Issue 067 of COAST Community News

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September 24, 2013

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Issue 67

Council takes over youth club under controversial circumstances

Central Coast Youth Club (CCYC) at Niagara Park

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osford Council has assumed management of the Central Coast Youth Club (CCYC) at Niagara Park, prior to the development of a new multi-million dollar Community Facilities Hub in the area.

Sixty years ago, the Central Coast Leagues Club (CCLC) formed and sponsored the CCYC, an arrangement which continued until some 20 years ago when the sponsorship of the CCLC ceased. A grant/loan allowed a new facility to be built at Terrigal and CCYC split with 2,000 members joining the new Gosford Basketball Club located at Terrigal.

For the following few years, a dedicated small group aided by councillors of the day pushed forward to see council build a new $3 million stadium at Niagara Park. CCYC became the operator of this facility and from 2005 paid a small percentage of commercial rent to enable the services to flourish. Former board member Mr Chris Holstein said he

only hoped that “council has given all due consideration in making their decisions”. “I am not privy to the reasons or rationale on why they have made that decision and can only hope that that decision was made on the best interests of not only the centre but the community as a whole,” he said. According to the report to council by economic and community development

director Ms Colleen WorthyJennings, the costs of running the facility and dwindling income had seen the Board of CCYC unable to meet their financial obligations in recent times. “Council is not convinced that the Board, whose directors are as hardworking and well-meaning as they are, have the capacity and resources to alter the current situation and council must protect this facility and services that need to be provided by this facility for the communities of Narara, Niagara Park, Lisarow and Wyoming,”

said the report to Council by Ms Worthy-Jennings. “After careful consideration of the facts and the latest CCYC Business Plan, council is not confident that protection is afforded by the current lessees”, she said. When contacted by Coast Community News, an official of the CCYC said the club did not accept the cancellation and was seeking further advice and cited lack of assistance from Council and its officers over many years as the reason for the club being in its present situation.

Sources within the club also stated that a loss of income brought on by two major tenants vacating the club’s premises was seen by Council as a reason to take over the running of the club before the Board had had the opportunity to replace those tenants. The matter was discussed at a strategy and policy meeting at Council with members of the public and the media excluded. Gosford Council Agenda SF.21, 17 Sep 2013 Kaitlin Watts


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