Coast Community News #423

25 JANUARY 2024

ISSUE 423

INDEPENDENT LOCAL NEWS • COASTCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM.AU

+ DIGITAL

News

Hundreds gather seawall protest

at

latest

See page 3

Out&About

Toukley loses ice creamery to Newcastle

Toukley has lost a thriving small business to Newcastle following a tangle of bureaucratic red tape arising from just one complaint about a popular ice creamery.

See page 21

Rufino and the Wreckage set for Gosford See page 13

Business

Olivia Duff has moved her small business out of town after being thwarted by Council red tape

Uproar over Acknowledgement of Country change Administrator Rik Hart adjourned the first meeting of Central Coast Council for 2024 when the gallery erupted after he decided to put the words “Darkinjung Country” back into Council’s Acknowledgement of Country.

Hart had taken the words out more than a year ago and at the time said he would leave it to a yet-to-be formed Aboriginal Advisory Committee to decide on the wording.

The new advisory committee’s recommendation for the inclusion of the wording saw a protest outside the Wyong chambers before the January 23 meeting and attracted three speakers on the

The protest outside Council chambers prior to the meeting

topic at the public forum.

Acknowledgement of Country.

First speaker Van Davey suggested deleting the word Darkinjung from the proposed new

He said there was an inbuilt conflict on the Central Coast that Council needed to resolve.

It came from the misalignment between NSW land council legislation from the 1980s and Federal Government legislation from the 1990s that took into account the Mabo High Court “traditional owners” decision and Native Title legislation.

Davey said the NSW legislation did not reflect the Federal legislation, which says traditional owners have certain rights.

He said Council needed to initiate action between the State and Federal governments with a view to bringing into alignment the two pieces of legislation.

Continued page 4

Read the paper online in flip book format at CoastCommunityNews.com.au (or scan QR code above)

Work to secure fair share of $10B in housing funds See page 22

Sport

Cricket competition powers ahead See page 32

Puzzles page 18

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Australia Day on the Central Coast As the waves of the Central Coast gently kiss the shores, Australia Day emerges not just as a public holiday, but as a profound symbol of introspection and shared struggle in a world increasingly fragmented by fear and misunderstanding.

Some nations celebrate their national days with military parades, long speeches and discussions of past glories.

Here, amidst the sundrenched beaches and the beautiful hinterland, the community gathers, embodying a spirit of camaraderie that transcends the mere marking of a sometimes controversial national holiday.

EDITORIAL The Central Coast, with its diverse tapestry of stories and histories, reflects the broader Australian narrative—a story of violent settlement, struggle, construction and a slow reconciliation.

Whatever we think of the date, Australia Day, therefore, becomes a pivotal moment for our community to engage in discussions about our past.

It’s a day that beckons us to acknowledge the complex journey of this nation, from the remarkable successes of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to the varied paths of settlers, immigrants and refugees who have helped shape our society.

This day of reflection is

crucial in a world where fear often drives communities apart.

Here on the Central Coast, there’s a different story unfolding.

It’s a story of people coming together, sharing stories and songs, reflecting on the rich tapestry that makes up modern Australia.

The air is filled with the aroma of barbecues and the sound of summer, as neighbours and strangers alike share their stories on the day.

This community’s commitment to unity is a beacon of hope.

It demonstrates how hard dialogues and understanding can bridge gaps and heal wounds.

Australia Day here is not just about looking back; it’s about looking forward, towards a future where difference is not just tolerated, but celebrated, where the hard lessons of the past inform our journey towards a confident and caring society.

As the sun sets on the Central Coast this Australia Day, let it set on old fears and prejudices.

Let us embrace the promise of unity and hope, understanding that our strength lies in our shared humanity and our unwavering commitment to a community built on the foundations of dialogue, understanding and a collective pursuit of a brighter, more united future.

David Abrahams, Managing Editor

Stay safe as you celebrate With hundreds of residents and visitors expected to flock to Australia Day activities on the Central Coast this Friday, January 26, and over the weekend, the NSW Police Force is urging extra caution on our roads.

Operation Australia Day 2024 will commence at 12.01am on Thursday, January 25, and run until 11.59pm on Sunday, January 28.

Police will be out in numbers – on the ground, in the air and on the water – as general duties officers are supported by specialist units, with double demerit points in place for speeding, mobile phone, seatbelt and motorcycle helmet offences.

Major Australia Day celebrations will take place in Gosford and at The Entrance.

Central Coast Council’s annual Australia Day community event will be held in Gosford Leagues Club Park from 4-9pm.

There will be live entertainment, food stalls, kids’ activities and a fireworks display over Brisbane Water to finish the night.

Administrator Rik Hart said the annual event would be among the first of the year to bring the Central Coast community together, with large crowds anticipated.

“The evening will be a great chance to celebrate the end of the Summer holidays with a picnic on the foreshore, kicking back listening to live music,” he said.

“This alcohol-free event is a wonderful opportunity for everyone to come together and

Last year’s Australia Day fireworks at Gosford waterfront

enjoy themselves in a fun and safe environment.”

There will be plenty of activities to keep the kids entertained with a circus workshop, a sports play area and more, while the rest of the crowd will be serenaded by Sybella, Jump, The Ritzy Kids and Joel Leggett, headlined by Bermuda Social.

Find out more about the event, including road closures in place, at www.centralcoast. nsw.gov.au/whats-on/council/ australia-day-0 There will also be activities at Memorial Park, The Entrance, from 11am-4pm.

There will be live music, a variety of food stalls and engaging activities and entertainment for all ages.

Taking the stage will be the Rebecca Johnson Band, Jellyfish, Asha, Ozimaid and The Camrys.

This diverse line up of artists will present everything from soulful melodies to highenergy beats.

Expect a fusion of contemporary hits, classic

anthems and even some traditional Australian tunes paying homage to our heritage.

More information can be found at www.facebook.com/ theentrancetowncentre Kick-start celebrations with the Australia Day Eve event at Canton Beach, Toukley, on Thursday, January 25, from 4pm with fun, food and fireworks.

The Rotary clubs of Kincumber, Erina, Terrigal and Kariong/Somersby will hold an Historic Australia Day event at Terrigal Haven on January 26.

There will be a history display telling the story of Thomas Davis and his ship building, with various models, dioramas and information.

The day will begin at 9am and include a Welcome To Country and a Smoking Ceremony, a sausage sizzle, live music and entertainment.

Central Coast Council will conduct a Citizenship Ceremony on January 29 as a fitting conclusion to the region’s Australia Day celebrations.

IN MEMORIAM

JAQUES, Iris Mae

Passed Away Peacefully 19th January 2024 Late of Ourimbah Beloved wife of Duncan for 74 years.

Much loved mother and mother-in-law of Lyn & John, Brian & Brenda and Daryl (dec).

Adored Nanna, Great Nanna and Great great Nanna.

Will be sadly missed by all who knew and loved her.

Aged 91 Years Always Remembered Family and friends are warmly invited to celebrate the life of Iris, to be held on Tuesday 30th January 2024, in the Rose Chapel, Palmdale Lawn Cemetery and Memorial Park commencing at 2.00pm.

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Hundreds gather at latest seawall protest Despite sweltering temperatures, about 800 people gathered at Wamberal on Sunday, January 21, to voice their opposition to a seawall at the popular beach.

The latest in a string of protests organised by the Save Our Sand (SOS) group saw many waving banners as they once more rejected a seawall as a viable solution to the beach’s ongoing erosion problems.

SOS member Mark Lamont said the huge turnout on such a hot day made it very clear that the “overwhelming majority of people in this area do not want a seawall at Wamberal Beach”.

“They do not want Central Coast Council to proceed with a seawall DA (development application) in conjunction with Wamberal Protection Association (WPA),” he said.

“Expert opinion indicates sand nourishment and dune regeneration can rehabilitate the beach and make it more sustainable.

“It is a much more costeffective option which would do a better job of protecting those who live along the beach and the lagoons.”

Eleanor Harrison told the crowd she grew up at Terrigal and swam, rode her surfboard and wave ski, walked and fished along Wamberal Beach.

Many carried banners as they walked along the beach; About 800 people gathered at the latest protest

“Three generations of my family have patrolled Wamberal Beach – almost continuously since the 1950s; two generations of my family still patrol,” she said.

“I was President of the Wamberal Ladies Auxiliary for 10 years and in 1980 the first woman to pass the bronze medallion for our club.

“I then went on to Power Surf Rescue based in the Haven – so … my roots are buried deep here; I do know this beach.

“Wamberal beach used to be a wide, clean beach.

“It was a wonderful place to bring up your family, with a hundred metres or so of footburning golden sand down to the water’s edge.

“Surf carnivals were held in

front on the club with many march-past teams lined up on the enormous stretch of sand.

“A wall ending right here at the surf club would greatly endanger the stability of the dunes here and to the north in the Wamberal Lagoon Nature Reserve which has strict environmental protection as it is home to several endangered species, as well as our resident sea eagles.

“A wall ending at Terrigal Lake would endanger Terrigal Lake.

“Science has proved that seawalls in places like this create more problems than they solve.

“Backwash strips sand from the beach and the natural coastal processes are unable

to replenish the sand as the gradual slope, with wind and wave that creates the process, is gone.”

Harrison said building on a sand dune any time after the 1974 and 1978 storms was “foolhardy at best”.

“The combination of no sand with rising tides will make the beach a dangerous place especially when faced with a huge concrete wall and overtopping waves,” she said.

“Imagine being unable to walk from Terrigal to Wamberal on one of those wonderful stormy days.

“No beach means no tourists; no tourists means the collapse of many small businesses.

“Holidaymakers will go elsewhere to find a lovely

golden sandy beach to play on with their children, to surf, board ride, picnic, fish and enjoy.

“A wall would ruin any surf breaks that build from the formation of natural sand banks that have always been a feature of the Terrigal to Wamberal coast.

“Wash backs would cause unstable breaks in all conditions.

“There must never be a private wall built behind a public beach.

“The homes around the lagoons at Terrigal and Wamberal will be affected by flooding to a greater extent if a wall is built.

“The power of waves will be redirected to the end of the

seawall, creating waves that will penetrate the lagoons bringing rising water levels.

“More homes and infrastructure around those lakes will be put at risk.”

Justin Hickey also addressed the crowd, representing Wamberal Boardriders Club, which has 120 members ranging in age from 5 to 73.

“For us this beach represents joy, social connection and community,” he said.

“This beach is used in so many ways from exercise to quiet reflection, relaxation and time with family and nature. “(It) is grounding, resilient and healing.

“Wamberal beach is worth fighting for.

“This beach belongs to you, to us, and we expect our government to prioritise it, protect it and hold it in trust for future generations.”

He said a seawall would create the need for ongoing sand replenishment and increase the risk to surfers, swimmers and the public.

The gathering called on Minister for the Central Coast David Harris and Member for Terrigal Adam Crouch to support residents in fighting a seawall.

It urged residents to send Council and local MPs messages opposing a seawall.

Peninsula in crisis over lack of trees The Woy Woy Peninsula is in crisis due to overdevelopment and lack of tree canopy, according to the Peninsula Residents Association (PRA).

In a response to a NSW Parliamentary Committee into the planning system and the impacts of climate change on the environment and communities, the group says the Peninsula will rapidly become unsurvivable unless the State Government and Central Coast Council immediately implement strict planning strategies.

The group says local planning policies for the past 18 years have focused on development without regard to the environment and the effects on the community.

It says the net effect of noncompliant developments, with little regard for the environment, have left residents with a Peninsula dominated by concrete and bitumen – and rapidly becoming unliveable.

The Peninsula is an urban area with the lowest green density in the state at less than 10 per cent.

The state target for urban

areas in Greater Sydney is 40 per cent trees by 2036.

PRA says Central Coast Council has: failed to enforce planning provisions which supported plantings; routinely allowed the removal of trees on developed properties and street verges, not insisted on replacements, and has not followed up on vegetation requirements for development applications; and given no clear direction and expectations for the development of the Peninsula in local planning documents.

PRA says over-development of sites,arising from compromising planning standards, is now normal practice and has led to an absence of green space.

It criticised the Council’s recent consolidated Local Environment Plan/Development Control Plan which substantially departs from the greening provisions of the previous DCP. It includes smaller setbacks that give less space for trees.

PRA says Council strategies such as Climate Change, Greener Places Strategy, Woy Woy Floodplain Study and Management Plan, are slow to be budgeted for,or implemented.

An aerial view of Woy Woy township Photo: Google Maps 3D

Council has a budget of only $40,000 per annum for trees for the entire Central Coast.

Another submission, from the Peninsula’s Grow Urban Shade Trees group (GUST) quoted from Council’s own Greener Spaces Strategy: “Between 2005 and 2014, canopy cover in Woy Woy decreased by 173ha,impervious surfaces increased by 84ha and unplantable space increased by 113ha”.

“In (Council’s) Tree Management team we only see action on tree removal approvals with no process for planting replacement trees and no street tree planting program,” GUST told the Inquiry.

“Hence, this tree loss is having a devastating impact on the loss of tree canopy.

“Without a budget for tree planting, we are well behind other proactive councils in restoring canopy.”

A third submission, from resident Mark Snell, outlined a list of immediate actions needed: an increase in tree canopy; an increase in open space; an integrated Peninsulawide drainage program; an increase in overland drainage opportunities; implementation of an integrated creek maintenance program; and community-driven emergency planning, including attention to

access and local facilities.

Snell also called for a comprehensive Umina Coastal Sandplain Woodland endangered ecological community program to be implemented.

He said the rare and endangered Umina Coastal Sandplain Woodland was being incrementally diminished, due to the lack of a concerted integrated management plan with measurable objectives and involving the community and other stakeholders.

“Central Coast Council’s management of this woodland in its ownership is not transparent, nor is it in co-

operation with the other landholders, or community members supporting its protection,” he said.

“Its priorities do not correspond with the Save Our Species priorities of the Department of Planning and Environment.

“And as proponent of a recent planning proposal, it agreed to destruction of a significant private holding of this woodland, against the Department’s advice.

“Council’s attitude to the natural environment including this rare bushland seems to be that it is considered a threat to infrastructure, rather than valuable infrastructure in its own right which contributes to the community’s natural resilience to climate change.”

A spokesperson said Council did not have a comment at this time.

“Council respects the Parliamentary Committee process which seeks to garner a range of community/ organisational views for their consideration,” the spokesperson said.

Merilyn Vale

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Uproar over Acknowledgement of Country change

Safe, easy way to dispose of Later in the meeting, when Hart adopted the batteries recommendation to put

Until then, he said, the traditional owners’ – Guringai, Awabakal and Darkinoong – quest for justice and recognition should be assisted, not blocked.

Second speaker Shad Tyler also asked for the word to be deleted saying Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council had great people who did lots of good things but putting the word Darkinjung into the Acknowledgement would create confusion.

He said Guringai and Darkinoong were the traditional custodians of the Central Coast and the decision Hart was about to make could be an opportunity for inclusion, rather than division.

The third speaker was Vickie Parry, the executive director of Barang Regional Alliance, and a member of the advisory committee, who spoke in

Public forum speaker Shad Tyler with Administrator Rik Hart after the meeting

favour of adding “Darkinjung Country” to the Acknowledgement.

Parry was heckled by the

crowd when she ran out of time to get her main points across after giving information on the work of the Alliance and

statistics on the number of Aboriginal people on the Coast – making up almost five per cent of the population.

“Darkinjung Country” into the Acknowledgement, some people in the gallery yelled out “shame, shame, shame”.

“The Darkinjung are not a people,” one person said.

“Listen to the traditional custodian,” another said.

Hart tried to hush the crowd but they kept yelling at him.

In the end, he adjourned the meeting for 10 minutes and security staff directed everyone to leave the public gallery.

After the 10 minutes, the meeting recommenced and the public was allowed back into the gallery but about two thirds of the people did not return.

The next four items on the agenda were dealt with quickly and the meeting ended soon afterwards.

Merilyn Vale

Traditional Custodians critical of decision

Tracey Howie

Local Traditional Custodians have joined community members in voicing their concerns over Central Coast Council’s decision to include the words “Darkinjung country” in its Acknowledgement of Country.

They include GuriNgai woman Tracey Howie, direct descendant of Bungaree – a prominent First Nations man who circumnavigated Australia with Matthew Flinders.

“The Central Coast is home to the GuriNgai, Darkinoong and Awabakal nations; there is no Darkinjung Country,” Howie said.

“The name Darkinjung was created at the establishment of the Local Aboriginal Land Council.”

Lisa Bellamy, a local environmental activist and member of the Kariong Sacred Lands group, said the change was not inclusive.

“Including the name Darkinjung while excluding other nations is not in the spirit of inclusivity,” she said.

“It legitimises the authority of this land council/developer to destroy environmentally and culturally sensitive land, such as is proposed for Kariong and Norah Head.”

Despite vocal opposition from the gallery, Administrator Rik

Hart adopted the recommendation from the Aboriginal Advisory Committee to change the wording of the Acknowledgement of Country, leading to a public outcry.

Some community members criticised a perceived lack of democracy in the decisionmaking process.

Concerns were also raised about the composition of the Aboriginal Advisory Committee.

Howie expressed shock at being excluded from the committee despite her role in advocating for its formation.

Another unnamed Traditional Custodian highlighted the committee’s lack of diverse representation.

Road standard statistics alarming Latest figures from the Australian Roads Assessment Program (AusRAP) have revealed that only 0.5 per cent of the 1,317km of roads across the Hunter and Central Coast regions which were assessed achieved the highest safety rating of five stars.

Across the Hunter Central Coast network six per cent received a four-star rating, 47 per cent received a three-star rating and 30 per cent of the network received a two-star rating.

Alarmingly, 17 per cent received the lowest one-star rating.

AusRAP is an internationally

recognised road safety rating assessment system which operates in more than 100 countries.

The most current AusRAP is at least two years old, highlighting the importance of the Australian Automobile Association’s (AAA) campaign to make road safety data readily available to the public says NRMA spokesperson Peter Khoury.

Khoury said the figures should concern policymakers.

“Australians will contribute more than $23B to the Federal Government through the fuel excise this year alone – they have earnt the right to drive on safe roads and to have realtime data and information on

the safety features of the roads they drive on every day,” Khoury said.

“As theAustralian Government looks to re-focus its infrastructure funding priorities there are two critical statistics it must keep in mind – only 0.3 per cent of the state’s roads is deemed to be truly safe and the national road toll is seven per cent higher than the same time last year.

“More of the fuel excise must go back into building safer roads and all available data on road safety must be made publicly available in real-time, because if we don’t have a clear and current grasp on the problems how do we expect, as a nation to fix them?”

Condition of Central Coast roads reported as poor

Almost 850 battery recycling bins have been installed at Coles stores around the country, including 20 stores on the Central Coast.

The aim is to provide customers with a safe, convenient and effective way to recycle batteries and reduce household waste.

Customers are encouraged to bring their household batteries to the clearly marked recycling bins located at the front of each store to give the batteries a second life rather than going to landfill.

Coles General Manager of Sustainability Brooke Donnelly said batteries were one of the fastest growing waste problems in Australia, and this initiative not only helped to address the challenge, but also advanced our transition to a circular economy.

“It’s estimated that Aussies have more than 150 million loose batteries in their homes but only 12 percent are currently being recycled,” Donnelly said.

“By adding battery collection bins out the front of our stores we’re providing a way for our customers to recycle their batteries that is safe and convenient.”

Coles has become an accredited participant of the government-backed battery recycling scheme B-cycle, and through this agreement has partnered with materials recovery companies Close the Loop and Ecobatt to manage the bins, battery collection and recycling.

B-cycle CEO Libby Chaplin said the country’s first Battery Stewardship Scheme was pleased to welcome Coles to the program and believed it would help increase the public’s awareness around battery recycling.

Planet Ark CEO Rebecca Gilling said research showed many Australians remained unaware that batteries should never be put in household recycling or garbage bins.

The bins accept any brand of AA, AAA, C, D and rectangular six-volt and nine-volt batteries, as well as button cell batteries.

Customers who use the collection bins to recycle their batteries are required to tape the ends with sticky tape around the battery terminals to help prevent fires.

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Grandmothers unite to oppose housing development A group of Central Coast grandmothers gathered at Kariong Sacred Lands on January 18 to stand up against a proposed housing development adjacent to the protected site.

The proposal by Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land council (DLALC) to build 50 homes on a 6ha site on Woy Woy Rd is now on exhibition through the NSW Government planning portal with submissions to close on January 29.

Meeting at the base of the Grandmother Tree, the women said the proposed development would put sacred sites at risk.

“Kariong Sacred Lands is called sacred for a very important reason,” they said.

“The area was Crown land zoned E2 and then C2 because of the rich biodiversity found in this bushland.

“It is full of endangered flora and fauna and Aboriginal Registered Sacred Sites, provides homes for communities of koalas and has a very important Aboriginal history in the

The women gathered at the base of the Grandmother Tree

rock carvings found there.

“Wildlife and their habitat have been thriving on this land for centuries.

“It’s one of the only areas on the Central Coast coastline that remains untouched by developers.

“If this development goes ahead it will destroy an area

originally zoned to never be touched.

“It will take development even closer to the precious area below where the Grandmother Tree and worldfamous Egyptian hieroglyphs stand.

“Already there is evidence of motorbikes riding through the

area destroying shrubs and breaking trees and creating tracks in natural bushland.

“There will be an increase in dogs, cats and possible graffiti.

“There will be erosion and issues with natural water flow.

“There will be total destruction and disrespect of the area which was

never meant to be touched.”

Local Elder, Aunty Colleen from Darkinoong, said the development would destroy the hanging swamps that fed into the aquifer and downstream of the development site, causing severe erosion and drying out of the area.

“This in turn will endanger the Grandmother Tree, which the local bloodline custodians of the area hold as sacred,” she said.

“All races far and wide oppose the rezoning and housing development going ahead.”

The woman say the bloodline custodians are from Guringai, Darkinoong and Awabakal mobs.

“The Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council is not representative of the Central Coast mobs but is a government body,” they said.

They said recent changes in legislation had made it easier for land councils across NSW to apply for and “unlock” land previously zoned as Crown land.

“Grandmothers are in a

unique leadership role where they share stories and traditions with their younger generations, passing down valuable information and ways of doing things that they hold as important for years, in fact, generations to come,” they said.

“They are carers and nurturers reinforcing limits and boundaries.

“They teach morals and values to be upheld in their communities coming from a place of huge love and wisdom.

“They have strong intergenerational connections they hold with great responsibility and respect.

“It is their role to give our future generations a sense of belonging, security and hope for their future.”

The grandmothers are appealing to all those having concerns with the development proposal to lodge a submission before January 29 at https:// pp.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/ ppr/under-exhibition/ darkinjung-lalc-kariong-woywoy-road

Last ditch stand to protect sacred lands More than 70 people gathered at Bulgandry Aboriginal place on Woy Woy Rd, Kariong on Sunday, January 21, to support traditional custodians in protecting Kariong sacred lands.

The group was meeting for the final time before submissions close on January 29 on rezoning of adjacent land to make way for a housing development.

Coast Environmental Alliance (CEA) spokesperson Jake

Cassar said there was a good turnout of supporters, including many Kariong locals, despite extreme heat.

“It was great to have Guringai Elder Tracey Howie there to discuss the importance of caring for the land and all the life that it protects,” he said.

The group was also joined by internationally acclaimed photographer Ken Duncan, who has been supporting the cause to protect the Aboriginal sites in the area for some time.

“The opportunity to oppose

the rezoning of this land to stop the developer’s bulldozers closes on January 29.

“If this rezoning goes ahead and the developer Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council (DLALC) succeeds, it will set a dangerous precedent that could have permanent and farreaching implications for our environment.

“If DLALC can claim any Crown reserves, and be assisted by the government in rezoning it and either developing it or selling it off, the results with be disastrous for

the environment and for Australia’s irreplaceable cultural heritage.

“As someone who deeply cares about our local environment and Indigenous heritage, I want to congratulate every person who made a stand for Kariong sacred lands.

“While it’s disappointing that we had literally zero support from our elected leaders, our community came together once again to protect and defend the place we all have the privilege to call home.”

More than 70 people gathered on site

Marine Rescue needs volunteers With a 48 per cent increase in search and rescue missions completed by the Central Coast unit over the past 12 months, Marine Rescue is in need of more volunteers.

More than 283 Marine Rescue missions during 2023, including 39 emergencies, have made the Central Coast the third busiest base in the Hunter/Central Coast district.

“If you’ve ever thought about joining the team at Brisbane Water based Marine Rescue either as a radio operator, boat crew or associate, this is your opportunity to get involved, with an information session to be held at the Point Clare base on Thursday,

February 8, from 7-9pm.

A second information meeting will be held from 2pm on Saturday, February 10.

There is no need to register, just turn up and find out what the volunteer organisation provides in the way of training.

Unit Commander Ian Morrow said the new Central Coast headquarters was “on the go” again.

“It’s an exciting time ahead for the Central Coast unit, with the construction of the new two-storey multi-million-dollar state-of-the-art HQ building on the banks of Brisbane Water at Point Clare,” he said.

Volunteer Treasurer Shea Wicks said Marine Rescue’s motto was “saving lives on the

From left: MRCC volunteers Peter Alderton, Andrew McKellar, Ian Morrow, Shea Wicks, Ian Leafe and Jo Coffee give fellow volunteer Will Shaddock a lift

water” and, apart from great camaraderie, “it’s wonderful to know we’re helping local boaties”.

Figures released by Marine Rescue NSW this week reveal nearly 600 people were safely returned to shore by the Central Coast unit last year.

Marine Rescue NSW radio operators had a busy 2023, managing 258,742 radio calls – one call every two minutes.

Morrow said the incidents included sinking vessels, boats running aground, flat batteries, engine difficulties and “bad fuel”, caused from fuel sitting dormant in the petrol tank for too long.

“More than half the incidents in 2023 could potentially have

been avoided with better boat maintenance, with 57 per cent of calls for mechanical, battery or fuel issues,” he said.

“We’re here to help 24/7.

Marine Rescue is always here to help,” Morrow said, adding that boat owners should always conduct a safety check before setting out on the water.

“Check the petrol tank and make sure it’s full.

“Either carry a spare battery or change it regularly.”

The Point Clare base is located at Goodaywang Reserve, at the northern end of Kurrawa Ave on the eastern side of the railway line.

More information can be found on the Marine Rescue Central Coast Facebook page.

THURSDAY, 25 JANUARY 2024

PAGE 7

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Christmas appeal raises $43,000

NEWS IN BRIEF

Road delays Delays should expected on Hue Hue Rd, Jilliby, until February 5 as road pavement and associated works are undertaken.

Expected hours of work will be between 7am and 5pm weekdays, with possible night works.

Traffic control will be in place with some single lane closures.

Church seminar A seminar on How to love and be loved will be held at Bateau Bay Baptist church at 7.30pm on Saturday, February 10.

The seminar is for everyone, not just couples, and the $10 entry includes coffee and dessert.

To pre-pay see link at https:// tithe.ly/event-registration/#/ 8311772 or pay at the door.

The team from Grill’d West Gosford pitched in to help Coast Shelter caseworkers Jenny Goodyer and Ashleigh Rickit at a gift wrapping station at Erina Fair; Ben Durham from Smash Fitness and Recovery at West Gosford donated food hampers

Coast Shelter has raised an impressive $43,000 through its 2023 Christmas Appeal.

Additionally, enough physical

Childcare forum gifts were donated to not only Member for Robertson Gordon Reid will host a childcare forum from 2-3pm on Friday, February 2, at the Ocean Beach Surf Life Saving Club.

Childcare providers interested in attending should RSVP by January 29 by calling 4322 2400 or emailing Gordon.Reid.

MP@aph.gov.au

cover Coast Shelter’s clients, but to also supply gifts to the clients of several other community organisations including Pacific Link Housing, Bungree Aboriginal Association, The Glen, Mingaletta, Uniting and Gosford Youth Justice.

The annual initiative aimed at bringing joy and relief to those

in need during the holiday season witnessed an outpouring of support that exceeded expectations.

The funds raised played a crucial role in providing essential resources, food, gifts and assistance to individuals and families experiencing homelessness or domestic and family violence at Christmas.

“We are immensely grateful to the Central Coast community for their unwavering support and kindness during this year’s

Christmas Appeal,” Coast Shelter CEO Lee Shearer said.

“The success of this campaign is a testament to the strength and compassion of the Central Coast community, at a time when everyone is doing it tough.

“It highlights the collective power we have when we come together to make a positive impact on the lives of our neighbours in need.”

Physical donations included non-perishable food items for

Christmas hampers, toys, clothing and other essential supplies.

These items all went directly to individuals and families experiencing homelessness or domestic and family violence, ensuring they had the necessary resources for a brighter Christmas.

Coast Shelter expressed its thanks to the Central Coast community and acknowledged the dedication of its volunteers, corporate partners and all community members who

played a vital role in making the Coast Shelter Christmas Appeal a success.

The leading local non-profit organisation is committed to providing support and services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness and domestic and family violence on the Central Coast.

It works tirelessly to address the root causes of homelessness and strive to create a more inclusive and compassionate community.

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Boost for Men’s Sheds Kincumber Men’s Shed and St Joseph’s Workshop at West Gosford have received funding from the Federal Labor Government to continue supporting the health and wellbeing of men in the community.

Kincumber Men’s Shed will receive $9,164 towards shed maintenance and equipment while St Joseph’s Workshop will receive $4,939 towards equipment.

Member for Robertson Gordon Reid said Men’s Sheds plays a valuable role in improving health and wellbeing for men.

“But most importantly they play a part in countering the isolation which some men in our community experience,” he said.

Member for Robertson Gordon Reid with participants at Kincumber Men’s Shed

Health Minister Mark Butler said the sheds are helping men and boys find mateship and

social support to help them stay mentally and physically healthy.

“These grants are going

towards some fantastic projects that will enable Men’s Sheds around the country continue to

provide a supportive place where men can focus on their health and wellbeing,” he said.

There are approximately 1,300 Men’s Sheds across Australia offering thousands of men of all ages a safe place to meet, socialise, connect, and engage in meaningful community work.

The Australian Men’s Shed Association (AMSA) opened applications for Round 27 of the NSDP on January 15.

Sheds will be able to submit general applications until February 23 and applications for defibrillators until March 22.

For more information about the Australian Men’s Shed Association visit https:// mensshed.org/nsdp/ supporting-docs-faqs/

Swim safe this long weekend Central Coast Council has joined Surf Life Saving NSW in urging residents and visitors to swim only between the flags on patrolled beaches over the coming long weekend.

In the 2022/23 summer season, nationally, the drowning risk is far greater on public holidays than on normal weekends, and 100 per cent of deaths occurred at unpatrolled locations.

Council Director Community and Recreation Services Melanie Smith said the Central Coast had an array of beautiful beaches to visit that were accessible and patrolled this

holiday period.

“There are 16 Central Coast beach locations and Grant McBride Baths at The Entrance that are patrolled every day between 9am and 6pm by Council’s Beach Safety team or Surf Life Saving Clubs except for Umina Beach, Avoca Beach and Terrigal Beach, which are patrolled 8am-6pm,” Smith said.

“We hope that by sharing this information and tips on ways to avoid these tragic situations that everyone can have an enjoyable and safe time at the beach this long weekend.”

The top tips for safe swimming over the weekend are: take the

Beachgoers are reminded to swim only at patrolled beaches this weekend

time and drive five more minutes to a patrolled beach and swim in between the flags;

never swim alone; observe conditions for at least five minutes before going into the

water; always take some sort of flotation device; and if in doubt – don’t go out.

It is also important to: wear a lifejacket if boating, rock fishing or on watercraft; and avoid alcohol and drugs when on or around water.

To find your nearest patrolled beach location, visit centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/ Beaches The weather can also be unpredictable; please avoid swimming and recreational water activities during and after heavy rain for at least 24 hours at ocean beaches.

For daily beach pollution forecasts for the Central Coast, go to www.environment.nsw. gov.au/beachapp/ CentralcoastBulletin.aspx

Council closures for Australia Day Central Coast Council offices will be closed on Friday, January 26, for the Australia Day public holiday, and reopen Monday, January 29.

Some of Council’s services and facilities will be closed or have changes but essential services will continue to operate.

An after-hours service is available on 4306 7900 to call

in any urgent reports (such as water main breaks or sewer issues, and urgent road safety issues such as fallen trees over roads).

Non-emergency enquiries, requests, reports or formal feedback can be submitted through the online Customer Service Centre 24/7 and these will be progressed from Monday, January 29.

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building at Wyong, customer service centres, libraries, Lake Haven Recreation Centre and Niagara Park Stadium will be closed.

Many essential services and facilities will continue to operate.

These include the lifeguard patrol of 16 beaches and Grant McBride baths, residential waste collection and waste facilities, water and sewer

treatment, animal care facilities, ranger services, Gosford Regional Gallery, Peninsula Leisure Centre, Gosford Olympic Pool, Toukley Aquatic Centre, Wyong Olympic Pool, and a roster of staff available to respond to urgent issues that require immediate attention.

Follow Council’s Facebook or Twitter for community alerts or notices.

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Funding for three new Coast programs

From left: NPCF Director Jane Gray, Habitat for Humanity’s Greg Harris, Sophie Cooke, Brian Tasker and NPCF Director Paul Juergens; Brave Foundation’s Sue Wilson, Jill Roche and Catherine Cooney

Three projects aiming to deliver meaningful change on the Central Coast have received funding from the Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation.

They are Habitat for Humanity, Brave Foundation and Lung Foundation Australia.

Habitat for Humanity has received $120,000 and will expand its Brush with Kindness program to the Hunter and Central Coast for the first time.

The project will engage 150 volunteers to repair and

refurbish 20 social and transitional housing units to provide high-quality accommodation and a sense of dignity for people facing disadvantage, especially those escaping family and domestic violence.

The Brave Foundation has received $75,000 to support expecting and parenting teen dads on the Central Coast.

CEO Jill Roche said the new project will directly focus on supporting young local fathers.

“Brave Foundation will design and implement a pilot program

dedicated to supporting young fathers,” she said.

“This work builds on our existing Supporting Expecting and Parenting Teens (SEPT) Program but will be tailored to specifically meet the needs of young dads.

“The program seeks to address the barriers experienced by young dads and recognises the value of their contribution as a parent in their child’s life.

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Lung Foundation Australia will use its grant of $33,839 to establish its Lungs in Action Community Exercise Project in the Hunter and on the Mid North and Central Coast.

The project will train 10 local registered fitness professionals to support patients living with

eligible chronic lung and/or heart conditions.

The three organisations are among 10 in the state to benefit from the funding round.

Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation Executive Officer, Carly Bush, said the successful projects were selected for the quality outcomes they would deliver to the lives of disadvantaged and marginalised people in NSW regional communities.

“These new projects will deliver much-needed support and potentially life-changing

opportunities to young people, victims of domestic violence, people living with disabilities and First Nations communities,” she said.

Founded in 2003, to date, Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation has provided more than $26M in grants to more than 550 projects.

The Foundation offers two rounds of funding each year for groups across the Central Coast and regional NSW.

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Call goes out for more poppies

NEWS IN BRIEF

Avoca markets As it enters is 14th consecutive year, Avoca Beachside Markets returns this Sunday, January 28, from 9am-2pm at Heazlett Park foreshore at Avoca.

There will be live music from Fairplay Entertainment all day on the Central Coast Music and Arts stage from 9am, plus 100+ local and curated stalls across the entire site.

Copa Celebration The Navy Veterans’ Welfare Association will conduct a flagraising ceremony at Copacabana on Australia Day, January 26.

“There will be a display to remind us how lucky we are as Australians to come together as one to celebrate Australia Day,” spokesperson Roque Hammal said.

“There will be a flag raising ceremony at 10am with small Australian flags, koalas and kangaroos for the kids.

“Please come a Waltzing Matilda with us - we are one, but we are many.”

For more on these stories visit our website.

See front page for QR code and URL.

The poppy nets are displayed every ANZAC Day

ANZAC Day this year will mark the 100th anniversary of the Gosford cenotaph and the call has gone out for more handmade poppies for the nets displayed each year in Memorial Park.

Central Coast Poppy Project creator Merril Jackson is asking crafty residents to get busy with crochet hooks and

knitting needles, with many more poppies needed.

“Remarkable Ettie, a centenarian herself, has been busy making red poppies to mark our significant war memorial’s 100th year,” Jackson said.

“When hearing the call out for red poppies in 2024, Ettie got cracking and her tally so far is a mammoth 125 poppies to

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Centenarian Ettie is already hard at work making more poppies

add to the beautiful poppy nets that are displayed each year.

“Back in 1924 when Gosford cenotaph was erected, a substantial number of soldiers from across the Central Coast had enlisted to serve in WWI, with many of these men making the supreme sacrifice.

“There were several of these soldiers who had previously served in the Boer War, and

some of the returned WWI veterans enlisted to serve once again in WWII. “Gosford cenotaph is a war memorial erected in honour of our local ANZACs, each having left a powerful legacy.

“Their selfless service, courage, and sacrifice continue to be remembered and commemorated.

“Everyone is invited to make poppies.

“It’s easy to participate and poppy baskets for completed poppies are located at every local community Bendigo Bank branches across the Central Coast.”

Further information and updates are posted on the Facebook page Poppy Project: Never Forgetting the Sacrifices.

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PAGE 12

THURSDAY, 25 JANUARY 2024

FORUM & ON THE BEAT

Oil companies ripping us off Member for Robertson Gordon Reid is right to be concerned with petrol pricing (CCN422).

The Labor Government would be well advised to look at this instead of the current supermarket witch-hunt, likely to equate to nothing.

I worked for 20 years for a major oil company and 25 years as an independent/ franchisee service station owner, so have some knowledge and experience.

I’m now a 70-year-old retiree who always shops around for the best petrol price.

I typically buy my fuel at 30-40cents/litre cheaper than the base prices of the major oil companies, sustained by a combination of unaware customers, along with the many corporate/government fuel cards (whose bearers) don’t care as they don’t pay.

My typical fill-up is 50-60litres at 30-40cents

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FORUM below prevailing base prices.

This easily equates to a $10 a week saving, or $500 annually.

The major oil companies are clearly ripping off consumers.

I also totally agree with your editorial in CCN 422 regarding the importance of the Central Coast Council September election.

The need for sober voter focuses on competent/realistic councillors versus theoretical/ woke theorists is essential if we are to sustainably progress our electorate.

Email, Jan 18 Gordon Batt, Kincumber

Thanks to the Grange I would like to give an enormous thank you to the Grange Hotel at Wyoming for their wonderful help and support.

Our group of 30 members, all retired, visited

the Grange for lunch.

Unfortunately one of group had a medical episode.

The response by the staff and an off-duty fireman was amazing.

After paramedics had examined our friend, a Grange staff member drove her home and even packed-up her lunch for later.

From all the members of our Green Point Probus Club, our grateful thanks, and yes we will be back as we do enjoy your meals.

Email, Jan 17 Frances Nuss, President, Green Point Probus

Time to become a republic I write in response to your correspondent (“Government is hurting most vulnerable”, CCN 422).

Why on earth should the Opera House be used to observe the accession of a foreign monarch?

The sooner we cast off our colonial ties and stand up for ourselves by becoming a republic the better.

Email, Jan 22 Dave Horsfall, North Gosford

Councillors fundamental to a brighter future As (recently) revealed, Central Coast Council was the most complained about council in NSW for 2022-2023.

This can be attributed to a range of factors including ongoing uncertainty around the Council’s financial situation, recent rate hikes, the closure of community services and the sale of public land.

This year, ratepayers will head to the polls to reintroduce councillors for the first time

Chanel Adams

Wyong Local Court issued the warrant on Wednesday, January 17, for drug detection and traffic related offences.

Adams is described as being 24 years old, Caucasian in

appearance, 170cm tall, of solid build with fair complexion and brown shoulder-length hair.

She is known to frequent the Long Jetty and Killarney Vale areas.

Anyone with information on Adams’ whereabouts is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or details can be

provided confidentially via the Crime Stoppers reporting at nsw.crimestoppers.com.au If anyone sees Adams, police advise not to approach her but to contact 000.

Callers can remain anonymous and the community is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.

Elderly man injured falling on rocks A man aged in his 80s was taken to hospital after being injured when he fell on rocks at Blue Bay on Thursday, January 18.

Emergency services, including the Westpac Rescue Helicopter, responded to initial reports of a possible drowning incident.

On arrival at about 12.45pm,

NSW Ambulance paramedics found the injured man, who had fallen on the rocks at Blue Bay. He was treated at the scene by paramedics and the helicopter’s critical care medical team before being extricated to a waiting ambulance and transported by road to Gosford Hospital for further treatment.

Email, Jan 7 Jared Wright, Avoca Beach

Boycott won’t mean job losses It is farcical to suggest that there will be job losses as a result of Peter Dutton’s comment to boycott Woolworths.

Overall grocery purchases will not diminish by way of any boycott but will in fact increase with population growth and changing demographics.

Employers and employees will suitably adjust to meet changing demands at Woolworths and other supermarkets.

Email, Jan 20 Bob Husking, Green Point

POLICE BRIEFS Pedestrian death A pedestrian has died following a crash at Wadalba.

At about 8.55pm on Wednesday, January 17, emergency services were called to the Pacific Hwy, Wadalba, following reports a pedestrian had been hit by a vehicle.

The 49-year-old woman was treated at the scene by NSW

A man accidentally shot himself in the knee with a nail gun at Pretty Beach on Wednesday, January 17.

The rescue chopper at Blue Bay

Volunteers from Marine Rescue Lake Macquarie saved three teenage boys after their tinny capsized on Lake Macquarie between Pulbah Island and the Dobell Park boat ramp.

Lake Macquarie 30 to the rescue

people in the water on the southern side of Wangi Wangi,” he said.

“Marine Rescue NSW vessel

initiatives that we need.

Ambulance paramedics before being taken to John Hunter Hospital, where she later died.

The driver of the vehicle, a 38-year-old man, was uninjured.

Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at nsw. crimestoppers.com.au

Nail gun accident

Swift response to save three boys on lake

Marine Rescue NSW Inspector Steve Raymond said the Lake Macquarie unit was tasked to respond after receiving a call from NSW Police Marine Area Command at 10.37am on Monday, January 22.

“We were told that a vessel had overturned with three

since 2020, when the Council was put into administration.

As a community, we need to learn from the mistakes of the past and use it as an opportunity to shape a better future for our region.

Popularly elected representatives are the cornerstone of democracy and their reintroduction should be seen positively as a way of focusing on what matters to us most collectively.

For the majority of residents, this is the prioritisation of core council matters, in what is often labelled as the “3 R’s” – roads, rates and rubbish.

Councillors focused on fiscal and economic management and the social needs of the Central Coast will be fundamental in charting a path back to surplus and reinstating the services and

Read more forum on our website by scanning the QR code or visit coastcommunitynews.com.au/forum

Drug offences spark police search Tuggerah Lakes Detectives are trying to locate Chanel Adams, who is wanted on an arrest warrant.

WWW.COASTCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM.AU

Lake Macquarie 30 was deployed with a volunteer crew on board and within 12 minutes all three teenage

boys had been saved.

The boys, who were wearing lifejackets, had been in the water for about 30 minutes and were holding onto the side of the hull.

They were provided basic first aid and checked for hypothermia but were unhurt.

Marine Rescue asked boaters who have not been in that area of the lake to take care, especially when it is windy, and to log on with Marine Rescue NSW either by the free Marine Rescue app or VHF channel 16.

Firefighters were called in to assist Ambulance crews because of the very difficult access to the property from the road.

The Copacabana Pumper,

Empire Bay Rural Fire Brigade and Gosford heavy rescue responded to the call.

Firefighters and paramedics used a stokes litter to safely transport the patient down very steep stairs and a steep driveway to an awaiting ambulance.

The injured man was then transported to hospital.

Mangrove Mountain crash A truck driver has been charged after a woman died in a two-vehicle crash at Mangrove Mountain on Friday, January 19.

Emergency services were called to Wisemans Ferry Rd at about 3.20pm following reports a truck and car had collided.

A 57-year-old woman driving

a Landcruiser died at the scene.

The driver of a prime mover – a 69-year-old man – was not injured and was taken to hospital for mandatory testing.

The truck driver was charged with various offences and given conditional bail to appear before Gosford Local Court on Wednesday, February 7.

25 JANUARY 2024

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Rufino and the Wreckage set for Gosford Rufino and the Wreckage

It’s time to break out your loud tropical prints and hit the dance floor when Rufino and the Wreckage returns to the Central Coast this weekend.

The full eight-piece band, fronted by crooner and violinist Rufino from acclaimed European Kabaret ensemble Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen, will launch its new single Cat Business at the Fun

Haus Factory in Gosford on January 27.

Described as the world’s foremost proponents of voodoo rocksteady jungle-disco exotica-cabaret, the band recalls Serge Gainsbourg’s tropical recordings, Grace Jones’ theatrical Caribbean groove and the primal stomp of The Birthday Party.

This will be tropical cabaret with heart, soul, humour and

mind-bending artistic vision.

Dress code is loud tropical prints – shake out those Hawaiian shirts and moo moos and get ready to get out, have a dance, smile and get silly.

Rufino and the Wreckage will play the Fun Haus Factory at 7.30pm on Saturday, January 27.

Book your tickets at naughtynoodle.com.au

Wyong discussion group resumes for 2024 The Wyong Tuesday Discussion Group will resume on January 30 for another year of lively, fun conversations and interesting guest speakers.

It is a friendly and diverse group of men and woman who meet on Tuesdays, except in school holidays, from 10am to noon at Woodbury Park Community Centre in Mardi.

Over many years the group has enjoyed a great variety of speakers who have entertained members on all sorts of topics and enhanced their knowledge.

Maybe the best thing about the group is that caring friendships have formed and everyone receives a warm welcome to connect with and meet new people.

N O S ’ T A E WH ... THIS W EK THU

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Morning tea outing for Wyong Tuesday Discussion Group

There is no joining fee and it’s only $5 per person each week to cover the cost of the venue hire and morning tea.

On Tuesday, January 16, the group had a morning tea outing

to The Shed at the Tuggerah Supa Centre.

To learn more and hopefully join the conversation, register with Anne on 4353 5177 or Cathy on 0421 799 239.

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Sink or swim at Link and Pin

Comedian Elliot Stewart

MC Laura Hughes

The Link and Pin at Woy Woy is the place to be on the first Thursday of each month if it’s a good belly laugh you’re after.

The monthly Sink or Swim session presents some of the best comedy talent in Australia.

On Thursday, February 1 at 7.30pm, MC Laura Hughes and comedian Elliot Stewart will knock your socks off.

A Link and Pin spokesperson said they were so excited to bring some of the best comedy talent in Australia to the Coast.

Hughes is comedian and actor who has spent the past

decade honing her craft in LA. You’ve seen her in At Home Alone Together (ABC), Open Slather (Foxtel), Legally Brown (SBS), The Detour (TBS) and on the World Wide Web (online).

Stewart is a stand-up comedian from Newcastle.

A regular at the Comedy Store, he is a national finalist in the RAW comedy competition and owner of the Newcastle Comedy Club.

It will be up to the audience who will sink and who will swim.

Tickets are $10 at the door.

Divine Miss Bette comes to Art House A spectacularly joyous music and comedy event will hit The Art House theatre on Friday, February 2, when the multi-talented Catherine Alcorn channels her most divine self as the legendary Bette Midler in her show The Divine Miss Bette.

Known for her big voice, brassy persona and very funny lines, Alcorn is a multi-awardwinning cabaret artist trained by none other than the man who discovered Midler, Steve Ostrow.

She will be backed by a seven-piece live band and dancers in this dazzling

production which will take audiences on a thrilling roller coaster ride as Alcorn belts out the diva’s classics.

These will include Friends, In the Mood, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, Do You Wanna Dance, The Rose, Wind Beneath My Wings and more.

Winner of the Best Cabaret

Production at the 2018 Broadway World Awards, this show has been hailed by critics as a must see.

The Divine Miss Bette will be presented as part of the Summer@ The Art House program at 8pm on February 2.

Tickets are available on the theatre website

Catherine Alcorn in The Divine Miss Bette

Long Jetty author’s romance with Europe Long Jetty author Avia has released her latest book – an exciting contemporary adventure through Europe.

Long Jetty author Avia; Avia’s latest book

BOOK REVIEW

with Julie Chessman The Bookshop Umina Beach www.thebookshop.info | 9/327 West Street, Umina Beach

Outback

Author: Patricia Wolf

Make a coffee and enjoy a multi-cultural, adventurous journey with Avia through the “old world” as you read My Whirlwind Romance With Europe.

You will meet the author’s estranged family, long-time

pen-pals and vivacious friends as the book takes you to colourful, bustling European cities, as well as beautiful green forests and countryside.

The book highlights the ecofriendly progress of Europe’s environmental efforts.

After studying international economy and marketing at university, Avia then studied writing with a journalist at night school.

Our customers are always looking for good quality reads by Australian authors, the most popular genre being crime.

Chris Hammer, Christian White, Jane Harper, Gary Disher and my own personal favourite, Michael Robotham, all fit nicely into this category and for the most part with these reads you actually experience Australia, the heat, the red dirt and the vastness of our country.

Debut author Patricia Wolf landed on our shelves in August.

The catchphrase that drags you in is: “Two missing backpackers. One vast outback.”

The book opens with a chilling prologue.

DS Lucas Walker is on leave in his hometown, Caloodie, looking after his

dying grandmother.

When two young German backpackers vanish from the area on their way to a ranch, to complete their mandatory farm work to fulfill the terms of their visa, Lucas finds himself unofficially on the case.

But why all the interest from the Federal Police, when they have probably just ditched the heat and dust of the outback for the coast?

Something is not right.

As the number of days the couple is missing climbs, DS Walker is joined by the girl’s sister.

A detective herself from Berlin, she is desperate to find her sister before it’s too late.

Outback is an engrossing suspense-thriller set in far western Queensland with the shimmering heat haze and endless red dirt that marks

Following the success of her collection of short stories, Peas in a Pod, Avia has now taken pen to paper to explore her recent European travels and some of her life experiences.

The novella is rated G and has so far been promoted via X (formerly Twitter) and sold at the local Lions club markets.

“I have also participated in library and cafe talks up the peninsula, from The Entrance

that part of the world as a brutal place to visit.

It explores how the vast, stark and often environmentally inhospitable Australian outback is at once both foreboding and breathtakingly beautiful.

But it’s not only the natural features that make the Outback a dangerous place to live.

to Port Macquarie,” Avia said.

My Whirlwind Romance With Europe and Avia’s other books can be purchased at xlibris, Amazon, Barnes and noble and other online bookshop websites.

It is available in e-book and softcover.

You can follow Avia on X: @ AviaGmail

Its vastness means that going missing means a difficult search will follow.

Author Patricia Wolf has drawn on Australia’s notorious recent history of crimes targeting young international travellers in creating a tense dual-thread narrative with an evocative setting and engaging characters.

My only issue was that there were several times when I thought I’d already read a sentence or a scene, as if in the edit, a paragraph or a thought was supposed to be moved, but instead was accidentally copied and pasted.

I’m a huge fan of Australian noir so I couldn’t resist Outback and was delighted to see her second novel, Paradise, arrive only two months later.

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Gould goes from strength to strength Central Coast local Greg Gould has gone from strength to strength since he was named runner-up on Australia’s Got Talent in 2013.

He has toured the world with some of the biggest names in music and his latest release is a stunning new ballad, Love It All Out, performed with Filipino recording mega star Morissette.

Love It All Out was written by Australian music icon Tania Doko (Bachelor Girl, Sheppard) alongside Swedish songwriter Nick Jarl (Westlife, Loreen, Will Young) with a stunning live strings arrangement from John Foreman.

“Love It All Out is possibly my biggest ballad to date, and I’ve sung a few in my career,” Gould said.

Greg Gould with Filipino recording star Morissette

“When I first heard the stunning track from my dear friend Tania Doko, and then blended with the gorgeous strings by John Foreman, I knew we needed a huge voice to take the song to the next level.

“I am honoured to have the

beautiful Morissette sing with me and I’m so proud of the finished product.

“I hope you love it as much as we do – it carries such an important message.”

The single is the fourth from Gould’s forthcoming album,

Greg Gould has gone from strength to strength

Strings Attached, due mid2024.

It follows the singles Marching On (official anthem of Darwin Pride 2023), Just a Man, and Come Home – all released in 2023.

Since his incredible run to the

final on Australia’s Got Talent, Gould has performed at AAMI Stadium as the first ever headliner of Pride Cup and had acclaimed appearances at ChillOut Festival, Sydney World Pride, Hamburg Pride and Full Moon Fest in New York.

He is a regular feature in the

line-up for Synthony and has performed and recorded with some of the biggest names in Australian and world music including award winner Dave Audé, En Vogue, Natalie Bassingthwaighte, Inaya Day and Zoe Badwi.

Gould is a regular spokesperson on issues such as men’s mental health, HIV/ AIDS awareness and animal cruelty, and is a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Love It All Out can be downloaded via Spotify, Apple Music, ITunes or YouTube.

Meanwhile, Coasties can hear Gould live when he opens for Tania Doko (Bachelor Girl) and Eric Bazilian at Avova Beach Theatre on Sunday, April 7; tickets available at TaniaDoko.com

Dancing fun at Ettalong 50+ Ettalong 50+ is now a notfor-profit association.

Many people on the Peninsula know it as Central Coast Council’s former Senior Citizens Centre but it is now independent and run by volunteers.

As the name suggests, anyone who is aged 50 or older can join and enjoy a range of suitable activities such as dancing – ballroom dancing, line dancing and Coastal Bootscooters.

There are also many other great activities which will be

showcased over 2024.

Ettalong 50+ is on the corner of Broken Bay Rd and Karingi St with Ettalong Public School right behind it.

It is open from 9am-4pm on weekdays.

For details call 4342 0134.

All sorts of dancing is enjoyed at Ettalong 50+

Infinite Care welcomes

Mandeep Singh “Aged care is not a job, it is a way of life,” states Mandeep Singh, Facility Manager at Infinite Care Chamberlain Gardens.

In 2015, when Mandeep took an IT role in an aged care facility he had decided within a week he was destined to stay on a management role because he loved it so much! “Every day there was a smile and a thank you, and that sense of community service and giving to the seniors was tangible. I wanted to be a part of it,” says Singh.

He states he has big plans for the Wyoming home and states, “I plan to take this home back to the glory days where Chamberlain Gardens was a home of choice, and people are happy to leave their loved ones in our care, to be looked after, well fed and well cared for”. The planned café is one example that he knows will bring the community together.

Mandeep says that more staff education is a vital component of driving change and he wants to educate the team to stay compassionate and feel they are around their own ‘loved ones’

Scan to read more

each day at work. “This is the residents’ house, and we need to be courteous. Staying sensitive to that is important because I strongly believe that the food that lands on my table is because of our residents.”

“I value connecting with both staff and residents by being present and approachable,” says Mandeep, having connected with over 100 staff members since joining in December and providing them his personal mobile numbers for easy accessibility. Mandeep strives for an inclusive approach for everyone in the home and we look forward to seeing his influence infiltrate Chamberlain Gardens in all aspects.

“I plan to take this home back to the glory days, where Chamberlain Gardens was a home of choice, and where people are happy to leave their loved ones in our care, to be looked after, well fed and well cared for.”

infin8care.com.au 1800 463 468

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MP MEMBER FOR ROBERTSON

CARING FOR THE COAST

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Contact Dr Gordon Reid: Level 3, 69 Central Coast Highway, West Gosford NSW 2250 on 02 4322 2400 or email Gordon.Reid.MP@aph.gov.au reid4robertson Authorisation by Dr Gordon Reid MP, Australian Labor Party, Level 3, 69 Central Coast Highway, West Gosford NSW 2250

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Gosford glyphs feature in sci-fi novel The Gosford hieroglyphics feature heavily in a fantasy science fiction book by Newcastle author Nathan Bell.

Bell, who has schizophrenia, wrote Kings of the New Age: The Quest of the Balancing Stones with support from two creative writing mentors provided by the NDIS creative arts service Rely-Ability, finally realising a dream he had had for many years.

“I am 37 now and tried to write books throughout my twenties but didn’t really know how to go about it,” he said.

“In my early thirties I was working on some other art projects when I made the decision to focus once again on writing.

“I was writing a blog at the time and I just sat down and started writing the novel.”

“I first became involved with mentor Robert Burley and we worked through the book

for around two years.

“The I worked with a second mentor – Brooke Forbes.

“All in all it took almost three years to write the book but I was determined to finish it.

“It is the story I always wanted to tell – a post-nuclear apocalyptic tale.”

Bell first became interested in the Gosford hieroglyphics around five years ago.

“I found the glyphs and the various explanations surrounding them very interesting,” he said.

“I thought ‘wouldn’t it be interesting if the Egyptians had come to Australia’ and used that one theory as my premise.”

In Bell’s story Egyptians and Tibetan monks have created a special cure for post nuclear war radiation poisoning which needs to be thrown down a specific hole to the centre of the earth.

The book cover

Nathan Bell sells the book at his roadside stall

The monks have a key to decode the hieroglyphics, which will reveal the location of the cave where the cure needs to be dispensed.

Finished two years ago, Kings of the New Age: The Quest of the Balancing Stones has sold 520 copies, many of which have been sold by Bell himself

at his roadside stall in Newcastle and now he wants to spread word of the novel further afield.

He said the mentorship

provided through Rely-Ability was vital.

“Writing this book had been my goal for almost 10 years and I finally got to do it,” he said.

With a love of fantasy novels such as the Lord of the Rings and Dragon Quest series, Bell said these days his reading involved more study on science, politics and world affairs.

“I have a full schedule of activities with Rely-Ability and have abandone rading fiction for now,” he said.

“I get up very early and like to do a bit of writing at about 5am, but my writing these days is done in seven hours of mentored sessions over two blocks each week.”

Following two timelines, one depicting the affairs of a city in chaos and the other a mission to save the Earth, Bell’s book is available through Amazon.

Learn something and make new friends at U3A Tuggerah Lakes U3A is powering ahead into the New Year and needs more members to join up and learn more about a favourite craft, become aware of the value of mind games to keep their brain cells active and make wonderful friendships, filling their lives with fun and laughter.

U3A (University of the Third Age) began in France in 1973 and was followed by a UK version in the 1980s.

Over the decades it spread through Europe and beyond to Australia, Canada and the US. The Third Age is that time beyond childhood and working life and refers to a healthy retirement.

The term ‘university’ is used loosely to mean a place of learning.

“There is a flowing action between learners and leaders; the distinction between them being unimportant – we are all both,” a spokesperson said.

Members of the play reading class at Tuggerah Lakes U3A

“Tuggerah Lakes U3A was formed in 1998 and has always been a smaller entity than many other groups, largely because the name Central Coast belongs to the first group to form in this region, and many people are unaware that we exist.

“Now we need an injection of new members and new ideas.”

Steve Latham came to Australia in February 2020 for a two-month stay with his daughter and her family.

“COVID meant my travel plans were radically

revised,” he said.

“Being a member of U3A in England, I was delighted to find a vibrant gathering of ‘youngat-heart’ retirees at Tuggerah Lakes.

“With them, I walk local nature trails, enrich my cerebral

skills at brain teasers, learn about Australian life in the discussion group, and listen to stimulating speakers.”

Over the past 25 years, Pam McGlinn has been a leader, a speaker and a committee member for Tuggerah Lakes U3A and has attended many classes from book club and creative writing to walking and brainteasers.

“All this has enriched my life and provided me with hours of entertainment and true friendships,” she said.

Seven years ago, Fay Wynd’s husband died after a short illness.

“I was looking for something to do, to keep the everpervasive grief at bay,” she said.

“I went one day to a Friday morning talk, where someone suggested I join a class called Keep the Marbles Rolling, something to sharpen the brain and make me laugh.

“I also joined a class of memoir writing which has forged friendships in our closeknit group.

“These activities have helped immensely in my recovery after my husband’s death.”

For Jacqui Beirne, learning to write creatively has broadened her imagination. “(It) has shown me the value of participating in the experience, under the gentle, supportive acceptance of its members,” she said.

Tom Marish said U3A was a “fun experience”.

“It keeps us retired folk off the street,” he said.

“You have freedom to participate in what you choose – everything is voluntary.”

The university needs new members to join up and make it stronger.

More information is available at https://tugglakesu3a.info or by calling Pam on 43902451 or Christine on 0426 278 902.

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Welcome Choir makes its return Thursday, January 25, sees the return of the Central Coast’s own monthly public singalong – The Welcome Choir at the Fun Haus Factory in Gosford.

The Welcome Choir is a “drop in choir” with no auditions and no need to know how to sing – just a love for listening and singing along to songs.

An open, safe, friendly group of strangers and friends of all singing abilities sings a different song each month.

This Thursday the song on the agenda is Simply the Best by Tina Turner.

The choir has been described as karaoke on steroids.

“Singing is good for you; it connects community to themselves and each other,” a Fun Haus spokesperson said.

“It’s easy and the Welcome Choir is here to show you how in a joyous celebration of the

simple power of communal song.

“Historically, Welcome Choir began in 2016 as a not-forprofit organisation in the heart of Newtown, Sydney, starting with 20 participants who met once a week.

“This number grew quickly and eventually they had to book out the Marrickville Town Hall due to its popularity.

“COVID hit and director/choir master Bek Jenson relocated to the Central Coast where she is now in partnership with the Naughty Noodle Fun Haus growing a community of singers on the last Thursday of each month.

“Coming to The Welcome Choir is a great way to express yourself authentically, step out of your comfort zone, catch up with mates and meet new ones.”

Tickets are available at naughtynoodle.com.au

The choir helps create a sense of community

Sydney Hotshots headed for Woy Woy

The Sydney Hotshots will perform at Woy Woy Hotel

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costumes, acrobatics and athletic male physiques.

Hotshots are selected from hundreds of men nationwide and put through an intensive bootcamp.

They come from various backgrounds and include tradies, policemen, farmers and firemen.

The show is hosted by

seasoned professional Paul Reynolds, who is an original cast member of Manpower Australia and a Las Vegas headliner.

The Sydney Hotshots will perform at Woy Woy Hotel at 7.30pm on Saturday, February 3.

Tickets are available at www. eventbrite.com.au.

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Business & Property

Toukley loses ice creamery to Newcastle Olivia Duff has moved her small business out of town after being thwarted by Council red tape

Toukley has lost a thriving small business to Newcastle following a tangle of bureaucratic red tape arising from just one complaint about a popular ice creamery.

Coast Community News reported in December that just before Christmas, Olivia Duff was ordered by Central Coast Council to shut down Duff’s Ice Cream and remove the mobile kiosk from private property at Noraville.

Duff had been making and selling ice cream from a shipping container decked out as a mobile commercial food

kiosk and operating legally with appropriate licences required by federal and state laws, as well as being audited by the NSW Food Authority.

Duff said she had contacted Council and was told if she adhered to the state and federal legislation she was “good to go”.

“But through one complaint, presumably because we were too busy, we were closed down, and … Council then decided that they actually make the rules, that they are different to the legislation and they are above that,” Duff said.

Council said Duff’s Ice Cream

was “unlawful” because it did not consider a shipping container to be a mobile food outlet and the business wasn’t operating within the relevant planning controls.

Duff said Council’s attitude was in direct contrast to its own advertising, hiring and utilisation of a 20ft shipping container for food and beverage catering which is moved from location to location.

“And ironically, Council has also used our services in the past for catering at movie nights,” she said.

“The only meeting we had with Council to resolve the

situation was at our request, even though they repeatedly told everyone they were ‘working with us’.

“They provided zero help – but they did say I could sue them – a very costly and timeconsuming exercise.

“Our five young staff were put out of work and Toukley lost its only dedicated ice creamery in one fell swoop.

“Council also told us that we cannot use our ice cream truck because the licence they gave us is incorrect although it’s the same as all ice cream and food vendors on the Coast, many (of whom) trade on the street.

“They claim that it only allows us to be at Council events.

“I have a lot of friends in the food vending community and quite a few of them are getting pestered about where they can operate.

“It’s very confusing; some people are told they can park on private property, some are told they can’t; some on roads and some not on roads.

“There’s a very big disconnect about what everyone is being told from the Council, depending really on who you are it seems.

“I’m a food scientist and I

studied at the University of Newcastle; went to primary school and high school here, so very much a local girl.

“I wanted to bring my ice cream to my childhood neighbourhood but now that’s over.

“I’m going to continue looking for stores in Toukley while I go to Newcastle but I do need to make a living, get my ic ecream back out there and be able to continue with the brand – but I am hoping to come back soon.”

Sue Murray

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Plans for Optus phone tower at Tacoma Plans are underway to install a mobile phone tower at Tacoma to improve the quality of telecommunications in the area.

Don Small Oval in Woseley Ave is the preferred location for the facility which will include a 30m monopole – painted a eucalyptus green – with equipment cabinets at the base.

The overall height will be 34.6m with antennas and other telecommunications equipment turret-mounted to the monopole.

Indara and Optus have undertaken an analysis of their mobile network within Tacoma, Rocky Point and surrounding suburbs, identifying areas where coverage and network quality needs to be improved.

Proposed mobile phone telecommunications facility location

Proposed location of the Tacoma phone tower

of existing Optus facilities throughout the region was improved network undertaken Figure 2 – Subject site and surroundsexplored (SixMaps) and performance, the optimisation where possible.

Having identified the need for

In some instances network deficiencies were resolved, but the optimisation of surrounding facilities has not been able to

deliver a satisfactory outcome for the network in Tacoma and surrounding areas.

The development application says that Indara and Optus investigated co-locating with other existing broadcast facilities in the area but did not identify any that met the required coverage objectives or located within the coverage area.

Other locations for the phone tower were considered: Kingsland Cl at Tacoma South and two locations at Kooindah Waters Golf Club, either rooftop or greenfield.

Don Small Oval became the preferred option as there is suitable unobstructed vacant space to provide coverage and capacity to the wider surrounding area, and according to the DA, no significant impact is expected

to the current or future use of the recreational area.

Also, the proposed location in the south-west section of the land is close to an existing electrical supply as well as a telecommunications optical fibre network access point.

The site is relatively flat, has good vehicle access, and separated from any surrounding residential development or any areas of biodiversity significance.

Dense vegetation to the north and north-west is expected to provide partial screening of the telecommunications installation.

More detail can be found in the development application (DA/2020/2023) on Central Coast Council’s website and public feedback is open until Tuesday, January 30.

More changes to The Entrance high-rise flats For the fourth time since a added; then in 2018 the seven-storey residential number of units was reduced to flat building at – The Optus Mobiles S4147 Tuggerah 55, there were changes to Don Small Oval, Tacoma NSW 2259 Entrance was approved in basement parking, the building 2003, the developer is entry and façade design; again seeking approval for followed in 2020 by more modifications to the 55- changes to basement parking, unit complex. the driveway entry and updated The former Wyong Council designs.

A Statement of Environmental gave development consent for the development at 43-49 Effects (SEE) says these latest Ocean Pde and 1 Fairport Ave amendments to the approved in August 2003 and three plans are mostly internal minor modified plans have been changes arising from structural advice, and other minor approved since.

In 2013 the swimming pool changes required for the was deleted, the size of the Construction Certificate plans.

The SEE says that the 15 gymnasium was increased and more residential storage areas changes proposed are “unlikely

Page 14 of 52

Seven-storey flats at The Entrance

to result in additional impacts on surrounding properties” and it remains substantially the same development as approved.

According to the SEE “the modified proposal does not change the approved building height or floor space ratio of the development and will not change the number of units compared to the current (2020) approval”.

Read about the latest modifications (DA/95/2003/D) on Central Coast Council’s website.

Submissions close on Tuesday, January 30.

Work to secure fair share of $10B in housing funds Local community housing provider Home in Place is working to ensure the Central Coast gets a fair share of the $10B Housing Australia Future Fund and the National Housing Accord, with applications for funding opening this week.

Home in Place CEO Australia Lyndall Robertshaw said government funding for social and affordable housing was a smart investment in vital infrastructure.

“A safe and secure roof over your head is a fundamental human right,” she said.

“Without it you can’t be productive, properly care for kids and others, or contribute to your community.

“The anxiety and stress

An affordable social housing complex in Toukley built by Home In Place

caused by a lack of housing security has devastating consequences on almost every indicator of human wellbeing.”

Robertshaw said rents and house prices continued to rise on the Central Coast with

asking rents increasing by another 5.9 per cent over the past 12 months and the median rent reaching $613 a week.

“Other rising cost of living pressures are making the crisis worse, especially for low paid

workers and those on benefits,” she said.

“With Central Coast rental vacancy rates of just 1.1 per cent, renters are being forced to look to a social and affordable housing system which is

already bursting at the seams.

“There are already 56,000 households on the NSW social housing waiting list, including 3,137 on the Central Coast, highlighting the critical lack of supply.”

Robertshaw said Home in Place was eager to work with local developers who had shovel ready projects.

“We would love to hear from anyone interested in being part of the solution to the housing crisis,” she said.

“When government funding, private developers, and notfor-profit housing providers come together, great things can happen.”

The Housing Australia Future Fund was established in November last year and the Federal Government says it will

help deliver 30,000 new social and affordable rental homes in the fund’s first five years.

Under the National Housing Accord,the Federal Government has committed to delivering an additional 10,000 new affordable homes over five years from 2024.

Round one applications for both programs close on March 22.

Home in Place is a not-forprofit community housing provider which manages more than 8,000 social and affordable housing properties in NSW, Queensland, Victoria, and New Zealand, including 862 on the Central Coast.

People can get in touch via homeinplace.org/partnerships

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MONEY TALK Navigating NSW Land Tax

Author: Juston Jirwander, Company Director

Land tax is the forgotten cousin of taxes, most people don’t think about it until it’s brought to their attention. However, you will neglect this forgotten cousin at your peril. The NSW tax system relies upon voluntary registration and selfassessment to pay the correct amount of land tax and in a recent compliance program, the NSW Government identified significant unpaid land tax and parking space levies, underscoring the importance of compliance.

What is Land Tax? Land tax is levied annually based on the value of owned land as of 31 December each year. It applies to various property types, including vacant land, residential properties, holiday homes, investment properties, company title units, and commercial properties.

Brought to you by bishopcollins.com.au

Exemptions from Land Tax

threshold, currently set at $1,075,000 as of 31 December 2024.

Certain properties are exempt from land tax, such as your primary residence, boarding houses, primary production land, low-cost accommodation, retirement villages, residential caravan parks, and childcare centres.

The most common exemption is for your principal place of residence, subject to specific conditions.

Land Tax Rates in NSW As at 31 Dec 2024, the land tax rate is $100 plus 1.6% of the land value above the threshold, up to the premium rate threshold of $6,571,000.

The premium rate is 2% of the land value above the premium threshold.

Registering for Land Tax

How is land valued for land tax?

You must register for land tax if your land’s total taxable value exceeds the threshold.

Registration can be completed online via the NSW government website.

Joint Ownership Joint owners are assessed as if they are a single owner, called the ‘primary taxpayer’, while each joint owner, or ‘secondary taxpayer’, is assessed separately on all land interests. Secondary deductions are available to avoid double taxation.

Deductibility of Land Tax Land tax deductibility depends on personal circumstances. For investors, land tax is deductible, but for owner-occupiers, it is not.

Stamp duty, payable on property purchases, is non-

deductible and added to the property’s capital gains tax cost base.

Land Tax Liability in NSW Landowners in NSW are liable for land tax if their property, whether on vacant or rural land, exceeds the

Every year, the Valuer General determines the value of all land in NSW at 1 July each year.

Land value is the unimproved value of your land.

The taxable value of each parcel of land is determined on the average value from the current year and the two past years, where applicable.

Calculating Land Tax Land tax is calculated on the

total taxable value of your land above the threshold, held on 31 December of each year.

The 2024 threshold for NSW is $1,075,000 for the general threshold and $6,571,000 for the premium threshold.

Future of Land Tax in NSW Navigating land tax requires understanding its applicability, exemptions, and compliance requirements. It’s an essential tax consideration for property owners in NSW, and staying informed is key to effective property management.

If you are unsure about how to navigate NSW land tax, get in touch with the team at Bishop Collins.

Disclaimer: This article provides general advice and should not replace professional, tailored tax planning advice. Consult with professional advisors like Bishop Collins for specific guidance.

Scan the QR code above for more detail on this article.

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Reclassified as community land Central Coast Council will reclassify 79 blocks of operational land in 12 suburbs as community land.

This reclassification gives the land a layer of protection as Council cannot sell community land as easily as it can sell operational land.

The land to be reclassified includes four lots of developed land at three sites: part of Berkeley Sports Complex at Glenning Valley; Lakelands Community Centre at Kanwal; and Wamberal’s Memorial Hall.

It also includes nine park and natural area sites totalling 75 lots in all at Buff Point, Davistown, Hamlyn Terrace, Jilliby, Lisarow, Noraville, Springfield and Watanobbi.

St Barnabas church has missed out for the time being

St Barnabas at Yarramalong misses out – for the time being.

“The only practical access to Yarramalong cemetery is via St Barnabas; however, this is not

legally secure,” Council said.

“Accordingly, it is proposed to create an easement for access over part of the St Barnabas site in favour of the adjoining

cemetery to remedy this.

“Investigations to prepare a suitable

easement

have

revealed that some of the St

Barnabas site actually lies outside the boundaries of the nominated lot.

“Again, to rectify this, the site must be operational for the time being.”

The proposal to reclassify a large number of lots from operational to community has proved to be “largely uncontentious” Council said, but a report to the Council meeting of January 23 said the community has a list of more land it believes should also become community land.

Community Environment Network (CEN) had submitted a list of more land at Davistown wetlands, Hamlyn Terrace, Jilliby, Lisarow, Watanobbi and Springfield that it believed should be added.

CEN said they were all environmental lands it believed Council had an obligation to protect.

A resident spoke at the public forum before the meeting asking that a reserve at 21-23 Memorial Ave, Blackwall, be added to the list.

“In relation to adding additional lots, that would mean subjecting each extra lot to a detailed investigation to establish whether there is preliminary merit,” Council said.

“The consequence would be a delay in the reclassification process.”

The reclassification takes effect on February 1.

Merilyn Vale

Protection for two threatened species All developers will now have to follow a new plan of management to protect threatened species that live and grow across the region.

At the Central Coast Council meeting on January 23, Administrator Rik Hart endorsed two plans to protect two species.

One is a bush called the Scrub Turpentine and the second is a tiny micro-bat called the Broad-footed Myotis.

The Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) was consulted in September 2023

The foliage of Scrub Turpentine

about the plans and Council said the representative was supportive of the approach.

The two Species Management Plans are the first SMPs for the Coast with more to come.

The Administrator’s endorsement means that all development, including Council’s own land management activities, will be assessed and undertaken in accordance with the SMPs. It also means Council will now prepare a biodiversity chapter for inclusion in Council’s Development Control Plan.

Maps of SMP areas will be

publicly accessible.

Scrub Turpentine was found during one recent Council project – the realignment of Old Maitland Rd, Mardi.

The Broad-footed Myotis habitat is largely permanent streams and water bodies, including the foreshores of Brisbane Water and Tuggerah Lakes, along with artificial constructed wetlands.

Up to now, when either the Scrub Turpentine or Broadfooted Myotis is going to be impacted by a development, an assessment is made on a caseby-case basis as to the type of

mitigation measures required and if the development presents an acceptable impact or not.

“When these species occur on land that is proposed for rezoning, the most suitable zoning to protect the habitat and/or individuals occurs, also on a case-by-case basis,” Council said.

The Central Coast Local Government Area contains records for more than 200 threatened fauna species, Council states on its website.

Merilyn Vale

First home buyers flocking to Central Coast The 2250 postcode has made it back onto a list of the top 10 selling locations for first home buyers in NSW. New data from InfoTrack’s latest Property Market Update sees 2250 named as fifth in the list of 10 postcodes with the highest number of sales for first home buyers between October 1 and December 31, 2023.

InfoTrack’s Head of Property Australia Lee Bailie said it marked a return to the list for postcode 2250, which was the only location outside of Greater Western Sydney to make the top 10.

“There are 24 suburbs which made up the postcode 2250, which was also named at number five in Q1 of 2023 but fell from the list in Quarters 2 and 3,” he said.

138 Robina Town Centre Drive Robina Qld 4226

“The beachPO lifestyle, Box greater 3275 Robina Town Centre Qld 4230 property affordability Tel: 1300and36 0867 Fax: 1300 81 8962 commutable distance to the email: artwork@localdirectories.com.au Sydney CBD account for this www.localdirectories.com.au surge in popularity for the postcode.”

The Property Market Update Q4 2024 report found a near even split between apartments and houses for first home buyers.

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Two centralised bin storage areas will be provided adjacent to the car park areas. Bin collection will be provided within the development by waste contractor.

§

Provision of areas of both private open space and common open space within the

§

THURSDAY, 25 JANUARY development.

2024 §

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Typical floor plans include kitchen & living rooms at the ground floor with a mix of two (2) WWW.COASTCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM.AU and three (3) bedroom floor plans for the first storey. All dwellings have separate entry

BUSINESS & PROPERTY

doorways and access to an area of private open space (courtyard).

Internal pathways will be provided within the common to enable pedestrian circulation

Hume gets grant for public housing in Wyong §

within the development.

Hume Community Housing Association has lodged a development application with Central Coast Council for 20 units in Wyong following a successful government grant to build affordable public housing.

According to data released by the Department of Communities and Justice, the number of residents seeking public housing in the Wyong area has increased by 15 per cent.

Over the past year Wyong has experienced a 39.3 per cent increase in house prices, as well as an 8.9 per cent increase in rents.

An artist’s impression of how the development will look; The location of the proposed 20-unit development Hume Community Housing § Dwellings will be primarily brick veneer construction with some external walls clad in Association is proposing to (CHP) responsible for managing Department of Communities reforms to social housing in Hume was successful in corrugated sheeting willand be corrugated metal. CHPs to build 20 units on the 3,160sqm more Justice invited NSW comprising a group of being awarded funding for 12than metal.

4,500Roof properties A detailed landscape scheme is provided of the development block at 12-14 Jennings Rd, § across submitas part tenders for grant proposal.

NSW and providing programs with $225M of 14 Jennings Rd, Wyong, to Wyong, which is zoned for housing and associated funding via Round 2 of the funding to boost the supply of redevelop the site and provide 9 services than NSW 9,000 new affordable and social medium density KEY residential.

URBAN PLANNING 10/151-153 Peats for Ferrymore Road, Hornsby 2077 | TCommunity 02 9987 4041 |Housing M 0432 678Innovation 268 | E keyurbanplan@optusnet.com.au social and affordable housing Fund. in collaboration with CHPs housing.

The company is a Tier 1 customers.

In February 2023, the The funding is based upon the The fund is a part of significant across NSW. community housing provider Aerial View SE

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proviso that Hume operates a minimum of seven units within the development as social housing in alignment with the grant funding agreement between Hume and the DCJ. The development application says that all the two-storey units in the complex – four three-bedroom and 16 twobedroom – will be for the purpose of affordable housing.

According to the DA, the Jennings Rd site is in an accessible area suitable for infill affordable housing as it is within walking distance of the train station, shopping and medical services in Wyong CBD. More detail about the development (DA/2371/2023) is available on Central Coast Council’s website.

Sue Murray

Coast businesses shine at wedding awards Five Central Coast businesses have been honoured in this season’s national wedding awards held on the Gold Coast recently.

Locally based businesses Hooked on Flowers, Fork ‘n’ Knife catering, Antonia Events, Jacob Hughes Creative and Fotisto Photography all won a swag of awards.

Chef Daniel from Gosfordbased business Fork ‘n’ Knife

was among the Coast-based winners.

“We managed a top 10 national award for wedding catering, which is really something special for me and my team,” he said.

“These national awards are highly competitive and require a great deal of attention to detail to be accepted in, let alone bring home a commendation.

“The fact that the Central

Convenience & Coastal Allure Discover the coastal charm at its finest within this 2-bedroom, 1-bathroom strata unit nestled in the outskirts of Terrigal.

Effortlessly host guests in the spacious lounge area, seamlessly extending to a rear courtyard that enhances the inviting ambiance. Embrace the outdoors with a front courtyard amplifying the allure of this space.

• Two-bedroom Strata unit • Front & rear courtyards • Secure parking • Easy access to Terrigal Beach

AUCTION – 10th February 3.30pm Onsite Andre Kubecka – 0414 807 876 301 Main Road, Toukley 02 4396 1000

Coast was so well represented is frankly stunning and speaks volumes for the region’s diverse business culture.”

Chef Daniel, who also owns Baker Street Restaurant in Gosford, said the Central Coast is a rising star in the food and events space nationally.

The message is clear to prospective brides and grooms; having your wedding o the Central Coast is a winning formula.

Central Coast wedding supplier companies with their awards

PROPOSAL TO UPGRADE TELSTRA MOBILE PHONE BASE STATION AT WYONG Telstra plans to upgrade an existing telecommunications facility located at 8 Alison Road, Wyong NSW 2259 www.rfnsa.com.au/2259012 1. Telstra are currently upgrading existing mobile network facilities to introduce 5G to its network. As part of this network upgrade, Telstra proposes the installation of LTE700, LTE1800, LTE2100, NR/LTE2600, NR3500 and NR/ WCDMA850 at WYONG. Proposed works at the above site will involve the Installation of three (3) new panel antennas (each no longer than 2.8m) Installation of three (3) new Telstra RRUs, installation of new RF ancillaries for Telstra on the existing tower, and the Installation of associated ancillary equipment at the existing equipment shelter.

2. To improve Telstra’s mobile phone network.

3. Telstra regards the proposed installation as a “Exempt Development” in relation to telecommunication facility in accordance with the State Environmental Planning Policy (Transport and Infrastructure) 2021 based on the description above.

4. In accordance with Section 7 of C564:2020 Mobile Phone Base Station Deployment Code, we invite you to provide feedback about the proposal. Further information or written submissions should be directed to Ryan Wong, BMM Group via email to: submissions@bmmgroup.com.au or 1300 260 834 by 9th February, 2024.

Awaits Your Creative Touch Positioned on the high side of the street, the brick-built home exudes a certain vintage charm, offering a solid foundation for those with a vision. The residence boasts valuable features such as front and back undercover areas for versatile outdoor use and convenient side access-an ideal space for caravans, cars, and trailers.

Embrace the tranquillity of Gwandalan, just a leisurely stroll away from the picturesque Lake Macquarie. This property is a unique canvas, waiting for its next chapter to be written. Don’t miss the opportunity to breathe new life into the home.

• • • • •

Three bedroom, one bathroom, brick construction Built in wardrobes External single lock up garage Approximately 350m to well-appointed boat ramp Close proximity to public transport, Gwandalan Bowling Club and local shops.

AUCTION Sat 17th Feb onsite at 3:30pm Andre Kubecka – 0414 807 876 301 Main Road, Toukley 02 4396 1000

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How can I help you?

As the State Member for Terrigal, I'm here to serve and assist you with any state related issues you may have, such as:

Health and Hospitals

State Roads and Transport

Education and Schools

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000

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Social Housing

My office can also assist with making representations on your behalf to the NSW Government and Central Coast Council.

Need to contact me?

02 4365 1906 terrigal@parliament.nsw.gov.au www.adamcrouchmp.com.au 148-158 The Entrance Road Erina NSW 2250

Authorised by Adam Crouch MP, Shop 3 Fountain Plaza, 148-158 The Entrance Road, Erina NSW 2250, funded using parliamentary entitlements

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Confusion over animal care facility submissions Animal Liberation has raised concerns over confusing messaging from Central Coast Council and late notice to interested parties in relation to a new animal care facility to be built at Mardi.

The new facility will replace outdated facilities at Erina and Charmhaven.

Animal Liberation Regional Campaigns Manager Lisa Ryan said the organisation was delighted that Council had recognised the need to develop a modern, compliant and functional impounding facility to better meet the needs of vulnerable animals, and the local community.

“We support Council in this regard and some time back provided comment in response to the design concepts and indicated then we would compile and submit a formal submission when the Development Application (DA) was published,” she said.

“We are however alarmed that Council’s communications to interested parties, including

An artist’s impression of the proposed facility

Animal Liberation, is confusing, does not provide a link to the DA documents and is extremely restrictive in terms of the period of public exhibition.”

Ryan said although the DA was on exhibition from December 1-January 23, interested parties were advised by email that it was open for submissions only on January 16.

Public exhibition over the Christmas/New Year holiday period was never good practice, with many residents on holiday, she said.

“How we regard and treat animals holds significant

importance for the NSW public and the local Central Coast community – we’ve seen that with the overwhelming response to an intensive dog breeding facility and a proposed cattle feedlot, both of which we strongly opposed,” she said.

“Our work on NSW pound and shelter reform and our exposure of dogs and puppies being shot and many non-compliant pounds is what led to the current NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into council pounds, and so we are heavily invested in this arena and want to see a positive outcome for the Central Coast.

“For that to happen people need ample time to compile and submit their feedback.”

A spokesperson said Council conducted comprehensive community engagement activities for the proposed facility between February 1 and March 1 last year, before extending the closing date to March 13 to incorporate two in-person drop-in sessions at Tuggerah Library.

“The team also set up a stall and spoke to over 40 people at a Pet’s Day Out Event as well as hosted a school workshop with kids from local high schools,” the spokesperson said.

“The consultation was widely responded to, including from the Animal Liberation group, with community feedback including 133 feedback forms completed and 98 comments and 353 reactions with 94 per cent support for the proposed key features on the interactive plans.

“This detailed date and all community feedback was used to guide the final designs.

“These along with the engagement summary and indepth consultation report can be found at https://www. yourvoiceourcoast.com/ccracf “In relation to a Development

Application (DA) for this project, the notice period and requirements for DAs are set out within the Environmental Planning & Assessment Act 1979 (and associated Regulations) as well as the Central Coast Development Control Plan 2022.

“The development application for the proposed Animal Care Facility at 253 Old Maitland Rd, Mardi (Development Application Ref.DA/2009/2023) has a formal notification period which commenced on December 1, 2023, and concluded on January 23, 2024.

“Letters to adjoining land owners/neighbours were sent in advance of the notification period commencing.

“Animal Liberation, as with any other interested party, has been able to make comment/ lodge a submission since the DA went on public notification on Council’s DA Tracker.”

The spokesperson said all relevant documentation had been available for viewing via the DA tracker.

Have your say on management of our beaches Central Coast Council is looking for community input on practical management for Central Coast beaches as it develops its new Coastal Management Program.

The Open Coast Coastal Management Program is one of five new Coastal Management Programs (CMP) which will be certified by the NSW Government and used to guide coastal management decisions and funding priorities for the next 10 years.

Council’s Unit Manager of Environmental Management Luke Sulkowski said the objective of the Open Coast CMP was to manage the coastal environment consistent with

the principles of ecologically sustainable development for the social, cultural and economic wellbeing of the people of the Central Coast.

“We’re at stage three of this five-stage process in completing the document and would love as much input from the community as possible,” he said.

“Once we have collated everything, we will develop an options assessment and come back to the community with a final draft before sending the final document to the State Government for certification.

“Input from our local residents will help optimise coastal management for the wellbeing of both our community and the

The rock pool at Macmasters Beach

environment – so tell us your concerns, ideas, wants and needs related to our beautiful beaches.

“We would like to thank those who came along to our earlier

pop-up sessions at Terrigal, Avoca and Toowoon Bay and encourage more suggestions throughout the consultation period whether it’s online or in person.”

Council offers multiple ways the community can have an input into the future management of the Open Coast CMP. An interactive map is online for the community to pinpoint practical management suggestions or residents can give their feedback in person at one of the remaining pop-up sessions being held at: Memorial Park, The Entrance, 3-6pm on Saturday, January 27; Soldiers Beach Surf Life Saving Club, 9am-noon on Saturday, February 3; and Killcare Surf Life Saving Club from 9am-noon on Saturday, February 10.

Administrator Rik Hart said Council was keen to see what

the community had to say.

“We received your input earlier on how you like to use our waterways, but now we want to hear your ideas on how we can best manage the future of our beaches,” he said.

“This round of information gathering will be used to ensure our draft management options are guided by scientific evidence and what our community values.”

Community consultation closes on Thursday, February 25.

To find out more on the Open Coast CMP visit yourvoiceourcoast.com.au/ waterways and click the Open Coast tab.

New family room at Woodport aged care Woodport Aged Care Centre at Erina has introduced a family room to allow residents more space for family gatherings.

The Salvation Army Aged Care facility comprises a residential aged care centre and a retirement village.

The centre has 139 rooms, a spacious village green and lush, tropical gardens that include fishponds and an atrium.

“When an opportunity became available at Woodport to convert a vacant twin-share room into a family room, the team was keen to see if we

could bring our design ideas to fruition,” Salvation Army Aged Care Client Relations Manager Jennifer Prested said.

“What we had envisaged was a space that allowed for private dining, small family gatherings or perhaps simply a space that gave a resident more room to indulge in a favourite hobby.”

Prested worked closely with the wider Salvation Army Aged Care team to re-imagine the space.

“We went with curtains, because it is more residential and creates greater privacy,” she said.

Focusing on creating

a homely, welcoming environment, panelling was also important.

“Panelling is very popular at the moment; for a large space, it creates more of a sense of home,” Prested said.

National Facilities Manager Peter Cetrangolo was responsible for ensuring the built form was executed from start to finish.

“We collaboratively developed a concept plan with concept drawings that detailed all of the finishes and fixtures and some of the furnishings that produced the final product look,” he said.

He said the space was not just functional, but equally homely.

“That was one of the biggest things that drove the design and the finishing touches like the timber panelling on the wall, the soft curtains, a much more balanced colour of paint and the timber,” he said.

Centre Manager Lanie Sagun said the introduction of the family room met the needs of residents.

“With the changes that we’ve made to the room, it gives that privacy, for example, of their own personal space,” she said.

“And it will just allow them more family time.”

The new family room has a homey feel

PAGE 28

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Groundbreaking melanoma research saved Adam’s life Adam Brown was just 33 years old when he was first diagnosed with stage four melanoma after his wife Kristy noticed a suspicious looking mole on his back.

A skin check followed by a biopsy resulted in a positive melanoma diagnosis, something that came as a bit of a shock for Brown who had undergone a skin check not long before.

“I had just had a skin check, so I wasn’t too worried, but after the diagnosis, things happened very quickly,” he said.

Having grown up around Shelly Beach and Bateau Bay, the beach was a huge part of his life.

“I was always at the beach,

Adam and Kristy Brown with their two children Harry and Grace

In 2013, the removal of lymph nodes showed the melanoma had spread. His condition remained stable but in

and I did apply sunscreen, but only once in the morning, which probably wasn’t enough for my lifestyle,” he said.

November 2014 his wife noticed a small lump near scar tissue.

He went back to the Melanoma Institute Australia where it was confirmed the melanoma had returned and there was evidence tumours were growing on his lungs.

“Kristy was pregnant with our first baby, it was quite a stressful time,” Brown said.

“An immunotherapy trial would have been the best treatment for me but at that time it had not been approved in Australia.”

Just before he was about to undergo traditional treatment, his medical team got word the trial had been approved and Brown would be the first patient in Australia to undergo the therapy.

He started treatment which involved combining two different therapy drugs together.

He underwent the treatment every three weeks for two years.

“By the end of 2017 there was no evidence of any cancer, it was a miracle,” he said.

Unfortunately, in 2019 evidence of melanoma tumours were found on his brain.

“It was scary times,” he said.

Surgery was successful and he soon resumed drug treatment and there has been no diagnosis of the cancer since 2020.

“It’s been quite a journey with some scary and low points, but also lots of happy ones.

“It was a miracle treatment.”

He and wife Kristy say that thanks to the work of the Melanoma Institute Australia and their groundbreaking research, Brown is alive and thriving today.

The family, including Harry, 9, and Grace, 6, will all be taking part in this year’s Central Coast Melanoma March on March 3 at Saltwater Creek Reserve, Long Jetty, where hundreds of supporters, friends, sufferers, loved ones left behind and those passionate about the cause will come together to walk and raise funds for the Melanoma Institute to continue their work so they can save more lives.

For more information and to register for the event visit https://centralcoast. melanomamarch.org.au

Call for return of Back to School vouchers ever as an integral cost-ofliving support measure for local families,” he said.

“When we first introduced the Back to School voucher under then Premier Dominic Perrottet, a multitude of parents contacted my office to express how valuable and supportive

Crouch said the program was a gamechanger for families when first introduced, providing support for all parents in NSW for cost of school supplies, uniform and technology.

“With runaway inflation continuing under Labor, this program is needed more than

these vouchers were.

“As we all know, school stationery lists are lengthy and can be expensive for many families and this voucher was that extra support for families to enable their kids to have everything they need for the start of the school term.”

Crouch said the Labor Government had described the program as a “cash splash”, showing “just how out of touch the State Government is with ordinary families”.

“Sadly, this government is completely out of touch with reality and needs to come back

down to earth, re-introduce this important cost-of-living measure and support families across the Central Coast,” he said.

L BU SI NE CA

SS

LO

Member for Terrigal Adam Crouch is calling for the reintroduction of the former NSW Coalition Government’s Back to School voucher program as Central Coast families struggle with the rising cost of living.

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Cheralyn is a horticulture author and along with Pete Little, hosts ‘At Home with The Gardening Gang’ 8 - 10am live every Saturday on CoastFM96.3

CHERALYN DARCEY’S

DOWN IN THE GARDEN:

contact@cheralyndarcey.com

Flowering Shurbs Annuals are great for a fast and easy splash of colour in the garden but if you are ready to enter a long-term commitment with a flowering plant at your place, you may find that a blossoming shrub is your answer.

While the focus is usually on feature trees, flower beds and veggie plots, often we overlook the shrubbery, which can be a way to weave the elements of our garden together.

Like many things botanical, there is a difference of opinion both cultural and scientific surrounding what a shrub is.

The most accepted definition is that a shrub is no more than 6 metres in height and has no main trunk.

Sometimes you will see the term ‘large shrub/small tree’, and this is because the lines are starting to blur between the two.

A good example is the Tea Tree (Leptospermum spp.) which has species that are often described as such and has a main trunk.

To throw a bit more into the mix, the term ‘bush’ means shrub in case you were asking and so yes, a rose bush is a shrub.

For the benefit of your garden planning, I’m going to suggest medium sized bushy foliaged plants that are generally known as shrubs.

These are just a few of my favourites that will work well in coast gardens and flower throughout the year.

Native Beauties • Dwarf Bottlebrush (Callistemon spp.) is found in many hybridised colours and forms and makes a great addition to native gardens or even modern cottage styles.

A sun-lover; they also tolerate semi shade.

• Robyn Gordon Grevillea (Grevillea ‘Robyn Gordon’) will flower throughout the year and to ensure a bushy compact growth

cheralyn.darcey cheralyn you will need to prune it to form.

This one can cause allergies so if a concern, look for other small varieties such as ‘lanigera’, ‘rhyolitica’ and ‘Lady O’.

Requires full sun.

• Blue Gem Westringia (Westringia ‘Blue Gem’) There are many westringias available that will work nicely as a flowering native shrub but look out for this one as it flowers prolifically and has a wonderful bushy growth habit as well.

Prefers full sun but will tolerate semi-shade.

• Birthday Candles Banksia (Banksia spinulosa) loves full sun but will also grow in semi-shade and it known for its orange-gold upright flowers, giving it its name.

Can be pruned if needed but very easy care.

• Wild Fuchsia (Correa jezabell) Once this beauty is established, it will reward you with stunning red bell-shaped flowers and preforms exceptionally well for those with coastal gardens.

Loves semi-shade the best.

Traditional Favourites • Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) Find a semi shade position and this gorgeous shrub will love you.

Generally, hydrangeas are not too difficult to grow but you need to be mindful that they are deciduous over winter.

They will however, reward you with blossoms from summer through to autumn.

• Plumbago (Plumbago auriculata) will grow well in temperate areas and is blue flower-lovers dream that blossoms throughout the year.

Prune hard to encourage thicker growth and you will also find that Plumbago can grow as a climber as well.

Needs full sun.

• Mexican Shrimp Plant (Justicia brandegeeana) These remind me of my grandmother who had them growing as a small hedge.

They are easy to grow, prefer a semi-shade position but will tolerate full sun and hate wet feet so take care not to over-water.

• Mock Orange (Philadelphus coronarius) is a favourite of many as it is almost self-care in nature plus you get those delightfully fragrant orange blossom scented blooms.

They must be pruned straight after flowering to ensure a compact growth and prefer full sun to part-shade.

• Hebe (Hebe spp.) The foliage of the hebe is beautiful and comes in a vast array of colours and patterns but each summer you will also be gifted with stunning flower spikes that will bring additional interest to your garden.

They are low maintenance and like sun to part-shade.

• Japanese Camellia (Camellia japonica) is often thought of as a small tree but by a lot of gardeners as a large shrub and I’ll include it as it really is well loved and a great addition to the garden.

They are exceptionally easy to grow and long-lived once established.

With over 20,000 cultivars, you will find one that will suit your place but on the most part they prefer semi-shade and can be pruned to shape and size.

No matter which shrub you choose, think of them as the midground for your garden design.

They should sit between the height of your trees and the taller of your garden beds and can provide low hedging or taller path borders.

If you balance the flowering seasons, you can always have something adding to the fragrance and beauty of your garden throughout the year.

WHAT’S ON FOR PLANT LOVERS Your Permaculture Garden Course. Central Coast, address on enquiry.

Begins Saturday 10th Feb for 6 consecutive Saturdays.

Learn how to create your own edible garden and live more sustainably, using permaculture practices.

The course will be held on a productive property and will provide an opportunity for practical experience and to learn about the different permaculture strategies to create an abundant garden.

Information & Booking: events.humanitix.com/copy-of-your-permaculture-garden/tickets

The Wildflower Meadow Native Plant Sale | Saturday 27 January, Erina Heights The January long weekend is the time to plant real Aussie Natives. Find everything you need at this nursery dedicated to bringing Australian Flora to every garden. A special sale will be on this Saturday only, 9am to 4pm. 25% off all plants (excluding tube stock).

More info: Scan QR code or visit www.facebook.com/TheWildflowerMeadow Kokedama Workshop at Burbank at Saddles, Mount White | 11am Saturday 27 January Join us for a creative and hands-on Kokedama Workshop! Discover the art of Kokedama, the Japanese technique of creating beautiful hanging plant sculptures. This workshop is perfect for all levels of experience. All materials provided. Come unwind, connect with fellow plant lovers, and leave with a stunning Kokedama creation to cherish! Cost $60 PP Includes 1x Kokedama More info: Call 02 4370 1010, scan QR code or visit www.facebook.com/burbankhousegarden

NEW POTS NOW IN STOCK!

THIS WEEK’S GARDENING GUIDE This week you can plant the following: culinary herbs, beans, beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cape gooseberry, capsicum, carrot, cauliflowers, celery, chicory, cress, cucumber, eggplant, endive, leeks, lettuce, marrow, melons, mustard, okra, parsnip, pumpkins, radishes, rhubarb, rosella, salsify, silverbeet, spring onions, squashes, sweet corn, tomatoes, zucchinis, ageratum, alyssum, amaranths, aster, boronia, Californian poppy, celosia, cockscomb, coleus, cosmos, cyclamen, dahlia (seed), gazania, geranium (seed), gerbera, marigold, nasturtium, petunias, phlox, portulaca, rudbeckia, salvia, snapdragon, sunflower, verbena, vinca, zinnia

To list your event for free – gardeningcentralcoast@gmail.com

Phone: 4362 2236

24 Burns Road, Ourimbah (M1 intersection) NEW TRADING HOURS Tuesday to Friday open 9am-12pm Sat and Sun open 9am-2pm

Closed Mondays

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THURSDAY, 25 JANUARY 2024

HEALTH & EDUCATION

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Freemasons caring for the carers Freemasons on the Central Coast (FotCC) recently made a $6,300 donation to enable the purchase of a massage chair and garden furniture for the Carer Retreat at Gosford Hospital.

While most are aware of the wonderful work carried out informally by carers, there is often too little support available for the carers themselves.

These caring roles frequently come about little by little: helping out someone in need who has a disability, a medical or mental health condition, or simply being older and frail and in need of assistance with everyday living.

Such roles may gradually become more demanding as time goes by, and research shows that carers are more

Freemasons on the Central Coast were delighted to make a donation to the Carers Retreat at Gosford Hospital

likely than other Australians to experience a significant range of health and wellbeing issues.

The Central Coast Local Health District (CCLHD) is the only Local Health District within NSW to have a Carer Retreat

offering a little respite for carers if they need a break from their caring role, or perhaps when the person they care for is in hospital.

The Carer Retreat is a small cottage across the road

from Gosford Hospital.

A similar retreat being built at Wyong Hospital is due for completion in 2024.

The Retreat has one full-time manager and two part-time

staff members who provide debriefs, information, referrals to appropriate services, free business facilities, WiFi, education, refreshments and general support.

While the Retreat offers

comfortable lounges, staff felt that a massage chair would be a valuable adjunct to facilities, helping with both physical and mental relaxation for carers.

The CCLHD Work and Health Safety Consultant at Gosford Hospital provided specifications and quotes.

Once approval was received, Tia Covi, Manager of the Carer Support Unit/Carer Retreat followed a client’s suggestion and approached FotCC for financial help.

The FotCC were delighted to make this worthwhile donation for the purchase of the chosen massage chair plus suitable furniture enabling an outdoor area to be used for group discussions or general relaxation.

Answers sought over Wyong palliative care unit Members of the Elsie’s Project committee want answers on when a new palliative care unit will open at Wyong Hospital and will hold a public forum on Sunday, February 4.

It’s been a long 12 years for the Orange Army, as the dedicated, compassionate, and determined members of the committee, mostly made up of members of the Lions Club of Wyoming East Gosford Centennial, are known.

“Our story began 12 years ago when the Lions Clubs hosted a women’s symposium and asked the community to bring forward projects to assist their local community,” a spokesperson said.

“A young woman, Oana McBride told the story of her dear friend and neighbour Elsie

The first unit opened at Gosford Hospital in 2021

Green, who needed palliative care only to find that we did not have such a service available on the Coast.”

With going to Sydney or Newcastle the only option, Elsie’s Project attracted more than 10,000 signatures on a

petition calling for a palliative care unit on the Central Coast.

On April 20, 2021, the Coast’s first unit opened at Gosford Hospital with a 12-bed ward.

“From the day of opening, it has run at just on 100 per cent capacity with wonderful care

from the doctors and nurses dedicated to their patients,” the spokesperson said.

“The ward is available for all over the age of 18.

“Following the opening of Wyong Hospital’s new section the discussion began on a

second Elsie’s Project being opened at Wyong Hospital.

“The NSW Government at the time was extremely supportive and in November 2022 announced a $13.6M grant to start the building of the ward at Wyong.

“Unfortunately, this was followed by an election and change of government, and the waiting time even to begin has been dragging on.

“It has been a long road of waiting and waiting for this unit to start and now we (believe) it may open by 2025-26.

“It certainly makes our work very difficult when (members of) the public constantly ask us all the difficult questions.

“We are feeling very despondent with the lack of information and empathy shown to us.”

The public forum will be held from 10-11.30am on Sunday, February 4, in the showroom at Mingara Recreation Club.

Members of both the NSW Government and Shadow Ministry have been invited to attend and hopefully give some answers.

Spotlight on women’s mental health More than 50 people gathered at Tuggerah Lakes on Sunday, January 14, to help raise funds for the Debbie Gaunt Foundation.

The family, friends and colleagues of Debbie Gaunt donned purple leis at a Holoholo, and walked along the lakes to remember her and to bring awareness to mental health challenges women can face.

“Holoholo is the Hawaiian word that means to go riding, sailing or on a stroll,” a spokesperson said.

“Deb was known to regularly stroll and organiser Rhonda Wright was hoping that people

More than 50 people attended the event

participating on the day would take the opportunity to talk to fellow walkers along the route

about their memories of Deb or just have a good chat.

“More than $3,000 was

raised on the day which will help to fund projects through the Debbie Gaunt Foundation,

including a new website that they will be officially launch at a formal night being

held at Mingara in April.”

The Debbie Gaunt Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation aiming to destigmatise and normalise the conversation around women’s transitional adult years and the genderspecific conditions impacting women’s mental health.

It proactively educates the broader community about women’s mental health and why gender matters and provides much-needed resources and access to support for the women who need it.

For more information visit www.debbiegauntfoundation. com.au

THURSDAY, 25 JANUARY 2024

PAGE 31

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Big weekend of football for Mariners fans

Mariners midfielder Josh Nisbit in action. Photo: CCM Media

In an exciting weekend of football, the Central Coast Mariners experienced contrasting fortunes in their respective leagues.

The men’s team secured a thrilling late victory against Melbourne City in the Isuzu UTE

A-League on Sunday, January 21, extending their unbeaten run to 11 games.

Christian Theoharous scored his first league goal for the Mariners, followed by a City equaliser from Steven Ugarkovic.

The match saw a dramatic finish as Angel Torres scored in the 88th minute, ensuring a 2-1 win for the Mariners, despite a red card shown to Storm Roux in the closing moments.

The win keeps the Mariners

Mariners midfielder Izzy Gomez scored the equaliser for her team. Photo: CCM Media

in fourth place on the A-League ladder.

On the other hand, the Central Coast Mariners women’s team was narrowly defeated by the Western Sydney Wanderers 2-1 in the Liberty A-League.

The Mariners’ unbeaten start

to 2024 was halted despite a strong performance.

Holly Caspers gave the Wanderers a lead at half-time, which was later equalised by a stunning volley from Izzy Gomez for the Mariners.

However, a deflected cross

from Maliah Morris secured the win for the Wanderers.

Despite late efforts from the Mariners, including shots from Badawiya, Galic and Gomez, they couldn’t find the equaliser and faced their first defeat since New Year’s Eve.

Tulio leaves Mariners for Japanese club five goals and three assists in the final seven games.

This included a final day brace against Adelaide to secure the Mariners a place in the AFC Cup, as they charged towards the Isuzu UTE A-League Finals.

Tulio scored in the second leg of the semi-final against the Reds, as the Mariners booked their place in the Grand Final with a 4-1 aggregate win.

The Brazilian played every minute of the iconic 6-1 grand final victory against Melbourne City and earned a place on the bench of the A-League Team of the Season.

2023 was a record-breaking year for Tulio, as his superb goalscoring run in the 23/24 AFC Cup saw him finish the group stages as the top scorer with eight goals in six matches.

His two A-League strikes against Western United and Brisbane Roar recently saw him break the record for the most ever Central Coast Mariners goals in a calendar year with 19.

“I would like to thank everyone at the Mariners and on the Central Coast for the past year and a half,” Tulio said.

“I have had an amazing time with the club including winning the Championship last season and your support has meant a lot.

“While I am leaving to take up a life changing opportunity in Japan, the Mariners will forever hold an important place in my heart and will always be a club that I remember with great joy.”

Mariners Football Manager Mark Jackson wished the Brazilian the very best in the next chapter

of his football journey.

“We are obviously disappointed to lose such an influential player, but as a club we could never stand in the way of a life-changing move for Marco and his family,” he said.

“Marco has been a fantastic servant to the club over his time here, helping the club achieve great success.

“A favourite among fans, we are sad to see him go.

“We wish him the very best and thank him for his contributions to the Mariners.”

Marco Tulio in action on the field

LAST WEEK’S PUZZLE SOLUTIONS Also see online at coastcommunitynews.com.au/ puzzle-solutions or scan here MISSING LINK Fill in each letter of the alphabet once only.

Notice of 1080 baiting

K O E Y E D O Y I N E E I C A N A E E Y E E L O S O I D Y I NG R N T N R F A D S A D D L T S B I A O E A K S R P T T

The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is conducting a ground baiting program in Bouddi National Park from Thursday 1 February until Thursday 28 March 2024.

The operation will use 1080 (sodium fluoroacetate) poison for the control of foxes.

© Lovatts Puzzles

Missing Link Solution:

V K W H J O B E Y E D O K A Y I N E EM I R C A N A P E E DG Y E E X L O S O L I D I F Y I NG R N T N R F A D S S A D D L E T O T S B I A Z ON E QU A C K S R P T T Y

The program is designed to minimise predator impact on wildlife, especially threatened species.

Signs will be located at the entry to the baiting location. Domestic pets are not permitted into NSW National Parks managed land. Pets and working dogs may be affected (1080 is lethal to cats and dogs). Pets and working dogs must be restrained or muzzled in the vicinity and must not enter the baiting location. In the event of accidental poisoning seek immediate veterinary assistance.

Please contact the Local Girrakool NPWS area office for further information on (02) 4320 4200.

LP1883

Central Coast Mariners have confirmed that Marco Tulio will depart the club in January, after an undisclosed fee was agreed with Japanese J1 League club Kyoto Sanga.

The move presents a lifechanging opportunity for Tulio and his family, with the club opting not to stand in the Brazilian’s way after being informed of his desire to join Kyoto Sanga.

“While desperate to keep Tulio, as a club we were unable to compete with the financial powers of the J1 League and specifically his new club,” a spokesperson said.

“Marco leaves with the very best wishes of everybody at the Mariners, departing as an Isuzu UTE A-League Champion with his name unquestionably printed in our history books.”

Tulio’s final game as a Mariner will be away to Western Sydney Wanderers on January 6, with his last home game at Industree Group Stadium being this Sunday, December 31, in the mariners’ New Year’s Eve double header against Perth Glory.

The Brazilian joined the club in September 2022 from Portuguese outfit Sporting CP and would play a starring role as we went on to win the A-League Championship.

Tulio contributed 10 goals and five assists across 29 games (including the finals) as the Mariners took their first Championship in 10 years.

He hit his finest form of the season right when it mattered for the Central Coast, as he made eight goal contributions,

PAGE 32

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Photo: Trent Dickeson

Cricket comp powers ahead Cooper Fullerton of The Entrance is stumped by Kincumber Avoca wicket-keeper Harry Woodhead

The Central Coast Cricket competition is powering ahead, with round seven of the 1st Grade Men’s Two Day Competition kicking off on Saturday, January 20.

Narara Wyoming won the toss against Wyong and elected to bowl which paid off incredibly.

Wyong was wiped out for just 75 runs with Keiran Lawson taking 4/20 off 11 overs with three maidens.

Wyong’s top scorer was

Bailey Lavin with just 24 runs.

Narara Wyoming went out to bat and at stumps were 6/170.

Southern Spirit won the toss against Warnervale and elected to bowl.

Warnervale went out to bat with Lesley Smith 50, Brett Russell 60 and Kaleb Daley 76 off 83 with 10 fours and three sixes.

At stumps on day one, Warnervale was 9/305.

Southern Spirit’s Lachlan Cork, Hunter Tomlinson and

Daniel Friend all took two wickets each.

Lisarow Ourimbah won the toss against Northern Power and elected to bat.

Top scorer was skipper Benjamin Sunshine, who was out on 48 off 85 with five fours.

Northern Power’s Dave Molan finished 3/23 off 15 with five maidens.

Lisarow Ourimbah finished 8/193 at stumps.

Brisbane Water won the toss and elected to bowl sending

out Terrigal Matcham to have a hit.

Top scorer was skipper Lloyd Radcliffe, out on 48 off 75 with four fours and two sixes.

Brisbane Water skipper Shaun Eaton finished 4/81 off 24.4 along with two catches.

Lisarow Ourimbah were all out for 210.

Brisbane Water went out for the chase and at stumps were sitting on 2/22.

Kincumber Avoca won the toss and elected to bowl

sending out The Entrance to bat.

Skipper Jake Hardy put up 51 and Broc Hardy 54.

After 67 overs The Entrance were all out for 189.

Kincumber Avoca bowler Michael Pate took 3/46 off 14 with four maidens along with Liam Roche 3/11 off 3.4.

Kincumber Avoca went out to chase and at stumps were 1/30.

In the Women’s 1st Grade T20 Competition, Northern Power

4/75 defeated Lisarow Ourimbah 9/73.

Narara/Terrigal 4/72 defeated Kincumber Avoca 9/71 with Narara/Terrigal bowler, Sukhmandeep Dhaliwal, taking 3/9 off three.

Northern Power Orange 1/85 defeated Wyong 7/80.

Northern Power bowler Kylie Clarke finished 3/11 off four and Wyong skipper Emma Raychaudhuri finished 30 off 30 with four fours.

Big day for female cricket January 5 was a significant day for female cricket on the Central Coast with three local juniors taking the field in the Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL) – the pinnacle of domestic women’s cricket in Australia.

Lauren Smith (Southern Spirit) has been the pioneer of women’s cricket on the Central Coast and has been plying her trade at the elite level for many years now, firstly with NSW (WNCL) and

Sydney Sixers (WBBL) and more recently with Tasmania and the Sydney Thunder.

She has also played in a number of professional leagues overseas.

Smith is regarded as one of the most reliable cricketers with her off spin, lower order batting and brilliant fielding making her the complete cricketer.

Last year,Alisha Bates (Lisarow Ourimbah) received a contract to play for the ACT Meteors and after making her debut late last

BRAZEL MOORE

FAMILY

season she has been a regular fixture for the Meteors this year, impressing with her left arm spin and solid middle order batting.

Bates still plays cricket on the Central Coast when her ACT commitments allow and last week she played in the Women’s 1st Grade competition which was a thrill for those who played with and against her.

Making up the trio is Terrigal Matcham’s Grace Dignam, who earned a contract with ACT after a dominant season last year for

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both Northern Districts and Terrigal Matcham.

After having to overcome a severe hamstring injury early in the season, Friday saw her debut for the Meteors.

While these three have reached the pinnacle of domestic cricket in this country, there are many other girls who over the past month have also reached significant levels.

These include Rochelle Davis (Wyong), who played for NSW Country in the Australian Country

Championships in Newcastle and Emily Humphreys and Tara French (both Terrigal Matcham), who performed well for NSW Country and the National U19 Female Championships which included Humphreys taking the amazing figures of 6/2 in one match.

To round things off, Terrigal Matcham’s Ava Drury is off to Hobart this week to play in the National U16 Female Championships for NSW Country.

FREE SEMINAR: FAMILY LAW

The Central Coast also had a dozen players represent NSW in the Women’s National Veterans Championships in November.

The local female competitions also continue to expand with the number of players taking to the field this year, including both seniors and juniors, growing by 14 per cent, while the Central Coast enjoyed success in both the Country Cricket NSW U19s and U16s Championships for the first time this season.

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Amelia Cox of Brazel Moore Family Lawyers will present a FREE seminar which will help you to understand your rights, guide you through your separation in an easy to understand way and present options available to you so that you are not overwhelmed by the process.

Amelia’s presentation will cover property settlement, residence of children, defacto relationships, mediation and early settlement options so that you can consider your situation and plan where to from here, especially if you find yourself in the Family Court system.

The Seminar will be presented in a friendly relaxed atmosphere and there will be plenty of time for your questions.

You’ll be helped a lot in understanding the system and will then be able to confidently consider what steps you need to take next.