19 JANUARY 2022
ISSUE 272
REAL INDEPENDENT LOCAL WEEKLY NEWS
News
Macaw mission saves Chelsea
The Community Environment Network (CEN) is inviting Central Coast residents to celebrate World Wetlands Day 2022 by attending ‘Breakfast with the Birds’. See page 6
Out&About
The Wharf Revue, the infamous satirical comedy group who were with the Sydney Theatre Company for 21 years, will land at Wyong Art House in March for a performance of their latest show, Can of Worms. See page 13
A Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crew has pulled off an unusual rescue, luring a lost Macaw down from a power pole and into its owner's arms at Bateau Bay on Monday, January 17.
Business
See page 14
IPART asked to clarify Council’s rush to spend on desalination Veteran environmental campaigner and long-term Jilliby resident Mike Campbell has called upon IPART to provide the community with clear and unambiguous timeframes for Central Coast Council’s $250M plan for a desalination plant at Toukley. Campbell said the Council’s Water Security Plan (exhibited last year) and its application to IPART for a 34 per cent increase to its water and sewer rates appear to contradict
each other. Council’s water rates application to IPART made no mention of its plans to spend money, within the next few years, on a permanent desalination plant or an ocean pipe. Campbell referred to this omission as an ‘anomaly’ as Council had exhibited a Water Security Plan last year that included a “near term action” (within the next two years) to consider starting work on a desalination plant at Toukley. According to Campbell,
Council’s water security plan also has a mid-term action (for between two and five years from 2021) to “subject to the delivery risk assessment – deliver the intake for the desalination plant at Toukley and protective works for the Norah Head Ocean Outfall Tunnel”. Campbell said he had outlined his concerns in a submission to IPART as part of its current assessment of Council’s application for a water, drainage and sewer price increase from July 2022. “I am seeking from IPART
clarification of Council’s actual timeframes, location and funding arrangements for a permanent Desalination Plant. “The community deserves a clear and unambiguous strategy for expenditure on planning and forward estimate costing for desalination, if any, within this pricing period and that for the period 2027 -2031,” he said. “I do not want residents of the Coast to be burdened, years and years ahead, with costs beyond their means as we have a very low funding base at this juncture for such a
costly installation.” He said he had taken part in a digital community consultation session with Council staff but had concerns about how some of his questions were answered relating to the rollout of permanent desalination. “When I asked Mr (Jamie) Loader about the forward plan he answered that ‘it may not even be at Norah Head…’. “I then asked that the Plan as presented to the public was ‘not correct’ but his answer was not certain.” Continued page 4
Toukley Markets are bustling once again thanks to a boost and a steadfast commitment from its new operators, The Toukley Lions Club. See page 21
Sport
The Mannering Park Amateur Sailing Club hosted the National Championships for the Open Skiff sailing dinghies from January 15 to 18. Page 32
Puzzles page 19
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