The Entrance Channel: Council to ask for $50 million from State Budget
Central Coast Council has set its sights on the State Budget to secure much needed funding for The Entrance Channel.
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Central Coast Council is asking for a cut of the State Budget – to the tune of $50 million – for a permanent solution to The Entrance Channel.
At last night’s meeting, councillors voted to request the State Government along with the State Opposition Leader to provide $50m from the 2020-21 State Budget.
Mayor Lisa Matthews brought the motion to council saying significant funding was vital for a long-term solution to The Entrance Channel.
The move follows weeks of outrage after the flooding of Tuggerah Lakes on the weekend of February 8 and 9, when more than 300mm of rain fell across the region.
Council has copped the brunt of the blame for the flooding of suburbs such as Chittaway Point, The Entrance and Budgewoi.
Many members of the community have put the floods down to council’s delay in opening a second channel at The Entrance North to release rising flood waters, along with not dredging over the past 18 months.
However council has maintained that opening the second channel prior to the significant rainfall would not have made a difference in terms of flooding impacts.
Council staff are unable to discuss the matter due to pending legal action by some members of the community.
In response to the call for more funding, Central Coast Parliamentary Secretary Adam Crouch described the move as “nothing more than a thought bubble from Labor”.
“The last thing the NSW Government would ever do is write a blank cheque to Central Coast Council,” he said.
“Lisa Matthews has missed the boat again because council staff sent a pre-budget submission to the NSW Government in February. Nowhere in this submission was $50 million for The Entrance channel mentioned.”
The State Government recently announced $600,000 for dredging work at The Entrance as part of its Rescuing Our Waterways fund, which will be matched by council.
Councillor Greg Best said he couldn’t see the State Government handing over any more funding without council having a solid plan for the channel. He said council should look to its own budget and start allocating money to The Entrance Channel and Tuggerah Lakes.
Council crews have been working hard since the storm, with Cr Matthews providing an update on the clean up.
As of February 27, council has collected 4200 tonnes of storm waste, 2500 tonnes of lake weed from the foreshore and more than 1200 tonnes of debris from beaches with more to be removed.
Council has also resolved 800 customer calls have and 2400 trees have been inspected with the majority requiring removal as a result of storm damage.