12 MARCH 2021
ISSUE 283
Coast trio selected for Nationals
News
Terrigal resident, Claire Braund, has been named Terrigal electorate’s 2021 Woman of the Year in recognition of her outstanding work in the community. See page 5
Out&About
The Coast’s own Naughty Noodle Fun Haus combined camp with Coast at this year’s Mardi Gras Parade on March 6 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Three young members of the Central Coast Cycling Club have again accomplished high standings in the 2021 NSW U15-17 Junior State Championships held at Dunc Gray Velodrome on Saturday and Sunday, March 6-7.
See page 17
Health
See page 38 Competitors with the Central Coast Cycling Club: (from left – right) Liliya Tatarinoff, Nicole Duncan, Maya Dillon Photos: Ryan Miu, Cycling NSW
Administrator lets fly State Member for Terrigal, Adam Crouch, has come under fire from Central Coast Administrator, Dick Persson, during a speech that also targeted former Mayor Jane Smith and sacked CEO Gary Murphy. Persson took aim during the March 9 Council meeting calling comments from all three “hypocrisy”. It started after Persson listened to criticism of a tabled financial audit from resident Kevin Brookes, who spoke at the Council meeting’s public forum. Brookes had questioned the depth of the forensic audit and concluded that the review underlined the need for an independent judicial inquiry into Council’s financial issues. “What sort of a ‘forensic audit’ identifies
mismanagement without holding anybody accountable for it?” he asked during his three-minute speech. Persson was having none of it. “Your suggestion that the consultants to the Council should hold the Council accountable - that’s just fanciful,” Persson said. “It’s up to you to hold them accountable; that’s how this works – they are an elected body. “So, if you don’t think they’ve done the right job, hold them accountable.” Persson went on to let off steam about the proposed 42 per cent rate rise. This is made up of a harmonisation of rates that amounts to about 27 per cent, plus a 13 per cent rate variation above the regular two per cent
rate peg (yet to be approved by IPART). “I am responsible for the 13 per cent (amount) of the rate increase,” Persson said. “There was always going to be the two per cent (increase) and had none of this happened there was going to be a 27 per cent rate increase in Gosford. “I have nothing to do with the 42 per cent, I just happen to be in the chair at the time of the harmonisation. “Wyong rates are going to go down considerably because of that.” Persson said to imply he was trying to mislead was offensive. “There were a number of other things that I am finding offensive,” he said, and moved on to criticise Crouch. “The Member for Terrigal, a member of the Government responsible for the mergers, on
his Facebook page last week said the Minister for Local Government and he did not agree with the rate rises. “Well, I have met with the Minister and that has not been conveyed to me.” Persson then read out another statement from Crouch’s Facebook page which said: “‘As a ratepayer myself, I am furious that our community might have to pay for the failures of a group of councillors and a group of senior staff”. Persson then commented : “Well, he’s entitled to that view but had nothing been done here by former Mayor Smith and former councillors at the table, Crouch’s government was going to deliver a 27 per cent rate increase to the residents of Gosford. “And I resent the fact that he’s hiding behind the 13 per cent
rate increase that’s now being proposed as a special rate increase to imply ‘nothing here, don’t look at me, I’m against all this’. “I wonder what he would say to defend the 27 per cent rate increase, which by the way is directly as a result of the merger as is the decrease in Wyong that will occur. “As (Acting CEO Rik) Hart pointed out, there will be no more money coming to Council (from the harmonisation).” Persson went on to criticise the councillors for not being able to save money on the merger. He said the government did make some serious mistakes in the merger in his view and one of them was the 15-councillor model.
On the day marking two years after an accident that left Jack McBride with a brain injury, the 23-year-old will leave on an 800km journey, cycling from the Central Coast to Gallipoli Barracks in Brisbane. See page 33
Sport
Central Coast brothers and open wheel race car duo, Ben and Paul Lister, performed at Round One of the 2021 NSW Formula Vee Championship at Wakefield Park . See page 40
Continued page 4
Puzzles page 22
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