30 APRIL 2021
ISSUE 290
No PEP11 drilling under this Government – Wicks
News
Residents of the Mangrove Mountain community have launched a petition in an effort to stop the proposed sale of the district’s heritage listed Union Church. See pages 6
Out&About
Australian Reptile Park resident icon, Ranger Mick, has hit an incredible milestone, officially marking his 60,000th show performed at the Park. See page 17
Business
The community push to cancel the PEP11 permit for offshore drilling has taken a large leap forward, with Member for Robertson, Lucy Wicks, announcing the project will not go ahead under the Morrison government during last weekend’s Paddle Out protest at Terrigal Beach. See page 8
Mixed reactions to announcement of public inquiry It’s official – a public inquiry is to be held into Central Coast Council, the councillors will remain suspended and the local government elections slated for September 4 will be postponed until late next year. The decision was announced on April 27 by Local Government Minister Shelley Hancock, who said the inquiry will provide an “independent, open, and transparent process to help improve the council’s performance and sustainability”. While the move has been applauded by Administrator Dick Persson and Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast Adam Crouch, not everyone is pleased.
Suspended Mayor Lisa Matthews said a public inquiry isn’t the answer ratepayers have been looking for and Shadow Minister for the Central Coast, David Harris, said he was disappointed that calls for a judicial inquiry, supported by an e-petition bearing more than 20,000 signatures, had been ignored. Minister Hancock said Council’s performance, particularly concerning financial management, had been of “great concern” to the community. “On behalf of all Central Coast ratepayers, I want to see Council performing in the best interest of the community and this public inquiry will help get to the bottom of the issues which have impacted its performance, resulting in my
Local Government Minister Shelley Hancock
suspension of councillors and appointment of an Interim Administrator,” she said. “Any member of the public with concerns about the council can now raise them directly with the Commissioner of the public inquiry.” Roslyn McCulloch, who has three decades of experience in
local government and planning law and conducted the 2019 public inquiry into Balranald Shire Council, has been appointed Commissioner of the inquiry. At the conclusion of the inquiry, she will present a report to the Minister and may make recommendations, including issuing a Performance Improvement Order or dismissing Council. Hancock said the decision means the Coast’s local government election will be postponed until late 2022, with current councillors to remain suspended during the inquiry process. Council Administrator, Dick Persson, said the Minister’s decision to stop the suspended councillors returning on April
29 was “great news for both the community and the Council”. “My Final Report recommended this course of action as there is still a lot to do before the Council recovers from the disruption of the past three years,” he said. Persson also applauded the appointment of Rik Hart as the new Administrator. Hart acted as CEO until the recent appointment of David Farmer to the position. “The new CEO and new Administrator need to continue the ‘recovery’ without the political distractions which would have inevitably occurred if the councillors had been allowed to return,” he said.
The public now has a threeweek window to have its say on a Central Coast Council proposal to reclassify and rezone land at the Central Coast Stadium on the waterfront at Gosford. See page 25
Sport
After two home games at Central Coast Stadium this week, the Mariners have picked up only one of six potential league points, suffering a draw and then a crushing defeat. See page 40
Continued page 4
Puzzles page 22
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