Central Coast Council: latest on kerbside rubbish, dredging, Carters Rd and more
CENTRAL Coast Council met last night and here’s a rundown of some of the decisions that are most likely to affect you.
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CENTRAL Coast Council met at the Gosford Chambers last night. Here are five of the decisions from the night.
1. KERBSIDE RUBBISH
KERBSIDE pick-ups left out for months on end is causing frustration across the Central Coast.
Councillor Doug Vincent has called on Central Coast Council to act so people don’t feel like they live in a “ghetto”.
Last night, councillors voted to explore options to reduce the amount of waste left on kerbsides.
“What we need is for staff to work with contractors,” Cr Vincent said.
“If they go past rubbish on a kerbside, take a picture and log it as a pick up and clear the streets as they go.”
Councillor Richard Mehrtens said it was an issue up and down the Coast, and common sense needed to kick in.
Council’s director of assets, infrastructure and business Mike Dowling said there had been a short “hiatus” period during the swap over between former contractors Remondis and new contractors Cleanaway. He said Cleanaway are now collecting 5000 kerbside pick-ups a week.
2. DREDGING WARS
IMMEDIATE action on dredging coastal waterways was voted down last night.
Five councillors tried to overturn a decision from the February 26 meeting to defer the matter pending legal advice and more information.
Councillors Rebecca Gale Collins, Greg Best, Jilly Pilon, Bruce McLachlan and Chris Burke called on the council to act now. They wanted the council to look at ocean dredge options and accept responsibility to dredge the Brisbane Waters Channel.
However, the council voted to stick to the deferral and the ongoing debate of whether it’s a local or state government issue reared again.
“The blame game between governments has gone on long enough. Now’s the time to take responsibility and act,” Cr Gale Collins said.
Peninsula Chamber of Commerce President Matthew Wales said everyone acknowledges the work urgently needs to be done, however ongoing frustrations come from both the council and State Government over who is responsible for funding the work.
3. DANGERS AT CARTERS RD, LAKE MUNMORAH
MAJOR safety concerns on Carters Rd at Lake Munmorah have prompted Central Coast Council to act.
The issue came before last night’s meeting, with Lake Munmorah resident Jenny Denniss saying the dead end street, which has four schools and a pre-school, turns to chaos twice daily.
“There are in excess of 2000 people trying to get in and out on a daily basis,” she said. “In an emergency, I don’t believe everyone could be safely evacuated without serious and potentially fatal consequences.”
The council voted to prioritise Carters Rd when applying for major infrastructure projects, and look at costs to address the issue in the 2018/19 Budget.
Staff will look into options including construction of through roads from Carters Rd to Tall Timbers Rd, Carters Rd to Scaysbrook Ave in Chain Valley Bay and Carters Rd to Chain Valley Bay North.
Councillor Jillian Hogan said the road had become increasingly worse over time and, during the 2013 bushfires, flames were lapping Carters Rd.
Council’s director of assets, infrastructure and business Mike Dowling said Carters Rd was not an easy fix.
“Council has been looking at it for some time and lobbying the State Government for assistance,” he said.
He said the design should take around four months, while “a full design and solution” could take up to 12 months.
4. STRONG ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE
CENTRAL Coast Council has voted to take strong action on climate change.
The council will investigate joining the Cities Power Partnership (CPP) and develop a climate change policy including mitigation and adaptations measures.
Mayor Jane Smith said climate change is real and action needed to be taken to mitigate its effect on the region’s water resources, coastal ecosystems, infrastructure, health, agriculture and biodiversity.
“The effects of climate change pose a serious threat to our way of life on the Central Coast,” she said.
“Climate change is a risk to our economic prosperity so doing nothing is not an option. We want our legacy to be that we stood up and said we value our way of life and want to protect it for the generations to come.”
CPP is a national local government program that focuses on supporting emission reduction successes of local councils.
Council will develop a climate change policy in consultation with staff and the community, which will be placed on public exhibition.
5. REGIONAL PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE SITES
SIX alternate sites in Gosford CBD have been identified for the long-awaited Regional Performing Arts Centre.
However, the sites are under lock and key by Central Coast Council due to “commercial-in-confidence negotiations”.
The council will urgently review the sites over the next six weeks for the $32 million facility, as pressure mounts from State and Federal funding bodies.
Mayor Jane Smith said the site needed to be confirmed once and for all.
“Everything is in place for this project — the business case, the community support, Federal, State and council funding commitments — it is all good to go — we just need to decide on the best possible site once and for all,” she said.
The centre will include a 950-1000 seat auditorium, fly tower, orchestra pit, smaller function and meeting rooms and large foyer over two stories.