Issue 238 of COAST Community News

Page 1

17 APRIL 2020

ISSUE 238

YOUR REAL INDEPENDENT WEEKLY LOCAL NEWS

End of era for Woy Woy Leagues Club

News

Authorities and residents of the Coast alike appear to have been largely successfully in keeping tourists away from the Coast See pages 3

News

Easts Group announced this week that it has closed Woy Woy Leagues Club permanently. The iconic club, in Blackwall Rd, Woy Woy, has been closed temporarily over recent weeks due to the state-wide COVID-19 related restrictions, but after a long financial struggle, Easts Group has now decided to make the closure permanent. The news would come as a

shock to the club’s 3,846 members, including both playing and non-playing members. Easts Group Sports Director, Brien Samphier, said the decision was not made lightly and comes with a heavy heart. “We, as a Board, fully understand and realise the disappointment and sorrow that our Woy Woy members and staff will be feeling with this decision,” Samphier said.

Easts Group entered into a joint venture with the Woy Woy Leagues Club in 2012, during a difficult period when the club was reportedly suffering financially. Samphier said the Easts Group, which is also home to the NRL’s Sydney Roosters, has enjoyed over seven years of partnership with the club. “I have personally formed an enjoyable allegiance and many friendships with our sporting

club, leagues club and staff members, and also throughout the surrounding Peninsula Community.” Samphier said. “In 2012, the Woy Woy club’s doors were closing, and we’ve kept it going since, but at an ongoing loss.” As part of the partnership, the Easts Group have provided significant financial support to the playing group over the years, at times in excess of $100,000 a season.

In an effort to turn the club’s financial position around, the Board of Directors began a process to redevelop the club site including over-55 style accommodation, commercial office spaces and a new leagues club premise. The proposal was met with great enthusiasm by local members, according to Samphier.

Despite the encouraging news that the numbers of confirmed cases in the region is plateauing, the Coast is still near the top of regional statistics, behind only Sydney, the Northern Beaches and Shadow NSW Health Minister, Ryan Park

Waverley, according to NSW Health statistics. There were 117 confirmed cases on the coast at April 15, according to Central Coast Health figures. Shadow Minister for Health, Ryan Park, questioned why the Coast and several other regions hadn’t qualified for more testing under new criteria issued by the Government. Shadow Minister for the Central Coast, David Harris, says Coast residents should have access to an increased testing regime. Member for Gosford, Liesl

See page 5

News

Continued page 31

The search for a man who fell off a bulk carrier in waters off the Central Coast has been suspended.

Calls for more testing on the Coast The State Opposition is calling on the NSW Government to immediately expand testing to everyone reporting COVID-19 symptoms on the Central Coast, with the region reporting the fourth highest number of confirmed cases per capita in the state as at April 16.

NSW Arts Minister, Don Harwin, resigned from cabinet on April 10, after being slapped with a $1,000 fine.

See page 6

Tesch, backed the call, saying more testing would help ascertain if “asymptomatic carriers” were out and about. “In an Australian first, the Queensland Government has declared the Central Coast, Sutherland Shire and Canterbury Bankstown to be virus ‘hotspots’ and is forcing anyone returning to Queensland from these areas to self-isolate for 14 days,” Park said. “Testing in NSW has generally been limited to returning travellers or known contacts of confirmed cases. Continuied page 6

Editorial

While the development of an effective COVID-19 virus are being fasttracked by medical research groups around the world... See page 9

Puzzles page 21

Office: Level 2, 86-88 Mann St, Gosford - Phone: 4325 7369 - Mail: PO Box 1056, Gosford 2250 - E-mail: editorial@centralcoastnews.net - Website: www.coastcommunitynews.com.au


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
Issue 238 of COAST Community News by Central Coast Newspapers - Issuu