26 MARCH 2021
ISSUE 285
State of natural disaster declared
News
Due to recent heavy rains, followed by a future forecast of sun, the Australian Reptile Park is issuing a warning to the public predicting an influx of funnel-web spiders. See page 10
Out&About
Gosford Regional Gallery will hold a range of School Holiday Workshops this Easter between April 5 and 17. See page 17
Health The clean-up is underway as the Central Coast recovers from almost a week of torrential rain which saw Premier Gladys Berejiklian declare a state of natural disaster for the region on March 21. See page 6 and 7 This driver hit strife on Narara Valley Dr
Reprieve for Status of Women Advisory Committee Centra Coast Council’s Status of Women Advisory Committee has had a reprieve.
Vicki Scott and other women gathered outside the Gosford Chambers ahead of the March 23 meeting were joined by suspended councillor Jeff Sundstrom
Former Gosford Councillor Vicki Scott, who was instrumental in setting up the committee in 2005, has applauded Council’s decision to retain the group, which had been at risk of disappearing. A motion put to Council’s March 23 meeting would have seen the committee swallowed by a Social Inclusion and Advocation Advisory Committee, one of several moves suggested to consolidate various advisory groups into seven new, larger ones. But following a small protest outside Council’s Gosford chambers ahead of the meeting spearheaded by Scott and
impassioned pleas from Scott and suspended Councillor Jillian Hogan, Administrator Dick Persson was swayed and decided to keep the committee in place by amending the motion. “I was very pleased that (Mr) Persson agreed with me and others who have been supporting the committee in (maintaining its) status quo,” Scott said after the decision had been made. “I look forward to the day when we don’t need a women’s committee, but we are far from ready for that. “At a time when this country is so dismayed at the treatment of women, and each day seems to bring a new and nastier story, it was disappointing that Council had chosen to put up a Continued page 4
A COVID-19 vaccination clinic funded by the Federal Government will be operating out of Coast & Country Primary Care, formerly Central Coast Primary Care, by the end of the month. See page 31
Sport
Mariners CEO, Shaun Mielekamp, is urging all local fans to come out of the woodworks for this weekend’s clash against Melbourne Victory.... See page 38
Puzzles page 22
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