viewing the concept plan, reading the frequently asked questions, registering for a virtual drop-in information session and sharing ideas, suggestions and opinion online. For more information, go to
yourvoiceourcoast.com/gosfordwaterfront
Free pet microchipping day
If your furry friend isn’t microchipped, how will they find their way home if lost or runaway? We’re making it easy for you to microchip your pet – come along to Council’s free pet microchipping day at Socares Central Coast Animal Facility, Erina and Charmhaven on Saturday 12 November (9am3pm). Microchipping helps local animal facilities and vets reunite lost pets with their owners quickly. For more information, search ‘pet microchipping day’ at centralcoast.nsw.gov.au
Workshops to help learner drivers
FREE workshops are available for parents and supervisors of learner drivers to offer practical advice and hands-on support, to help you explain highly complex road rules and other important information to your learner driver. Workshop held 6-8pm at Erina Library (10 Nov) and Woy Woy library (17 Nov). Bookings essential.
To reserve your spot, search ‘learner driver workshops’ at centralcoast.nsw.gov.au
Funding for town centres
Council is piloting a Façade Improvement Support Program to provide $120,000 to eligible Central Coast businesses and owners of commercial property (located in the town centres of Wyong, Gosford, The Entrance and Toukley) to enhance their building facades and improve accessibility to their premises with dollar-for-dollar matched funding. Apply by 30 Nov. For eligibility and program information search ‘façade improvement support program’ at
centralcoast.nsw.gov.au
What’s on? Go to centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/events
Lakes Festival (4-13 Nov). Features over 30 events on and surrounding the waterways. Don’t miss the Light up the Lake (Sat 5 Nov, The Entrance). centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/
lakesfestival
Garage Sail Trail, Central Coast
(12-13 & 19-20 Nov). Participate and recycle your pre-loved items or join the trail and grab a bargain.
garagesaletrail.com.au/centralcoast
View all Council events at
centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/events
Did you know?
Council has a new number
We listened to the community and have changed our number from 1300 to a local one - 4306 7900. But it’s more than a new number, we partnered with the NSW Department of Customer Service to improve our call centre technology, including a range of new features such as a call back function to reduce long waits. Search ‘customer service’ at
centralcoast.nsw.gov.au
Council Office 2 Hely St Wyong | 8.30am - 5pm, Monday to Friday | P 02 4306 7900 | W centralcoast.nsw.gov.au
Funding boost for Aboriginal Corporation
Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast, Adam Crouch, with Minister for Seniors Mark Coure and members of the Gudjagang Ngara li-dhi Aboriginal Corporation The Gudjagang Ngara li-dhi Aboriginal Corporation has received $19,697 in funding through the third round of the Reducing Social Isolation for Seniors program.
The program aims to empower seniors to be active and connected.
Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast, Adam Crouch, said the Gudjagang Ngara li-dhi Aboriginal Corporation will support local seniors through Bidhal Elders.
“This is going to play such an important role in breaking down those barriers of social isolation,” he said.
“Bidhal Elders’ group uses a cultural therapy framework to combat the loneliness and social isolation felt among Aboriginal people over the age of 50.
“Cultural therapy promotes using culture as treatment – using Aboriginal people’s cultural and community connections to strengthen wellbeing and foster healing and positive social outcomes for individuals and communities.
“Bidhal means ‘celebrate’ in Darkinjung language.”
Crouch said the projects will support Aboriginal Elders to resume leadership roles in the community, keep active and healthy, promote local Aboriginal cultural knowledge and identity, improve the overall quality of their life, and develop the Darkinjung Aboriginal community.
“These projects are also intended to promote intergenerational knowledge sharing between generations, bringing together the Elders’ group with the youth group and women’s group,” he said.
“Seniors are an integral part of our society, and we want to make sure they don’t run the risk of falling into social isolation.”
Grants of up to $50,000 were on offer in the third round of the Reducing Social Isolation for Seniors Grants program.
Projects must run through 2022-2023.
For more information on the grants program, visit: www.dcj. nsw.gov.au/rsis.
Source: Media release, Oct 31 Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast, Adam Crouch
Smart buoy tracking water quality in Wyee Bay
The smart buoy in Wyee Bay A custom-built smart buoy is now stationed in Lake Macquarie’s Wyee Bay to assess water quality, in response to significant fish kills in August and September.
The buoy, which looks like a traditional navigation marker, uses pumps to automatically sample water from different depths, passing through an array of water quality sensors and then transmitting the data to the cloud for real-time analysis.
NSW Environment Protection Authority CEO, Tony Chappel said the buoy, positioned at Wyee Point, would contribute to the long-term understanding of water quality in the lake.
“The health of the lake is an important issue for us, and the recent fish kills have understandably raised a lot of concern in the community,” he said.
“As the largest saltwater lake in the southern hemisphere, we want to ensure we have the best technology in place to monitor any changes.
“Over the next six months the buoy will provide our teams with vital baseline data which will assess salinity, turbidity, oxygen, temperature and pH levels.
“The biggest benefit of these buoys is the real-time data they provide which will help our teams to spot an issue before it’s too late and hopefully protect against any further impacts on the lake’s marine life.
“We know the lake is the heart of the local community and we will continue to do what we can to keep people informed and ensure the best protections are in place,” Chappel said.
Smart buoys are part of a network of water quality initiatives set up across the state by the Science, Economics and Insights Division (SEI) of the NSW Department of Planning and Environment.
“This technology has been designed and purpose-built by SEI and we typically use these buoys for monitoring water quality in estuaries or for shortterm deployments following a flood or bushfire event as we monitor the impact of natural disasters on waterways,” said SEI Executive Director, Georgina Kelly.
Real-time data feed from the Wyee Point buoy can be viewed on EPA’s website
Sue Murray
Central Coast Council is inviting community members wanting to take an active role in local affairs to apply for a position on one of several Council advisory committees for 2023.
Applications are now open for community stakeholder representatives on the following committees: Social 138 Robina Town Centre Drive Robina Qld 4226 PO Box 3275 Robina Town Centre Qld 4230 Tel: 1300 36 0867 Fax: 1300 81 8962 email: artwork@localdirectories.com.au www.localdirectories.com.au
Positions available on Council committees
Inclusion Advisory Committee; Pedestrian Access and Mobility Advisory Committee (PAMP); PROOF
Mangrove Mountain and
Spencer Advisory Committee; and Heritage Advisory
Committee.
Successful applicants should have a genuine passion for DQCW SOLICITORS & LAWYERStheir selected topic, a willingness to engage with a diverse group of people and be available to attend an advisory group meeting in December and quarterly committee meetings next year. Due to the voluntary nature of the position, community representatives won’t receive fees or costs for their time. Council Administrator, Rik Hart, said a community position on an advisory committee is a unique way for residents to have their say. “Council uses advisory groups to help inform the direction of policies and it’s important that we hear from as many different voices as possible,” he said. “We know from our regular engagement programs that residents can offer excellent perspectives and I would encourage anyone who has a lived experience, or a particular passion for one of these topic areas to submit an expression of interest.” Applications for all community advisory positions close at midnight on Sunday, November 13. For more details see the Council website.
Source: Media release, Nov 2
Central Coast Council Central Coast Council Administrator, Rik Hart
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Two charged over alleged break and enter, stabbing at Budgewoi
Two people have been charged over an alleged home invasion and stabbing on the Central Coast on 30 October.
About 9.45am Friday, 28 October, a man and woman entered a home on Noela Place Budgewoi and entered the bedroom of a 30-yearold woman.
Police will allege in court a struggle ensued during which the resident suffered two stab wounds to her left thigh. The man and woman fled the scene and police were called.
Officers attached to Tuggerah Lakes Police District, with the assistance of PolAir, arrested a woman nearby and took her to Wyong Police Station where she was charged with six offences, including aggravated break and enter while armed with an offensive weapon in company, reckless wounding in company, trespass (three counts), and malicious damage.
The 26 year old woman from Maitland was also charged with breach of bail.
She was refused bail and appeared at Wyong Local Court on Saturday 29 October 2022, where she was again refused bail.
Following inquiries, a 48-year-old man was arrested at Boyce Avenue, Wyong, about 2.30pm Saturday 29 October and was taken to Wyong Police Station where he was charged with aggravated break and enter while armed with offensive weapon in company, reckless wounding in company and trespass
He was bail refused to appear at Wyong Local Court on Sunday 30 October 2022.
The injured woman was taken to Wyong Hospital for treatment and has since been released.
Police believe the three are known to each other.
Anyone with information about these incidents should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000
or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page: www.crimestoppers.com.au Information provided will be treated in the strictest of confidence.
Source: NSW Police Media
Man dies in Doyalson car crash
Police are appealing for dashcam vision after a man died and a second was seriously injured in a two-vehicle crash at Doyalson.
Emergency services were called to the Pacific Highway scene at about 8.30pm on Monday, October 31 and found a northbound SUV and a southbound hatchback had collided head-on in the southbound lanes.
The 56-year-old driver of the hatchback died at the scene.
Driver of the SUV, a 52-yearold man, was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics before being taken to John Hunter Hospital in a serious condition.
Officers from Tuggerah Lakes Police District established a crime scene with Crash Investigation Unit officers undertaking inquiries.
Anyone with information about this incident, or dashcam footage, is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at nsw. crimestoppers.com.au.
Source: Tuggerah Lakes Police
Man in court after robbery
A man appeared in court on Sunday 30 October charged over an alleged robbery on the Central Coast.
About 5.50pm, Saturday 29 October 2022, police were called to Manns Road, West Gosford, following reports of a robbery.
Officers attached to Brisbane Water Police District arrived at the scene and found a 33-yearold man allegedly chasing a 54-year-old man.
The younger man was arrested and searched with police seizing a set of car keys allegedly belonging to the other man.
He was taken Gosford Police Station where he was charged with aggravated robbery and possess housebreaking implements.
The man, from Wyong, has been refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court today (Sunday 30 October 2022).
The older man suffered facial injuries; however, did not require medical treatment.
Source: NSW Police Media
Man charged after cash and drugs seized in Berkeley Vale
A man has been charged after police seized cash and drugs during a vehicle stop on the Central Coast yesterday.
About 9.30pm on Tuesday 25 October, officers attached to Tuggerah Lakes Traffic and Highway Patrol Command stopped an LDV utility on Wyong Road, Berkeley Vale, after routine checks revealed the vehicle was unregistered.
The driver – a 34-year-old man – was submitted to a roadside drug test which allegedly returned a positive result.
During a search of the utility, police located and seized $25,000 cash, methylamphetamine and cocaine.
The man was arrested and taken to Wyong Police Station where he was charged with knowingly deal with proceeds of crime, supply prohibited drug and two counts of possess prohibited drug.
Police also seized the utility.
The Queensland man was refused bail to appear before Wyong Local Court on Wednesday 26 October 2022.
Inquiries are continuing.
Source: NSW Police Media
Missing woman last seen in Toukley
Police are calling on assistance from the community to locate a missing woman from Toukley.
Jamilla Humphrey, aged 51, was last seen around 12pm on Sunday, October 30 when she was leaving a property in Moss Ave, Toukley.
She is described as 180cm tall, of caucasian appearance, with light brown hair and blue/ grey eyes.
There is concern for her welfare because Humphrey has not returned home or contacted family. Anyone with information about her whereabouts is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or https://nsw. crimestoppers.com.au.
The Missing Persons report number is E 91750064.
Source: Tuggerah Lakes Police
Jamilla Humphrey
