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Collapse Issue 394 - 30 May 2016Issue 394 - 30 May 2016
Collapse  NEWS NEWS
Committee structure to give community a voice
Underpass open by September, says department
New bike shed opened at station
Wicks promises $2.7 million for road repairs
Shorten addresses 400 at Country Club
Police seize commercial quantity of prohibited drugs
Council targets speed in Bourke Rd
Trivia lunch sends four Ethopian girls to school
Executive structure adopted by Central Coast Council
No big planning decisions, says council chief
Administrator visits Woy Woy depot
Administrator comes out of semi-retirement
Funding granted for office extension
War medals are still missing
Mounted police visit the beach
Police hold session at Mingaletta
Business woman addresses Rotary club
EPA claims support for efforts to identify bird deaths
Mass media ignores campaign, says candidate
Road safety talk at seniors' centre
PCYC benefits from major fundraiser
New fire truck for Patonga
The Bays' history book available
Anzac Day with family
Five receive awards for excellence
Classes attend swim school
Red Hatters meet in Umina
Collapse  FORUM FORUM
Vanity project or a rort?
No community of interest with western hinterland
Elect news editors, academics and armchair critics
Eye-catching and informative
Who cares what happens in Woy Woy
Anzac service is not an entertainment
Hotel proposal is over-development
Hotel plans should not be at neighbours' expense
ADSL was vastly superior
Continuing 15 years of management restructure
Collapse  HEALTH HEALTH
Cup cake challenge to raise money for Cancer Council
Donations wanted to help feed disadvantaged
NSW Minister learns of radiotherapy scholarships
Peninsula Village holds dinner for volunteers
Dementia home looks for volunteers
Charity group had 48 bowlers
Collapse  ARTS ARTS
Bouddi Foundation makes arts grants
Four concerts held by progress association
Theatre production gives glimpse of enemy invasion
Crafts centre suffers from vandalism
Arts grants winners will show their work
Art review closes soon
Centenary exhibition
Tickets will be on sale soon
Combining musical career and motherhood
Collapse  EDUCATION EDUCATION
Education department pays canteen wage
School attendance is valuable, says principal
Principal warns against bribery tactic
Private childcare provided at school
Paper plane competition
Preparing for art show
Breakfast club during term two
Cake stall for Stewart House
Projects continue at Woy Woy South
Guest speakers were highlights for principal
Cricket chase for Umina Beach
Special assembly about dinosaurs
Teenage expo visits college
School presented with flags
Kindergarten enrolment starts
Lessons in positive behaviour
Kindergarten open day
Playground upgrade
Responsible pet program
Reading resources room transformed
Excursions to Rumbalara
Two new staff members welcomed
New website for Ettalong school
Students visit writers' festival
Winners in zone cross country
Students march in Woy Woy
Collapse  SPORT SPORT
Outrigger canoe team competes internationally
Peninsula wins Australian Floorball Open
Lions win soccer match, but loss for Umina
Boardriders benefit from club sponsorship
Lorna Buckworth Trophy
Surprise award for netball officer

No big planning decisions, says council chief

Central Coast Council chief Mr Rob Noble has said that the council will not make "too many big decisions in relation to land use and planning" while under administration.

"But it is a little bit problematic in some ways because it is going to hold up developments," he said

Mr Noble said it could take years to rationalise the land use policies of the two former councils.

Meanwhile, he and administrator Mr Ian Reynolds said they had their hands full with "so many internal challenges at the moment".

"We have had a fabulous transition team working on the merger since November, so we are way ahead of others.

"Some have gone into a loveless marriage or a shotgun wedding," Mr Noble said of other forced council mergers across the state.

"I don't know if you could call ours a loving marriage but it has been cooperative.

"The challenges range from the completely different finance systems, IT systems, salary systems, organisational development and payroll," Mr Noble said.

Both councils had different processes for dealing with development applications, building applications and their regulatory functions, he said.

"So gradually all these things are being looked at with a view to ultimately a cooperative approach," he said.

By the time the community gets to vote for new councillors in September 2017, Mr Reynolds said he hoped to be able to hand over a cohesive and efficient organisation.

The merger of Wyong and Gosford Councils will not result in substantial changes to the planning or development assessment framework at this time, Mr Reynolds and Mr Noble said.

The principal local planning instruments remain in place, and applications for development and planning proposals will continue to be assessed in line with the existing relevant controls and legislation.

The community will still get to have a say through the public exhibition process as they have done in the past.

The Department of Planning and Environment released a document titled Guidance for Merged Councils on Planning Functions.

Council will operate within these guidelines while working on strategic projects which promote housing, transport and economic growth.

"There will be open and transparent decision making in this new Central Coast Council," Mr Reynolds said.

It will be left up to the elected representatives to do the serious work of coming up with new development control plans, local environment plans and all the other instruments of local government needed to deal with land use.

Meanwhile, the public has been told to keep interacting with council as it always had.

There's a temporary Central Coast Council website but it currently redirects to either the Gosford or Wyong Council site.

Phone numbers and services remain the same.

The next Central Coast Council meeting will be held at the Gosford chamber on Wednesday, June 8 at 5pm.





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