17 JULY 2020
ISSUE 251
REAL INDEPENDENT LOCAL WEEKLY NEWS
“Promise me you’ll get this done”
News
Labor MPs on the Central Coast claim money meant to support NSW councils with extra costs of amalgamation, including Central Coast Council, has instead been redirected to councils in Coalitionheld electorates. See page 3
Out&About
Kids across the Coast will be spoilt for choice when it comes to playtime, with Central Coast Council delivering a mix of 18 new and improved playspaces across the Coast. See page 17
Business
Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast, Adam Crouch, announces the new palliative care unit with members of the Elsie’s Retreat Committee
Construction will begin this year on the region’s first dedicated Palliative Care Unit at Gosford Public Hospital thanks to a commitment from the State Government announced on July 16.
The 10-bed unit, to be located in the hospital’s old maternity ward, is expected to be operational by the end of the third quarter next year, with tenders set to go out in coming weeks. The announcement follows
an eight-year campaign spearheaded by community advocacy group, the Elsie’s Retreat Committee, supported by the Lions Club of Wyoming East Gosford Centennial. Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast and Member
for Terrigal, Adam Crouch, said it was critical that families facing the death of a loved one have more choices and greater access to high quality care. “That’s why it has been a personal priority for me and for the NSW Government to find a
way of enhancing palliative care options right across the Central Coast,” Crouch said. “For many families – including my own – palliative care is an incredibly sensitive issue. Continued page 10
The boys are back in town Some unusual visitors of the flippered kind have been spotted around Central Coast waters in recent weeks.
This chunky boy popped in to say hi at Koolewong Photo: Lynne Mather
Central Coast Dolphin Project spokesperson, Ronny Ling, said the group had spotted bachelor seals exploring the Brisbane Waters. They have been monitoring several seals for quite a while and sightings had been recorded in recent weeks at Point Clare,Tascott, Koolewong, Woy Woy Bay, Avoca and Copacabana. “These seals are part of a bachelor seal colony at Barrenjoey and often venture to
the Central Coast and sometimes onto Brisbane Water,” Ling said. With the official name of Pinnipeds, which means flipper foot, there are three sub species of the semiaquatic marine mammals; fur seals and sea lions, elephant and leopard seals and walruses. “There were seals all up and down the east coast 250 years ago, but they were virtually wiped out in the early 1800s following European colonisation,” Ling said. “They are starting to come back and there are several colonies along the coastline. “The Barranjoey colony
consists of up to 15 long-nosed fur seals. “These are almost sexually mature male seals known as bachelors and they explore and extend territories. “Sometimes they are joined by smaller seals who are around five years old and are serving an apprenticeship as they learn to hunt fish, squid and penguins. “While they are based at Barranjoey, the seals will often go exploring to check out what’s to eat and we are hoping that within 7-10 years we may start to get females there as well. Continued page 5
The well-known Avoca Beachside Markets will be resuming on Sunday, July 26, after being forced to stop running because of COVID-19. See page 25
Sport
Long suffering Mariners fans will be hoping for a stronger post-Covid showing from the blue and yellow this Saturday evening. See page 38
Puzzles page 23
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