Coast Community Pelican Post 020 by Central Coast Newspapers

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29 JULY 2021

ISSUE 020

REAL INDEPENDENT LOCAL WEEKLY NEWS

Community action halves Council’s asset sales list

News

Ettalong Channel is set to benefit from a $6.2 million dredging program to be carried out by the NSW Government.

See page 8

Out&About

The Coastal Twist’s Arts and Culture Festival is hoping to make a sparkling return this Spring after being cancelled last year due to COVID-19 restriction.

Bushland, pocket parks, a car park and a seniors lifestyle village at Woy Woy, Blackwall, Ettalong and Umina have been spared from Central Coast Council’s asset sales program as a result of concerted community campaigning.

See page 17

Business

See page 5

Four more weeks, brace yourself! Stay at home orders that have been in place on the Central Coast since early July will remain until Saturday, August 28 at 12:01am to enable current infection rates to lessen and increase the uptake of vaccines across the state. Along with Wednesday’s announcement of a four-week extension to the Greater Sydney lockdown, a whole host of restrictions were adjusted as the state raced to increase its vaccination rates. Premier Gladys Berejiklian said raising vaccination rates and following the health orders were the only ways to guarantee the easing of restrictions. “Though the Pfizer supply is insufficient there is plenty of AstraZeneca and updated federal health advice recommends anyone aged 18 and over in Greater Sydney should access the jab,” Berejiklian said.

“If you are unvaccinated, please organise a jab as soon as you possibly can, especially if you live in an LGA of concern.” Changes to other restrictions were also mentioned. Central Coast residents must limit their shopping to within their Local Government Area, or if outside their LGA, within 10 kilometres from home, unless the item is not available locally. From 12:01am on Saturday, July 31, construction in nonoccupied settings (with no residents on-site) will re-open as planned, subject to a one person per four square metre rule. Low risk construction sites must have COVID-safe plans in place. Tradespeople including cleaners who are able to work with zero contact with residents will also be allowed to resume work. NSW Health said that if contactless arrangements were not possible, work

couldn’t go ahead. Deputy Premier John Barilaro said there were new COVID protocols to keep workers and worksites safe. “Construction will resume on Saturday, with safety measures such as controls on movements between sites, reduced contact between workers within sites, improved tracing capability and a focus on encouraging workers to get vaccinated,” Barilaro said. “Works in occupied premises including residential homes can also resume from this Saturday where there is zero contact between workers and residents.” There will be a limit of up to two workers for indoor services and five workers for outdoor services, and works will only be possible where it is feasible for residents to vacate the area. “I can also announce that as part of our plan to reopen construction, worksites will be able to operate on Sundays and

public holidays for the remainder of the year, up until Christmas, to make up for any time lost.” A singles bubble will also be introduced from Saturday, allowing people who live alone to nominate one designated family member or friend to visit for companionship and mental wellbeing. Students and teachers will also have to continue homeschooling until at least the end of August but from Monday, August 16, Year 12 students will return to face-to-face learning, with the Government finalising plans for the resumption of in-class study under strict COVID protocols. The NSW Government is also working with industry and the Department of Education to introduce Rapid Antigen Testing to mitigate against outbreaks in workplaces and schools. Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast, Adam Crouch, said he was

disappointed the Coast’s lockdown cannot be ended. “Unfortunately, the health risk is just too high,” Crouch said. “To end the lockdown now would only speed up transmission of the Delta strain. “It will take a few days to see if any community transmission occurred at one of the 18 exposure sites on the Central Coast. “Hundreds of people were unknowingly exposed to COVID-19 and are now being tested. “It will also take approximately 14 days to see what impact the ‘anti lockdown’ protest has on local case numbers.” Crouch also thanked locals who had been following the stay-at-home rules and said he would ask the Premier to end the Coast’s lockdown ‘as soon it is safe to do so’. Continued page 7

Three local tourism operators on the Peninsula will have the opportunity to become ECO Destination certified to help boost the local tourism sector when COVID restrictions ease. See page 25

Health

Peninsula residents who have had contact with anyone from five suburbs in the north of the region may need to get tested and isolate following Sunday’s announcement of a positive COVID-19 case. See page 35

Puzzles page 18

Office: Level 1, 86-88 Mann St, Gosford - Phone: 4325 7369 - editorial@centralcoastnews.net - www.coastcommunitynews.com.au

PAGE 2 29 JULY 2021 CCN

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Coast Community Pelican Post is published team of local journalists as well as external weekly on a Thursday by Central Coast sources, including media releases, websites and Newspapers Pty Ltd (CCN), a local, family- public notices. owned business. All of our news content is subject to strict editorial standards – see www. CCN publishes three local, independent coastcommunitynews.com.au/aboutus/ newspapers – Coast Community News, the Coast Community Pelican Post and the Coast Community editorialstandards Chronicle – distributed via more than 450 Wherever possible, our news includes source distribution points right across the Central Coast. lines that provide information about where Most of our stories, as well as our digital information was sourced so that readers can programs such as “Friday 5@5”, can be viewed judge for themselves the veracity of what they online at www.coastcommunitynews.com.au are reading. together with a flip book for every paper shown Each paper focuses specifically on an area bound by postcodes as follows: in full. CCN aims to serve the interests of the Coast Community Pelican Post - Post Codes 2256 and 2257; Coast Community News - Post community in three important ways: 1. To serve the ultimate purpose of the free Codes 2250, 2251, 2260; and Coast Community press in a democracy, that is, to hold powerful Chronicle - Post Codes 2258, 2259, 2261, 2262 interests to account through high-quality, and 2263. independent journalism without fear or prejudice; Coast Community Pelican Post coverage takes 2. To provide an affordable medium for local in parts of both Gosford East and Gosford West businesses to advertise their products and Council Wards, a section of the State seats of services, including discounted rates for eligible Gosford and Terrigal, and a large section of the Federal seat of Robertson. not-for-profit organisations; and, 3. To keep the community informed about local For all other information, please visit our issues and ensure that important public notices website or call us on (02) 4325 7369 or call in are available to ALL members of the community and see us at Suite 1, Level 2, 86 Mann St, irrespective of their socio-economic Gosford. circumstances. Our content is originated through both our own

The Grizzlies is the inspiring true story of first-year teacher Russ Sheppard, who takes a temporary assignment to teach at a high school in Kugluktuk, a small arctic town with the highest suicide rate in North America. Having no success at getting his Inuit students to show up for class—and seeing that many of the teens roam around town drinking and smoking— he believes that teaching

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them the sport of lacrosse will get them in school and motivate them to achieve. But really it’s Sheppard who has a lot to learn, as they end up transforming their own lives as well as his. “bracingly unsentimental and transcendently moving”—The Hollywood Reporter “exactly the type of uplifting movie that could boost spirits during these bleak times”—Variety Website: https://www. youtube.com/ watch?v=4hfUomtqljs For your chance to win, write your full name, address, email and daytime telephone

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Pelican Post covers everything relating to Woy Woy, Woy Woy South, Umina, Pearl Beach, Patonga, Horsfield Bay, Pheagans Bay, Woy Woy Bay, Corea Bay, Ettalong, Booker Bay, Blackwall Publisher: Ross Barry - CEO: Cec Bucello - Editor: Jackie Pearson - Design & Production: Justin Stanley, Lucillia Eljuga Journalists: Maisy Rae, Terry Collins, Sue Murray, Harry Mulholland, Skaie Hull, Merilyn Vale, Hayley McMahon, Haakon Barry Head of Distribution: Anthony Wagstaff ISSN 1839-9045 - Print Post Approved - PP100001843 - Printed by Spotpress Marrickville

16 JULY 2021

ISSUE 301

23 JULY 2021 21 JULY 2021

News

A community grieves

ISSUE 248

REAL INDEPENDENT LOCAL WEEKLY NEWS

Tools down!

News

Former Mangrove Mountain resident and dedicated community campaigner, Dr Stephen Goodwin, passed away on July 9 in Harbison’s Care Home at Moss Vale in the Southern Highlands.

The Tuggerah Lakes Expert Panel will host three online forums to discuss their findings and recommendations to improve the estuary health and water quality at Tuggerah Lakes. See page 8

See page 5

Out&About

Members of the Kariong community have united to express their condolences and support to the parents of a five-week-old baby killed by the family dog on July 11.

Lockdown extended two more weeks

The Central Coast will remain in lockdown for at least another two weeks.

CCN

Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced on July 14 that the lockdown in Greater Sydney, including the Coast, would continue at least until midnight on Friday July 30. The announcement came in the wake of a further tightening of COVID-19 restrictions and the announcement of a $5.1B support package for businesses and workers. Online learning is also set to continue until July 30 for Central Coast students. But Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast, Adam Crouch, has vowed to push for an end to the lockdown on the Coast if there are no more new cases in the region over the next few days and the risk of a “seeding” event subsides. A seeding event refers to a situation where a person who visits/works/lives in a particular area (such as Sydney) contracts COVID-19, and then travels to a different area (such as Central Coast). When that person moves around the community COVID-19 is very rapidly spread to a very large number of people. This is of particular concern with the Delta strain being highly transmissible.

The streets of Gosford were deserted on July 15 as Coasties embraced stay at home directives

“I support the Premier’s lockdown decision because she has followed the health advice to the letter,” Crouch said. “Currently NSW Health remains very concerned about a ‘seeding event’ occurring in the Central Coast region. “However, if this risk does subside and if we record no local cases over the next few days, I will fiercely advocate for the Premier and (Chief Health Officer) Dr Kerry Chant to end the Central Coast region’s lockdown. “We do not want the lockdown to go for one day longer than what is necessary. Meanwhile, Berejiklian reinforced the

New restrictions will have a wide-ranging impact

See page 17

Health

The memorial placed by community members at Kariong tennis court

need for constant COVID-19 testing. While only three cases have so far been reported in the Central Coast region, community transmission continues to be of concern throughout the entire Greater Sydney area. Coast residents are directed to continue to leave their homes only for medical and work reasons or to shop for basic essentials (one person per household only to shop). Outdoor exercise can be undertaken in groups of no more than two unless those exercising are from the same household and must be done no further than 10km

Terry Collins

Gosford Private Hospital has launched a recruitment campaign, with its $32M redevelopment almost complete. See page 31

Sport

Melbourne Storm utility and former Umina Bunnies junior, Nicho Hynes’ consistent form this year earned him a NSW Blues call-up this week. See page 38

Puzzles page 22

Office: Level 1, 86-88 Mann St, Gosford - Phone: 4325 7369 - Mail: PO Box 1056, Gosford 2250 - E-mail: editorial@centralcoastnews.net - Website: www.coastcommunitynews.com.au

News

New funding announced for the University of Sydney’s Koala translocation study will boost the Pearl Beach Arboretum’s Koala Project.

As the Central Coast languishes in the fourth week of Covid lockdown with no end in sight, another crushing blow came on Saturday, July 17, when Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, announced yet another round of new restrictions in response to the stubbornly high number of COVID-19 cases in metropolitan Sydney. The Coast is included in the tighter and far-reaching restrictions which include a retail shutdown and a twoweek ban on construction and building work, an industry which so far has been vital to our Covid economic recovery. From Monday, July 19, only urgent emergency repairs can be carried out or safety work to secure construction sites. CEO of Regional Development Australia Central Coast (RDACC), John Mouland, said the shutdown of the construction industry on the Central Coast would cause

hundreds of millions of dollars of financial impact to the region and directly impact more than 40,000 jobs. He said there were more than 5,000 construction related businesses in our region, and the RDACC was deeply concerned with not only the short-term impact of the Covid shutdown but the longer-term ramifications. Local builder, Daniel Gutierrez, said it was scary times and he couldn’t be shutdown for longer than two weeks before things would start to go sour. “A couple of my clients have been left with half-finished bathrooms and even if I could go in and finish them, I can’t get materials because those places are closed, or the ones that are still open are running short on supplies. “It’s a domino effect,” he said. “I just don’t know what’s going to happen and what’s even more worrying is that I had a few jobs lined up, almost

at the point of taking a deposit, but whether or not they’ll go ahead now, I don’t know. “That’s when I’m going to start feeling it, and I reckon people will hold back on getting work done because of the uncertainty of how long the lockdown goes on. “This is uncharted grounds, I couldn’t even give my apprentice a definite answer, I just don’t know what’s going to happen,” Gutierrez said. Construction work on NSW Government projects has also ceased, which will set back the August opening of the $200M redevelopment of Wyong Hospital, as well as the Porters Creek Public School in Warnervale, the $178M Pacific Highway upgrade at Lisarow and the $22.5M Wilfred Barrett Dr upgrade. “This is an incredibly tough decision but a necessary one,” said Parliamentary Secretary for Central Coast, Adam Crouch. “The lockdown has succeeded in preventing an

exponential increase in case numbers and has also succeeded in preventing COVID-19 from spreading into the Central Coast region. “However, it has not succeeded in reducing the daily case numbers, which is why the lockdown had to go one step further,” Crouch said. Harder restrictions on shopping have come into force, meaning that only retailers who provide essential products and services can be open during lockdown. Retailers who must close can still operate online, offer “click and collect”, takeaway and home delivery. The ones that can remain open are supermarkets and grocery stores (including butchers, bakers, fruit and vegetables, liquor stores and fishmongers), stores that predominantly sell health, medical, maternity and infant supplies, and chemists. Other stores that can remain open include petrol stations, car hire, banks and financial

institutions, hardware, nurseries and building supplies, agricultural and rural supplies, pet supplies, post offices, newsagents and office supplies. John Mouland said the RDACC supported the NSW Government’s decisions related to restricting the spread of the Covid Delta strain and encouraged everyone to buy local to support the many businesses doing it tough. “Some will not survive the Covid-related challenges that they have encountered over the past two years,” he said. “We need to ensure that our key regional industry sectors such as construction, retail, hospitality and tourism reopen as quickly as possible once the immediate threat subsides, to restrict the long term impact that these preventative closures will have for these vital businesses and our regional economy,” Mouland said. Sue Murray

ISSUE 302

Coasties tire of big-media beat ups

The coveted annual Gosford Art Prize is now open for entries and the competition gets tougher each year...

The Australian Reptile Park has introduced a Pay Discover Forward scheme to benefit Central Coast children in need and their families.

See page 17

St Brendan’s Catholic Primary School in Lake Munmorah has a new, furry member of staff joining the team to support students. See page 29

Puzzles page 19

For Peninsula residents, the increase could be as much as 40 per cent or more. Council has also flagged plans to try to make the rate increase permanent. When accepting the council’s need for a special rate variation (SRV) the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) only allowed the increase for three years. Council says its income will

be reduced by $22.8M in 202425 unless it gets a further rate rise. The meeting to adopt the rate rise - and the harmonising of the rates between the former Wyong and Gosford areas was held on Tuesday, June 29. It was an important meeting, as the Administrator Rik Hart said. The council also adopted its operational plan and budget at the same meeting. In the operational plan, the council explained it will need to apply to IPART for a further rate rise. Hart announced at the meeting that he hoped to put the case to IPART as soon as possible.

“It should be noted that whilst the approved SRV (special rate variation) provides Council short term stability for three years, it does not provide for long term financial sustainability beyond 2024-2025 and a further SRV will be required,” the council said. Adopting the plan enables the council to levy rates and charges prior to July 31. “If rates and charges are levied and notices issued by July 31 then the first quarterly instalments will be due August 31, 2021,” council said. The amount by which a rate payer’s rates will change will depend on two factors, the land value (as determined by

the NSW Valuer General) and the fact Peninsula properties are located in the former Gosford City Council area. “On average, property owners in the former Wyong will see a decrease in ordinary rates while property owners in the former Gosford will see an increase in ordinary rates,” Council said. Fees and charges also went up with the adoption of the operational plan. Local sporting bodies tried without success to stop a five per cent increase in fees. The Administrator informed Central Coast Sports Council representatives that its fees were lower than those of many other Councils and there

would be no changes to the way fees were administered. “Whilst there is a proposed five per cent increase, the proposed fees for 2021-22 have been benchmarked against other surrounding LGAs and are considered reasonable and fair,” the report said. Council also declined to adopt its Greener Places Strategy as requested during the public exhibition period of the plan. Council said the strategy had been due for adoption but its budget and resources had been allocated to higher priority projects.

Daniel Gutierrez of Empire Bay is just one of thousands of Central Coast workers who will struggle with the recently announced pause on construction works throughout Greater Sydney, including the Coast. See page 24

Health

Three pharmacies on the Peninsula have indicated that they will be taking part in dispensing COVID-19 vaccines in the coming months. See page 25

Continued page 8

Puzzles page 18

Office: Level 1, 86-88 Mann St, Gosford - Phone: 4325 7369 - editorial@centralcoastnews.net - www.coastcommunitynews.com.au

Restrictions tighten As the Central Coast prepares to enter its fourth week of lockdown, tighter restrictions imposed from July 19 have added to fears the lockdown could be extended beyond July 30. But the push for an early release from restrictions for the Coast is gathering momentum. Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast, Adam Crouch, said Premier Gladys Berejiklian had flagged that an easing of restrictions for the Coast, as well as the Wollongong area, is being considered. “At Wednesday’s press conference, the Premier said: ‘But we are also looking at opportunities to perhaps address those regions [Central

Non-essential retail is closed until July 30

Coast and Wollongong] in a particular way given we can keep the virus out’,” Crouch said. “Last week I committed to fiercely advocate for the Central

Coast region’s lockdown to end, but only if it is safe to do so. “Every decision made by the NSW Government should follow the health advice to the

letter. “I’ve been speaking to the Premier daily about our region and how the majority of people have done a great job by following the stay-at-home

orders. “Right now the ball is in our court to keep on following the rules and to get tested if you have any symptoms at all. “All it could take is a single case to scuttle our hopes of getting out of lockdown, so there’s never been a more important time to remain vigilant.” Shadow Minister for the Central Coast, David Harris, said he had been working with Crouch to see the Coast released from severe restrictions “as soon as is feasible”. “They tell us they have it under rolling review, but we will continue to push,” Harris said. Continued page 4

Education

News

Ettalong Channel is set to benefit from a $6.2 million dredging program to be carried out by the NSW Government.

See page 8

Out&About

The Coastal Twist’s Arts and Culture Festival is hoping to make a sparkling return this Spring after being cancelled last year due to COVID-19 restriction.

See page 17

Business

See page 5 Photo: Olympics.com.au.

Four more weeks, brace yourself!

Lockdown will end when it is safe to do so

See page 10

Umina Beach Public School mum, Lucy Lamont, with children (from left) Angus, twins Harry and April and Hugo, love learning in their pyjamas until 2pm

Something a little bit out of the ordinary occurred on July 22 at Bateau Bay Beach as a seal appeared on the sand. See page 13

See page 31

Community action halves Council’s asset sales list

Matt Dawson

Rhyss Keane out the front of his Wyoming gym

Rates rubber stamped to rise from August Central Coast Council has officially rubber stamped its plans to increase rates by 15 per cent and harmonise rates across the two former Gosford and Wyong local government areas.

From the Australian Olympic camp, the Kookaburra’s continue to lead the way after three group stage wins, all featuring Berkeley Vale’s Matt Dawson in defence.

Health

ISSUE 020

REAL INDEPENDENT LOCAL WEEKLY NEWS

A revised list of tranche three land sales by Central Coast Council was made public in the lead up to last night’s (July 27) Council meeting See page 5

Out & About

See page 18

A Sydney-based news crew from A Current Affair got more than they bargained for this week when they confronted local gym owner, Rhyss Keane.

see page 29

Office: Level 1, 86-88 Mann St, Gosford - Phone: 4325 7369 - editorial@centralcoastnews.net - www.coastcommunitynews.com.au

Senator Deborah O’Neill is demanding answers on what has happened to the $35M promised for commuter carparking at Gosford and Woy Woy. See page 3

Business

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29 JULY 2021

News

Out&About

The past 16 months have been full of challenges for the Lamont family of Ettalong but, second time around, home schooling during lockdown is a source of pure joy.

Education

ISSUE 249

REAL INDEPENDENT LOCAL WEEKLY NEWS

ROCK SOLID!

See page 5

Business

Pacific Link Housing has finished the financial year on a high with an $8.6M cash boost. See page 21

28 JULY 2021

News

Out&About

Tuggerah’s Emma Macpherson has been dancing across the globe, landing gigs both here and internationally. See page 13

Porters Creek Public School at Warnervale

from home. Masks must be worn in all enclosed public areas, including supermarkets and in common areas of apartment buildings and QR code check-ins are mandatory at all businesses. Browsing in shops is prohibited and funerals are limited to 10 people in total. A third Coast resident was diagnosed with COVID-19 on July 11. He has been linked to a known case at a construction site in Sydney and is in isolation in Special Health Accommodation in Sydney. Central Coast Local Health District (CCLHD) advised that no public exposure sites on the Central Coast have been identified and therefore there is no identified risk to the local community. A spokesperson said five close contacts of the latest case had been identified and were in home isolation. They have all tested negative for COVID-19 to date. CCLHD reminded residents to be vigilant for any symptoms of COVID-19, no matter how mild, and get tested immediately and self-isolate until receiving a negative result.

ISSUE 019

REAL INDEPENDENT LOCAL WEEKLY NEWS

Loving lockdown?

Out & About

Terrigal’s Allanah Pitcher has been nominated as a finalist for the prestigious Young Archibald Prize for her painting titled Unfiltered.

See page 4

22 JULY 2021

Central Coast Council is encouraging residents to take advantage of the latest round of Love Local online guides as the region remains in strict lockdown See page 31

Education

Central Coast HSC students and their families will have 24-hour access to support from Australia’s leading mental health service for young people in the lead up to exams. See page 38

Puzzles page 22

Office: Level 1, 86-88 Mann St, Gosford - Phone: 4325 7369 - Mail: PO Box 1056, Gosford 2250 - E-mail: editorial@centralcoastnews.net - Website: www.coastcommunitynews.com.au

About 150 Central Coast people, some from Long Jetty, joined thousands of others in Sydney for a “freedom” rally protesting Covid restrictions - but it has had exactly the opposite effect – the lockdown stays and there’s no end in sight. Parliamentary Secretary for Central Coast, Adam Crouch, announced on Tuesday, July 27 that the Central Coast lockdown could not be ended. “This is due to the unbelievable selfishness of about 150 local residents that attended the ‘anti-lockdown’ protest in Sydney on Saturday (July 24),” he said. “This is also due to the five new local cases announced last weekend. “Unfortunately, the health risk is just too high. “To end the lockdown now would only speed up transmission of the Delta strain.”

Crouch said it would take a few days to see if any community transmission occurred at one of the 18 exposure sites on the Central Coast. “Hundreds of people were unknowingly exposed to COVID-19 and are now being tested,” he said. NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, said she was utterly disgusted by the illegal protestors whose selfish actions had compromised the

safety of everyone. It will take about 14 days to see what impact the ‘antilockdown’ protest has on local case numbers. “I spoke to the Premier yesterday (Monday) and she will end the Central Coast’s lockdown as soon as it is safe to do so,” Crouch said. “In the next day or two the Premier will release a ‘road map’ which shows what restrictions can be eased once

the health risk subsides. “Thank you to everyone that has been following the stay-athome rules so well. “It is regrettable that a minority of people have wrecked our chances of ending the lockdown. “If you have any information about Saturday’s protest, please anonymously provide it to CrimeStoppers, even a photo or screenshot will help our Police detectives track down

the protestors,” Crouch said. Thousands of unmasked people took to the streets on Saturday, July 24, with no social distancing, shouting and carrying signs calling for “freedom” and “truth” – described by health authorities as a potential super-spreader event. Among them was Kiran and Kirt Mallie, the owners of a café, Modern Organic, at Long Jetty. Community condemnation and backlash to boycott their café business was swift, after a video of them at the rally was posted by Kiran on her Facebook page, and widely circulated. “Now we know who to blame if it (Covid) comes to the Coast, you should be ashamed of yourselves” said one message in response to the video, and another,“ So many of us disagree with the lockdown but we all follow the rules because we want our freedom back. Continued page 6

Childcare services in Toukley and Wyong will get a $568,000 boost to fund projects to improve services and increase the number of place available. See page 29

Sport

The hosting of the New Zealand Warriors at Central Coast Stadium is over – at least for now, yet the Kiwi side has been forced to say farewell to Roger TuivasaSheck before returning to Auckland for their Round 22 match against the Bulldogs. See page 31

Puzzles page 19

Office: Level 1, 86-88 Mann St, Gosford - Phone: 4325 7369 - editorial@centralcoastnews.net - www.coastcommunitynews.com.au

Office: Level 1.01/86-88 Mann Street Gosford Phone: 4325 7369 Mail: PO Box 1056, Gosford 2250 E-mail: editorial@centralcoastnews.net - Website: www.coastcommunitynews.com.au

Stay at home orders that have been in place on the Central Coast since early July will remain until Saturday, August 28 at 12:01am to enable current infection rates to lessen and increase the uptake of vaccines across the state. Along with Wednesday’s announcement of a four-week extension to the Greater Sydney lockdown, a whole host of restrictions were adjusted as the state raced to increase its vaccination rates. Premier Gladys Berejiklian said raising vaccination rates and following the health orders were the only ways to guarantee the easing of restrictions. “Though the Pfizer supply is insufficient there is plenty of AstraZeneca and updated federal health advice recommends anyone aged 18 and over in Greater Sydney should access the jab,” Berejiklian said.

Three local tourism operators on the Peninsula will have the opportunity to become ECO Destination certified to help boost the local tourism sector when COVID restrictions ease. See page 25

Health

Puzzles page 18

Office: Level 1, 86-88 Mann St, Gosford - Phone: 4325 7369 - editorial@centralcoastnews.net - www.coastcommunitynews.com.au

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NEWS

PAGE 3 29 JULY 2021

Federal Government ignores universal calls for JobKeeper to return Calls for the Federal Government to reintroduce JobKeeper have received bipartisan support on the Coast as many small business owners and workers struggle to make ends meet during the COVID lockdown. The Federal Government did up its COVID-19 Disaster Payment on Wednesday, July 28, following the NSW lockdown extension announcement. It is available for workers unable to earn income due to a lockdown, hotspot or period of restricted movement. The scheme now provides those eligible with $750 per week if they lose 20 hours or more of work, whilst those that lose between eight and less than 20 hours, or a full day of work, will receive a payment of $450 per week. The new national payment rate will commence for payments processed week commencing August 2 and will be automatically updated for those already in the Services Australia system. There will be no liquid assets test applied to eligibility for these payments and an individual does not need to run

down personal annual leave. Prime Minister Scott Morrison also announced the government will be offering an additional $200 payment to people who have lost more than eight hours of work a week whilst on a welfare payment, such as the pension, youth allowance or JobSeeker. This payment will be paid from week one of the lockdown and will act as a ‘top up’ to the existing JobSeeker, youth allowance or pension rate. This sounds a lot like the reintroduction of JobKeeper but it does not secure an ongoing relationship between employer and employee. The JobKeeper payment scheme supported businesses significantly affected by COVID-19 last year, helping protect people’s jobs and livelihood. No promise has been made by the Federal Government to reintroduce JobKeeper despite its payment adjustments and the NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet’s reported ‘demanding’ of its return as Greater Sydney, which includes the Central Coast, enters its sixth week in lockdown. Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast, Adam

Crouch, said he was backing Perrottet’s calls for JobKeeper to be brought back. “During Victoria’s lockdown last year, workers benefited from the $750 weekly payments and all I’m asking is for the same to be provided for NSW workers whose hours of work have been cut,” Crouch said. “I want to make sure no worker or business owner slips through the cracks over these next few difficult days and weeks.” Local shop employee, Charmaine Simonet, who is also a store delegate for Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) Members said JobKeeper should be in place. “I am a part-time worker and have been stood down as a result of the restrictions which means I am unpaid, as are many of my colleagues,” Simonet said. “My work has offered for us to take annual leave or longservice leave but for some of us that is not an option – and even if it was it should not be. “While I have lodged a claim to retrieve my pay through Centrelink waiting to see whether the application is

successful is agonising. “This whole process has been so much more stressful than it had to be and with lockdown already causing enough, that is the last thing we need.” She said current payments do not guarantee any income. “With JobKeeper we were guaranteed an income, we did not have to worry but now we do have to worry,” she said. “While I am one of the lucky ones, there are some who are dependent on their own, struggling to pay their rent and feed their kids. “So many people I know are clutching at straws right now and our government is just watching. “A modified JobKeeper payment to NSW is necessary to ensure we can work our way through this lockdown and out of it. “Our members were walking in to work not knowing what was going to happen and now unfortunately our worst fears have come true. “The Government has had time to put in these measures, we have been through lockdowns before, and a scheme should already be in place.”

Adam Crouch

Member for Gosford, Liesl Tesch, said it was ‘too little, too late’ and that more needed to be done by the Federal Government to help businesses and workers survive the extended lockdown. “Thousands of people in my community are unable to work as a result of the restrictions and feel like they have no one to turn to,” Tesch said. “These businesses have already gone … some of them haven’t recovered from the first lockdown. “Last year JobKeeper was introduced to ensure our livelihoods were not compromised and to keep the economy rolling forward.” Tesch acknowledged the tough restrictions enforced across Greater Sydney meant that JobKeeper was now

needed more so than ever before. “JobKeeper should have been in the background already and the first lockdown should have been a learning curve,” she said. “What is the Government’s excuse now? “The rising cost of living is already a problem, add loss of jobs, for who knows how many weeks, and the constant fear and anxiety of getting COVID-19, plus the stress of having no money in the bank is a recipe for disaster. “We need JobKeeper – not tomorrow, not in a week - we need it now.” However, Morrison said at a press conference on Wednesday that he would not reintroduce the JobKeeper scheme as it was ‘not the right solution for the problems we have now, what we are doing is faster, it is more effective’. He also said this model will now be applied to all potential future lockdowns. Applications for the current COVID-19 Disaster Payment can be found on the Services Australia website. Maisy Rae

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Residents will fight decision to axe 30 Woy Woy trees The Central Coast branch of the Australian Conservation Foundation (CCACF) has hit out against Council’s plan to reclassify the 1 Austin Butler Acc lot for use at the Peninsula Plaza. ACF Branch president, Mark Ellis, said the community will fight to defend the 30 trees at Austin ButlerAvefollowingAdministrator, Rik Hart’s resolution to have it reclassified for sale at Tuesday night’s Council meeting. “The Woy Woy Peninsula is already suffering loss of tree cover, habitat and open space due to the Council’s planning policies,” Ellis said. “Woy Woy CBD needs more trees and open space and it is not

The CCACF has suggested Council is selling off open space to the owners of the Peninsula Plaza

for Council to sell this land that is attached to Woy Woy Oval and has been zoned for public recreation for over 50 years,” he said. “At the beginning of the community rally to ‘stop the selloff’ many expressed sadness at the loss of over 30 mature original stand Melaleucas that not only provide food source for endangered bats but for the myriad of urban fauna that frequent the area enjoyed by many. “Whilst we appreciate that some of the open spaces listed for sale have been spared for the moment, the community will fight to defend the 30 trees at Austin Butler Acc that are still up for

destruction. “They are creating harsh, hot and uncomfortable neighbourhoods that are unpleasant, unattractive and becoming unlivable, and the community will stand up to protect these much-loved trees that create this shady recreation space at Austin Butler Acc.” Ellis said Council’s report into land sales did not account for the fact that the land is heavily floodaffected, ensuring that the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment would not support a rezoning of the lot. Ellis said the removal of the trees, which falls under Council’s report in maintaining the public access path, would not be in the

public interest. “How is Council going to demonstrate to the Department why ancillary development use of car parking is more important than these essential trees?” Ellis said. “Or that this open space cannot be utilised as it is zoned when the objectives of the zone include: to enable land to be used for public open space or recreational purposes, provide a range of recreational settings, and protect and enhance the natural environment for recreational purposes.” Source: Media release, July 22 Central Coast ACF Branch

Community Environment Network NATIONAL TREE DAY August 1 is National Tree Day and, while we all hope to be out of lockdown as soon as possible, why not celebrate this important occasion in your own home by planting a tree or trees. National Tree Day started in 1996 and has grown into Australia's largest community tree-planting and nature care event. CEN thinks every day should be National Tree Day but on Sunday, August 1, we can all pause and think about the importance of trees in our lives. They provide shade to cool us. They provide habitat for everything from our Powerful Owls down to microorganisms and everything in between. Of course, COVID-19 means there are restrictions on community tree planting

events this year but that doesn’t mean you can’t have your own event on Sunday. CEN Wildplant Nursery Manager Bes Carr has the following tips for planting

WILDPLANT NURSERY GOES ONLINE

CEN is proud to launch the digital version of our wildplant nursery. We are looking forward to the return of our regular, first Saturday of the Month wildplant sales at CEN’s HQ off Brush Road, Ourimbah. Unfortunately we’ve had to postpone the August event due to uncertainty about the lifting of COVID restrictions. If we do get the all-clear to hold a sale during August, we will let you know and we look forward to seeing you on Saturday, September 4, just

in time for Father’s Day. Meanwhile, if over a month’s worth of stay-at-home orders have turned you into a green thumb, you no longer need to wait until the First Saturday Wildplant sale to satisfy your urge to shop. Just visit the cen.org.au/nursery, place your order and, presto, Happy Gardening! We are still building up the online nursery but our latest catalogue and order form along with some packages are available for you to purchase now.

trees. “Select a suitable area for a tree to be planted, this includes looking above, to make sure it won’t obstruct any power lines, rooftops, solar panels, in the future. “Look down, will the roots of the tree obstruct or potentially break through any pipes or utility cables. “Select a species of tree that is suitable to the conditions, consider amount of sunlight, soil type, size of the tree you would like. “Dig the hole the same depth as the pot your plant is in but make to hole approximately twice to three times as wide as the pot. “Remove the plant from the pot disturbing the roots as little as possible. “Place the plant in the centre of the hole and backfill with the same dirt that

you removed. “When the plant is in the hole the root ball should be touching the bottom of the hole. “Continue to backfill and press soil down firmly until the root ball is fully covered and level with the dirt from the pot. “Water in well after planting. “Watering well and less often will encourage roots to grow deeper, increasing its resilience. “Mulching around new plants reduces competition from weeds and helps keep the soil moist and cool.” Australian natives are adapted to our conditions so there is little to no need to fertilise, in fact fertilisers that are high in phosphate can be harmful to your plant and are not recommended.

NEW DATE FOR CEN FORUM The CEN annual forum is a time for the whole community to come together and share information about the Coast’s most important environmental issues, problems and victories. This year we’ve decided to be optimistic and set the date of Sunday, October 10, for the 2021 CEN Forum. The forum is always open to individual CEN members, member groups and to

the whole community. If you are interested in the local environment and want to get involved, this is a great opportunity to make a start, meet like-minded people, share knowledge and make contacts. The CEN executive, staff, volunteers and supporters look forward to seeing you there. So SAVE THE DATE – CEN FORUM – SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2021

CALENDAR OF EVENTS UPDATE The following events will go ahead subject to COVID restrictions. If you have already registered or you’re interested in doing so, we will keep you posted about any date or time changes as we get closer to scheduled dates. Saturday, August 7 - Save Our Swifty Day, Bateau Bay Friday, August 13 - COSS Connections Aboriginal cultural burning walk and talk Saturday, September 4 - Wildplant Nursery Sale Thursday, September 23 - COSS Connections Nocturnal Safari Narara For updates visit https://cen.org.au/events/cen-calendar

From the Chair I am honoured to take on the role of Chairperson of the Community Environment Network for the next 12 months. There are multiple challenges to our environment both locally and globally. You only have to look at the Central Coast Council’s Operational Budget for 2021-22 to illustrate the threat to our environment and the lack of consideration for our environment. With the Council’s current financial crisis, one has to wonder why the staff recommended to the Administrator that $8.1 million or 4.6% of the capital works budget is allocated to new ‘Footpaths’. One has to question why ‘Footpaths’ are so prominent as new projects across Council when services are being cut. When you take a deeper look into the capital works budget the allocation to new footpaths becomes even more questionable when you examine the new green budget projects. In the capital works budget $7.8 million or 4.4% is allocated to green projects. Initially this looks impressive until you realise that $6.9 million is the construction of a waste cell at Buttonderry Waste Management Facility with only $50,000 or 0.02% of the capital works budget allocated to a saltmarsh swale. Within the green budget no new projects are allocated to address climate change or undertake responsible land management within the Coastal Open Space System (COSS). Although there are multiple challenges facing our environment I admire and respect the dedication of CEN staff and the many volunteers who all work towards protecting our local environment.

The Community Environment Network (CEN) is an alliance of individuals and groups that work for ecologically sustainable development.

Support CEN - Become a member - Volunteer - Make a donation

www.cen.org.au Ph: 4349 4756

Gary Chestnut, CEN Chair

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NEWS

PAGE 5 29 JULY 2021

Community action halves Council’s asset sales list

Land taken off Council’s ‘for sale’ list included the Bullion Street Carpark at Umina (as previously reported); 7-9 Angler Street, Woy Woy; 83-85 Brisbane Avenue, Umina Beach; and 23-23A Memorial Avenue, Blackwall. The Lifestyle Village, at 1-3 Fassifern Street, Ettalong Beach is also off the Council’s list of land for sale much to the relief of its many residents. The revised list was made public in the lead up to the Tuesday, July 27 council meeting. The original list of tranche three sales has been cut in half with 19 sites to remain for sale, another 19 sites taken off the list and land in the Coast’s north under investigation. Of the 19 sites for sale, a number will be sold to interested buyers and not on the open market. During Tuesday night’s

meeting, Administrator Rik Hart resolved that Peninsula Plaza at Woy Woy will be offered Austin Butler Acc, Woy Woy, with a condition of sale that there will be no reduction in car park spaces and access through the site to the existing car parks at Austin Butler Oval must be maintained. The council report also revealed that sales from tranche one and two were already under way. To date, Council has exchanged and settled on contracts within Tranche 1 and 2 to the value of about $23.9 million but has not disclosed which properties have been sold or their sale prices. Following the release of the report in the leadup to Tuesday night’s Central Coast Council meeting, Save Our Reserves spokeswoman, Sue Chidgey, said it appeared to be mostly good news. “Several local environmental representatives are working through the list and the fine print but on first glance it looks like many of the sites that the community fought so hard for have been saved which we are hopeful will be given the final tick by the administrator at the next council meeting,” she said.

“A massive team effort to get the word out about the risk to community reserves and assets was co-ordinated by local reps for The Australian Conservation Foundation, Coast Environmental Alliance, Community Environment Network and GUST ensured hundreds of local residents were able to stand up for their cherished assets.” Chidgey had campaigned to save parks including those in Brisbane Avenue, Umina, and Memorial Ave, Blackwall. Community activist Zina Harije, from CEN Youth, said it was a great result overall and the efforts of the community voices must be commended.

“The fact that some pieces of operational land were removed for consideration shows that Council listened to the concerned community,” she said. However, she said it was disappointing Austin Butler Acc, in Woy Woy remained for sale. “We are all experiencing the increased effects of Climate Change, and Council would better serve the future needs of the community by guarding as many green spaces as possible,” she said. On April 27, Council resolved to allow for community consultation of its proposed tranche three sales.

The consultation concluded a month later with 1,333 submissions, 611 emails and letters. Council said its Business Recovery Plan required a review of its property assets which could be disposed of to assist with its financial situation. The council announced at the beginning of October last year that it faced immediate and serious liquidity issues. By the end of the month, the councillors had been suspended and anAdministrator took on the role of the councillors. After six months, the suspension continued, a public inquiry was called to look at the financial mismanagement and an administrator continues to take the place of the councillors. In other parts of the Coast, Mr Hart resolved to sell a community hall at Norah Head but added the proviso that the land at 75 Bungary Road, would not be sold until another community hall is being built. Of the 19 sites for sale, a number will be sold to interested buyers. For example, the Mariners Football Club Developments Pty Ltd will be offered land along Wyong Rd, Tuggerah with

Council noting the existing E3 zoning will be retained and land will be used as a vegetation buffer to the club’s development. The Salvation Army will be offered 15-23 Hely St Wyong. St Joseph's Catholic College will be offered 3 Albert St, East Gosford with a condition of sale that the number of parking spaces will be maintained. Council will sell 8 Bay Village Road, Bateau Bay and 10 Bay Village Road, Bateau Bay once a new library is established. Land at 10W Woodcutters Road, Woongarrah will be offered to the adjoining neighbour. Wyong Rugby League Club will be offered 191 Wallarah Road, Kanwal and 48W Wallarah Road, Gorokan. The other parcels of land to be reclassified for sale are located in The Entrance, Toukley, Wyoming, Long Jetty, Wyong, Killarney Vale, Bensville and Bushells Ridge. Land taken off the market and no longer for sale was located in Wyong, Toukley, The Entrance, Killarney Vale; Kiar Ridge, East Gosford, Gosford, Narara and Terrigal. Source: Council Meeting July 27 Agenda item 2.1

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Future of Austin Butler trees still in community hands says Hart A recommendation to reclassify Lot 1, 9 Austin Butler Acc, Woy Woy, as a precursor to its sale, was adopted by Administrator Rik Hart on July 27 even though he said he sympathised with the community’s desire to save its trees. Jennifer Wilder, Peninsula resident and teacher of 10 years, gave a compelling address to Central Coast Council on July 27 in an effort to save the land from being reclassified from Community to Operation land so it could be sold to the adjoining Peninsula Plaza shopping centre. Wilder said she had grown increasingly concerned about Woy Woy becoming an urban heat island and that there had been a “frightening and negligent” lack of replacement planting as the area’s tree canopy was lost. She recommended that Administrator Rik Hart “treat yourself to a glimpse of the google satellite image in order to understand the extent of the treelessness”

and entreated him to stop the providence trees on the “rare pocket” of green space at Austin Butler from being removed as a result of the proposed reclassification and sale. “There is an opportunity here and frankly a responsibility to retain pocket parks and wildlife corridors especially when they are non-existent in that part of Woy Woy,” she said. “The community is seeking a greener and more liveable suburb.” She said there was a worrying lack of a realistic masterplan for Woy Woy and that a strategy for more trees needs to be part of a masterplan “that benefits not just developers but the community”. She described the Peninsula’s old trees as a “high-performing asset”. “Please administrator let’s not squander that opportunity.” Hart said he shared many of Wilder’s concerns. He then proceeded to go through each of the land

holdings on the list for sale and resolved to move ahead with each. The Administrator reiterated “why we were in this position” as has become his custom when discussing the Council’s asset sales program. “Council had by all definitions gone broke,” he said. “That is what it is all about tonight, doing something about our agreement or business plan that we put to the bank,” he said in relation to the conditions applied to a $100 million commercial loan he secured late in 2020.

“It is against that background that we had to embark upon a sales program. Following the release of the July 27 Business Paper Council had continued to receive emails particularly against the Austin Butler site, Hart said. He said the asset sale was “the most difficult task that I have had and we have had inside the organisation because nobody wants to be selling green spaces. “These are the sort of things that we clearly don’t want to be going against but we clearly have to sell some of

these properties.” The reclassification of 1 Austin Butler Acc was Recommendation eight. “I have spent quite a bit of time in the wet and rain walking over the site and having a look at it…trying to understand its relationship with the plaza and the other shopping centres and so on,” Hart said. “I took one look and I shared with one of the speakers a lot of the sentiments that were raised.” He described the patch of endangered Melaluca Biconvexa as “a lovely stand of trees”. Hart revealed that he had been approached by the adjoining Peninsula Plaza and the Peninsula Business Chamber with concerns about the long term future of Woolworths. “I can’t comment on what the plans of Woolworths are other than it is a poor performance store in the scheme of things.” He explained the restricted loading dock area and said it needed to change.

“Clearly that might come at the expense of some of those trees there,” he said. “If we put it up as a reclassification it gives the community the opportunity to have a full and frank discussion with the Chamber about the viability of the retail at that end of the shopping strip,” he said. “The condition of any sale there is that there could be no reduction in the number of car parks and access ways to the oval and back would need to be retained. “As far as I am concerned this is a community based decision.” Mr Hart then resolved to push on with the reclassification of Austin Butler Acc from Community to Operational land with the intention to sell it to Peninsula Plaza. He said the reclassification process was laid out in legislation and can take up to 18 months and enables the community to have a say. Merilyn Vale and Jackie Pearson

Central Coast Friends of Democracy

Demerger Petition launched

The Friends of Democracy is focused on returning democracy to our community and reclaiming our Council.

Initially this means considering the question of a demerger and how it would be achieved. On 14 June, Professor Joseph Drew outlined some of the issues around mergers and demergers - a copy of the presentation is now available on our website. Five years after Gosford and Wyong Councils were merged rates are increasing, staff have been axed, community assets are being sold and services cut. Our community has lost their voice without democratically elected representatives that have been replaced by an Administrator who works for the State government. On 31 October 2020, it was reported that “the state government’s controversial council merger policy is in crisis, with the 20 amalgamation councils losing $1.03 billion in three years and ratepayers facing hikes in rates and cuts in services” (SMH). That report listed Central Coast Council’s accumulated losses since merger as $112m, with Bayside, Inner West and Parramatta Councils with even larger losses over the same period. In May 2021, the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) determined rate increases for 10 Councils. Eight of these were merged Councils with increases ranging from 8% to 53.5%. It is clear that amalgamations have

increased costs for residents, removed the community’s voice and were not properly funded by the NSW government. In two merged Council areas, community groups have been working through the demerger process - Snowy Valleys Council and Cootamundra Gundagai Regional Council areas. Recently the Minister has refused these demerger requests and instead announced an independent review into the Local Boundaries Commission. This is not the end of the matter for those communities. In addition, residents in at least 4 other merged Council areas are calling for their community to have their say through a referendum, poll or petition. It is time for our Central Coast community to have their say on the demerger question. It rests with our community to initiate a petition and it is a significant task requiring over 25,000 signatures. Process for Council Demergers The Local Government Act 1993 is the key legislation that guides local Councils. There appears to be two relevant parts of the LG Act (Chapter 9)- how areas are constituted and how boundaries are altered. In both cases, there are a number of ways that a proposal can be initiated. A proposal may be made by: • the Minister for Local Government • a Council affected by the proposal, or • by an appropriate number of electors

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(10% of enrolled electors) A proposal then triggers a process where the Minister has a lot of discretion. The Minister can reject the proposal at any stage. If it proceeds, it is referred the Boundaries Commission for a report back to the Minister. (This is the same Boundaries Commission that is now under review). The Minister then decides whether to recommend to the Governor that a proposal be accepted (with or without changes) - or not.

Make Your Voice Count Sign the petition to demerge - in a COVID friendly way

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Job Saver latest plan to keep businesses afloat More financial support for local businesses was announced on Wednesday, July 28 with the news that the Greater Sydney lockdown would be extended for a further four weeks. The State Government announced two new programs as part of their $4.1B financial rescue package – a COVID-19 micro-business grant and a JobSaver Payment. Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast, Adam Crouch, said the programs are in addition to the one-off grants ranging between $7,500 and $15,000 which opened to businesses last week. “Starting this week, businesses with an annual turnover between $30,000 and $75,000 can receive a tax-free payment of

$1,500 per fortnight for as long as the lockdown lasts,” Crouch said. “This is the first time since the pandemic began that ‘micro’ businesses have received financial support. “The ‘Job Saver’ program has also gone live on the Service NSW website this week and provides weekly payments between $1,500 and $10,000 for businesses that do not sack their staff. Crouch said the State Government’s launch of the program was due to the Federal Government’s ‘refusal to provide JobKeeper’. Service NSW has reportedly hired additional staff to process funding applications within days, rather than weeks, of being received. Crouch said the financial

package also includes payroll tax relief for Central Coast businesses. “All businesses can defer their monthly payroll tax until October and a 25 per cent reduction in payroll tax is being provided to any business whose annual wages bill is below $10 million,” he said. An expansion was also made to the COVID-19 Business Support Payment on Wednesday which allows businesses to receive payments of between $1,500 and $100,000 per week based on the level of their payroll. The maximum turnover threshold was also increased from $50 million to $250 million. The payment will continue to be calculated based on 40 percent of payroll for businesses that have suffered a 30 percent or more decline in turnover.

For non-employing businesses, such as sole-traders, the payment will remain set at $1,000 per week. The support will continue to be conditional on businesses maintaining their employee headcount as of July 13 (covering permanent and long-term casual employees) by not taking active steps to terminate their employment. The expanded payment will take effect from the start of the program – July 18, 2021. Businesses that have already submitted an application will not need to do anything - their payment will be automatically adjusted consistent with the expanded program. For more information visit the Service NSW website. Maisy Rae

NEWS PAGE 7 Four more weeks, brace yourself!

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From page 1

Member for Gosford, Liesl Tesch, said today’s announcement of a return to construction was “great news” for local tradies who had lost work as a result of the restrictions, and also for students. “The government using us as a buffer zone is really hurting businesses across the Coast,” she said. “I understand we need to protect our health, but from a business perspective – it’s really hurting our businesses. “We also should be prioritising our best possible solutions for our Year 12 students and teachers who are doing their upmost to work from home.

29 JULY 2021

“It’s been a moving target for them. “And so I would encourage students to use the professional services to support what you are going through and all of the changes happening right now. “It’s okay to get in touch for support – there is lots of providers available online and over the phone’. For anyone needing support or assistance, Lifeline is available to listen 24/7. Call 13 11 14 at any time, or text 0477 13 11 14 (available 6pm to midnight). More information about the COVID-19 restrictions can be found on the NSW Health website. Maisy Rae

Inquiry moves ahead but referendum stalls A public hearing to be held as part of the Inquiry into Central Coast Council may be held at the end of September but the referendum on the number of Councillors will not be going ahead on September 4. During the July 27 Central Coast Council meeting,

conducted via YouTube live stream, Administrator Rik Hart, said Commissioner McCulloch had been contacting Council staff and members of the public regarding the meeting. He said the possible September meeting was likely to be held in the Wyong Chamber of Central Coast Council and may be live streamed.

McCulloch will release a list of the names of people and groups who have made submissions but will not be releasing the actual submissions into the public domain. According to Hart that decision is because of the defamatory and inappropriate nature of the content of some submissions. Hart also announced that, in

line with the decision made by NSW Local Government Minister, Shelley Hancock, to delay local government elections until December 4, across the whole state, Council would not be going ahead with its September 4 referendum. Former Interim Administrator, Dick Persson, resolved to have a referendum to determine public

support for reducing the number of elected Central Coast Councillors from 15 to nine and the number of wards from five to three. Even though Minister Hancock had already suspended the next Central Coast Council election until late 2022, after the public inquiry, the compulsory referendum was still scheduled

to go ahead on September 4. Mr Hart said an alternative date had not yet been chosen for the referendum and would be determined at a future time. Merilyn Vale and Jackie Pearson

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PAGE 8 29 JULY 2021

NEWS

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NSW Government takes responsibility for channel dredging

Ettalong Channel is set to benefit from a $6.2 million dredging program to be carried out by the NSW Government. This week’s announcement has finally put to bed the dispute over who is responsible for funding dredging of the Ettalong channel. It was only a few months ago that the waterway was designated as a ‘key investment location’ under the NSW

Photo: Wagstaffe to Killcare Community Association

Government’s Maritime Infrastructure Delivery Office. The Office’s aim was to improve the coordination and delivery of coastal and boating infrastructure programs and projects across the state. Financing dredging of the channel has been a point of contention for years, with stalemates between Council and the State Government over who should foot the bill seeing the waterway closed on several

occasions in recent years. Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast, Adam Crouch, said the Ettalong Channel was one of five key locations to be included in the dredging program. “Ettalong Channel provides a key navigational entrance to Brisbane Water that is used by recreational and commercial vessels, including the highlypopular ferry service,” Crouch said.

“History shows us that the channel between Half Tide Rocks and Ettalong Beach needs occasional dredging because of its dynamic nature with shifting sand creating shoals that threaten boating access. “Dredging will be carried out near Box Head,as investigations have shown that shoaling is causing waves to break and create potential hazards for vessels entering and exiting

the channel. “Keeping the Ettalong Channel safe and accessible is significant to support both commercial operators and recreational users. “Once further investigation work has been completed by NSW Maritime and the project receives planning approval, I will inform our community of the scope and timeline for this important work.” The state-wide program,

Photo: Andy Smith Photography

which is being overseen by NSW Maritime, will also focus on the Swansea Channel, Town Green Moorings at Port Macquarie, Bermagui Boat Harbour and Evans Head Boat Harbour. Source: Media release, July 27 Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast, Adam Crouch

Liesl Tesch MP Member for Gosford

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PAGE 9 29 JULY 2021

BUDGET 2021

DELIVERING FOR THE CENTRAL COAST Lucy Wicks and the Morrison Government are supporting families on the Central Coast. Providing tax cuts of up to $2,745 for around 55,400 low and middle-income earners. Cutting the cost of living for around 1,590 families with an additional $1.7 billion investment in child care. Investing record funding for schools, hospitals, mental health and the NDIS. Supporting women’s health, including funding for cervical and breast cancer, endometriosis, and reproductive health. For more information go to: www.liberal.org.au/budget

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Greening strategy may take 30 years to work

The Woy Woy Peninsula takes centre stage in the Central Coast Council’s Greener Places Strategy, adopted by Administrator Rik Hart on Tuesday, July 27. The strategy aims to address the maintenance and management of urban greenspace across both private and public land, with a focus on addressing Urban Heat Island Effects and improving liveability. It has taken two years to get to the stage where it is ready for adoption but the results of some of the actions will not be felt for 30 years. The strategy gives an overview of the “heat sink” nature of the Woy Woy Peninsula, which the community has been increasingly conscious of in recent years. Blackwall, Booker Bay, Ettalong Beach, St Hubert’s Island, Umina Beach and Woy Woy are included in the list of 19 suburbs for priority planting to mitigate urban heat island effects. It projects that an increase of canopy cover by 5 per cent will be achieved 30 years after the initial planting. It names Pearl Beach as one of

the Coast’s “unique urban ecosystems” but reveals that the Woy Woy Peninsula has less than 10 per cent canopy cover. An investigation conducted into changes to tree canopy cover and number of impervious surfaces in Woy Woy between 2005 and 2014 is included in the strategy. Over this time canopy cover declined by 173 hectares and the area of impervious surfaces increased by 84 hectares and unplantable space by 113 hectares. “The effect may be difficult to counteract as the area of plantable space only increased by 24 hectares,” the Strategy states. “Urban Heat Island mapping has shown that on hot days Central Coast’s 10 hottest suburbs are between 3.4 and 5.7 degrees hotter than background level,” it says. “For example, the forest of Blackwall Mountain is four degrees Celsius cooler than a nearby suburban Blackwall house. “Between 2013 and 2018 Ettalong became 2.6 degrees hotter than background areas in nearby bushland, “Over time and unabated the

Proposal for greening Woy Woy

impacts of Urban Heat Island will continue and possibly intensify as a result of continued development intensification.” There are four framework priorities included in the Greener Places Strategy: enhancing Council’s capacity and capabilities to implement a greening vision across all land tenures; creating liveable places for people to enjoy and increase community capacity to participate in the greening vision; enhance ecological resilience and responding to climate change across the region; and improving value for money alternative transport options such as walking and

riding leading to an improvement in liveability, real estate demand, and tourism potential. The framework priorities are underpinned by 10 guiding principles including that tree retention should be given precedence over removal, native trees and shrubs are preferable to introduced species, and community needs to play a pivotal part in implementation of the strategy. Actions will be delivered over the next 15 years. Council considered the draft Greener Places Strategy in July 2019 and endorsed it for public exhibition. The draft strategy was placed

on public exhibition from August 5 until September 5, 2019. Submissions were received from 41 Central Coast suburbs and suburbs on the Woy Woy peninsula dominated the submissions, with 10 submissions occurring each in Woy Woy and Umina Beach and nine from Ettalong. The remaining suburbs had four or less submissions but all indicated support for greening activities in their suburbs. Of the 99 submissions received, 95 included total support, two included partial support and one did not support. Those that included partial support suggested that they appreciate the value of trees but wanted assurances that planted trees would be adequately maintained, according to the Council’s report on the community consultation. “The results show that the community places a high value on providing habitat for urban wildlife, with a few submitters wishing to increase the number of birds they see in their backyard. “Others suggested that they had observed a decline in urban wildlife over time. “Submitters showed a strong

E C I T O N PUBLIC Unhappy with the performance of our Central Coast Council? We are seeking your support for the de-amalgamation. Two proposals to the NSW Local Government minister have been prepared in easy petition format and are ready to download and sign. Simply download the proposal forms and follow the instructions to participate. Once sufficient signatures ffrom enrolled residents have been collected, the proposal will be submitted to the local government minister, who is then obliged to create a Boundaries Commission Inquiry.

interest in the draft Strategy mitigating the Urban Heat Island, which demonstrates the high level of community understanding of this concept. “A number of these submitters also believe that the Urban Heat Island in their neighbourhoods is becoming more severe each summer. Many submissions also mentioned that the Strategy will mitigate climate change effects, through either reducing heat impacts or through the storage of carbon within trees (Table 1). “In consideration of the availability of funds into the medium term, actions included in the Strategy have been ranked according to the ability to implement within the current and future resourcing,” the strategy says. The strategy specifically excludes “bushland or other natural areas or the adequacy of current open space across the Central Coast”. The strategy builds on from the Greening Wyong Strategy of 2016 and is aimed at “guiding proactive management of public trees such as those located in streets and parks”. Source: Agenda Item 2.3, July 27 Central Coast Council meeting

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GUST aims to keep growing as part of Peninsula Environment Group Local community environment organisation, Grow Urban Shade Trees (GUST), has joined forces with the Peninsula Environment Group (PEG) to help focus on sustainable living on the Peninsula. Having worked with Umina Community Group for the last four years, GUST built a base of volunteers to help plant and water trees and engage with the community, along with completing several grant projects for street tree planting. GUST now aims to focus on the Peninsula as a sub-group of PEG. GUST credited PEG’s work in “being the tree that strengthens their growth”, with the group becoming the main voice for local issues that threaten the landscape. Founding member, Jennifer

The GUST gang

Wilder, said the group was excited to partner up with another organisation whose primary focus was on sustainability and the environment. “GUST is grateful to the Umina Community Group for helping us establish ourselves as a group by auspicing our grant applications and for sharing our vision of cooler greener streetscapes,” Wilder said. “GUST’s focus is wider than just Umina, however, and we felt that the Peninsula Environment Group aligned more closely with our objectives. “We are greatly encouraged by the members of PEG who have driven wonderful projects like The Woy Woy Peninsula Community Garden in Moana Street and the much-loved

Woytopia event. “We look forward to combining our acquired knowledge and skills to bring about new projects that will deliver a healthier, happier and more liveable Peninsula into the future.” Wilder said GUST hoped to collaborate with PEG to promote ‘nature play’ with tree planting and care. “GUST will continue street, park and garden planting and building community awareness of the enormous benefits of urban trees,” she said. “Hands-on experiences are a wonderful opportunity for children to learn about the importance of our precious natural assets. “Other ideas in the pipeline include a possible collaboration with local First Nations community members in the

formation of a bush-tucker garden. “[We] aim to get trees into the ground throughout the entire Peninsula, most of which is suffering from a now welldocumented Urban Heat Island effect. “While Council nursery staff have been most helpful, there has been a frustrating lack of collaboration from some elements within Council. “This, along with Covid restrictions, has slowed tree planting projects for National Tree Day this year unfortunately.” GUST have put the call out to encourage locals to get in touch if they are looking to plant a tree on their verge. Their new contact details are: gust@peg.org.au Maisy Rae

Intersection design coming in March 2022 The upgrade of the roundabout at the intersection of Ocean Beach Road and Rawson Road, Woy Woy is a step closer according to Central Coast Council. In a statement responding to questions about the intersection from PP, Council said it remained committed to improving roads and traffic flow for the community and is one step closer to upgrading the roundabout at the intersection. “The project is fully funded by the Australian Government under the $86.5 million Central Coast Roads Package, which forms part of the Urban Congestion Fund,” the statement from Central Coast Council said. “The upgrade of the existing single-lane roundabout will

ease traffic congestion at this busy regional road intersection, reduce flooding risks and improve safety for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians - as well as reduce Council’s ongoing maintenance costs,” it

said. “This much-needed upgrade will meet the demands of the current and growing population of the Coast’s Peninsula. “The intersection is the main entry to the Peninsula and

coastal suburbs for commuters coming from the M1 Motorway, and the existing roundabout is inadequate for current traffic volumes with commuters often experiencing significant traffic delays during peak periods.

“The Ocean Beach Road and Rawson Road Intersection upgrade will reduce travel time and improve traffic performance to meet current and future demands. “Council has already

commenced preliminary planning investigations for this project including surveying, services locating, traffic surveys and initial traffic modelling. “A concept design is currently being prepared for further consultation with stakeholders and is expected to be fully complete in March 2022 with a detailed design expected to be completed in July 2022. “Once all investigations are complete Council will be in a position to provide more details around the timing of this project’s progression. “Council will continue to liaise with stakeholders as the project progresses, and continue to keep the community up-to-date with key milestones.” Media statement, July 27 Central Coast Council

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Council compliments grow but complaints grow too Central Coast Council received almost the same number of compliments as complaints in the first three months of this year from January 1 to March 31 - quarter three (Q3) of the 2020-2021 financial year. Staff performance made up 43 per cent of compliments followed by general feedback 23 per cent and quality of work 21 per cent. Compliments grew by 14 per cent from the previous quarter. There were 131 compliments and 133 complaints. There was no real change in the number of community

complaints from the previous quarter but staff complaints grew by 30 per cent in quarter three. Council said it was unclear what caused the increase but said this would be monitored in Q4 to determine any trends and potential mitigation. “Our initial review of these complaints shows a likely cause is staff stress with the current financial situation and the impacts on their own resilience,” Council said. “This has been discussed at a senior level to implement some strategies to support staff and to also encourage staff to complete the Customer Experience training module.

“We will continue to monitor during Q4 to determine any trends and potential mitigation.” On average 11 sensitive (staff) complaints were received per month for Q3 period. Most public complaints related to level of service with 35 per cent of all complaints, followed by general feedback. The number of complaints relating to the value of fees and charges remained low with two in Q3, followed by Council decisions with seven complaints. “On average in the third quarter of 2020-21 about 47 complaints were received per

month,”Council said. The overview of complaints and compliments received during the third quarter period of financial year 2020-2021, was reported to Council’s Audit Risk and Improvement Committee. Council has a Customer Feedback Management Policy, adopted in March 2021, which sets out the approach that Council takes to ensure customers have the opportunity to make complaints or provide feedback about issues they may have regarding potentially inappropriate, unethical or unfair behaviours or practices committed by Council officials. “Feedback from our

community provides Council with valuable insights into areas where service standards are meeting customer’s expectations or where service standards have not been met and improvements need to be made,” Council said. Most community and staff complaints, 78 per cent, are responded to within the service level of 10 working days, Council said. The majority of both complaints and compliments reach Council through email and phone. “Phone and email channels are the most expensive to service our customers,” Council said.

“Email continues to be the highest and the most preferred channel for contact. “Our strategy going forward is to direct our customers through the Online Customer Service Centre (portal) to reduce costs that are occurring through double handling of contact as all compliments and complaints are entered into the CX system. “Council will undertake a new digital campaign commencing in July 2021 as an ‘always on’ program to encourage customers to use the Online Customer Service Centre.” SOURCE: ARIC Business Paper, June 24 Website, Central Coast Council

Hart continues push for permanent rate rise The Administrator of Central Coast Council, Rik Hart, is pushing ahead with his campaign to convince the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) to make the 13 per cent rate increase over the peg permanent. IPART determined that Central Coast Council could have a

Special Rate Variation (SRV) of 15 per cent, which is 13 per cent over the current statewide rate peg, for the next three years. However, the Council has based its long-term financial modelling on that 13 per cent variation staying in the rate base permanently. Hart has subsequently argued

that not retaining the SRV for the long-term would result in Central Coast Council’s financial situation being unsustainable. He announced, in June, his intention to meet with the head of IPART in an effort to convince her of the need to make the rate rise permanent. During the July 27 Council

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meeting, Hart announced that he and CEO, David Farmer, had met with the Chair of IPART, Carmel Donnelly and her CEO to discuss the IPART determination. Hart said he believed Donnelly had listened to the argument he put forward but there were “no guarantees”. “We were able to get across

our points of view … they did listen to us and what we want to do,” he said. He reiterated Council’s intention to apply for an adjustment to water and sewer rates and another SRV and said, of those applications, “We will need to make sure they are very, very good applications because, quite clearly, the

Council did not put in a good application [the last time it applied for the water and sewer adjustment]”. Hart has also continued to hold virtual meetings with local MPs and discussed their key concerns and with key community stakeholder groups. Jackie Pearson

How about facing up to some real issues Laurie Powell’s call for a new railway station at south Woy Woy is a little puzzling (“Build a new railway station to fix crowded roads”, PP 019). The last time I looked there was no railway line in south Woy Woy (which is where I live), so a railway station would seem, on the face of it, to be a bit superfluous. Even if we were to consider a new station in west Woy Woy, it’s hard to see how this could be practical. To be of any use, it would have to be too close to the existing Woy Woy station for the trains to operate efficiently. If Mr Powell has looked at this section of track, he would see that it runs on top of a high embankment: building a station here would tax the designer’s ingenuity, and, if a parking garage is to be added on top of that, the problem is pretty well insoluble. Unless Shoalhaven Drive is opened up, access to the station would be inadequate, and there would certainly be a significant problem in routing buses to this point. He is right that the proper place for a parking garage is over the railway tracks. Ms Wicks’ chimerical “fully funded” garage now turns out to be an illusory thing for which a site has not even been chosen. The “early July” date on which we were to see a full-fledged proposal has come and gone, and we seem no closer than we were at the time of election promises past. Choosing a site and sketching out a proposal is not an overwhelming task, and any

FORUM competent agency would have had this preliminary stage well and truly finished by now. Is it possible that the project is being dragged out, so that it can be re-announced at the next election? The present government is big on promises (vide the pandemic response) but short on delivery, so it would be convenient to have a ready-made promise to hand for Peninsula electors. It seems obvious that the site, when it is eventually unveiled, will be the narrow strip of railway land along Railway Street. This ridiculously inadequate parcel will make little contribution to meeting Woy Woy’s parking demands unless the site is extended over the adjoining lines. With this addition to the area, a substantial number of spaces could be added, and even this will barely cover existing need. Anybody who commutes regularly to Sydney knows that there is no spare space in the existing parking garage after about 6am so we shall still be playing catch-up with no longterm idea of what to do next - a typical situation for Central Coast Council. Instead of piffling around with relandscaping Woy Woy oval and like endeavours, how about facing up to some of the real issues that have to be dealt with. Who knows: if we do it right, there might even be some economies in three years’ time, when Mr Hart will be but an unlamented dim memory. Email, July 26 Bruce Hyland, Woy Woy

On December 4, people across NSW will be voting for their representatives in Local Government.

29 JULY 2021

But NOT on the Central Coast. Here, unlike other citizens across the state, we’re not entitled to vote to select who will represent us on Council. Instead, we are to be offered the sham of a ‘referendum’ [at a date to be determined]. But the referendum question is truly a howler! It is not about the really pressing questions that local residents want to address: should the badly planned and costly amalgamation of the two previous councils be reversed? Should the Council’s rates charged to all ratepayers be increased? Should council assets be sold? No, it is a complete red herring, on the number of councillors to be elected in future. It is difficult to believe this is serious. Under Commonwealth Law, a referendum is a vote used to approve a change to the Australian Constitution. The rules are set out in Section 128 of the Constitution. Importantly, the referendum question must start as a bill (that is a proposed law) presented to the Australian Parliament. If, and only if, the bill is passed by the Parliament, can the proposal then be presented to Australian voters as a referendum. This should take place between two and six months after the bill is passed. To succeed, the vote must be passed by a double majority: a majority of the voters in a majority (at least four) of the states. Voting is compulsory and can only take place after the Australian Electoral Commission has ensured that a statement of the proposed change and an authorised summary of both the ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ cases has been sent to every Australian on the electoral roll. On the Central Coast, there has been no bill passed by elected representatives. There has been no debate by

FORUM councillors. There has been no call from the population for changes of the kind set out in our proposal. No, this measure was decided entirely without public debate or consideration by any elected representatives whatsoever. The scheduled referendum is not likely to save money, nor will it even be conducted by the NSW Electoral Commission. Rather it is to be managed by a private company, for a cost of almost $2 million. All this while an unelected

administrator seeks to raise rates a record amount every year for the next ten years. I’d like to say, ‘What a farce!’, but it’s much worse than that. This is a serious affront to democracy. If it’s not corrupt, it certainly has the feeling of a corrupt and dodgy deal about it. Something that one might expect in a poor third world country with a failed state rather than a democratic system of government. It’s time for ordinary people to have a chance to elect representatives we choose ourselves, to implement reforms under a properly democratic

process. Without democracy, we are nothing better than a corrupt third world dictatorship. Is there anyone who would prefer a system in which the powerful manipulate rules and procedures to their own benefit, while ordinary people pay increased rates for the privilege of paying for expensive ‘referendums’. That’s a question we should be debating on the coast and putting to the vote in September. Email, July 22 Michael Fine, Woy Woy

Ratepayers, ask questions Why are we having a referendum to reduce ratepayers democratic rights? Council was amalgamated and an administrator appointed without any referendum or consultation. The referendum is costing ratepayers $1.8 million plus costs we haven’t been told about, for example, who is paying for advertising? Council is bleating about the need for reducing costs while

FORUM spending $1.8 million on a referendum and $500,000 on a new CEO. Who authorised this lavish salary? Ratepayers were not consulted. Newspaper reports refer to statements by ‘the council’ but who does ‘the council’ consist of? Government appointees. Reducing 15 councillors to nine hardly represents residential ratepayers’ best interest in one of

the largest council areas in the state. Large lobby groups will have best access. A rate rise of between 15 per cent and 45 per cent, has been granted for three years but the administrator is already lobbing for increases beyond that. Shouldn’t that be left up to a new elected council? Ratepayers, please start asking questions. Email, July 25 Ian Tylee, Ettalong

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Referendum an affront to democracy

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Make mums and children our priority We are experiencing a situation where many single parents, and especially single mums, particularly those on welfare, or with disabled children, are finding it impossible to get a rental place. This is happening in a first world country due to greedy property owners and a system that somehow is pushing prices of rentals up so much that prices are out of reach of many disadvantaged tenants. We have government houses but not enough for a

FORUM growing disadvantaged population and the policies in place to protect the disadvantaged do not work on their own but need to be empowered. The system is not adequate to cope with demand. I know that many famous people donate to charities and donate a lot, but the money is mostly absorbed by bureaucracy such as was the case for the 2019-20 summer bushfires where the many millions donated by famous people was supposed to go

directly to those affected. But little, almost nothing, went to those that lost their homes and livelihoods in the fires. The money was kept by the bureaucracy and used for things like technical equipment for fire brigades, things that the government should provide and should not be taken from money donated by the good American people to the disadvantaged Australian. I ask one thing: could some of the famous people please pay a bit of attention to our internal third world that is largely disregarded because

we assume that first world countries are better off. We can be worse off in some cases and it is our children that suffer. Our disadvantaged single mums, both in Australia and in America, need help for they can no longer live in peace and are at the mercy of a system that is unforgivably cruel. Lady Gaga, Nicole Kidman Oprah Winfrey and the many other famous people - we need help and as the world is shaping into a new system, due to COVID-19, let’s make this system a better one. Money is not the only thing

needed, we can also expose the problems so that something is done in practical and direct terms. In Australia we have a tremendous problem of domestic violence that leads to homelessness for many single mums. Let’s stop being judgmental and start to help. It is very easy for the older generation to criticise but the elderly were very lucky for their world was a much better place and many older people have stuffed up due to greed, selfishness and ignorance. The world is not the same for young people.

They simply do not have the same opportunities. Let’s do something direct that we can see rather than give money that does not go to those that need it. We have a third world crisis in America and Australia (of course other countries as well). Let’s help our mums and our children. The children belong to all of us because, after all, we have not inherited earth from our ancestors but borrowed it from our children.

and incorrectly releasing money to incompetent councils who incorrectly misspend it. And further savings can be made by sacking the government officials who hand out money to the councils. Use their salaries to help with write offs. Similarly, here in Central Coast, sack the staff who have been incompetently and incorrectly misspending infrastructure funding on

discretionary projects. Use their positions and that money to fund the staff that do the projects to build and maintain basic infrastructure for the benefit of all. Do that for the next three to five years instead of ripping off local ratepayers and the books will be looking pretty good all-round. And so will the local government area.

Email, July 26 Alfredo Zotti, Blackwall

Problem solving 101 NSW government incompetently and incorrectly put taxpayers’ money into the hands of the Central Coast Council which incompetently and incorrectly misspent that money. Central Coast ratepayers did not benefit from that money. Just take a look at the state of the fundamental, basic infrastructure in this local government area. Roads, guttering, drainage

FORUM See Page 2 for address and contribution conditions. Opinions expressed are those of the writer and not necessarily of the newspaper and footpaths are a disgrace. Too many roadsides and laneways are un-made and unmaintained.

Too many weeds and too much rubbish collects until it eventually goes down storm drains that do work and pollutes our waterways. The administrator should tell the State Government that the ratepayers did not cause the financial problems, nor did they benefit from the misspent money so they should not have to pay it back. NSW Government should accept responsibility for wrongly releasing the money

and should ‘retire the debt’. Then Council should be banned from spending any money on any discretionary facility or amenity (for minority ratepayer groups) until the basic and fundamental infrastructure (for the majority of ratepayers) is fixed. Past, present and future problems solved! How can NSW Government afford and recover the loss of writing off the debt? It can stop incompetently

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OUT & ABOUT PAGE 17 29 JULY 2021

Twist to make Spring sparkle

Photos: Lisa Haymes

The Coastal Twist’s Arts and Culture Festival is hoping to make a sparkling return this Spring after being cancelled last year due to COVID-19 restrictions. Coastal Twist broke regional boundaries at its launch in 2019 by connecting the region’s LGBTIQ creatives with new opportunities, audiences and streams on a national scale. Festival Director Glitta Supernova said this year’s theme of ‘Be the Change’, was taken from Ghandi’s quote – ‘Be the change you wish to see in the world’. “If 2020 was the year of the pandemic, 2021 is the year of re-evaluating how everything we have always thought would run to plan has to shift and how we all have to do our bit to adapt in order to survive,” Supernova said. “This year we are doubling our festival days and events running for six days with 11 activations,” they said. “For the 2021 Coastal Twist Art exhibition we are ecstatic to

have guest curator and iconic photographer C.Moore Hardy, whose photographs of Sydney’s LGBTIQ community spanning three decades

are an institution.” The Coastal Twist 2021 Art exhibition will run from September 29 to October 7 at Jasmine Greens, Umina Beach.

Local LGBTIQ 2D and 3D artists have until August 30 to submit their work or ideas for possible inclusion and sale in the exhibition.

Works can include paintings, photography, printmaking, collage, ceramics, drawing and sculptures. “There’s excitement;

everything comes to life and the noise levels go up as soon as we start getting the word out that Coastal Twist is back for 2021 which is a great thing,” Supernova said. “We are trying to create amazing experiences for all ages, family types, abilities and this art exhibition will launch the festival. “The Art Exhibition is intentionally designed to showcase LGBTIQ Central Coast artists to local, statewide and national audiences through artwork that is expressing their interpretation of ‘change’ in a curated exhibition (which will) reflect (some of) the diversity of our LGBTIQA+ lives. “The response to date has been overwhelming.” The festival will see multiple events from live music, to theatre, film and sport, with more details available at https://coastaltwist.org. au/2021callout Source: Media release, Jul 23 Coastal Twist

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Strategy will tackle dog attacks Members of a Central Coast Council committee believe more dog attacks happen on the Coast than are reported to Council. “Council is often blamed for dog attacks, and there is an unrealistic expectation for Council to prevent all dog attacks that occur on the Central Coast,” the committee said. “Recent data generated from Council’s CX system showed the majority of dog attacks occur in neighbourhoods, and only a small number of dog attacks occur in public places where Rangers patrol.” The committee, Companion Animals Working Group, said there was a need to connect with key groups in the region including the Police and RSPCA on a regular basis to discuss and tackle key issues. Council is developing two separate Responsible Pet Ownership Policy for dogs and cats.

The Responsible Dog Ownership Policy will be high level and set clear standards and expectations, and will be used to support decision making, according to the latest meeting Minutes of the Working Group. The Minutes were tabled at

the July 27 Council meeting. “After the Policy has been adopted, a supporting Strategy will be developed that will outline processes and procedures associated with responsible dog ownership,” the working group said. “Furthermore, the Strategy

will be more detailed and provide an action plan which supports the implementation of the Policy. “Council will also adopt a communication campaign that will run alongside the Policy. “The campaign will set the tone, explain what we are

trying to achieve, and outline Council’s commitments and role,” said the report, accepted by Administrator Rik Hart on July 27. “It will also outline the responsibility of the individual dog owners. “Responsible dog ownership

means more than simply loving your dog. “Dog ownership is a serious commitment for the lifetime of the animal.” The working group undertook a high-level review of the Policy structure and were satisfied that the draft included all critical topic areas. The group agreed that there should be a dedicated section on backyard breeding. Council’s community safety team is currently finalising the policy. It is expected to be tabled at an upcoming Council meeting in the next eight weeks. The proposed policy will then go out on public exhibition for public opinion and changes made if required. The Strategy will follow after the Policy is adopted by Council. Source: June 22 Minutes Companion Animal Working Group Website, Central Coast Council

September sleepout means more time to raise funds The Coast Shelter Sleepout has been postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown.

Coast Shelter has postponed their upcoming Sleepout

It will now occur on September 10 at Central Coast Stadium. Coast Shelter Sleepout is an annual event celebrating its 10th year of supporting homeless individuals in the community in 2021. The aim of the sleepout is to increase awareness through the business community of the issues surrounding domestic

and family violence and homelessness and to raise funds by encouraging executives, community leaders, business owners and their staff to sleepout for one night. Whilst the event has been pushed back, there is still time to raise money for Coast Shelter. Participants who raise or donate $1,000 will be invited to attend the sleepout at the stadium.

The community can do this by selling raffle tickets, getting sponsors, hosting their own fundraisers, and gathering a team and raise money together. Community members that are interesting in joining in can sign up on Coast Shelter’s website. Across the Central Coast, Coast Shelter runs nine refuges including Elandra Women and Children’s Refuge in Toukley and Wyong Youth Refuge. Harry Mulholland

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OUT & ABOUT PAGE 19 29 JULY 2021

New spaces for Peninsula kids to play Families across the Peninsula now have access to more playspaces with Central Coast Council recently completing construction on playspace projects at Umina Beach and Woy Woy. Construction has been completed on a new nature themed local playspace at Australia Ave in Umina Beach which was funded by Local Infrastructure Contributions. Work on a playspace at Vernon Park, also at Umina Beach, has recently been completed. The Anderson Park playspace in Woy Woy was also opened earlier this month. Council Director Community and Recreation Services, Julie Vaughan said these new spaces have been guided by community feedback as part of Council’s recently adopted

Central Coast Playspace Strategy. “Council operates and maintains over 260 playspaces across the Central Coast and we are thrilled to announce that a number of new playspaces are now open for the community to enjoy,” Vaughan said. “All of these new areas are safe, inclusive and accessible for the whole community to enjoy. “Most importantly, they have been shaped as a result of valuable community feedback to ensure we deliver spaces that reflect the needs and wants of local residents.” The demolition of the Pelican Park playspace at Woy Woy continues to be on the table with community consultation reported to be occurring ‘soon’. In a July 26 media release, Council said they were ‘listening to the community and acknowledges the community’s

concerns and questions around the playspace and other projects as part of Woy Woy’s masterplan, which will be addressed as part of upcoming engagement to consult with the broader community’. Upgrade works have also been completed on a new district-level playspace at Susan Fahey Park in Copacabana, jointly funded by Central Coast Council with grant funding from the NSW Government’s Everyone Can Play Program. Council Administrator, Rik Hart said this new infrastructure supports Council’s vision to have a network of high quality playspaces across the Coast. “The heart of any neighbourhood, playspaces are important community hubs where people of all ages and interests can connect, socialise, learn and lead active lifestyles,” Hart said.

“Council is committed to investing in innovative and high quality playspaces that deliver the best for our community and contribute to active lifestyles of our children, however in three years’ time we will be facing an annual income loss of $25million and this means some of the service reductions our community is vocalising now will worsen. “Without maintaining the 15 percent special variation for the life of the 10-year Long Term Financial Plan, Council may again find itself in a dire financial situation.” Outdoor playgrounds in the Central Coast region currently remain open for exercise purposes, with Council working to ensure as many areas as possible are available to support social distancing. Source: Media release, July 26 Central Coast Council

Australia Ave Umina nature playspace

Rotary delivery service during lockdown Lockdown can prove a tough time for most people, never mind for those who are isolating or are struggling to access support or groceries.

A Rotary Club of Brisbane Water member delivers groceries to an Ettalong resident

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But several local community groups are putting the call out to help those who may be in need of assistance. The Rotary Club of Brisbane Water is offering to buy and deliver groceries to the door of individuals who may not have computer or travel access. Club president, Cherie Simpson, said not everyone can do the ‘click and collect’ system of supermarket delivery. “There are people living alone who do not have people who can shop for them, and they are the people we want

to help,” Simpson said. “Not everyone can order online or pay by card. “It was after talking to a few people in the community that we realised there is this need - perhaps not a huge one, but it is there.” Services involve a small supermarket shop up to the value of $200 or pharmacy pick-up, with the recipient to pay the exact total in cash in plastic zip lock bags to be COVID-safe. Simpson said safety will come first, with deliverers to be masked up and wearing gloves. Individuals who need this service can email the club on brisbanewater.rotary@ gmail.com or by calling 0405 714 289. Community charity Killy Cares is also offering their

assistance to members of the community who may be struggling in isolation. Their volunteers are offering free confidential support for locals – providing meals, grocery shopping, helping those travel to COVID vaccinations or just for a friendly walk or chat. This service can be reached by emailing killycares@ gmail.com or by calling 0414 241 005. For any other community organisations who are providing support to locals, and wish to get the call out, please reach out to Central Coast Newspapers by emailing editorial@ centralcoastnews.net with your organisation’s details. Source: Media statement, July 25 Rotary Club of Brisbane Water

WORKING WITH YOU At Brazel Moore Lawyers, we are still here to help through the lockdown.

We are offering zoom or telephone appointments and lockdown is a great time to get on top of any legal issues. We have a friendly and experienced team of lawyers, paralegals and support staff to care for all of your legal needs. We pride ourselves on taking the time to listen carefully to you so we can properly assess your legal problem or business opportunity. We live here and are part of your community. We are committed to looking after your legal matters in your time of need. • Conveyancing: • Buying & Selling Domestic Property • Buying and Selling Investment Property • Buying and Selling Businesses • Leasing • Criminal Law

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• P robate & Estates • C hallenging Wills • E state Planning including – • Wills • Powers of Attorney • Appointments of Enduring Guardian

• Family Law including – • Divorce • Property Settlement • Children’s Orders • All other areas of general legal practice.

Saturday 31 July

Friday 30 July

Thursday 29 July

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ABC (C20/21)

PRIME (C61/60)

NINE (C81/80)

6:00 News Breakfast [s] 9:00 ABC News Mornings [s] 10:00 Ms Represented With Annabel Crabb [s] 10:40 Chopsticks Or Fork? [s] 11:00 Coronavirus: Public Update 12:00 ABC News At Noon [s] 1:00 Would I Lie To You? (PG) [s] 1:30 Shaun Micallef’s Mad As Hell (M) [s] 2:05 Harrow (M l,v) [s] 3:00 ABC News Afternoons [s] 4:00 Escape From The City [s] 4:55 Anh’s Brush With Fame (PG) 5:25 Hard Quiz (PG) [s] 6:00 The Drum [s] 6:55 Sammy J (PG) [s] 7:00 ABC News [s] 7:30 7.30 [s] 8:00 Foreign Correspondent [s] 8:30 Q&A [s] 9:35 Joanna Lumley’s Hidden Caribbean (M l) [s] 10:35 ABC Late News [s] 11:05 Putin: A Russian Spy Story: Enemies And Traitors (PG) [s] 6:00 News Breakfast [s] 9:00 ABC News Mornings [s] 10:00 Q&A [s] 11:00 Coronavirus: Public Update 11:05 George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces [s] 12:00 ABC News At Noon [s] 1:00 Foreign Correspondent [s] 1:30 That Pacific Sports Show [s] 2:00 The Trouble With Maggie Cole (M) [s] 3:00 ABC News Afternoons [s] 4:00 Escape From The City [s] 5:00 Anh’s Brush With Fame (PG) 5:30 Hard Quiz (PG) [s] 6:00 The Drum [s] 7:00 ABC News [s] 7:30 Movin’ To The Country [s] 8:00 Dream Gardens [s] 8:30 Midsomer Murders (M) [s] 10:00 Baptiste: Vertrouwen (M) [s] 11:00 ABC Late News [s] 11:15 The Vaccine [s] 11:35 Shaun Micallef’s Mad As Hell (M) [s] 12:05 Starstruck (M l,d) [s] 6:00 rage (PG) [s] 7:00 Weekend Breakfast [s] 10:00 rage (PG) [s] 11:00 rage Guest Programmer (PG) [s] 12:00 ABC News At Noon [s] 12:30 Grand Designs: House Of The Year [s] 1:20 Restoration Australia [s] 2:25 And We Danced [s] 3:25 Back In Time For Dinner (PG) [s] 4:25 Chopsticks Or Fork? [s] 4:40 Landline [s] 5:10 Scottish Vets Down Under (PG) [s] 5:40 Silvia’s Italian Table (PG) [s] 6:10 The Repair Shop [s] 7:00 ABC News [s] 7:30 The Durrells (PG) [s] 8:20 Belgravia (PG) [s] 9:05 The Trouble With Maggie Cole (PG) [s] 9:55 Endeavour: Raga (M v) [s] 11:25 rage Guest Programmer (MA15+) [s]

6:00 Sunrise [s] 9:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: Day 6 - Morning Session *Live* [s] – Live coverage of the Tokyo Olympics, hosted by Joh Griggs and Luke Darcy. 12:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: Day 6 - Day Session *Live* [s] – Continued live coverage of the Tokyo Olympics, hosted by Joh Griggs and Luke Darcy. 3:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: Day 6 - Afternoon Session *Live* [s] 5:30 The Chase Australia (PG) [s] 6:00 Seven News [s] 7:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: Day 6 - Primetime Session *Live* [s] 10:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: Day 6 - Late Evening Session *Live* [s] 12:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: Day 6 - Overnight Session *Live* [s] 3:00 Home Shopping 6:00 Sunrise [s] – Wake up to a better breakfast with Natalie Barr and David Koch for all the latest news, sport and weather. 9:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: Day 7 - Morning Session *Live* [s] – Live coverage of the Tokyo Olympics, hosted by Joh Griggs and Luke Darcy. 12:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: Day 7 - Day Session *Live* [s] 3:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: Day 7 - Afternoon Session *Live* [s] 5:30 The Chase Australia (PG) [s] 6:00 Seven News [s] 7:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: Day 7 - Primetime Session *Live* [s] 10:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: Day 7 - Late Evening Session *Live* [s] 12:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: Day 7 - Overnight Session *Live* [s] 3:00 Home Shopping 6:00 Weekend Sunrise [s] 9:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: Day 8 - Morning Session *Live* 12:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: Day 8 - Day Session *Live* [s] 3:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: Day 8 - Afternoon Session *Live* [s] 6:00 Seven News [s] 7:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: Day 8 - Primetime Session *Live* [s] – Live coverage of Tokyo Olympics, hosted by Hamish McLachlan and Abbey Gelmi. 10:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: Day 8 - Late Evening Session *Live* [s] – Live coverage of Tokyo Olympics, featuring Tokyo Shinya, hosted by Andy Maher, Lisa Sthalekar and Andrew Gaze. 12:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: Day 8 - Overnight Session *Live* [s] 3:00 Home Shopping

5:30 Today [s] 9:00 Today Extra [s] 11:30NINE’s Morning News [s] 12:00Desperate Housewives: What More Do I Need? (M s) [s] 1:00 Travel Guides: European Cruise (PG) [s] 2:00 Pointless (PG) [s] 3:00 Tipping Point (PG) [s] 4:00 NINE’s Afternoon News [s] 5:00 Millionaire Hot Seat [s] 6:00 NINE News [s] 7:00 A Current Affair [s] 7:30 NRL: Sydney Roosters v Parramatta Eels *Live* From The SCG [s] 9:45 Thursday Night Knock Off (M) [s] – Join the Wide World of Sports team for the all the postmatch NRL news and analysis. 10:30NINE News Late [s] 11:00Chicago Med: Ghost In The Attic (M mp) [s] 11:50The Bad Seed (M v,d,l) [s] 12:40Tipping Point (PG) [s] 1:30 Home Shopping 5:30 Today [s] 9:00 Today Extra (PG) [s] 11:30NINE’s Morning News [s] 12:00Talking Honey: Princess Diana (PG) [s] 12:15Movie: “A Summer To Remember” (PG) (’18) Stars: Catherine Bell 2:00 Pointless (PG) [s] 3:00 Tipping Point (PG) [s] 4:00 NINE’s Afternoon News [s] 5:00 Millionaire Hot Seat [s] 6:00 NINE News [s] 7:00 A Current Affair [s] 7:30 NRL: Brisbane Broncos v North Queensland Cowboys *Live* From Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane [s] 9:50 Golden Point (M) [s] 10:35Movie: “Southpaw” (MA15+) (’15) Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rachel McAdams, Forest Whitaker, Oona Laurence, 50 Cent, Skylan Brooks 1:00 Surfing Australia TV [s] 2:00 Home Shopping 6:00 Weekend Today [s] 10:00Today Extra - Saturday [s] 12:00The Call [s] 12:30The Rebound [s] 1:00 Explore [s] 1:10 The Weakest Link (PG) [s] 2:10 Beauty And The Geek (PG) [s] 5:00 NINE News: First At Five [s] 5:30 Getaway (PG) [s] 6:00 NINE News Saturday [s] 7:00 A Current Affair [s] 7:30 David Attenborough’s Life In Colour: Chasing Colour (PG) 8:30 Movie: “Gemini Man” (M v) (’19) – Henry is an ageing assassin who finds himself being chased by someone with the ability to predict his moves. Stars: Will Smith, Mary Elizabeth Winstead 10:50Movie: “Survivor” (M v,l) (’15) Stars: Paddy Wallace 12:40Australia’s Top Ten Of Everything: Cracking Conversations (M) [s] 1:30 The Rebound [s] 2:00 Home Shopping

Also see: ABC COMEDY (Channel 22) ABC ME (Channel 23) ABC NEWS (Channel 24)

Also see: 7TWO (Channel 62) 7MATE (Channel 63) 7FLIX (Channel 66)

Also see: GEM (Channel 82) GO! (Channel 83/88) LIFE (Channel 84)

TEN (C13)

SBS (C30)

6:00 The Talk (PG) [s] 5:30 7:00 Judge Judy (PG) [s] 1:00 7:30 The Bold And The Beautiful 2:00 (PG) [s] 8:00 Studio 10 (PG) [s] 3:05 12:00 Dr Phil (PG) [s] 1:00 Program To Be Advised 3:40 2:00 Entertainment Tonight [s] 2:30 Farm To Fork (PG) [s] 4:10 3:00 Judge Judy (PG) [s] 5:05 3:30 My Market Kitchen [s] 5:30 4:00 Everyday Gourmet [s] 6:00 4:30 The Bold And The Beautiful 6:30 (PG) [s] 7:30 5:00 10 News First [s] 6:30 The Project (PG) [s] 8:30 7:30 The Bachelor Australia (M) [s] 8:40 Law & Order: SVU: The 9:35 Longest Night Of Rain/ 10:30 Redemption In Her Corner 11:00 (M v) [s] 10:30 Blue Bloods (M v) [s] 11:55 11:30 The Project (PG) [s] 12:30 The Late Show (PG) [s] 12:55 1:30 Home Shopping 2:55 4:30 CBS This Morning [s] 5:30 6:00 The Talk (PG) [s] 1:00 7:00 Judge Judy (PG) [s] 7:30 The Bold And The Beautiful 2:00 (PG) [s] 8:00 Studio 10 (PG) [s] 12:00 Dr Phil (PG) [s] 3:00 1:00 The Living Room [s] 3:30 2:00 Entertainment Tonight [s] 2:30 Farm To Fork (PG) [s] 3:40 3:00 Judge Judy (PG) [s] 3:30 My Market Kitchen [s] 4:15 4:00 Everyday Gourmet With Justine Schofield [s] 5:05 4:30 The Bold And The Beautiful 5:30 (PG) [s] 6:00 5:00 10 News First [s] 6:30 6:00 WIN News [s] 7:30 6:30 The Project (PG) [s] 9:00 7:30 The Living Room [s] 8:30 Program To Be Advised 10:35 9:30 Program To Be Advised 11:05 10:30 The Graham Norton Show 12:00 (M l,s) [s] 11:30 The Project (PG) [s] 12:55 12:30 The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (PG) [s] 3:40 6:00 Reel Action [s] 5:30 6:30 Religious Programs [s] 1:00 7:00 Seafood Escape [s] 2:00 7:30 The Offroad Adventure Show 8:30 RV Daily Foodie Trails (PG) 2:05 9:00 Place We Go [s] 9:30 Studio 10 Saturday (PG) [s] 3:05 12:00 The Dog House UK (PG) [s] 2:00 Pooches At Play [s] 4:35 2:30 Jamie’s Easy Meals For Every Day[s] 5:35 3:00 What’s Up Down Under [s] 6:30 3:30 My Market Kitchen [s] 7:30 4:00 Farm To Fork (PG) [s] 9:25 4:30 Taste Of Australia [s] 5:00 10 News First [s] 6:00 Jamie’s Easy Meals For Every Day [s] 11:30 6:30 Bondi Rescue (PG) [s] 7:00 The Dog House UK (PG) [s] 1:25 8:00 Ambulance Australia (M) [s] 9:00 Ambulance UK (M d) [s] 10:00 Program To Be Advised 11:00 Blue Bloods (M v) [s] 1:00 Home Shopping 2:35 5:00 Religious Programs 4:25

Also see: 10 PEACH (Channel 11) 10 BOLD (Channel 12)

Classifications: (G) General, (PG) Parental Guidance, (M) Mature Audiences, (MA15+) Mature Audience Over 15 Years, [s] Subtitles Consumer Advice: (d) drug references, (s) sexual references or sex scenes (h) horror, (l) language, (mp) medical procedures, (n) nudity, (v) violence

Worldwatch PBS Newshour The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes: Forest Great British Railway Journeys (PG) The Cook Up With Adam Liaw (PG) The Secret Life Of (PG) Jeopardy! (PG) Letters And Numbers Mastermind SBS World News Grace Kelly: The Missing Millions Who Do You Think You Are?: Daniel Radcliffe (PG) The Good Fight (M) SBS World News Border To Border: UK And Ireland (Part 1 And 2) (M) 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown (M l,n,s) Deep Water (M d,l,v) Cruising Down Under With Jane McDonald (PG) Worldwatch PBS Newshour The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes: Coast (PG) NITV News: Nula I Am Black And Beautiful (PG) The Cook Up With Adam Liaw (PG) The Secret Life Of: Al Capone (PG) Jeopardy! (PG) Letters And Numbers Mastermind SBS World News I Am Jackie O (M v) Jane Goodall: My Life With Chimpanzees (PG) SBS World News Patriot Brains (M l,s) 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown (M l,s) The Hot Zone: Expendable/ Quarantine/ Hidden (M v) Alex Polizzi The Fixer (PG) Worldwatch PBS Newshour Destination Flavour China Bitesize Motor Sports: Superbike World Championship Rhythmic Gymnastics: World Cup Series, Pesaro 2020 Planet Expedition: Suriname Ghost River (PG) Swamp Ghost (PG) SBS World News Hemingway (PG) Movie: “The Keeper” (M l,v) (’18) Stars: David Kross, Freya Mavor, John Henshaw, Harry Melling (In English/ German) 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown (M l,s) Movie: “Amelie” (M n,s) (’01) Stars: Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz, Jamel Debbouze, Lorella Cravotta, Serge Merlin (In French) Mission Control (PG) Vice Guide To Film (MA15+)

Also see: SBS VICELAND (Channel 31) SBS MOVIES (Channel 32) SBS FOOD (Channel 33) SBS NITV (Channel 34)

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Sunday 1 August

ABC (C20/21)

6:00 7:00 9:00 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 1:30 2:00 2:30 3:15 4:00 5:00 5:30 6:30 7:00 7:40 8:30 9:15

Monday 2 August

10:15 11:15 6:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 1:45 2:05 3:00 4:00 5:00 5:30 6:00 7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:15 9:35 10:35 11:10

Tuesday 3 August

12:10 1:05 2:10 4:30 6:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 2:00 3:15 4:00 4:55 5:30 6:00 7:00 7:30 8:00 8:35 9:35 10:35 11:10 12:10 1:15

Wednesday 4 August

2:00

PRIME (C61/60)

rage (PG) [s] 6:00 Weekend Sunrise [s] Weekend Breakfast [s] 9:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: Insiders [s] Day 9 - Morning Session *Live* Offsiders [s] 12:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: The World This Week [s] Day 9 - Day Session *Live* [s] Compass [s] 3:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: Songs Of Praise [s] Day 9 - Afternoon Session ABC News At Noon [s] *Live* [s] 6:00 Seven News [s] Landline [s] Movin’ To The Country (PG) 7:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: Dream Gardens [s] Day 9 - Primetime Session Shakespeare And Hathaway *Live* [s] (PG) [s] 10:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: Scottish Vets Down Under Day 9 - Late Evening Session (PG) [s] *Live* [s] – Live coverage of The Sound (PG) [s] Tokyo Olympics, featuring Art Works [s] Tokyo Shinya, hosted by Andy Antiques Roadshow (PG) [s] Maher, Lisa Sthalekar and Compass [s] Andrew Gaze. ABC News Sunday [s] 12:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: Day 9 - Overnight Session Kevin’s Grand Designs [s] *Live* [s] – Live coverage of Innocent (M l) [s] Tokyo Olympics, featuring Agatha Christie’s The ABC Tokyo Shinya, hosted by Andy Murders (M l,v) [s] Maher, Lisa Sthalekar and Operation Buffalo (M l,v) [s] Line Of Duty (M v) [s] Andrew Gaze.

TEN (C13)

NINE (C81/80)

6:00 Weekend Today [s] 10:00Sports Sunday (PG) [s] 11:00Sunday Footy Show (PG) [s] 1:00 Peaking (PG) [s] 1:50 Beauty And The Geek (PG) [s] 3:00 NRL: Cronulla Sharks v Manly Sea Eagles *Live* From Netstrata Stadium, Kogarah [s] 6:00 NINE News Sunday [s] 7:00 Beauty And The Geek: Makeover Special (PG) [s] 8:30 60 Minutes [s] 9:30 NINE News Late [s] 10:00The Disappearance Of Susan Cox Powell: If Something Happens To Me (M) [s] – A young mother in Utah vanishes and the only suspect, her husband, acts suspiciously. Stephanie Bauer examines never-before-seen home video recordings.. 11:45Killed By My Stalker (M l,v) [s] 12:40Dr Christian Jessen Will See You Now (M n) [s] 1:30 Home Shopping

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6:00 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30 12:00 12:30 1:00 1:30 2:00 2:30 3:00 4:30 5:00 6:00 6:30 7:30 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 4:30

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SBS (C30)

Religious Programs [s] 5:30 Worldwatch Pooches At Play [s] 1:00 Speedweek Destination Dessert [s] 3:00 Gymnastics: Artistic World Australia By Design: Challenge Cup, Varna 2020 Interiors [s] (Part 1) Studio 10 Sunday (PG) [s] 5:00 Great British Railway Journeys (PG) Left Off The Map [s] 5:30 WWII: Battles For Europe: Good Chef Bad Chef [s] D-Day (In English/ German) Three Veg And Meat [s] 6:30 SBS World News Freshly Picked With Simon 7:30 The Beatles: Eight Days A Toohey [s] Week (M l) – A compilation of My Market Kitchen [s] found footage featuring music, Everyday Gourmet With interviews, and stories of The Justine Schofield [s] Beatles’ 250 concerts from Program To Be Advised 1963 to 1966. Farm To Fork (PG) [s] 9:30 Lennon’s Last Weekend (M d) 10 News First [s] 10:40 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does WIN News [s] Countdown (M l,s) The Sunday Project (PG) [s] Australian Survivor (PG) [s] 11:35 24 Hours In Emergency: Acts Of Love (M l) FBI: Leverage (M v) [s] FBI: Studio Gangster (M v) [s] 12:30 Life And Birth (M) 3:55 Stopping Male Suicide FBI: Identity Crisis (M v) [s] (MA15+) The Sunday Project (PG) [s] 4:50 Destination Flavour Down Home Shopping Under Bitesize CBS This Morning [s]

News Breakfast [s] ABC News Mornings [s] Landline [s] Kevin’s Grand Designs [s] ABC News At Noon [s] The Durrells (PG) [s] Chopsticks Or Fork? [s] Harrow (MA15+) [s] ABC News Afternoons [s] Escape From The City [s] Anh’s Brush With Fame (PG) Hard Quiz (PG) [s] The Drum [s] ABC News [s] 7.30 [s] Australian Story [s] Four Corners [s] Media Watch (PG) [s] Maggie Beer In Japan [s] ABC Late News [s] The Truth About Fasting - A Catalyst Special [s] Baptiste: Vertrouwen (M) [s] Maggie Beer In Japan [s] rage (MA15+) [s] The Drum [s]

5:30 Today [s] 6:00 Sunrise [s] 9:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: 9:00 Today Extra (PG) [s] Day 10 - Morning Session *Live* 11:30NINE’s Morning News [s] 12:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: 12:00Getaway (PG) [s] Day 10 - Day Session *Live* [s] 12:30Beauty And The Geek (PG) [s] 3:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: 2:00 Pointless (PG) [s] 3:00 Tipping Point (PG) [s] Day 10 - Afternoon Session 4:00 NINE’s Afternoon News [s] *Live* [s] 5:30 The Chase Australia (PG) [s] – 5:00 Millionaire Hot Seat [s] 6:00 NINE News [s] The Chase, a general knowledge race where players 7:00 A Current Affair [s] must ensure they stay one step 7:30 Beauty And The Geek (PG) [s] 8:40 Botched: Necrotic Nightmare ahead of the Chaser, some of (M mp,n) [s] the finest quiz brains in 9:40 100% Footy (M) [s] – Phil Australia. Gould, Paul Gallen, James 6:00 Seven News [s] Bracey and more debate the 7:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: biggest issues in Rugby League Day 10 - Primetime Session alongside the games most *Live* [s] influential figures. 10:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: Day 10 - Late Evening Session 10:40NINE News Late [s] 11:10The Arrangement: The New *Live* [s] Narrative (M l,s,v) [s] 12:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: 12:05Tipping Point (PG) [s] Day 10 - Overnight Session 1:00 A Current Affair [s] *Live* [s] 1:30 Home Shopping 3:00 Home Shopping

6:00 The Talk (PG) [s] 7:00 Judge Judy (PG) [s] 7:30 The Bold And The Beautiful (PG) [s] 8:00 Studio 10 (PG) [s] 12:00 Dr Phil (PG) [s] 1:00 Program To Be Advised 2:30 Entertainment Tonight [s] 3:00 Judge Judy (PG) [s] 3:30 My Market Kitchen [s] 4:00 Everyday Gourmet With Justine Schofield [s] 4:30 The Bold And The Beautiful (PG) [s] 5:00 10 News First [s] 6:00 WIN News [s] 6:30 The Project (PG) [s] 7:30 Australian Survivor (PG) [s] 8:30 Have You Been Paying Attention? (MA15+) [s] 9:30 Kitty Flanagan: Smashing (MA15+) [s] 11:00 The Project (PG) [s] 12:00 The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (PG) [s] 1:00 Home Shopping

5:30 Worldwatch 2:00 The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes: Underground 3:05 Great British Railway Journeys (PG) 3:40 The Cook Up With Adam Liaw (PG) 4:10 Walking Britain’s Lost Railways: Scotland 5:05 Jeopardy! 5:30 Letters And Numbers 6:00 Mastermind 6:30 SBS World News 7:30 Becoming Bond (MA15+) 9:15 Marley (M d) – Kevin Macdonald delivers the definitive work on Bob Marley, his life and a truly global influence. 11:25 SBS World News 11:55 The Investigation (M) (In Danish/ Swedish) 12:45 Das Boot (MA15+) (In German/ English/ French) 4:05 Vice Guide To Film (M l,v)

News Breakfast [s] ABC News Mornings [s] Four Corners [s] Antiques Roadshow (PG) [s] ABC News At Noon [s] Belgravia (PG) [s] Parliament Question Time [s] ABC News Afternoons [s] Escape From The City [s] Anh’s Brush With Fame (PG) Hard Quiz (PG) [s] The Drum [s] ABC News [s] 7.30 [s] Ms Represented With Annabel Crabb [s] The Wildlife Revolution - A Catalyst Special [s] And We Danced [s] ABC Late News [s] Q&A [s] Parliament Question Time [s] Putin: A Russian Spy Story: Enemies And Traitors (PG) [s] Agatha Christie’s The ABC Murders (M l,v) [s]

5:30 Today [s] 6:00 Sunrise [s] 9:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: 9:00 Today Extra (PG) [s] Day 11 - Morning Session *Live* 11:30NINE’s Morning News [s] 12:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: 12:00Desperate Housewives: City On Fire (M s) [s] Day 11 - Day Session *Live* [s] 3:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: 1:00 Beauty And The Geek (PG) [s] 2:00 Pointless (PG) [s] Day 11 - Afternoon Session 3:00 Tipping Point (PG) [s] *Live* [s] 4:00 NINE’s Afternoon News [s] 5:30 The Chase Australia (PG) [s] 6:00 Seven News [s] – Seven News 5:00 Millionaire Hot Seat [s] 6:00 NINE News [s] live and comprehensive coverage of breaking news and 7:00 A Current Affair (PG) [s] local, national and international 7:30 Beauty And The Geek (PG) [s] top stories, plus sport, finance 8:40 Movie: “Bad Moms” (MA15+) and weather updates. (’16) Stars: Mila Kunis 7:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: 10:40NINE News Late [s] Day 11 - Primetime Session 11:10Emergence: Killshot (Part 1) *Live* [s] (M v) [s] – Jo makes a high10:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: stakes deal to take down Helen Day 11 - Late Evening Session and keep Piper safe. Helen *Live* [s] – Live coverage of attempts to replicate Piper’s Tokyo Olympics. powers for herself, and Benny 12:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: struggles to earn back Jo’s trust Day 11 - Overnight Session before it’s too late. *Live* [s] 12:05Tipping Point (PG) [s] 3:00 Home Shopping 1:00 A Current Affair [s]

6:00 The Talk (PG) [s] 7:00 Judge Judy (PG) [s] 7:30 The Bold And The Beautiful (PG) [s] 8:00 Studio 10 (PG) [s] 12:00 Dr Phil (M s,mp) [s] 1:00 Program To Be Advised 2:00 Entertainment Tonight [s] 2:30 Farm To Fork (PG) [s] 3:00 Judge Judy (PG) [s] 3:30 My Market Kitchen [s] 4:00 Everyday Gourmet With Justine Schofield [s] 4:30 The Bold And The Beautiful (PG) [s] 5:00 10 News First [s] 6:00 WIN News [s] 6:30 The Project (PG) [s] 7:30 Australian Survivor (PG) [s] 9:00 The Cheap Seats (M l) [s] 10:00 Akmal: Transparent (MA15+) 11:30 The Project (PG) [s] 12:30 The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (PG) [s] 1:30 Home Shopping 4:30 CBS This Morning [s]

5:30 Worldwatch 1:00 PBS Newshour 2:00 Destination Flavour China Bitesize 2:15 World’s Most Luxurious Trains 3:05 Great British Railway Journeys (PG) 3:40 The Cook Up With Adam Liaw (PG) 4:10 Walking Britain’s Lost Railways: Sheffield 5:05 Jeopardy! (PG) 5:30 Letters And Numbers 6:00 Mastermind 6:30 SBS World News 7:30 Who Do You Think You Are?: Cameron Daddo (PG) 8:30 Insight: Life Undercover 9:30 Dateline: Sumo Nation 10:00 The Feed 10:30 SBS World News 11:00 Cacciatore: The Hunter: A Street Magistrate (MA15+) (In Italian) 12:00 Cardinal (MA15+)

6:00 Sunrise [s] – Wake up to a 5:30 Today [s] 6:00 The Talk (PG) [s] better breakfast with Natalie 9:00 Today Extra (PG) [s] 7:00 Judge Judy (PG) [s] Barr and David Koch for all the 11:30 NINE’s Morning News [s] 7:30 The Bold And The Beautiful latest news, sport and weather. 12:00 Desperate Housewives: Me (PG) [s] 9:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: And My Town (M s) [s] 8:00 Studio 10 (PG) [s] Day 12 - Morning Session *Live* 1:00 Beauty And The Geek (PG) [s] 12:00 Dr Phil (M d) [s] 12:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: 2:00 Pointless (PG) [s] 1:00 Program To Be Advised Day 12 - Day Session *Live* [s] 3:00 Tipping Point (PG) [s] 2:10 Entertainment Tonight [s] 3:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: 4:00 NINE’s Afternoon News [s] 2:30 Farm To Fork (PG) [s] Day 12 - Afternoon Session 5:00 Millionaire Hot Seat [s] 3:00 Judge Judy (PG) [s] *Live* [s] 6:00 NINE News [s] 3:30 My Market Kitchen [s] 5:30 The Chase Australia (PG) [s] 7:00 A Current Affair (PG) [s] 4:00 Everyday Gourmet With 6:00 Seven News [s] – Live 7:30 Travel Guides: Hawaii (PG) [s] Justine Schofield [s] coverage of breaking news and – In the premiere episode our 4:30 The Bold And The Beautiful local, national and international guides jet off on a week-long (PG) [s] top stories. holiday in tropical Hawaii, but it’s 5:00 10 News First [s] 7:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: not all Mai Tais and Hula 6:00 WIN News [s] Day 12 - Primetime Session dancing. 6:30 The Project (PG) [s] *Live* [s] 8:30 Movie: “Instant Family” (M) (’18) 7:30 The Bachelor Australia (M) [s] 10:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: Stars: Mark Wahlberg 8:40 Bull: Quid Pro Quo (M mp) [s] Day 12 - Late Evening Session 10:50 NINE News Late [s] 9:40 Bull: Flesh And Blood (M v) [s] *Live* [s] 11:00 The First 48: Rocky Road/ 10:30 The Project (PG) [s] 12:00 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: Something She Said (M) [s] 11:30 The Late Show With Stephen Day 12 - Overnight Session 12:15 Bluff City Law: 25 Years To Colbert (PG) [s] *Live* [s] Life (M) [s] 12:30 Home Shopping 3:00 Home Shopping 1:00 A Current Affair (PG) [s] 4:30 CBS This Morning [s]

5:30 Worldwatch – Deutsche Welle English News 6:00 France 24 News 6:30 Al Jazeera English News 7:00 BBC News 7:30 Worldwatch Continues 1:00 PBS Newshour 2:00 Destination Flavour China Bitesize 2:10 Dateline: Sumo Nation 2:40 Insight: Life Undercover 3:40 The Cook Up With Adam Liaw (PG) 4:10 Walking Britain’s Lost Railways: Dartmoor 5:05 Jeopardy! (PG) 5:30 Letters And Numbers 6:00 Mastermind 6:30 SBS World News 7:30 Jackie Chan: Building An Icon (M) (In English/ French) 8:30 Billy Graham (PG) 10:35 SBS World News 11:05 Unknown Amazon: Secrets Of Survival (M) 11:50 Trapped (M l,s,v) (In Icelandic) 4:35 Vice Guide To Film (MA15+)

6:00 News Breakfast [s] 9:00 ABC News Mornings [s] 10:00 The Recording Studio (PG) [s] 11:00 The Repair Shop [s] 12:00 ABC News At Noon [s] 12:30 National Press Club Address 1:35 Media Watch (PG) [s] 2:00 Parliament Question Time [s] 3:15 ABC News Afternoons [s] 4:00 Escape From The City [s] 5:00 Anh’s Brush With Fame (PG) 5:30 Hard Quiz (PG) [s] 6:00 The Drum [s] 7:00 ABC News [s] 7:30 7.30 [s] 8:00 Win The Week [s] 8:30 Shaun Micallef’s Mad As Hell (M) [s] 9:00 Rosehaven [s] 9:30 Would I Lie To You? (PG) [s] 10:00 Staged: Long Time, No See (MA15+) [s] 10:25 ABC Late News [s] 10:55 Four Corners [s] 11:40 Media Watch (PG) [s] 12:00 Parliament Question Time [s]

Also see: ABC COMEDY (Channel 22) ABC ME (Channel 23) ABC NEWS (Channel 24)

Also see: 7TWO (Channel 62) 7MATE (Channel 63) 7FLIX (Channel 66)

Also see: GEM (Channel 82) GO! (Channel 83/88) LIFE (Channel 84)

Also see: 10 PEACH (Channel 11) 10 BOLD (Channel 12)

Programming information correct at time of going to press, changes are at the network’s discretion Prepared by National Typesetting Services

Also see: SBS VICELAND (Channel 31) SBS MOVIES (Channel 32) SBS FOOD (Channel 33) SBS NITV (Channel 34)

PAGE 22 29 JULY 2021 1

PUZZLES

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Across

1 Shrink (5) 5 Iberian monarchy (5) 8 Second planet (5) 10 Atoll used for nuclear tests (6) 11 Foolish (6) 12 Brittle (5) 13 Open up (6) 14 Mistakes (6) 15 Tender (5) 17 Penniless person (6) 19 Applauds (6) 20 U S state famous for potatoes (5) 21 Greek goddess of wisdom (6) 23 Brawn (6) 25 Crawl (5) 26 Short cannon (6) 27 False (6) 29 Beginning (5) 31 Spongelike (6)

11 12

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OUT & ABOUT PAGE 23 29 JULY 2021

DOWN IN THE GARDEN: GROWING CHOOKS

CHERALYN DARCEY

One of my happiest childhood memories is of my mother’s bantam collection. I say ‘collection’ because this flock of birds must have featured just about every variant available at the time. When I opened the coop to collect the tiny warm eggs each morning, a rainbow flurry of feathers would burst out into the field, tumbling in the red earth with their chatter. So, I know, that apart from all the good they can do in your garden, chickens make delightful and engaging family friends as well. Gardening with Chooks First of all, you need to be aware that although chickens love eating weeds and so can be the answer to your weed nightmares, they are not picky or careful when it comes to your treasured garden and would view your veggie plot as a smorgasbord. You will need to fence off areas of your garden that you do not want them in but don’t dismiss the fact that chickens are wonderful pest and weed controllers so let them free range over areas that are between plantings. And oh, the poo! Chicken droppings are an on-tap fertiliser when you have chooks. In a small domestic set up you are probably never going to have too much but if you do? It’s something other than eggs that you can also share with the neighbours. Got snails? Not for long with chooks on the job! Let them lose and they will happily collect them for you or here’s a great game a good friend of mine loved as a child. Karen’s mum would give her brother and her an old milo tin and ask them to collect the snails from around the garden for the chooks. She made it more appealing but paying one cent a snail but I’m not sure what the going rate today is. You could add curl grubs to the bounty as well! Home Sweet Henhouse While you can make a chicken house yourself from scratch, there are kits and even ready-made coops available starting from about $200 with the sky being the limit. All sorts of designs and shapes can be found but don’t forget that your chickens will need an area to exercise

in as well. An enclosed ‘chicken run’ is actually a legal requirement and provides protection for your chickens while giving them a place to spread their wings and scratch around the earth. Second-hand coops and runs are a consideration, but you will need to ensure that all parts are cleaned and disinfected before use. Built yourself or second hand, ensure that all materials and finishes are safe for your chickens. Non-toxic stains and paints are a must and check there is nothing that could catch or trap feathers, feet or beaks. The best structural protection is to bury chicken wire that is firmly secured to the bottom edge of runs and coops and continues completely under the ground of the area. This is to stop predators from digging under your structures and getting to your lovely chickens. As for space the general guide is 0.5m per chook in the hen house plus 1m in the run. You will want your chook house to capture winter sun and be provided with summer shade so situating under a deciduous tree is one option. I like the idea of a thick evergreen bush as it also has insulating properties and will provide winter warmth and chickens do like to feel cosy under protective branches. Avoid gum tree though as branches have the tendency to drop. Face the windows (wire covered) east or north and nesting boxes should be on the south side, so they remain in the shade. ‘Somerzby Pet Products’ sell chicken coops and runs: somerzby. com.au Which Chick for You?

Hybrids are usually bred to be more prolific layers, but they have a shorter lifespan than most pure breeds and don’t lay for as long either. They are a consideration but so are the many pure breeds. Of these, Australorp are great layers and make excellent pets as their nature is very friendly. Other pure breeds to consider are Barnevelder, Cochin, Dominique and don’t forget Bantams which are miniature versions of full-sized breeds. Day-old Chicks are cheap, and they are cute, but you may end up with males as sexing is not always possible. There is extra care needed too as you will need to keep them warm with either a heating lamp/pad and you should keep them separate from other poultry as they can be rather nasty to them. Pullets are chickens that are under a year of age and the usual starter chicken that most people buy. At this age their sex and their laying ability has been determined. Another term used is ‘Point of Lay ‘chickens – these are around 18 to 22 weeks of age and are ready to start laying. Feeding Your New Mates A balanced diet is crucial for

everyone and that includes chickens. While they do love your kitchen scraps, weeds and pests, they also need a lot more to survive and this is where modern chicken feed comes in. You will need to feed either pellets, grains or a mash and then there is also ‘crumble’ which is basically crushed up pellets. These mixes have the protein, minerals and vitamins that your chooks need to thrive along with the additional calcium for good eggs. Food scraps and foraging are part of the equation along with feed and happy chooks enjoy a little ‘scatter’ which is whole grains tossed upon an area for them to graze upon. Chook Challenges Chickens are often accused of attracting vermin, disease and even snakes. While failing to keep your coop and run clean may attract pests, the answer is simply to be a good, clean chicken keeper. There are plants that are toxic to chickens so you will need to do your research but a few common ones you need to be aware of are: avocado, beans, the leaves of tomatoes and rhubarb along with generally toxic plants like trumpet vines, azaleas and daffodils. Probably the biggest issue you will face with chickens is that they really don’t like stress. They won’t deal well with boredom, sudden changes, aggressive coopmates or even changes in diet so all need to be managed by slow introduction sand/or the removal of stressors. ike any animal, they can become sick, diseased or suffer from a pest

infestation so you need to be alert to changes in behaviour that might indicate an issue. An excellent book for an in-depth exploration of all aspects of chicken keeping, particularly in Australia, including a handy health section is: ‘Backyard Chickens: How to Keep Healthy Hens’ by David Ingham (no not that family!) CHERALYN’S GARDEN RESCUE Kelsey of Wyong wanted to know the council regulations for keeping chickens as she’s not sure if her plans of a chicken mansion on her average home block and flock of eight will be permissible. Loved this question Kelsey, thank you and it prompted me to write about chickens this week, as you can see! In general, chickens must not be kept under such conditions as to create a nuisance or to be dangerous or injurious to the health of the community. Chickens must not be kept within 4.5 metres of a dwelling, public hall, school or premises used for the manufacture, preparation, sale or storage of food. Chicken yards must at all times be kept clean and free from offensive odours. The floors must be paved with concrete or mineral asphalt underneath the roosts or perches. Yards must be enclosed as to prevent bird escape. For most home zones you will not be able to exceed 3m in height for your chook house, it will need to be located in the rear of your home and have a floor area not exceeding 15m2. A maximum of 10 chickens is ok and roosters are not recommended in residential areas.

There are additional regulations pertaining to heritage zones, waterfronts and easements and additional rules that pertain to other breeds of poultry so you will need to check in with council for those. PLANT HAPPENINGS As we are in lockdown still, how about some gardening podcasts? A few I really enjoy are: Real World Gardener: realworldgardener.podbean.com; 3cr Gardening Show: 3cr.org.au/ gardening; All the Dirt: allthedirt.com. au/podcast; Gardening Australia Podcast: just search ‘gardeningaustralia’ on any podcast platform. You can also catch up with me over at thegardeninggang.podbean.com THIS WEEK YOU COULD PLANT You could plant artichokes, asparagus crowns, beetroot, broad beans, cabbage, celeriac, celery, endive, garlic, kale, lettuce, mustard, late season onions, parsnip, peas, potatoes, radish, rhubarb, salsify, silverbeet, English daisy, delphinium, dianthus, gloxinia, gypsophila, marigold, roses, spider flower, statice. Moon Planting Guide 24th - 30th July: Full Moon which means the sowing and planting of root crops and perennials is best done now. Cheralyn Darcey is a gardening author, community garden coordinator and along with Pete Little, hosts ‘At Home with The Gardening Gang’ 8 10am every Saturday on CoastFM963 Send your gardening questions, events and news to: gardeningcentralcoast@gmail.com

PAGE 24 OUT & ABOUT 29 JULY 2021

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$1.7 million masterplan scaled back to $180,000 A masterplan for the Mount Ettalong Reserve has been adopted by Central Coast Council and, subject to available funding, assets identified in the plan will be reviewed. Administrator Rik Hart resolved to adopt the Masterplan when he held a virtual Council meeting on Tuesday, July 27. Council staff said they undertook a three-stage community consultation about the masterplan between February and July. “The masterplan was initially proposed following inspections of the area which identified safety risks associated with the existing lookouts and the subsequent requirement for significant upgrades,” a staff report to the Council meeting said. The draft masterplan proposed upgrades to existing reserve infrastructure including lookouts, the carpark, access trail and picnic furniture, according to the report. A quantity surveyor’s estimate to implement the Mount Ettalong Masterplan was $1.7M inclusive of GST but Administrator Rik Hart was quick to point out that Council does not have that amount of money to spend at the moment. Hart confirmed that the total allocation of funds currently available was $180,000 from dedicated

The community wants the natural bushland setting of Mount Ettalong retained

s7.11 Developer Contributions for the upgrade of the reserve. The full $180,000 funding allocation has been identified in the draft 4-year capital works program with distribution spread over the 2022-23 to 2024-25-year period, according to the staff report. “This funding will only contribute to focussing on renewals of the lookout areas such as replacing the barrier fencing around the southern lookout with fencing that complies with Australian standards and the removal of the aged infrastructure associated with the eastern lookout and replacing with a new contemporary design

CCN

Early Morning Riser Author: Katherine Heiny Publisher: 4th Estate

Sometimes you just want to read a book that will help you escape for a little while. One that isn’t going to set the world on fire with conspiracy theories or depress the heck out of you with characters in hopeless situations or create much of an emotion at all. I was in that frame of mind when I chose to read Early Morning Riser. Jane is 26 when she moves to Boyne City, Michigan to take a job as a second-grade

teacher. Soon after moving to town she locks herself out of the house and ends up locking lips with Duncan, a woodworker that moonlights as a locksmith. Duncan is in his forties, previously married to Aggie, whom he sees regularly as he mows her lawn (that’s not a euphemism by the way, he actually does her yard work). Aggie is now married to Gary, but Gary doesn’t like lawns or leaf blowers or much of anything. Duncan employs Jimmy Jellico to help around the workshop. Jimmy has been described as “slow learning”, but Duncan has the patience for Jimmy. Jane and Duncan are soon a couple, but it is difficult for Jane as it seems Duncan has been a “couple” with every girl in a 30-

that incorporates indigenous design input, and associated barrier fencing and minor pathway improvements.” Community advocate and Council watcher, Joy Cooper, addressed the meeting to highlight anomalies with Council’s interpretation of the consultation outcomes. Cooper pointed out anomalies between the report prepared by the external consultant and the report put together by staff to recommend the adoption of the plan. For example, the executive summary of the consultation report said the community unanimously wanted any improvements to have no

impact on the natural bushland setting and had identified improved carpark and access, repair eastern viewing platform, additional rubbish bins and improved security and their key concerns. According to the Council report, key issues raised by the community during the consultation process were their desire to retain the natural bushland setting, the restoration of the eastern lookout area, improvements to the carpark and appropriate signage and seating. The staff report didn’t touch on key concerns expressed during the consultation process about negative visual impact, lack of need,

attracting too many people to the area and ecological impacts. Cooper said the use of colours and bar charts in the presentation of the consultation results made it difficult to gain an accurate idea of what the community really wanted. She questioned why the scale of responses went from ‘not at all important’ to ‘somewhat important’ and didn’t include “somewhat unimportant”, “Council has a responsibility to look at the statistics and report from the survey and I don’t believe they did in making their decisions,” Cooper said.

BOOK REVIEW

mile radius. Everywhere they go they run into one of Duncan’s exes. There are also a lot of calls from frustrated customers. Duncan can’t seem to get anyone’s furniture out on time. Jane’s life is good – she loves Duncan, loves being a teacher, develops a close friendship with Frieda, a music teacher

who HAS to bring her mandolin everywhere. Jane is feeling grown up and sophisticated – she shops enthusiastically for all her clothes at the thrift shop, hosts dinner parties, and so on – yes, life is absolutely good, except … Duncan has no intentions of getting remarried. That doesn’t fit with Jane’s

life plan, so she says goodbye to Dunan, although they run into each other often – it is a small town after all. Jane meets Luke Armstrong (people like to call him Lance, they are a clever lot) and the two plan to marry. However, tragedy happens right before the wedding, which will derail several lives. Early morning riser is a light, funny and well-written story essentially about love and building deep connections, told in episodes with a new chapter for each new year. Its main strength is its wonderful portrayal of several adorable characters. Aggie’s husband Gary is a hoot – he has more peccadillos than you can poke a stick at. It would be fun to see him portrayed on screen. But holes in the plot there be

“For some unknown reason they separated off the indigenous results and published them and the under 35 results and published them in the report. “If you look at the data that has been gathered you will see that people are wanting a low impact, natural bush walk: 64 per cent of people wanted a natural pathway bush trail yet they are putting in ground up rocks and widening the pathway,” she said. “The car parking needs tidying up, the broken glass, the rubbish, it needs tidying up but not $1.7 million worth.” Cooper said she questioned why Mount Ettalong was the subject of the masterplan when, as far back as 2005 the community had called for improvements to the original road between Umina and Pearl Beach which winds around the rock platform between the two bays. “The infrastructure is already there, it is the original road to Pearl Beach, but the question wasn’t asked. “It would give good disability access and it provides another safe exit and entry point from Patonga and Pearl Beach if something happens on Patonga Rd or in a bushfire so the the people of Patonga and Pearl Beach are not cut off from the rest of the Peninsula.” Jackie Pearson

many. Although I liked Gary there is no way Aggie would put up with a guy like that. Jane seemed very patient to put up with Duncan’s inability to get projects out and get income in. And why weren’t the townspeople keeping a better eye on Jimmy? People are not this naïve, especially in a small town where everyone minds each other’s business. Overall, I liked the book, maybe 3.5 stars out of 5, I tend to like stories about small towns with well-developed characters and touching stories. This one just missed on some of my criteria, but still well worth the time. Kim Reardon The Reluctant Book Critic

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BUSINESS & PROPERTY PAGE 25 29 JULY 2021

Business & Property Peninsula tourism looking forward to nature

Three local tourism operators on the Peninsula will have the opportunity to become ECO Destination certified to help boost the local tourism sector when COVID restrictions ease.

Ettalong Beach’s Bombora Ettalong Beach SUP, Jake Cassar’s Bushcraft at Brisbane Water National Park, and Bouddi National Park’s Elixir Journeys have all been chosen to receive funding to pursue certification. Achieving certification will see these businesses help the region to become recognised as a ‘world-class location for sustainable and nature-based tourism’. Founder of nature-based tour experience Elixir Journeys, Nicola Billens, said this funding was just the beginning for her business. “We are a high-end naturebased touring group around the Coast, trying to bring the same experience you would have at a luxury lodge,” Billens said. “Naturally what we do is very eco-based, but we wanted to take it to another level, this will tick all the boxes when it comes to what I do,” she said. “The process can take up to 12 months, it’s a pretty intensive qualification process – they look at your business systems and marketing. “It’s a natural evolution of tourism that you and your business are sustainable and regenerative. “Tourism Australia certainly

Elixir Journey’s, Nicola Billens

look at rewarding tour operators who are sustainable … this will really help with our marketing.” The local trio join an additional seven local nature-based businesses in the program including the Australia Walkabout Wildlife Park, Terrigal Ocean Tours and Iris Lodge Alpacas. The Central Coast has the largest regional cohort of certified or seeking certification businesses, with companies set to be supported with online

tools, resources and bootcamps delivered by Ecotourism Australia. Central Coast Council Director Corporate Affairs and Chief Financial Officer, Natalia Cowley, said it was exciting to see so many local operators welcomed into the program. “We are working with Ecotourism Australia and WWF-Australia to achieve ECO Destination Certification by World Environment Day in June 2022,” Cowley said.

“As an important part of this journey, nature-based tourism businesses on the Coast were recently invited to submit an EOI seeking support to pursue formal recognition as an ecotourism provider, joining our region’s wider certification journey. “Through a fully-funded partnership with Ecotourism Australia and WWF-Australia, these businesses will receive mentoring throughout their certification journey, as well as

a $500 funding incentive to assist with the first year of the process.” If successful in achieving certification, the 10 new program members will join the Central Coast’s existing cohort of ECO certified operators – AquaFun Avoca Lake, Central Coast Marine Discovery Centre, Noonaweena in the hinterland, and TreeTops Adventure Park in Ourimbah State Forest. Chief Executive at Ecotourism Australia, Rod Hillman, said the

Central Coast is an outstanding candidate to become a certified ECO Destination. “The Central Coast has well managed and extensive protected areas, a strong environmental ethic within the community and Council, and high-quality existing ecotourism experiences,” Hillman said. “Ecotourism Australia visited the Central Coast in May to launch the region’s journey to become a certified ECO Destination with regional stakeholders and announce an incentive program to create and build new ecotourism products in the region.” Council Administrator, Rik Hart said the support of Ecotourism Australia and WWF-Australia will ensure the region fulfills its potential as an eco-destination of choice. “The Central Coast has an abundance of world-class, nature-based tourist attractions and this sees us well-placed to attract an increasing number of visitors seeking sustainable travel experiences,” Hart said. “Tourism is an important pillar of the Central Coast economy and ecotourism will play an increasingly important role in ensuring the region is front of mind for a broad mix of visitors.” The ECO Destination Certification program is fully funded by WWF-Australia as part of their Australian Wildlife and Nature Recovery Fund. Maisy Rae

$10.6B in Council assets to be audited this year Central Coast Council will undertake an internal audit of its asset management this year. Council says that with $10.6B of assets under management and the sale of assets as part of its financial recovery plan, it is important to have robust asset management controls. The audit will take about 40 days and is expected to take place sometime before September. Council said the NSW Audit Office highlighted the area as

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did Council executives during a workshop on key risk areas for the organisation. A schedule of audits has been developed, taking into consideration areas of risk exposure identified by the Council executive and unit managers as part of the workshop on strategic risks and priorities. Corporate risks included Work Health Safety issues, IT issues, clarity or lack thereof of strategic direction due to competing plans, and the

potential for industrial relations action due to organisational structure changes. A further risk was identified as the Council potentially being unable to implement new revenue streams such as paid parking due to community resistance. The top 10 risks were part of a report explaining the audits to be undertaken this financial year and presented to the Audit Risk and Improvement Committee in June. The report shows Council will

also conduct an internal audit on its budgeting and financial planning. It says this is a key component of financial stability going forward, especially in the light of the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) ruling earlier this year to grant a special rate variation of 15 per cent for three years and the impact of Council’s prior financial mismanagement. Workforce and succession planning is another area which the Council will review.

It said the rationale was the organisational restructure, the large number of staff departures and the reduction in services to the community. An internal audit tests the effectiveness of the controls that management has in place for systems and processes to determine the effectiveness of compliance and safeguards within the business. In the 2020-21 work program, two audits scheduled for Q3 and Q4 were not undertaken due to the Acting CEO at the

time, Rik Hart, who is now the Administrator, putting a hold on the internal audit schedule in December 2020. These audits were Roads Maintenance or pothole management and Rates. “Both these topics were included in the Executive Leadership Team/Unit Manager survey but neither were nominated for the 2021-22 audit schedule,” Council said. Source: ARIC Business Paper, June 24 Website, Central Coast Council

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No prices made public from Council property sales As the revised Tranche 3 land sale list went to Central Coast Council’s July 27 meeting for approval, work continues selling land in Tranche 1 and Tranche 2. Council has exchanged and settled on contracts within Tranche 1 and 2 to the value of about $23.9M. One property in Tranche 1 has been sold but no individual site prices have yet been made public. Real estate agents Knight Frank have sold 1A Lucca Rd, Wyong, and are the agents for four lots at Spring Creek Business Park, Doyalson. Real estate agents Savills are managing the sale of Warner Industrial Park, located at 671,

689, 701, 725, 749, 781, 791, and 811 Hue Hue Rd and 225 Sparks Rd, Jilliby. Agents CBRE are managing the sale of 49-75 Mann St and 126 Georgiana Terrace, Gosford which includes the Gosford administration building. Discussions are being held with government agencies which might purchase sites of strategic interest directly from Council, but no details have been given. Seven properties in Tranche 2 have been sold or await settlement and one property, 7 Dalnott Rd, Gorokan has been withdrawn from sale but Council has given no reason why. The seven properties are 6A Brennon Rd, Gorokan; 18W

Dunvegan St, Mannering Park; 6 Wyndora Ave, San Remo; 44 Springall Ave, Wyongah; 2 Budgewoi Rd, Noraville; 165 Main Rd, Toukley and 9 Thompson St, Long Jetty. Another eight sites require easements and other restrictions placed on title prior to being put on market for sale and these works are underway. These properties are: 32 Murrumbong Rd, Summerland Point; 43A Ulana Ave, Halekulani; 9A Greenwood Ave, Berkeley Vale; 5 Sunnyhills Tce, Berkeley Vale; 2W Stornaway Cr, Berkeley Vale; 24 Kauri Court, Ourimbah; 13A Bellwood Cl, Tuggerah; and 10A Cynthia St, Bateau Bay. Merilyn Vale

Audit office uncovers missing contracts and unauthorised payments A Central Coast Council staff member manually adjusted a rate payment by $22,000 without appropriate authority, which was identified by the NSW audit office in the final audit for the year ending June 30, 2019. That was one of two instances identified of manual adjustments made to customer rates accounts which did not comply with Council’s approval guidelines. The manual adjustment of $22,000 exceeded the approver’s delegation of $1000. In another instance, the auditors could not obtain

supporting documents for the approval of an adjustment of $707. Management agreed to implement the audit recommendation to review the design and implementation of controls to ensure all adjustments to customer accounts were approved by an appropriate delegated authority. However, an update on September 2020 by management said “pressure of work: no update received”. The item is still overdue, according to a report to the Audit Risk and Management Committee (ARIC) on June 24. The report is now public.

It lists all the management actions which are overdue and their risk ranking. The report - called the Implementation of Management Actions Arising From Independent Reviews forms part of the standard suite of reports presented by the Chief Internal Auditor to the quarterly ordinary meetings of ARIC. It shows there were 355 management actions to be taken in response to four different audits: internal audits, internal ombudsman, the NSW audit office and external consultants. Of the 355 management actions 30 per cent have been

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approved for closure; a further nine per cent were either awaiting approval for closure or had not been approved for closure “presumably pending discussion or further”, the Council report stated. That left a closing balance of 214 actions remaining open with a total of 53 of these actions considered high-risk. Other findings included two instances where significant contracts valuing more than $20M were not included in Council’s contracts register. These contracts had purchase orders raised against them. ARIC was told that implementation of a corporate contract management system was on hold as per a request in March of the then chief operating officer. The Council report to ARIC said it was incumbent upon management at all levels to ensure controls were effectively mitigating the associated risks and that their systems/ processes were operating efficiently and cost-effectively. “It is worth noting that the number of outstanding actions

will fluctuate depending on the finalisation of reports, the number of reviews in train and the number of actions accepted by management,” the report said. “The number of overdue actions will be influenced by the length of time management indicates it will take to address the issues. “It is important that the focus of the Committee is on the issues identified and the significance of the findings, along with how management intends to address the control weaknesses, rather than on the actual number of issues or the due dates (which are set by management),” the report said. ARIC was encouraged to use the information in the report and the accompanying tables to identify any specific strategic or operational activities they would like to discuss with management at future meetings in respect of risk mitigation measures and system/process improvements; and/or form a view on the control framework and advise Council and the CEO accordingly.

CENTRAL COAST

The ARIC Charter includes:reviewing whether management has adequate internal controls in place, including over external parties such as contractors and advisors; reviewing whether management has in place relevant policies and procedures, and these are periodically reviewed and updated; progressively reviewing whether appropriate processes are in place to assess compliance with policies and procedures; reviewing the annual performance of Council against the key performance indicators documented in the Operational Plan, and providing advice to the CEO on the adequacy of Council’s performance against these indicators; reviewing whether appropriate policies and procedures are in place for the management and exercise of delegations; and reviewing whether management has taken steps to embed a culture which is committed to ethical and lawful behaviour. Source: ARIC Business Paper, June 24 Website, Central Coast Council

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Chamber wants soft border at river The Peninsula Chamber of Commerce has repeated its calls for the NSW State Government to implement a soft border at the Hawkesbury River as cases continued to increase in the Greater Sydney Delta outbreak and the lockdown looked set to continue. President, Matthew Wales, said the approach would limit people movements between Sydney and the Central Coast but enable the Coast to return to some normality. “The Chamber wants restrictions on people movement implemented at the Hawkesbury River as a way forward for lifting the lockdown

on the Central Coast and preventing the spread of the Indian COVID-19 Variant northwards,” Wales said. “We will be asking both the State Government and NSW Health to investigate the option to install a soft border control at the Hawkesbury interchange to prevent travel to and from Sydney,” he said. “At the moment, there is no guaranteed way to determine who is coming to the Central Coast to escape the Sydney metro area and potentially put Central Coast residents and regional areas further to the north at risk. “The Hawkesbury is the ideal location for the NSW Government to install a soft

Matthew Wales, Chamber President

COVID-19 border through the use VMS warning signage, social media advertising, pullover checking facilities, registration plate and licence checks and turn around

facilities backed by the NSW Police and TfNSW personnel. “The soft border facility would act as a significant deterrent to those who think that can sneak around the rules coming from Sydney and those who are trying to get into Sydney unless you are an essential service. “This would not include delivery trucks and semitrailers who can still be checked and monitored at the Heavy Vehicle Safety Station (HVSS) at Mt White. “It would not take long before travellers got the message that once they knew they were going to be checked, potentially fined and turned around unless they have a legitimate reason or authority to be travelling.

“It’s not good enough for politicians to come up with excuses as to why they can’t implement soft border restrictions. In this time of crisis, we should be looking at ALL options. At a time when the Central Coast has no community transmission cases, we should not be penalised by being in lockdown and lumped in with the rest of the Greater Sydney Region. “Families and businesses are under incredible stress, people are losing their jobs with hundreds of businesses facing the prospect of permanent closure. “I’m sure if there was an outbreak on the Central Coast and not in Sydney, the NSW

State Government would immediately prevent us from entering the Sydney metro area. “The Chamber understands the safety, logistics and manpower challenges the soft border option would create but the Central Coast needs to come out of lockdown and regional areas further to the north protected. “The soft border should be put in place, travel to and from Sydney severely restricted, the lockdown lifted on the Central Coast with standard social distancing and health safety checks implemented.” Source: Media release, July 25 Peninsula Business Chamber

Mary Mac needs more supplies In recognition of Homelessness Week which begins on Sunday, August 1, Woy Woy-based community organisation, Mary Mac’s Place, is putting the call out for more support during the lockdown. The organisation, which traditionally supplies a sitdown meal to individuals who may be homeless or needing a helping hand, is currently offering takeaway meals due to COVID-19 restrictions. It also offers a place to shower and to wash clothes, support and companionship from dedicated volunteers. Mary Mac’s project worker, Sally Liedberg, said she had

seen an increase in people asking for support since the lockdown started. “I have seen an increase in families where the main income earner has been unable to work due to restrictions,” Liedberg said. “We are still serving between 50 to 70 people a day for our hot lunch and to get the fruit, vegetables and bread. “If anyone is needing to seek support they can call, and we can direct them to the right support or support them with our service directly. “We do more than just food, we are a gateway to seek support for any and all issues for individuals and families with a friendly and non-

judgmental approach. “All are welcome here.” Families and staff from St John the Baptist Early Learning Centre dropped in a large donation package to Mary Mac’s this week. The organisation said the donations had ‘made such a difference in people’s lives’ and they were ‘so thankful for the ongoing support’. However, more can be done. Liedberg also said she had seen a drop in fruit and vegetables donations from local supermarkets. And with now a rise in food demand due to the lockdown, Mary Macs said they would like to boost their grocery pick-ups to help provide support to the

Maisy Rae

Mary Mac’s said they were overwhelmed with the ‘generous’ support from St John the Baptist Early Learning Centre

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community. They are also encouraging locals to ‘Shout a Mate a $6 Plate’ to help raise funds to cover the costs of the meals and keep the service running. Mary Mac’s state that every cent of the $6 will go directly to providing meals and all donations are tax deductible. For anyone needing support, Mary Mac’s is open from Monday to Friday, 11am till 1pm, or alternatively can be called on 02 4341 0584. More information about the ‘Share a Plate’ campaign can be found on the CatholicCare’s website.

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Julia NEWBOULD Editor-at-large • Money magazine It has been anything but business as usual in the world of taxation. “The ATO has been very lenient throughout 2020, offering payment arrangements, deferrals of lodgements, remission of penalties and general interest charges, and generally trying to accommodate the difficult financial position many taxpayers found themselves in as a result of the lockdowns and impact of international and state border closures,” says Robyn Jacobson, a chartered tax adviser and senior advocate at the Tax Institute. “But as our economic recovery continues, the ATO is now shifting its focus onto debt recovery and collection, and following up outstanding lodgements, moving back to a ‘business as usual’ stance.” Given that state of play, here are some expert tips to help you navigate your tax affairs.

Do you research to choose the right method if claiming work from home. You can deduct costs of working from home using either the ATO’s 80¢ per hour rate, its 52¢ per hour rate or actual costs. “The 80¢ per hour rate might sound like the most generous but it covers all expenses that you might incur,” says tax expert Mark Chapman. You simply claim 80¢ for each hour you work from home, and this covers all your expenses, such as phone, internet, the decline in value of computer equipment and furniture, electricity and gas for heating, cooling and lighting. If your expenses fall outside this time frame, you can apply the fixed-rate method, which is a deduction of 52¢ for each hour you work from home, but this rate excludes the cost of your phone, home internet and depreciation of any computer equipment. These can be

claimed separately. “If you claim those separately, the 52¢ is often the better option,” says Chapman. But this will require a log of hours worked. The third option is the actual costs method. “Actual costs are the best option, but using that method means you have to retain proof of incurring expenditure like gas and electricity, cleaning costs, phone and internet, computer consumables, and

the cost of home office equipment,” says Chapman. Of course, it’s not a free-forall to claim regular household expenses. “You’ll not only need to keep a log of the hours you work from home, but also calculate what percentage of these expenses are work-related,” says Robyn Jacobson. “You can’t claim 100% of your internet bill if only 60% of your internet use is for work.” You can prepay some

expenses. Peter Bembrick, a tax partner at HLB Mann Judd, suggests prepaying expenses such as your income protection premiums (if held outside your super), management charges on investments and professional membership fees. “You can usually prepay deductible expenses for up to 12 months, so you can get those in early if you want deductions this year.” Chapman says there’s a reason 70% of Australians use

a tax agent to prepare their tax return – it’s complicated. “Get your tax return wrong and the comeback is on you, either with a lower refund or ATO penalties, and most people will find it far less stressful to simply pass on all their information to a tax agent and leave it to the agent to complete their return, safe in the knowledge that it will be accurate and complete.” M DAVID THORNTON

ASIC review of ethical products under way The corporate regulator has confirmed it is undertaking a review of ESG funds, analysing whether they’re as “green” as they claim to be. ASIC commissioner Cathie Armour says there is growing anxiety about the risks of “greenwashing”, partly driven by a lack of clarity about

labelling or a single, generally accepted way of defining them.. The review aims to determine whether “the practices of funds that offer these products align with their promotion of these products; in other words, whether the financial product or investment strategy is as ‘green’ or ESG-focused as claimed”.

This follows the regulator’s review of climate risk disclosures by large, listed corporates, which found disclosure had improved in recent years but also that some sustainability-related disclosures carried a “marketing” feel, Armour said. “Misrepresentation of such products poses a threat to a fair and efficient financial

system. Essentially, this misrepresentation distorts relevant information that a current or prospective investor might require in order to make informed investment decisions driven by ESG considerations.. “Addressing this threat will improve governance and accountability in the market.” In discussing the review,

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Armour also encouraged board members to look out for greenwashing and to ask themselves whether “disclosures around environmental risks and opportunities or their fund’s promotion of ESG-focused investment products accurately reflects their practices”. JAMIE WILLIAMSON

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Armour cited efforts by international regulators to stamp out greenwashing. For instance, the European Union’s taxonomy is seeking to define what can be considered sustainable or climate friendly, and the US Securities and Exchange Commission task force is aiming to identify gaps or misstatements in ESG disclosures.

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Council declines to support gender equity strategy Central Coast Council has declined a call from an advisory group for “in principle” support for a gender equity strategy, citing staffing and financial constraints. It said it was not an organisational priority and it could not support it at this stage. The Council’s Status of Women’s Advisory Group (SOWAG) had called on Council to give in principle support only. The advisory group volunteered to initiate and lead the creation and implementation of the strategy. Two speakers from the group addressed the Council on July

27, Sharryn Brownlee and Sharon Walsh. Walsh said members of SOWAG were sensitive to the Council’s current issues pertaining to resourcing but the committee was merely seeking in principle support from the Council for a Gender Equity Strategy. “The members of SOWAG appreciate current resourcing restrictions and as such have stated their commitment to undertaking the necessary work involved in researching and developing any potential strategy for consideration by Council,” she said. SOWAG had recently fought to successfully maintain the Status of Women Advisory

Group as a stand-alone group when Council re-organised its advisory groups and suggested folding SOWAG and the Social Inclusion advisory committees into one working group. Walsh said Council’s finalisation of a Social Inclusion Charter was crucial and supported by the members of SOWAG. “However, given that ultimately SOWAG was not subsumed under the umbrella of Social Inclusion, our members have the responsibility to advocate for the development of a Gender Equity Strategy for Central Coast Council separate to the Social Inclusion Charter,” she said.

“We feel it is important to highlight that the Status of Women Advisory Group has not been specifically consulted in regard to the Social Inclusion Charter with regards to the specific addressing of issues for women. “I reiterate that our recommendation was for in principle support from Council for a Gender Equity Strategy and that SOWAG members have offered their time and efforts in terms of the research and development work necessary if Council decided to support the development of such a strategy. “A Gender Equity Strategy provides Council organisational opportunities to achieve

5@5

workplace and community gender equity, where people can access and enjoy the same rewards, resources, and opportunities regardless of gender. “Such a strategy would aim to support Council to become a leader and champion for gender equity in our community, while also identifying the skills and resources necessary to implement such a strategy,” Walsh said. Administrator Rik Hart said he would struggle to disagree with what the two speakers had said. He asked the director of Connected Communities Julie Vaughan to speak who said a number of strategies showed

Council’s commitment to gender equity. She also spoke about the reduction in staff in her department which would made it difficult to support further action plans that came along with a new strategy. In the end, Mr Hart adopted the staff recommendation which said “the proposal to develop a Gender Equity Strategy is not supported at this point in time as it is not an organisational priority and there are limited resources available to develop and implement a specific strategy just related to gender equity”. Merilyn Vale

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Re-write the story: trying new things is overwhelming

DANIELLE ABELL

GEORGIA LIENEMANN This is the second part in our six-week series on the counterproductive stories we tell ourselves in the kitchen – those hurdles that mess with our mojo and prevent us from enjoying the process of cooking. This week we’re hearing from Danielle Abell from Lick The Plates and examining the belief that experimenting with or trying new things in the kitchen is ‘too hard’. Sometimes our kitchen routine brings comfort. You’re in the flow and you don’t need to think. You buy the same things every time you shop and cook the same dishes. It’s familiar and easy. And there are times when that same kitchen routine feels boring, monotonous and claustrophobic. You want a change, but you don’t know where to start. When you’re feeling the monotony, but also feel stuck, chances are you’re telling yourself a version of the story that “trying new things is overwhelming”. However, while you may feel overwhelmed trying new things, it doesn’t truly mean that it is overwhelming. One step at a time When you’re feeling the overwhelm, know that even the most competent home

3. If you’re dealing with fussy eaters, start slow

cooks feel it at times! Generally, overwhelm kicks in when we get ahead of ourselves and spend more time stressing than actually doing anything. For example, you want to cook something new for dinner tonight, it’s 4:30pm and have no idea where to start. The next thing you know, it’s 6:00pm, you’ve gone down the Google vortex with 27 recipe windows open on your phone and not so much as an onion has been chopped. Cue meltdown. Cooking new dishes takes planning When you break it down, there are a surprising number of steps involved in cooking something new, so go easy on yourself:

1. Feel inspired to try something new 2. Decide what to cook 3. Buy the ingredients 4. Put aside time to follow the recipe and make the thing 5. Eat it (and persuade your family to try this new thing) 6. Use up or store the remainders of those new ingredients you bought. No wonder you feel overwhelmed! And what if you do overcome all of this and then the dish is a flop? All that wasted energy! Is the overwhelm actually a fear of failure? Maybe the overwhelm isn’t actually about the planning and cooking, but more about

the fear of the final dish. Do you worry that it will be a flop and can’t face all that wasted time and energy? That’s a completely reasonable fear! And let me tell you… it may be a flop. And that’s when your powers of creative thinking will kick in. Go back to last week’s article online on how to save a dish that didn’t turn out. There are some great tips in there. But the main thing is.. there are no failures! Just opportunities to reinvent. Tired of being stuck in a rut? Try this. 1. Avoid the online abyss and be inspired by real people instead Google can overwhelming

totally and

bottomless. Instead, find an online community, or even just a few friends, and share your kitchen successes (and failures)! Talk about what you’re cooking and share recipes and ideas. It is so much more fun cooking together, even if you are each doing it in your own kitchens. All you need is one idea to implement. 2. Set a realistic goal of cooking something new every fortnight If you like the structure of a challenge, set yourself one! But be realistic. One new dish a week may be too much, but once a fortnight is manageable. Or maybe one new dish a month sits better with you. Whatever it is, commit to it and plan ahead.

A recipe for Garlic Gomasio (Georgia calls these ‘sprinkles’ in her kitchen) Adults and children alike love condiments, especially when it can be sprinkled. We like to use them to add a creative spin to a boring meal. Here is a recipe, which is meant as a springboard, not to limit you. Omit the garlic if you’d prefer and add in any other spices you’d like. Or keep it to just toasted sesame seeds and salt. Up to you!

Ingredients - 1 cup sesame seeds - 2 teaspoons good quality salt (Celtic Sea Salt or Himalayan Salt) - 1 teaspoon garlic powder Method - Heat a dry pan over medium heat. When pan is hot, add sesame seeds and move

around for a few minutes until slightly coloured. Don’t walk away from this step. - Move sesame seeds to a plate and leave to cool. - Once cool, add to pestle and mortar along with salt and garlic powder. Grind them together until slightly broken down. - Store in a glass jar and keep in the fridge. - Sprinkle overANYTHING:rice,sandwiches, steamed vegetables, salads or eggs.

There’s nothing more discouraging than putting your energy into creating something new, only to have your children say, ‘yuck’. So, mitigate that risk. Try cooking new and interesting side dishes and keep the main part of the meal familiar. If your kids don’t want to try the new thing, don’t force them and enjoy it yourself instead. 4. Instead of a new dish, try a new ingredient Buying a whole list of new ingredients to make a complicated dish can be overwhelming, so instead try just buying one new ingredient a week and add it to things you’re already cooking. This is great practice in learning to use up what you have - a priceless skill in the kitchen. Furthermore, eating a diversity of foods is one of the best things we can do for our gut health. Danielle is an ex-picky eater turned food lover and founder of Lick the Plates. She is passionate about inspiring women to cook from scratch the old-fashioned way, but with modern equipment and techniques. She teaches cooking both face to face and virtually and sells Thermomixes, as the best kitchen tool to make it all possible. Find her at www. licktheplates.com and on most socials.

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HEALTH & LIFESTYLE PAGE 31 29 JULY 2021

Sarah’s donated kidney a little ripper Sarah Joyce of St Huberts Island is throwing her support behind DonateLife Week (July 25- August 1), aimed at reminding the community of the importance of registering to become an organ donor, following her own lifesaving kidney transplant. In 2016, Joyce contracted meningococcal and within 12 hours had lost her kidney function. “For the following four years I spent 15-20 hours every week in hospital receiving dialysis,” she said. “The feeling of being dependent on a dialysis machine to live is extremely hard, both mentally and physically. “I had a kidney transplant one

year ago and within a few days I had near perfect kidney function again. “I call my kidney my little ripper – although it isn’t little, it is bigger than both my native kidneys put together. “I am very lucky and so incredibly grateful to my donor’s family. “I have many ongoing health issues as a result of contracting meningococcal and I don’t think I would have been able to physically or mentally get through them these past 12 months without the kidney transplant.” Central Coast Local Health District (CCLHD) says there are around 13 million Australians aged 16 and over who are eligible to register as an organ and tissue donor – but haven’t.

CCLHD Donation Specialist Coordinator, Yoni HopeHodgetts, said there are currently around 1,800 Australians on the organ transplant waiting list, and a further 12,000 people on dialysis. “Unfortunately, COVID-19 has had a direct impact on organ and tissue donation,” HopeHodgetts said. “In 2020 there was a 12 per cent decrease in people receiving a transplant, a 16 per cent decrease in donors and a 16 per cent decrease in Australians registering as donors, in comparison to 2019. “This means it’s never been more important to register as an organ and tissue donor and to encourage others to join you. “Once you register it is

important to let your family know of your decision. “Families play a crucial role in the donation process because they are asked to confirm whether their loved one wanted to be a donor. “We know that in 90 per cent of cases, families agree to donation when their family member is a registered donor. “We are incredibly grateful to those families who have generously said yes to organ donation at such a difficult time in their lives.” Register to be a donor on the Australian Organ Donor Register at donatelife.gov.au Source: Media release, July 28 Central Coast Local Health District

Sarah Joyce

NDIS participants spared from assessments for now Participants in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) can breathe a sigh of relief with the Federal government shelving plans to introduce independent assessments according to Shadow Assistant Minister for

Mental Health and Carers and Federal Member for Dobell, Emma McBride. “This is a huge win for people living with a disability on the Central Coast,” McBride said. She said the plan that was under consideration by the

government would have forced 500,000 Australians living with a permanent disability into an assessment with a stranger so the government could cut costs. “The NDIS was built to protect people living with a disability and independent assessments

would only hurt them,” she said. She said she was concerned about Minister for the NDIS Linda Reynolds’ choice of words when she described the plans as being shelved and not thrown out altogether. “The NDIS is critical in our

region,” she said. “More than 350 people have contacted me about the NDIS and there was a big surge in inquiries from locals deeply concerned about independent assessment. “The NDIS was designed so Australians living with a

disability could have choice and control and this must be protected for the future,” McBride said. Source: Media release, July 13 Federal Member for Dobell, Emma McBride

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Coast needs its own mass vax centre Central Coast Labor MPs are calling for a mass COVID-19 vaccination centre to be established in the region. State MPs David Harris (Wyong), David Mehan (The Entrance), Yasmin Catley (Swansea), Liesl Tesch (Gosford) and Federal Member for Dobell, Emma McBride, met recently with member of the Central Coast GP Alliance Working Group to discuss the rollout of vaccinations in the region. “Whilst local GPs are offering vaccinations, waiting lists are already long and the rollout of the Pfizer vaccine will further add to the delay,” the MPs said in a joint statement. “GPs are still coping with their normal duties of seeing patients as well as now doing vaccinations. “If we are to ensure our Coast’s population is vaccinated to a high level, like the Hunter and Illawarra, the Central Coast should have a mass vaccination hub. “The government needs to address this issue to protect the 345,000 plus residents of the Coast,” they said. The MPs have written to the NSW Health Minister, Brad Hazzard, and the Federal Health Minister, Greg Hunt, as

Wyong MP David Harris (left), Gosford MP Liesl Tesch and The Entrance MP David Mehan

a matter of urgency. Meanwhile, an extra 10 GP clinics are now administering the Pfizer vaccine but that means it is still only available at 12 GP clinics across the region. Six of those GPS administering vaccine are in the northern suburbs. A selection of local pharmacies will finally be able to start providing vaccinations from August 16, even though they were initially approved in March.

Trent Playford, President of the Central Coast Pharmacist’s Association, said not all pharmacists had been invited to be part of the vaccination rollout and the association was not sure of the criteria used by the Federal or NSW Government to determine which pharmacies were included. He explained that although the Federal Government had managed Phase 1(a) and 1(b) of the vaccine rollout, which included the most vulnerable

such as nursing home residents, it was then handed over to the NSW Government. “The list was sent to the State Government but then they decided to do the hub model. “You will have to ask the politicians why they decided to do that; we have been campaigning from the start for pharmacists to be involved,” Playford said. Local pharmacies approved to provide the AstraZeneca vaccine would start as soon

as stock arrived which is expected to be within two weeks and could be as early as one week. As stores start vaccinating they will communicate through social media and through the website Find a Pharmacy. Pharmacists haven’t been informed whether or not they will be able to provide other forms of COVID vaccination as the government secures supply due to the temperatures Pfizer and

Moderna need to be stored at (-70 degrees Celsius). Playford said participating pharmacists would be vaccinating on an appointment basis using an online booking tool. The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) commended local pharmacies taking part in the NSW rollout, and applauded the Berejiklian Government for committing to maximising pharmacist involvement. PSA NSW Branch President, Chelsea Felkai, said PSA has been working closely with the State Government to secure pharmacist involvement in the strategy since the vaccine rollout commenced. “We have almost 5,000 skilled, trusted and experienced pharmacist vaccinators across NSW. And when fully activated, they will make a substantial difference to the population’s uptake of the vaccine,” Felkai said. “Premier Berejikian has made it clear that we cannot live with the Delta variant unless a certain proportion of the population is vaccinated, so we need to make it as easy and convenient as possible for Australians to get vaccinated.” Sue Murray and Jackie Pearson

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HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

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Federal Health ‘sort of’ answers COVID questions Confusion about the vaccine rollout prompted PP to send a list of questions to the top – the Commonwealth Department of Health – the body ultimately responsible for the vaccine rollout across the nation. The questions were sent to Health on Friday, July 2 and they answered, apologising for the delay, on July 16. Here’s how they answered our questions. Q: How many doses (first and second) of AZ and Pfizer COVID vaccine have been administered to residents of the NSW Central Coast up to Friday, 2 July 2021? A: For all available vaccination data, please view the weekly COVID-19 vaccine rollout report on the Department of Health website: https://www.health. gov.au/initiatives-andprograms/covid-19-vaccines/ australias-covid-19-vaccinerollout. The website reports over 11 million vaccine doses have been administered nationally at 6.30am on Wednesday, July 28 but does not give local data. Q: Can the department confirm that all Central Coast aged care

residents who wish to have received a COVID vaccine have been vaccinated? What percentage of aged care staff on the Central Coast have been partially or fully vaccinated to date? When will 100% vaccination be achieved if not already? A: All 171 residential aged care facilities in the Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network region under the Commonwealth’s inreach program have received first and second dose COVID-19 vaccination clinics. Q: What percentage of health workers on the Central Coast have been partially or fully vaccinated to date? When will 100% vaccination be achieved if not already? A: In NSW as of 9 July 2021, 881 of 937 residential aged care facilities (88 per cent) have reported on the COVID-19 vaccination status of their workforce. Of 79,833 staff reported by providers to date, 36 percent (28,475) have received a first dose and 20 per cent (16,107) have received all required doses. Information on the number of healthcare workers that have

been vaccinated are a matter for the NSW Government. Q: Can Health confirm that the Eligibility Checker is not the only entry point for people wishing to be vaccinated? For instance, there appear to be state hospitals with their own systems for registering for Pfizer vaccine. What are the most efficient pathways for people seeking AZ? Pfizer? How does Health intend to better inform the public of pathways to vaccination in the weeks ahead? A:TheAustralian Government’s COVID-19 Vaccination Information and Location Service (including the Eligibility Checker and Vaccine Clinic Finder) can be used by everyone to check if they can get a COVID-19 vaccination and, if so, find the right clinic to make a booking. If people need help to find a clinic, they can call the National Coronavirus Helpline on 1800 020 080. There are currently over 6,000 vaccination providers featured on the Vaccine Clinic Finder, including Commonwealth and State and Territory vaccination clinics, participating general practices, pharmacies,

Sonic hubs and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services. This includes clinics that are administering AstraZeneca, Pfizer or both types of vaccines and continues to be updated as more vaccination providers start delivering the Pfizer vaccine across Australia. As more vaccine providers come on board, they are added to the Vaccine Clinic Finder. All approved COVID-19 vaccination clinics must be listed on the Vaccine Clinic Finder to ensure a pathway by which everyone can check if they are eligible and find a clinic right for them. The Vaccination Information and Location Service allows each clinic to manage their own appointments and booking arrangements to suit their operations and local community needs, which may include through an online booking platform, taking bookings over the phone, inviting people to walk-in, or multiple ways to access vaccination. In addition, vaccine providers are able to provide additional digital and non-digital entry points for people to book a vaccination,

such as through community inreach and email notifications to existing patients. Q: Can Health confirm how many GPs on the NSW Central Coast currently have available supplies of AZ? Pfizer? It is our understanding that expressions of interest were called for Central Coast GPs to administer Pfizer. Can Health please confirm how many GPs will be coming online to deliver Pfizer, confirm their suburb locations and approximate timeline? A: In the Central Coast region there is a total of 77 participating primary care sites, of which there are 74 general practices, two CommonwealthVaccination Clinic and one Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Services clinic. There are currently five general practices will commence vaccinating with Pfizer in July, along with and one CommonwealthVaccination Clinic, Erina Respiratory Clinic, on the Central Coast. The number of practices administering the Pfizer vaccine will progressively increase in coming months as more practices transition and more

vaccines become available All participating vaccination sites are listed on the COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Finder, which enables people to find vaccination clinics near them and will have rolling updates to show Pfizer points of presence over coming weeks as sites transition. The Vaccine Clinic Finder can be accessed through the COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility Checker. Q: Can Health please provide an estimate of when it believes all Central Coast residents who wish to be vaccinated will have access to their preferred/safest vaccine? A: Making safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines available to all Australians is a key priority of the Australian, and State and Territory governments. Operation COVID Shield has been set-up to oversee Australia’s vaccine rollout. LTGEN Frewen has said publicly that he wants to see anyone who wants a vaccine be offered one by the end of this year. Source: Media statement, July 16 Commonwealth Department of Health

Mask up and check in says Hart

Hart called the public’s attention to the announcement of new cases of COVID-19 on the Central Coast and the

number of exposure sites that had subsequently been identified. “If you have attended any of the sites please follow the health orders, self isolate and get tested,” Hart said. He called the NSW Health website the “source of truth” and asked the community to

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follow it. Mr Hart repeated that work on all construction sites had been halted since July 19 and that Central Coast Council was complying with health orders. “Stay at home requirements have had a significant impact on how we work and how we function,” he said.

“Council work will continue remotely. “Sites have been made safe and paused during this period.” He said Council had been successful at redeploying staff from its currently closed recreation centres and libraries to other areas of the business so staff were still contributing

and learning new skills. In addition to his advice to “mask up, check in and keep your distance,” Hart said he hoped community members would also “keep an eye out for each other. “Reach out virtually to check on friends and family. “I would remind the

community out there we have a Council hardship policy that is in place for ratepayers who are having trouble paying their rates.” He urged small businesses to check for support available from the NSW and Federal Governments. Jackie Pearson

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HEALTH & LIFESTYLE PAGE 35 29 JULY 2021

Coast has COVID exposure sites in five northern suburbs Peninsula residents who have had contact with anyone from five suburbs in the north of the region may need to get tested and isolate following Sunday’s announcement of a positive COVID-19 case who was infectious in the community. The person was one of two newly identified household contacts of the four previously announced Central Coast cases. The other newly identified household contact has tested negative for COVID-19 to date. The household, including the five confirmed cases and the two other people in the household who have tested negative to date are being moved to the Special Health Accommodation in Sydney to isolate, with health staff undertaking daily wellness checks. A number of Central Coast locations have been identified as COVID-19 exposure sites associated with the latest confirmed case. Anyone who attended the following venues at the time listed below is now considered a close contact and must get tested and isolate for 14 days, regardless of the result: • H&R Block Toukley at 1/266 Main Rd Toukley on Friday, July 23 between 1:40pm to

The COVID-19 testing clinic at Koolewong is open five days a week

2:15pm • Priceline Pharmacy Northlakes (21 Pacific Highway, San Remo NSW): Friday 23 July, 2:20pm2:40pm They must call 1800 943 553 unless they have already been contacted by NSW Health. Anyone who attended the following venues at the times listed is a casual contact who must immediately get tested and isolate until a negative result is received. Singletons Butchery at Northlakes Shopping Centre, San Remo: Wednesday 21 July, 1:55pm - 2:05pm Northlakes Shopping Centre

in San Remo: Wednesday 21 July, 1:55pm - 2:20pm, Thursday 22 July, 11:05am -11:30am, Friday 23 July, 2:20pm - 3:05pm, Saturday 24 July, 1:00pm-1:15pm, Sunday 25 Jul, 9:40am-10:15am Coles San Remo: Wednesday 21 July, 2:05pm-2:20pm, Friday 23 July, 2:35pm2:50pm, Sunday 25 July, 9:45am -10:15am Stockade Meats on Scenic Drive, Budgewoi: Thursday 22 July, 3:40pm – 4pm Priceline Pharmacy at Northlakes: Thursday 22 July, 11:00am -11:30am Westfield Tuggerah – Coles side, 50 Wyong Rd, Tuggerah:

Friday 23 July, 12:20pm1:00pm Dan Murphy’s at Westfield Tuggerah: Friday 23 July, 12:20pm-12:30pm Smokemart at Westfield Tuggerah: Friday 23 July, 12:25pm-12:30pm Coles Tuggerah at Westfield Tuggerah: Friday 23 July, 12:30pm-1:00pm Coles Liquor San Remo: Friday 23 July, 2:50pm-3:05pm, Saturday 24 July, 1:00pm -1:15pm Lake Haven Shopping Centre: Saturday 24 July, 10:15am -10:50am Coles Lake Haven, Lake Haven Shopping Centre, Lake Haven:

Saturday 24 July, 10:15am10:25am Priceline Pharmacy at Lake Haven Shopping Centre: Saturday 24 July, 10:20am -10:40am Lake Haven Post Office at 121/43 Lake Haven Drive: Saturday 24 July, 10:35am -10:50am Bunnings Warehouse Charmhaven: Saturday 24 July, 12:25pm-12:45pm, and Saturday 24 July, 1:25pm1:45pm HipPocket Workwear at 5/6 Botham Close, Charmhaven: Saturday 24 July, 12:45pm12:55pm Charmhaven Newsagency at

Northlakes Shopping Centre: Sunday 25 July, 9:40am-9:50am If your date of exposure at this venue occurred in the past four days, you must get another test on day five from the date of exposure. Central Coast Local Health District states for individuals who attended these venues to wear a mask around others and limit your movements until you get another negative result and continue to monitor for symptoms. Symptoms of COVID-19 include a fever, cough, sore/ scratchy throat, shortness of breath, runny nose and loss of taste or smell. Local COVID-19 testing clinics are located at: Woy Woy 4Cyte Pathology walk-in clinic on Burge Rd (open Monday to Friday, 9am to 4:30pm), Koolewong Laverty Pathology Drive-through Clinic at Point to Pelicans Cycleway (open Monday to Friday, 7:30am to 5pm), and Woy Woy Douglass Hanly Moir Pathology (open Monday to Friday, 8am to 12pm). Gosford Hospital also remains open for COVID-19 testing from 9am to 5pm, seven days per week. Source: Media release, July 25 Central Coast Local Health District

We can all get through this Community leaders are reminding those who may be struggling that help is only a call away as the national mental health charity, Lifeline, has recorded a 25 percent increase in calls during the current COVID-19 lockdown and that number expected to rise. Member for Gosford, Liesl Tesch, said she urged community members to reach out for help and contact Lifeline if they were experiencing any

mental health challenges during lockdown. “I know the lockdown is causing so much grief in our community and I, along with Lifeline, want the community to know help is available if you need it,” Tesch said. “Unfortunately, while we can continue to think positively, there is so much pressure on the minds of many. “Financial anxiety is at a high, physical health certainty is at a low, we cannot do the things we want to do, and we cannot connect with our nearest and

dearest during isolation, which is when we need them most. “I want to assure you all that it is okay not to be okay and to contact someone for help.” Regional General Manager of Lifeline Hunter Central Coast, Julie Wicks, said she would like to encourage people to advance their mental health knowledge. “Training in self-care and in having the skills to identify and help someone in crisis, or approaching crisis point, makes for a mentally healthier and more productive workplace,” Wicks said.

“We can all get through this if we are kind to each other and look out for each other. “Being a volunteer also really helps put your own life into perspective and I encourage people to become involved in Lifeline services.” Tesch said it was time for businesses to up their skills in mental health support. “As we work our way to lower case numbers and out of lockdown it is important we know the signs of someone in need and the way to approach those who are struggling

inside,” Tesch said. “Whether you’re in the hairdressing profession, which is known for listening and providing advice to so many people, or whether you are in the construction industry, where men are 53 percent more likely to die by taking their own life in comparison to other industries, now is the time to learn how to approach and deal with our own, or other people’s mental health struggles.” Support and assistance from Lifeline is accessible 24/7 with

calls to 13 11 14 available at any time, or a text to 0477 13 11 14 from 6pm to midnight. Contact can also be made via online chat through Lifeline’s website from 7pm to midnight each night. More information on mental health workplace training can also be found on Lifeline’s website. Source: Media release, July 26 Member for Gosford, Liesl Tesch

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EDUCATION & SCIENCE PAGE 37 29 JULY 2021

Education week celebrates lifelong learning Public Schools across the state are celebrating Education Week this week, recognising the achievements of schools, students and the learning community. The week is being held from July 26 to July 30, and the theme for this year is Lifelong Learners. This theme celebrates education as a lifelong journey from before a child enters an early childhood setting, progressing to primary and secondary school and continuing their learning journey into adulthood, learning a trade, entering tertiary education or the workforce. This all-encompassing theme shows that everyone in the community can be a lifelong learner, and continuous learning is critical for success. The celebrations began on July 26 with the Education Week launch live stream which looked at the lives of students making a difference in their community and how learning has helped them achieve their goals. A P&C webinar called Exploring Vocational Education

and Training was held on July 27, that explored three key vocational education and training programs available to high school students in NSW such as Vocational Education and Training (VET) at School, Virtual VET courses and School Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships. This program was specially designed for parents and carers. Learning through Country was released on July 28 by the NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group

Incorporated and shared stories about places of cultural significance. This video connected to this year’s NAIDOC Week theme Heal Country by demonstrating that learning through country is a lifelong process. Also on the roster for Education Week is Education live, which is being held from July 27-30 that features guest lessons from ARIA Music Award winner, Sarah Donnelly, Engineer, Author, Athlete and Motivational Speaker, Turia Pitt, Gardener Clarence

Slockee, Author and teacher, Yvette Poshoglian and Scientia Professor of Artificial Intelligence, Toby Walsh. Another event celebrating Education Week is a Virtual Art Exhibition called From the Ashes, which features a series of artworks created by students in response to the 2019/2020 NSW bushfires. In her introductory address, Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning, Sarah Mitchell, said she was proud to be the Minister for Education and Early Childhood

Learning and privileged to work with everyone in the education sector. “We all know how important it is for children to begin learning from a very young age so the journey of lifelong learning does start at birth. “Lifelong learning also extends far beyond the school gate. “I want all of our students to have access to opportunities and pathways to prepare them for success in the workforce, or for further study or training,

whatever they might choose to do. “A big thank you to all of our amazing staff for their tremendous work and dedication to education in NSW. “From our early childhood educators, our teachers and school leaders to our school support staff and everybody else working so hard each and every day to improve the educational outcomes of our young people. “I also want to mention our TAFE, Vocational and Higher Education teachers and staff, who of course play such a critical role in that lifelong learning journey. “I want to commend all of you for your resilience over the past 18 months, and your ability to adapt to ensure that continuity and quality of education for our students continues,” Mitchell said. Schools can also enter the Ed Week video competition by creating a mini documentary that showcases the theme of Lifelong learners. Harry Mulholland

Safety concerns lead to exam delays The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) COVID-19 Response Committee has announced additional changes to the 2021 HSC timetable to give students additional time to prepare for upcoming HSC exams. In recognition of the evolving COVID-19 situation and in line with health advice, NESA will extend the hand in date for all major projects by two weeks. The hand in date for Industrial Technology has been extended by four weeks. Drama Performance exams

have been rescheduled to run from September 6-17. Music performance exams are to continue as scheduled, running from August 30 to September 10. Written exams have also been rescheduled and are set to begin one week later, starting on October 19, with HSC results out on December 17. Chair of the Committee Professor Peter Shergold said students could still receive their results, ATAR and university offers this year despite written exams being delayed by a week.

“We know students want certainty about their exams, our priority is to limit disruption to HSC students. “Our aim is to give students as much clarity as possible so they can focus on their studies, their goals and their personal wellbeing. “We recognise that students and schools across the state are operating under a variety of different circumstances. “We will outline a special illness and misadventure process and any other contingency arrangements needed to ensure equity and fairness for all students,”

Shergold said. CEO of NESA, Paul Martin said the priority for NESA and the school sectors, is providing considered advice to students that align with the health advice and is fair to the whole cohort. “The changes to the exam timetables mean all students have some additional time to prepare for exams or complete their project. “We learnt a lot about our processes in the HSC last year and I am confident that we can apply for those lessons this year,” Martin said.

Earlier this week, oral language exams were rescheduled to start on August 14. COVID safe exam practices, including minimising school groups mixing, mandatory masks for everyone except the student during the exam, and Perspex screens will be in place at the oral language exams. “Markers, many of whom are teachers, have an enormous undertaking ahead of them. “I want to thank the teaching profession for all that they have done this year to support students.

“I can assure markers and exam supervisors that their safety, as well as the students, is our priority,” Martin said. For regularly updated advice about the HSC see NESA’s COVID advice. Teachers, students and parents can also contact the NESA COVID-19 support team on 1300 138 323 or covid19support@nesa.nsw. edu.au. Source: Media Release, July 23 NSW Education Standards Authority

Humpback Highway Watch Ronny Ling and his Central Coast Dolphin Project and Central Coast Newspapers have combined to bring you a regular Humpback Highway report in each edition of this newspaper. Whales are still continuing north, and some great viewing has been available from the Killcare Lookout and Boudi

Boardwalk. Last week the Southern Right whale mother and calf ventured up to Dangar Island, and also called in close to Patonga, before heading further south. Dolphins have been viewed at Ettalong through the week, and also seen visiting Umina, Pearl Beach and Box Head. Some of our seal visitors have

ventured back into Brisbane Water, seeking calm water with plenty of fish. The seal colony at Barenjoey has 19 seals at the moment. If your planning to go whale watching, remember to comply with Health Regulations and police/ government directions.

If you are lucky enough to spot a whale, seal or dolphin, please text or call the Project on 0490 401 969 or email centralcoastdolphins@gmail.com

PAGE 38 29 JULY 2021

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Dawson stands solid as centre back in Tokyo FIELD HOCKEY – OLYMPICS From the Australian Olympic camp, the Kookaburra’s continue to lead the way after three group stage wins, all featuring Berkeley Vale’s Matt Dawson in defence.

Matt Dawson Photo: Olympics.com.au

With the opening hockey match of the Games on Saturday July 24, the world leading team showed their strength with a 3 – 5 win over hosts, Japan, before rounding this off with two further wins against India on Sunday and Argentina on Tuesday. Japan proved to be a very strong opposition with dynamic forward runners whom Dawson found difficult to shut down in the striking circle. A two goal lead for the Aussies in the first quarter was evened and then overcome by Japan, 3 – 2, before half time. In the second half, the visitors from down under came out with fresh energy and took away the win after two thirdquarter goals and a final one in

the fourth. The very next day, a 1 – 7 win over India pushed the Kookaburra’s ahead in the Pool A standings on six points with Argentina in second place on four. The South American defending champions had the chance to take out the top spot in their Tuesday morning match against Australia but were ultimately put away by a more experienced side. The early pressure and possession came from the Argentinians, culminating in the opening goal from a penalty corner in the fourth minute for Jose Tolini. The Kookaburra’s responded in kind, with Blake Govers scoring an equaliser late in the first quarter from another penalty corner. Throughout the second quarter, the Aussies were able to take the lead and extend it by two, with goals coming for Tom Wickam, Lachlan Sharpe and a second for Govers.

A fifth came for Jeremy Hayward in the 39th minute, pushing the hopeful Tina’s out of reach of a positive result. Despite the early slip, the Kookaburra line adjusted well to their opposition to cut off attacking circle penetrations and respond with incisive movements forward. Dawson was solid in his centre back defensive role, acting as the tailbone from which the tournament favourites advanced. Now they look ahead to a Wednesday evening match against New Zealand, who have also had a strong start in Pool A, and then onto Spain on Friday. After Friday, the pool stage of the Men’s Hockey will be completed, with the top four teams from each pool to play in quarter finals on Sunday, August 1, Semi’s on the following Tuesday and the Grand Final and Bronze medal match on Thursday, August 5. CCN

Australia off the marks OLYMPICS At the close of Tuesday, July 27, the official ‘Day Four’ of the Olympic Games came to an end, despite being the sixth day of competitions wherein Australia has so far earned nine medals, including three gold, one silver and five bronze. The first seven of these came entirely within the swimming races, with Owen Wright then placing third in the inaugural Olympic surfing tournament, and Jessica Fox placing third in the Canoe Slalom Final. Bronze came first for Australia through Queensland’s Brendan Smith in the Men’s 400 metre Individual Medley on Sunday, July 25, with two further third placements to come on the following day. Wollongong’s Emma McKeon placed third in the Women’s 100m Butterfly, adding to her four medals – with one gold – from Rio 2016, and the Australian Men’s 4 x 100 metre

Freestyle team of Matthew Temple, Zac Incerti, Alexander Graham and Kyle Chalmers also placed third. Australia’s one silver so far was won by Jack McLoughlin in the Men’s 400 metre Freestyle on Sunday, only an hour before our first gold medal won by the Women’s 4 x 100 metre Freestyle team of Bronte Campbell, Meg Harris, Emma McKeon and Cate Campbell. The following day, Australia’s second gold came for Ariarne Titmus in the Women’s 400 metre Freestyle, a slight upset against favourite, Katie Ledecky from the USA – who ended up coming second. The win required a colossal effort from the Olympic debutant to Aussie Crawl from behind and overtake Ledecky’s lead throughout the final 100 metres, finishing 0.67 seconds ahead with 3:56.69. It was a final dash that inspired the most enthusiastic crowd celebration at the games so far, one coming from Titmus’ own swimming coach, Dean

Kaylee McKeown

Boxall, who has found himself something of a world-wide internet sensation after his Ultimate Warrior inspired expression. On Tuesday, three further medals came for Australia, firstly with gold back in the swimming pool for Kaylee McKeown in the Women’s 100m Backstroke. The gold has rounded off two important milestones for our nation, being the 200th medal won by an Australian Woman in individual and team events at the Summer Games, as well as

FORT DENISON

Times are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) or daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) when in effect.

being the first Olympic gold in the women’s backstroke – an event never won by an Australian before. Later in the day, bronze came for Shoalhaven’s Owen Wright after a successful Bronze Medal Final against tournament favourite, Brazilian Gabriel Medina. Starting back on Day Two, the surfers experienced messy conditions all the way through with a strong onshore wind and short period storm swells combining to create small and close together waves.

TIDE CHART

After falling to gold medal winner, Italo Ferreira from Brazil, in the semi-final, Wright clinched the third place win with a two wave best of 11.97, ahead of Medina’s 11.77. Japan’s Kanoa Igarashi won silver after defeating Medina in the Semi Final with a Wave One score of 9.33 and a total of 17.00, then falling to Ferreira by 6.60 – 15.14. The final medal on Tuesday came to Jessica Fox in the Canoe Slalom, making her a triple Olympic medallist after receiving a silver at London 2012 and bronze at Rio 2016. Racing last in the Semi Final, Fox won with a final time of 105.85 only hours ahead of the Grand Final. Again starting last, Fox had to beat a time of 105.50, and

although racing in 102.73, four penalty seconds were added to cap her time at 106.73, +1.23 seconds behind winning Ricarda Funk from Germany. On Tuesday, other notable results came for Australian Matt Wearn in the Men’s One Person Dinghy Sailing and the Australian Water polo team. Waern is currently ranked second behind Cyprus’ Pavlos Kontides after a second-place finish in Race #5, with four more races to come before the final. The Water Polo team made up for their loss against Montenegro with an 11 – 8 win over Croatia, placing them at second place in Group B with three more games to go. CCN

LAT 33° 51’ S - LONG 151° 14’ E - TIME ZONE - 1000 Times and Heights(m) of high and low waters

0058 1.37 0606 0.45 0013 1.50 0150 1.26 0255 1.18 0406 1.16 0513 1.17 1218 1.40 0645 0.52 0723 0.58 0807 0.62 0953 0.66 1046 0.66 0858 0.65 THU 1804 0.66 FRI 1304 1.40 SAT 1353 1.41 SUN 1446 1.43 MON 1542 1.47 TUE 1637 1.52 WED 1728 1.58 1859 0.72 2001 0.76 2114 0.76 2330 0.65 2227 0.72 0020 0.57 0102 0.49 0141 0.42 0216 0.37 0253 0.32 0330 0.29 0407 0.28 0607 1.20 0652 1.24 0732 1.29 0811 1.33 0849 1.37 0929 1.41 1011 1.45 THU 1136 0.63 FRI 1221 0.59 SAT 1303 0.54 SUN 1344 0.50 MON 1425 0.46 TUE 1509 0.45 WED 1554 0.45 1814 1.65 1856 1.72 1935 1.79 2015 1.84 2133 1.85 2215 1.80 2053 1.86

APPROX. TIME LAG AFTER FORT DENISON Ettalong 40 min, Rip Bridge 2hrs Wisemans Ferry 2 hrs 30 min, Koolewong 2 hrs 10 min In view of the variations caused by local conditions and meteorological effects, these times are approximate and must be considered as a guide only. They are not to be relied on for critical depth calculations for safe navigation. Actual times of High and Low Water may occur before or after the times indicated

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SPORT PAGE 39 29 JULY 2021

Matildas set for Quarter Finals

Matildas starting eleven against Sweden, July 24, with Central Coast’s Ellie Carpenter (12) and Kyah Simon (17

FOOTBALL – OLYMPICS The Matildas have advanced to the finals of the Olympic Women’s Football Tournament at the Tokyo Olympics and will face off against Britain on Friday, July 30. Put in the tournament’s ‘Group of Death’ with New Zealand, Sweden and the USA, the Aussies were able to pull out one win, one draw and a loss, finishing third on four points behind America on goal difference. As the highest scoring group stage team outside first and second, qualification was still in the balance even after the final whistle of their final game, as results from other games affected the final two Quarter Final places. Both Wamberal’s Ellie Carpenter and Tacoma’s Kyah

Simon played in all three Australian matches: firstly, in their opening 2 – 1 win against New Zealand on Wednesday, July 21; then against Sweden in a 4 – 2 loss on Saturday; and a 0 – 0 draw against the USA on Tuesday, July 27. Against the Kiwis, Kyah Simon was formidable in attack for the first 75 minutes of the game, most notably making the second to last pass to Sam Kerr, who assisted Tameka Yallop in scoring the team’s 20th minute opening goal. Kerr went on to score a second in the 33rd minute with a header from a corner, crossed in by Stephanie Catley. Carpenter played with confidence in the right back position all game, making runs forward with precise crosses into the penalty area.

In the 65th minute, she prevented a certain goal by cutting out the final pass after Aussie keeper, Lydia Williams, was left absent from goal. Despite a strong performance throughout the entire 90 minutes, she made one final loose pass that led to a conceded goal in second half injury time. Three days later against Sweden, the Aussies were pushed all game by the team who had beaten the USA in their opening game, 3 – 0. The first goal came in the 20th minute to Sweden’s Fridolina Rolfo after a grounded cross by Sofia Jakobsson was left in the penalty area to roll to her feet. Sam Kerr again showed her leadership in response, scoring a headed goal in the 36th minute after a goal line technology check was required

to confirm that the ball had travelled just beyond the clasp of Hedvig Lindahl, Sweden’s keeper. Simon executed the crucial cross that Kerr pounced upon, curling the ball across goal and into the penalty box with an inside foot strike. With the scores level at half time, it was the Matilda’s who were first to break the deadlock, with Kerr scoring her competition fourth in the 48th minute. It was another header, benefitting from Caitlin Foord’s slow but deft cross over Lindahl in goal. Yet in the end, the game would be Sweden’s, with three unanswered goals coming for the Scandinavians between the 52nd and 82nd minutes of the match. Throughout this time, two further scoring opportunities to

score fell for Kerr, firstly with a penalty shot and then a one on one shot against the keeper , however she was unable to put them away. This perhaps reveals an encumbering dependence within the Matildas squad on their captain, Sam Kerr, one which was again pulled into question during their scoreless encounter with the USA on Tuesday. It was a testy first half that ended deadlocked without a score despite a seeming goal for The States’ Alex Morgan, disallowed after a after lengthy offside VAR check. Carpenter stayed fluid between the right and centre back positions, looking for space out wide in attack but solidifying the penalty box as a third central defender. Simon positioned herself up the aisle from her Coastie

teammate in the right attacking midfield, seeking to pressure players and poach the ball high up the field. Although still alive and capable of anything, the Matildas will need to dig deeper to stay in the competition all the way to Grand Final day, on Friday August 6 – or at least until Bronze Medal gameday on the preceding Thursday. Their next test will be a Quarter Final against Britain, who have so far remained undefeated on seven points with two wins and a draw. It will be played at Ibaraki Kashima Stadium at 7:00pm AEST on Friday, July 30. That same day, Canada play Brazil, Sweden play Japan and the Netherlands take on the USA. CCN

PAGE 40 29 JULY 2021

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Local League star recognised off the field

Young Nicho Hynes with the Umina Bunnies 2011 Nicho Hynes in his now previous team kit with the Melbourne Storm Photo: Melbourne Storm Facebook page

RUGBY LEAGUE Umina local and new signing for the Cronulla Sharks, Nicho Hynes, has been nominated for the 2021 Ken Stephen Medal in recognition of his work off the field throughout his final year of three with the Melbourne Storm. The award is sponsored by ‘Your Local Club’ and involves each NRL club highlighting one of their players who has taken extra efforts to engage with the community throughout the season. Melbourne Storm selected Wiradjuri man, Hynes, for his consistent and high degree of contributions to both club and NRL community programs, in particular, those which involve young indigenous people. During the Indigenous Round,

Hynes spoke at multiple schools whilst volunteering with events and movements within both the Mingaletta Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation and the Salvation Army. Over his three years at the Storm, he has been heavily involved in the NRL School to Work Program that mentors students with personal anecdotes. During the multiple Coronavirus lockdowns of Melbourne, he continued to send personal videos to the local Aboriginal youth with a focus on combating disengagement from school. Hynes has also been recognised for his regular commitments to the Starlight Foundation including visits to sick children at Starlight Rooms in Melbourne hospitals.

After almost 10 years with the Umina Bunnies Junior Rugby League, Hynes has recognised the Peninsula-based footy club as his home team. Having also played for the Woy Woy Roosters and Terrigal Sharks, Hynes started his career with Umina in 2002 at the age of five. Last playing for Umina in 2011 with the Under 15 As, Hynes then sought out a higher level of play to advance his development as a professional player. Throughout those nine years with the Bunnies, former Club President, Ken Dyer, witnessed many examples of Nicho’s great potential as both a footballer and a man, having also coached and managed his age group multiple times. “You could always tell he was going to be a good player,” Dyer

said. “He had a real football talent from the start I suppose, but he was also a quiet spoken young man who helped out a lot at the club during his time.” “He was always very respectful and had all of those good things you see in young men as they go through being young footballers – and as Nicho moved through to the international level, it was good to see that trait find its way through. “He is a hard worker too: once leaving the Bunnies, he didn’t just walk in to an NRL contract, he had to move around, play down the grades and work his way up. “He has had a long career and it is great that he has recognised us as his home club. “He won our player of the year awards multiple times, he

scored the most tries in minileague a couple of years in a row and ended up with 133 games and about 760 points for the Bunnies. “Our club is a small club, we’re proud of getting the kids on the park, introducing them to footy and getting them through their junior career, but at some point they have to look to better themselves and that’s what Nicho eventually did. “Although he played for a couple of other teams in his international years whilst he was trying to forward his football skills, he always ended up coming back to us and I think he has always held the Bunnies close to his heart. “We have a large Aboriginal and Islander presence at our club and we promote that quite heavily. “We always rely on the boys

as they get older to mentor the younger boys, keep them interested in footy, community, being part of a team and preventing them going down a wrong path. “He had a senior playing role at our club in his later years and the younger players of the club looked up to him, definitely.” Twelve other NRL players have been nominated alongside Hynes, with three finalists to be chosen by an esteemed panel while fans will vote to determine the fourth. In a change from previous years, the player who takes out the fan vote will also earn $3500 for their junior rugby league club. Source: Media release, July 26 Suzan Hirsch and NRL.com. Interview (Haakon Barry), July 28 Ken Dyers, Umina Bunnies