Coast Community News 384

30 MARCH 2023

ISSUE 384

Terrigal teeters as Coast sees red

News

Sunrise bungul for NAISDA students See page 6

Out&About

Magical sights and sounds at Japanese Gardens See page 13

Returned Member for Gosford Liesl Tesch celebrates with supporters on election night

Residents in the electorate of Terrigal remain on tenterhooks, with the seat still too close to call as the vote count continues following the March 25 State election.

Political pundits were calling the seat for Labor candidate Sam Boughton on Saturday night but by Sunday, the tide had turned as votes continued to roll in.

With pre-poll and postal votes still being counted, the figures have seesawed since, with the lead switching between Boughton and Liberal incumbent MP Adam Crouch.

As CCN went to press, the Libs were sitting on 50.3 per cent of the twoparty preferred vote, with Labor close behind at 49.7 per cent and a 12.8 per cent swing against the Liberal party.

The final outcome of the Terrigal electorate has the entire state on the edge of its seat.

While Labor swept to victory statewide just hours after the vote

closed on Saturday, it needs one more seat to form a majority government, with four seats still too close to call.

All four of the Central Coast’s other seats have been held by their incumbent Labor MPs with increased majorities, reflecting the statewide swing to Labor.

If Boughton takes Terrigal, it will be the first time since 2015 that all five seats in the region have been held by members of the governing party in NSW. The seats of Gosford, Terrigal, The Entrance, Wyong and Swansea all went blue with the Liberals’ resounding election win in 2011, but four were won back by Labor in 2015.

Terrigal has been held by the Liberal Party since it was created (encompassing most of the former electorate of Gosford) in the 2007 redistribution, first by Chris Hartcher (2007-2015) and by Crouch since 2015.

The close battle is one which Labor Party party insiders concede they had

not anticipated.

Boughton himself said he was “quite shocked” as early figures rolled in on Saturday night.

On Wednesday, March 29, Crouch issued a statement thanking residents for messages of support and said he would continue “getting on with the job of representing the people of Terrigal” as the count continues.

In Gosford, Labor’s Liesl Tesch has retained her seat with an 8.56 per cent swing to Labor.

The seat was taken for Labor in 2015

by Kathy Smith, who was forced to resign for health reasons in 2017 and later succumbed to cancer.

Tesch won the seat at the 2017 by-

election and has held it ever since.

The Entrance saw Labor’s David Mehan returned with a 2.58 per cent swing to Labor.

He has held the seat since 2015.

Likewise, David Harris retained his seat of Wyong with an 8.34 per cent swing to Labor.

He has held the seat since wrestling it back from the Libs in 2015.

Yasmin Catley has also retained the seat of Swansea, which she has held since 2015, with a 4.93 per cent swing to Labor.

See pages 4-5 for more election coverage.

LEP Digital secures major Signarama contract See page 22

Sport

Terry Collins

SCAN ME coastcommunitynews.com.au For the latest election news see our website

Redemption for the Crusaders in weekend double-header See page 31

Daylight Saving ends in NSW at 3am this Sunday, April 2. Clocks should be turned back by one hour

Listen to our daily news bulletin and weekly weekend podcast on Radio Five-O-Plus 93.3FM

Business

Puzzles page 18

Or find us on your mobile phone’s Google News and Apple News apps and on all our socials for updates throughout the week

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New boat on the way for Tuggerah Lakes Marine Rescue Marine Rescue Tuggerah Lakes will welcome a new vessel later next month as construction continues on Tuggerah Lakes 21.

The new 6.3m walk-through console Naiad (NYE-ADD) boat is being built at Yamba Welding and Engineering on the NSW North Coast.

The vessel will be powered by twin 115hp outboard engines capable of reaching speeds of 38 knots.

The new rescue boat also features a full Raymarine suite including radar and side scan sonar.

Marine Rescue NSW Senior Manager Fleet, Kelvin Parkin, recently visited Yamba Welding and Engineering for a construction update.

“Everything is progressing well, there are no major hurdles or delays and we are very much

Tuggerah Lakes 21 under construction

looking forward to adding this vessel to our fleet,” he said.

Parkin said the walk-through console on TL 21 is a key design feature.

“It allows the crew safe and easy access to the front of the boat,” he said.

“It creates a really safe environment for the crew to work in so they’re not standing

on the edge of a vessel and it reduces the risk of falling overboard when you are working lines or dropping anchors or even when you are talking to other members of the public when you need to get a communication across.

“This new rescue boat will play a vital role in Marine Rescue’s mission of saving lives on the water.”

Source: Media release, Mar 27 Marine Rescue NSW

Federal Government’s disaster relief funding to be reviewed With the Central Coast no stranger to bushfires and major flooding, Member for Robertson Gordon Reid says the region will benefit greatly from a new independent review into Australia’s disaster funding arrangements commissioned by the Federal Government.

Reid said the review will ensure government investment in disaster funding is fit for purpose and effective in the face of increasingly frequent and more severe events.

It will also take forward the work the Government is already doing with the states and territories to review the jointlyfunded Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

The review will be led by Andrew Colvin, partner at Deloitte, who previously helmed national recovery efforts after the 2019-20 Black Summer Bushfires.

Colvin has considerable

experience with disaster response and recovery, having led the National Bushfire Recovery Agency (NBRA) from January 2020 to May 2021.

Prior to this he was the Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police and a serving officer for 30 years.

Reid said there will be an opportunity for Central Coast Council, community groups, charities and businesses to take part in the review.

“We know communities are best placed to tell us what is and isn’t working within the disaster funding system,” he said.

“Those impacted by disasters, including community groups, businesses and charities, will be encouraged to have their say through an extensive consultation process.”

Minister for Emergency Management Murray Watt said the review, under Colvin’s leadership, will consider how government investment in

disaster risk reduction, preparedness, response, recovery and resilience can better support a national system.

It will also look at what will be needed to build resilience to the extreme disaster events Australia is projected to experience over the coming decades.

“We need a system that best supports communities before, during and following a disaster,” he said.

“Work is already well underway to improve federal government investment in mitigation projects, to tackle the root cause of climate change-led disasters and to overhaul our disaster response through the creation of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

“This review is the next step in ensuring the Government is doing everything we can to wisely invest in measures that will protect Australians from

disasters and support them when they strike.”

A final report is expected to be provided to Government in April 2024.

Source: Media release, Feb 17 Member for Robertson Gordon Reid

IN MEMORIAM

LENNARD,

Lorraine Joan Formerly of Tarragal Glen, Erina Passed away peacefully on March 23, 2023, aged 86 years.

Beloved wife of Bob (deceased), loving and proud grandmother to Scott and Rebecca (deceased), older sister to Patricia and Laurie and mother to Lynette and son in law, Bryan.

Family and friends are invited to attend Lorraine’s funeral service on Thursday 30 March 2023 at 10.30am in the Chapel at Gregory & Carr Funerals, 850 Pacific Highway, Gordon. For those unable to attend in person, the service will be live streamed via the website of Gregory & Carr (www.gregoryandcarr.com.au).

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TL 21 is one of 38 new rescue boats funded by the NSW Government’s $37.6M investment in 2019 to support the vital, life-saving work of Marine Rescue NSW volunteers.

Lorraine will later travel to Tumut where she will be laid to rest with Bob, where they will spend eternity together.

Member for Robertson Gordon Reid (left) discusses disaster relief with Member for Dobell Emma McBride, State Member for Wyong David Harris and members of the SES

GREGORY & CARR Traditional Funeral Directors Gordon 9498 4455

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Beach stroll turns into dramatic sea rescue What started as a regular late afternoon stroll along the beach with his dog last April turned into a dramatic sea rescue for Tim Gaunt of Killcare.

Gaunt is one of 22 Australians whowillreceiveaCommendation for Brave Conduct from Governor-General David Hurley later this year.

At 5.30pm on April 19, 2022, Gaunt, an off-duty firefighter, was walking along Killcare Beach when he noticed a young girl in difficulties adjacent a rock platform out to sea.

“It was just after Easter and my dog Billy, a kelpie/border collie cross, and I were walking along the beach as we often do in the late afternoon,” he said.

“I noticed a teenage girl stuck in a rip at the southern end of beach.

“She had her hand up and her Dad was standing on the beach not knowing what to do.

“He seemed to be frozen with shock and I asked him if I should help.

“He said yes so I told my dog to stay and dived into the water.”

After reaching the young girl, Gaunt first calmed her down.

“She was quite distressed when I reached her, but I got her to take some deep breaths and we swam north a little and then made our way into shore,” he said.

“We got pounded by the waves quite a bit on the way in.

“When we were about halfway into shore, a couple of teenage boyswhohadbeenbodyboarding realised what was happening and swam over to us, offering one of their boards.

“I got the young girl on to the

Tim Gaunt and his dog Billy

board and we got a bit more smashed by the waves, but by then we were close enough in that the waves helped wash us ashore.”

Gaunt said the young girl seemed “embarrassed but relieved” when they finally reached the beach and was not

in need of medical assistance.

“Her Dad was still in shock, I think,” he said.

“He was obviously not a confident swimmer and English wasn’t his first language, but he shook my hand and I just kept on walking my dog.”

Gaunt said he was left a little

shaken by the episode.

“I had to take a few deep calming breaths myself,” he said.

“Adrenaline takes over at the time and a bit of shock sets in afterwards.”

Gaunt told his girlfriend about the incident and thought little more about it.

He believes he was nominated for a bravery commendation by a doctor who happened to be on the beach at the time and asked for his details afterwards.

“To be nominated for a commendation was really a pleasant surprise,” he said.

“It is a great honour.”

Gaunt is no stranger to lifethreatening situations as a Fire and Rescue NSW fireman working out of Guildford station.”

As for Billy the dog – he was quite unfazed by the dramatic

events.

“He’s used to me telling him to stay while I go for a surf,” Gaunt said.

“He was quite happy playing with his stick the whole time.”

As well as 22 bravery commendations, the GovernorGeneral also announced 11 Australian Bravery Medal recipients and six Group Bravery Citations.

“Today we recognise and celebrate the bravery of 66 people who put themselves in danger to help others,” he said.

“The courage they showed is matched by their selflessness and they deserve our respect, gratitude and recognition.”

More information about Australian Bravery Decorations is available at www.gg.gov.au Terry Collins

Free pet microchipping day Central Coast Council will once again offer free micro-chipping for pets at its Socares-run Animal Care Facilities at Erina and Charmhaven on Saturday, April 1.

As well as having their pets microchipped, owners can also

register their pets or have their pets’ registrations details checked and updated on the day.

Those in attendance can also gain access to pet ownership advice, educational material and products.

The move is part of Council’s continued aim to increase the

number of microchipped, registered and desexed dogs and cats across the region.

It also helps Council and Socares to reunite pets with their owners should they become lost or have them rehomed.

The microchipping events will be held at Socares

Charmhaven, 2 Depot Rd, and Socares Erina in Pateman Rd from 9am to 3pm on Saturday, April 1.

Bookings are not required, with walk-ins accepted on the day.

It’s important to note that this is a free microchipping day only and doesn’t include free

pet registration.

For more information and to get in touch search ‘pet microchipping day’ at centralcoast.nsw.gov.au.

Source: Media release, Mar 20 Central Coast Council

Free microchipping will be available at Erina and Charmhaven on April 1

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Coast’s returned Labor MPs will The region’s four re-elected Labor MPs will continue to work as a bloc for the betterment of the Central Coast as they have done for the past eight years in Opposition.

The four returned Labor MPs: (from left) Liesl Tesch (Gosford), David Harris (Wyong), Yasmin Catley (Swansea) and David Mehan The Entrance

Member for Wyong David Harris with his biggest supporters – wife Sherelle and daughters Jessica and Rachael

MPs Liesl Tesch (Gosford), David Harris (Wyong), David Mehan (The Entrance) and Yasmin Catley (Swansea) were all resoundingly re-elected on March 25 as NSW Labor swept to government.

Member for Gosford Liesl Tesch is determined to put teachers and nurses at the top of the agenda for the first term of the new Minns Labor State Government.

“I’m ecstatic to be re-elected but the extent to which we won statewide has come as a surprise,” Tesch said on March 26.

She said the new government’s first priority would be the state’s nurses and teachers, echoing new Premier Chris Minns’ declaration in his acceptance speech that it was “time to look after those who looked after us” during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I know nurses and teachers who have said they would quit if Labor didn’t win the election; it’s heartbreaking,” Tesch said.

“As a teacher I know education is the greatest gift we can give to our children and to our society and too many top teachers have been leaving the profession.

“We have to attract new teachers.”

The first step in that process would be working to lift the freeze on the wage cap for both teachers and nurses, she said.

Tesch said fixing the ailing health system would be a “long haul”.

“There will be financial support for anyone studying in the health sector and a huge recruitment push as we phase in 1,200 new nurses in the coming term,” she said.

The new government will introduce one-to-three nurseto-patient ratios in all public hospital emergency departments, but extending the ratio to wards would take time, Tesch said.

“We have to phase the ratios in gradually because right now there just aren’t enough staff and morale is low,” Tesch said.

She said her other priorities would include getting Gosford waterfront up and running, which would again take time.

She will also concentrate on delivering pre-election pledges of a rejuvenation for Pelican Park at Woy Woy and a specialised housing project for those suffering from mental health difficulties in the region.

“I will work with community groups towards a linear park in Dardanelles Ave at Umina Beach and against overdevelopment on the Peninsula,” she said.

Tesch said smaller moves would include reinstating a koala commitment for the Pearl Beach Arboretum, which was promised by the former Federal Government but never delivered, recruiting 100 more National Parks and Wildlife rangers across the state, including more First Nations rangers, funding commitments to Landcare across the region and increasing the Coast’s national parks by small pockets.

Member for Wyong David Harris said the huge shift to Labor showed people were ready for a change after 12 years of Liberal leadership.

“Our policies are resonating

in the community – putting people first, particularly frontline workers,” he said.

“My analysis of where the (former) government went wrong is that instead of sitting down and listening to people’s concerns and trying to address them it put its total focus on infrastructure.

“Infrastructure is important but having nice big hospitals isn’t enough- you have to staff them.

“I’ve had (reports of) people going to hospital being treated fantastically but that nexus from the carpark through emergency (has been a problem).

“We have been losing great practitioners to other states because we’re no longer competitive.”

Harris said he thought the chaos surrounding Central Coast Council also played a part in the vote.

“People were never consulted on the amalgamation (of the former Gosford and Wyong councils),” he said.

“Services have been cut, rates have gone up and many Council staff were made redundant.

“We’ve always said merging the councils was the wrong thing to do.”

Harris said the Council’s financial disaster occurred largely because the amalgamation wasn’t properly supported by the Government.

“People want their say (going forward),” he said.

“When the new Council is elected in 2024, those councillors will have a decision to make about going to the people to see what they want to do regarding a de-merger.”

Harris said the new Labor Government would follow

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l fight for the region as a bloc through on the previous government’s commitments on hospital and major road upgrades.

“We will push forward with those because they are important, but we’ll make some changes,” he said.

“For example, I’d like to see bus priority lanes.”

Harris said a Minister for the Central Coast would be appointed by new Premier Chris Minns and he was hopeful of being appointed, given his work as Shadow Minister for the region while Labor was in Opposition.

He said voters should see promised funding starting to flow through when the new Government’s first budget was released, probably in July or August.

“The people of the Central Coast have kept their confidence in Labor MPs – we have to repay that confidence,” he said.

“There will be no honeymoon period; it will be down to business as we start working on delivering for the people of the Coast.”

Member for The Entrance David Mehan said his first priority would be “getting on top of” improvements to Long

Jetty Health Care Centre.

“We want to see the enhanced services the community wants,” he said.

“There has been a commitment of $1.6M for a return of services and I want to follow through on that.”

Mehan said Labor MPs on the Coast were “a great team”.

“We work closely together as a group and have presented a united voice – the main thing is to continue that,” he said.

Mehan said there was a strong community desire for a de-merge of Central Coast Council.

“The service levels are no better and we’re paying more money,” he said.

Mehan said he would also focus on delivery of a $40M pledge for design work on the missing link of the Gosford bypass project and increased road and footpath funding for Council.

“I also want to keep on top of Tuggerah Lakes and The Entrance channel so we are better prepared for floods,” he said.

Member for Swansea Yasmin Catley, whose electorate covers many suburbs in the north of the Central Coast, said her continued focus would be

on delivering for the people.

“People matter and I think they have felt left behind,” she said.

“We need to make sure (there is) confidence again in the health system and the education system.

“Transferring 10,000 casual teaching staff to permanent positions will be a start.”

Catley said transport was also critical for the region.

“We will definitely be looking at the rail line between the Hunter and Sydney to get some faster routes,” she said.

Catley said the new Government’s cap on road tolls would also be a huge benefit to the region’s residents, with many having no choice but to drive to Sydney.

“We plan on working with all levels of government – we already work closely with our Federal MPs and when we have our new Central Coast councillors we will work with them,” she said.

Catley said while she was “a bit sceptical” when the Six Cities plan was introduced, she was now confident commissioners would work for better objectives for our region.

Terry Collins

Member for The Entrance David Mehan celebrates his re-election with his parents Beverley and Ray

Member for Swansea Yasmin Catley addresses the party faithful on election night

Looking for something fun to do during the April school holidays?

Join CEN's Waterwatch and Coastal Wetlands Projects to discover the amazing waterbugs that live in our waterways.

See CEN's Facebook Page for more information on how to book, or visit www.cen.org.au/events

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Sunrise bungul for NAISDA students

Participants celebrated and connected to beautiful Darkinjung Country

Alarms were set early on Monday morning, March 27, as students and staff from the Central Coast’s NAISDA Dance College headed to Umina Beach for a special sunrise bungul on the sand to celebrate and connect to beautiful Darkinjung Country.

The experience was guided

by NAISDA’s Cultural Tutors including Heather Mitjanba

Burarrwanga, Tony Ganambarr and Marcus Lacey, who have travelled from their remote homelands in North East Arnhem Land to share their Yolngu culture as part of the college’s week-long on-site Cultural Residency.

NAISDA’s Cultural Dance Coordinator Jo Clancy said the immersive program grounded and deepened students’ understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

culture.

“Students are immersed in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural learning throughout their training at NAISDA,” Clancy said.

“The sunrise dance celebrated connection to Darkinjung Country, as well as our students’ home Country and the Yolngu kinship they are adopted into by our cultural tutors from Nyinyikay.”

For many of the students new

NAISDA students and Cultural Tutors at the sunrise bungul

to NAISDA this year, the event marked their first experience of dancing on Country.

“Dancing barefoot on the ground, or sand, helps students understand and feel their connection to the earth, skies, waters, stars, sunrise and how this interaction transforms the dance,” Clancy said.

Dancing on soft sand can be difficult, but the experience also helps students develop understanding and technique

of how the dances are practiced in North East Arnhem Land.

“We are extremely grateful to our cultural tutors for the generous sharing of their knowledge, culture and energy this week,” Clancy said.

“Welcoming them back to the NAISDA family has been particularly special as this is the first time they’ve been able to return to Darkinjung Country since 2020 because of COVID-19.”

NAISDA’s Cultural Residency partnership with the cultural tutors will see a unique return visit by the full NAISDA cohort later in the year to the homeland of Nyinyikay where the students will continue the gift of sharing and learning Yolngu songs and dances on the Country where they were created.

Source: Media release, Mar 27 Brilliant Logic

Lifeline celebrates 60 years Lifeline Central Coast is celebrating the 60th birthday of the crisis support service.

Lifeline was founded in Sydney on March 16, 1963, and has been operating on the Central Coast since 1981.

It was conceived by Sir Alan Walker after he took a call from a distressed man who later took his own life.

Determined not to let isolation and lack of support be the cause of more deaths, Walker launched what was later to become the organisation’s 24/7 telephone crisis line.

Lifeline’s crisis support phone line was the first of its kind in Australia.

With roots in the Central Methodist Church and Wesley Mission, it took 100 calls on its first day and quickly expanded around Australia.

Lifeline Central Coast opened in Donnison St, Gosford, in March 1981 and has continually expanded its services and support to the community.

Lifeline Central Coast crisis supporter Sally Markham

Lifeline Central Coast CEO Rob Sams said the local centre has played an important role in Lifeline Australia’s leading suicide prevention service.

“Our crisis support centre has 49 local volunteers taking calls every day of the year,” Sams said.

“We also offer local suicide prevention and mental health support training, face to face and online counselling and other suicide prevention and bereavement support programs.

“Lifeline couldn’t do what it does, nationally and locally, without the support of its selfless volunteers; sponsors; donors; community, government and business partners, and dedicated staff.”

Sams also volunteers as a crisis supporter, which he says is a privilege.

“We urgently need more crisis supporters and funding to train and support them so that we can continue to offer hope, compassion and connection to the increasing

Lifeline Central Coast CEO Rob Sams

number of people looking to us for help,” he said.

“With ongoing community support, we’ll be here for another 60 years.”

Nationwide, the organisation has taken more than 23 million calls to date.

Lifeline Australia CEO Colin Seery said the organisation faced new and emerging challenges.

“Over the course of the past 60 years, Lifeline has reshaped and evolved during difficult times to remain at the

forefront of crisis support and suicide prevention in Australia to this day,” he said.

“Especially in the past few years, Lifeline has played a critical role through distressing events and continues to be central in disaster response and recovery at community level and beyond.”

Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide prevention and Member for Dobell, Emma McBride, said last year Lifeline launched 13YARN, a national crisis support line for Aboriginal

and Torres Strait Islander people, with help from the Federal Government.

“We are incredibly proud of our strong collaboration with Lifeline Australia,” she said.

“Like so many important Australian charities, Lifeline Australia is supported by trusted volunteers right around the country.

“This 60-year anniversary is a celebration of Lifeline, and all those they have helped in their journey.”

You can phone Lifeline to speak to a Crisis Supporter on 13 11 14 (24/7), text 0477 131 114 (24/7) or chat to Lifeline online at www.lifeline.org.au (24/7).

To help Central Coast Lifeline email centralcoast.lifeline.org. au or call 1300 152 854.

To donate to Lifeline, visit www.lifeline.org.au/donate Terry Collins

Aunty Colleen to spearhead push for new alternative school Aunty Colleen Fuller will spearhead an effort by four trained teachers to reestablish an alternative school for school refusers following the closure of Kincumber’s Eagle Arts and Vocational College at the end of 2018 by the NSW Education and Standards Authority.

Aunty Colleen Fuller

Fuller is the proposed Chair of the Board for a new school.

“It was wrong the old Eagle Arts and Vocational College was allowed to close,” she said.

“It was wrong our local politicians did nothing to stop the closure.

“However, if I can work with the NSW Education and Standards Authority to put it

back, I will do so.”

Fuller said 30 struggling teenagers were thrown on to the streets after Eagle Arts and Vocational College was closed.

“While Gab McIntosh is assisting she is not the main teacher working on this application,” she said.

“Teachers from other states, where alternative schools are running successfully without

being closed down, are providing the main guidance.

“The need for alternative schools is great all around the country and we are very grateful teachers from other states have jumped on board to give this alternative school a chance on the Central Coast.”

The new school would have more art and sport and no exams and be free, including

school excursions, Fuller said.

“Also we want to help kids with basic reading and writing, one on one,” she said.

“We want kids to enjoy rather than being afraid to go school.

“That has to be good for the Coast, doesn’t it?”

Source: Media release, Mar 10 Aunty Colleen Fuller

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Waterline Challenge comes to the Coast A unique fundraiser for children with special needs is coming to the Coast on April 15 as part of a rolling national program which aims to empower every special needs child in Australia with the magic of reading.

Author Chris Williams (left) and Julian Day, co-founder of the Waterline Challenge Foundation are looking to raise $30,000 at the Central Coast event.

The Waterline Challenge raises money for numerous charities by holding sponsored walking events along the shoreline of regions across the country.

“We are running a Waterline Challenge Central Coast (WLCCC) event especially to raise funds to purchase up to

600 sets of a special book series,” Founder of the Waterline Challenge Foundation Julian Day said.

The Karey&Kareful storybooks are about the adventures of Karey the Kangaroo and his best mate Kareful the Koala who’s in a wheelchair, how they met, and what they get up to.”

The books are authored by Chris Williams who has so far written five books in the popular Karey&Kareful series.

Beautifully illustrated by Ann Victoria, the books have had a great reception from Special Needs Children, their teachers

and parents.

It is estimated that there are up to 600 Special Needs Children on the Central Coast.

There are 30 primary schools and six special schools.

The books are already proving useful in four local schools: Chertsey Primary School, Erina High, Woy Woy Primary and Ettalong Primary.

The coastal walk is approximately 20km in total distance. The aim is to have as many as 40 walkers do the whole distance, another 80 join at the halfway mark (MacMasters Beach SLSC) and another 80 join at Avoca Beach

SLSC to do the last 5km into Terrigal.

The organisers are hoping a total of 200 walkers, each raising $10 per km that they walk, will raise a total of $30,000.

They have reached out to all Surf Clubs along the route to request their support to promote the event and encourage participation. Those interested in taking part or sponsoring a walker can find information at the organisers website: waterlinechallenge. org/waterline/central_coast/.

CCN

Youth forum set for May 3 Central Coast Council’s Thinking Out Loud Youth Forum is returning bigger and better than ever in 2023 with registrations now open.

The forum will be held on Wednesday, May 3, hosted by Council’s Youth for Youth (Y4Y) Action Team.

This year the theme of the forum is Including Us and Council is calling on young people aged between 12 and 24, businesses, organisations, shopping centre management and event organisers to come together and contribute to important discussions on how to best include, involve and engage young people in community life, events and initiatives.

Council Unit Manager of Leisure Beach Safety and Community Facilities, Phil Cantillon, said the free event

The theme for the forum will be Including Us

was designed to address key concerns young people had identified within the Central Coast community about how they were engaged in community life.

“A key finding in the Central Coast Youth Strategy 2019– 2024 identified that young people felt there are limited opportunities where they can

access safe and affordable venues to socialise, meet their friends and hang out,” Cantillon said.

“Our youth also said that while there are a great range of programs, events and activities on the Central Coast they aren’t regular enough or inclusive enough for them.

“This forum is providing the

platform for business stakeholders to hear from a unique perspective on how best to engage with and increase participation from young people.

“I want to particularly encourage student representatives from local high schools, TAFE and universities to come together to utilise this

opportunity and ensure that their voices are heard.”

The day will be broken into two parts: presentations from guest speakers who will highlight ways to better include young people in community life, events and initiatives; and group workshops.

Speakers will include 2022 Young Australian of the year finalist, Founder of Breathe and Board and Director at the Adolescent Health Association of Australia, Jahin Tanvir , and Fixx Events and Marketing owner Brad Cardis.

The group workshops will open a dialogue directly with young people, businesses, organisations and event organisers.

Council Administrator Rik Hart said the forum was a unique opportunity to identify and discuss current issues facing young people and it was crucial that the region’s schools

and businesses participated.

“This a great opportunity for key business stakeholders to hear directly from young people on ways that they can create a space that is both welcoming and engaging for them,” he said.

“It is also a chance for young people to have their voice heard and be a part of positive change that supports all to feel welcome in participating in the wonderful opportunities of community life across the Central Coast.”

The forum will be held from 9am to 1.30pm on May 3 at Council’s Wyong Administration Building.

Registrations can be made at centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/ ThinkingOutLoud.

Source: Media release, Mar 27 Central Coast Council

Killcare mobile phone tower rejected in Land and Environment Court The ongoing saga over a development application for a vital mobile phone tower on Wards Hill Rd at Killcare Heights has been rejected in the NSW Land and Environment Court after local businessman Tony Denny successfully challenged tower proponents Optus Mobile, Central Coast Local Planning Panel and Central Coast Council.

In published court documents, Judge Pain said that development consent DA/57736/2019 for the construction of a telecommunications facility was invalid and of no effect.

Many community members are disappointed by the outcome after years of waiting

for improvements in mobile phone and data reception.

President of the local Progress Association Mike Allsop said in the latest community newsletter that “the overwhelming support for improved coverage in the community has been amply demonstrated and we hope the legal shenanigans will soon be brought to a close”.

In April 2018 the then Federal Member for Robertson, Lucy Wicks, announced that Telstra was awarded money through the Mobile Black Spot Program to build a macro base station to improve mobile phone coverage.

A joint media release by Wicks and Senator Bridget McKenzie (the then Minister for Regional Communications) said that “Killcare is receiving

An artist’s impression of how the tower might look at 37 Wards Hills Rd. Archive 2020

funding for a Telstra macro base station to provide improved coverage to areas of Killcare, Killcare Heights, Hardys Bay and Wagstaffe”.

The announcement followed years of lobbying by local residents, businesses and community groups to improve

mobile reception in the area.

Ian Bull of the Wagstaffe to Killcare Community Association instigated a study in 2016 for a detailed map of mobile phone reception across the Bouddi Peninsula on the back of a previous community survey from 2014 citing considerable

problems.

Bull released his map and findings in January 2017; the map was subsequently published in Coast Community News.

Local resident and telecommunications expert David Abrahams said at a subsequent public meeting that he thought a series of small micro-towers would be a good option due to the lengthy DA process and difficult topography in the area.

It is understood that Telstra out-sourced the project to Optus Mobile who proposed to build a so-called mono-tower at Wards Hill Rd, Killcare, mounted on a Council-owned water tank.

Optus lodged the DA through Central Coast Council for the

mono-tower and the matter was then sent to the independent Local Planning Panel for consideration.

The planning panel eventually approved the DA, despite several appeals from Tony Denny and his wife who own property adjacent the water tower.

They were not happy with the planning panel’s decision and elected to take the judgement to the NSW Land and Environment Court.

It has been reported that Optus is preparing a new development application.

Meanwhile, residents and visitors at Killcare and Wagstaffe continue to have poor or non-existent mobile coverage.

CCN

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Funnel-web bite survivor says thanks to reptile park team When 19-year-old Ollie Kay of Hornsby was bitten by a funnel-web spider earlier this year, it was antivenom produced through the Australian Reptile Park’s milking program which saved his life.

This week the grateful young man visited the Somersby Park with his family to thank keepers first hand.

After waking in the middle of the night with burning pain on his forearm in February, Kay pulled back the sheets to reveal a large, black spider crawling across the bed.

After his girlfriend quickly filmed the spider, an internet search proved it was a deadly male funnel-web spider, capable of killing an adult in less than 90 minutes.

As they rushed to hospital, Kay experienced sweating, nausea, heart palpitations and light-headedness.

He was given two vials of antivenom as his family sat fearfully in the waiting room.

His father, John Kay, said the scariest part of the ordeal was when he heard doctors call for urgent resuscitation after a suspected cardiac event when

Photo: Australian Reptile Park

Ollie Kay with Operations Manager Billy Collet and keepers Cooper Van Der Waal and Sam Herrmann

the troponin levels of his son’s heart peaked at an alarming level.

After receiving the antivenom, Ollie Kay felt the effects immediately.

“It felt so much better … it was very fast-acting,” he said.

Within 30 minutes, his headache, nausea and lightheadedness were completely gone.

Kay remained in hospital for three days of monitoring before being cleared for any heart damage with multiple scans.

“The panic came in after, when we realised just how serious it was and what could have happened if we had been there 10-15 minutes later,” John Kay said.

“That’s when, as a parent, you think wow – that was really close.”

Kay was extremely lucky to survive the bite, as the pressure-immobilisation technique wasn’t administered until they reached the hospital.

A pressure bandage, along with immobilising the affected

area or limb, should be applied immediately after a suspected funnel-web spider bite.

If a compression bandage is not available, a makeshift bandage can be made with stripes of cloth.

The Australian Reptile Park is the only facility in the world to milk funnel-web spiders for their venom to produce lifesaving antivenom.

Staff were thrilled to meet Ollie Kay and his family when they toured the funnel-web spider milking facility with

Operations Manager Billy Collett and shared their story.

The group visited the funnelweb spider milking room and witnessed the tedious process of milking funnel-web spiders, using a tiny pipette extracting single drops of venom at a time.

The family also saw the Park’s venom processing facilities, where the venom is frozen and freeze-dried, before being sent to Seqirus CSL in Melbourne where the final stages of antivenom production take place.

Collett said the team at the Park puts an incredible number of hours into the spider venom milking program.

“To get enough raw venom for just one vial of antivenom, we need to milk 150 spiders,” he said.

“It was incredibly rewarding for the team to meet a funnelweb spider bite survivor – to get to shake the hand of someone who’s still here today because of the work we do.

“It motivates us to keep doing what we do every single day, to continue our venom program and save lives.”

Collett said he hoped sharing the story would spread

awareness of spider bite first aid and the Park’s contribution to producing venom that creates lifesaving antivenom.

The program relies on public donations of funnel-web spiders.

“As the current funnel-web spider season is drawing to a close, we need everyone to be on the lookout for them and learn how to safely catch them and bring them in to one of our drop-off locations,” he said.

He also urged the public to brush up on spider bite first aid.

“Even if you’re unsure of what type of spider has bitten you, it’s crucial that you treat it as potentially life-threatening and seek urgent medical attention or call 000,” Collett said.

Last week, the Park announced the completion of the ground-breaking of its new venom milking facility which will produce lifesaving antivenom from the venom of terrestrial snakes and funnelwebs and will allow visitors to witness the venom milking process firsthand.

It is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Terry Collins

Free workshop for new round of charity funding Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation’s latest funding round has opened with a pool of more than $500,000 available for new or existing projects which support health, young people and social wellbeing on the Central Coast.

Local not-for-profit organisations and community groups have until Monday, May 1, to apply.

To assist with the application process, the Charitable Foundation is hosting a free, online workshop onWednesday, April 5, from 10.30am to noon and groups can register online

at https://www. newcastlepermanent.com.au/ charitable-foundation/funding Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation Acting Executive Officer, Anita Lucas, encouraged both new and existing partners to apply, particularly in the face of challenging economic times.

“Regional charities are facing the unique combination of increased community demand for services and ongoing barriers to the delivery of their services,” she said.

“It’s been a tough couple of years for not-for-profits, having come through COVID and all the challenges it presented, to now when the rising cost of

living is placing pressure on local communities and driving an even higher need for assistance on the Central Coast.”

Since being founded in 2003 as a gift to the community, Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation has provided more than $25M in funding, touching hundreds of thousands of lives.

Applications for funding can be made via the Charitable Foundation website and close at 11.59pm on Monday, May 1.

Recent projects on the Central Coast include $120,000 to Wheelchair Sports NSW ACT for the Northern Region Road Safety and Disability Awareness

Stop consider and

Roadshow which visits schools, vacation and after school care centres, tertiary institutions and businesses.

The University of Newcastle received $88,600 for the Social and Economic Resilience of Young Migrants and Refugee Women program which provides employment and skills development for young at-risk migrant and refugee women in culturally and linguistically diverse and “hard-to-reach” communities in regional NSW. Source: Media release, Mar 27 Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation

Jane Gray (left) and Jennifer Leslie (second right) from Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation with Mick Garnett, Luke Bailey and David Krantz from Wheelchair Sports

Check the facts this State election elections.nsw.gov.au

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Words at Wagstaffe sell-out puts good writing on the wall for writers’ festival Photos: Syl Marie Photography

Acclaimed TV producer Anita Jacoby

On Saturday, March 18, an energetic crowd flocked to Words at Wagstaffe for a full day of conversations between some of Australia’s best-known journalists and public figures.

This was the third time the annual event has been held in partnership between local notfor-profit Words on the Waves Writers Festival and community

group The Bouddi Society.

The sold-out event featured the theme From the Frontline with speakers ranging from broadcasters to foreign correspondents, consular officials and emerging authors.

Veteran journalist Mike Carlton shared stirring stories of reporting from the Vietnam War alongside interviewer and local historian Jan McLeod.

Former Washington foreign

Veteran journalist Mike Carlton

correspondent Kylie Morris shared hair-raising tales of working in Trump’s America, while Melissa Roberts gave accounts of reporting from Tiananmen Square during the 1989 crackdown.

Prominent TV producer Anita Jacoby revealed the secrets behind high-profile interviews with Christopher Skase, Bill Clinton and more.

Finally, the crowd heard from former Head Consul and one-

time Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea and Ambassador to Germany, Ian Kemish.

The event, which took place in the charming community hubWagstaffe Hall,commenced with a deeply moving Welcome to Country courtesy of Paul Craig of Girri Girra.

The assembled crowd learned key phrases in local tongue, and heard more about the incredible history of Guringai

Paul Craig performed welcome to country

leader Bungaree.

Many commented on the day’s seamless organisation, with crucial support offered by The Bouddi Society, an array of Words on the Waves volunteers, and local independent bookstore The Book Shop.

Central Coast Newspapers was represented on the day as the official Media Partner, where Digital Editor David Abrahams performed MC duties.

The Words on the Waves organising committee is now looking ahead to the main festival, which will take place from May 31-June 5.

The full program and tickets will be released on Friday, April 21.

For more information head to www.wordsonthewaves.com. au.

CCN

One-man battle for a No Stopping sign Resident John Gordon is set to appeal to the Minister for Transport and the Police Commissioner if Central Coast Council does not install a No Stopping sign at the start of Turpentine St, Wyoming.

Gordon has been conducting a running battle with Council, insisting a sign is needed to protect a pedestrian crossing at the site which is regularly blocked by parked cars, putting pedestrians at risk.

“Council says there is a yellow line to indicate No Stopping,” he said.

“Not only do most drivers have no idea what the yellow line means, it is constantly covered by debris from the nearby gum trees and cannot be seen.

“The only solution is a sign.

“I might add that in the next street over – Renwick St – there are 13 No Stopping signs in a very short section of street.”

Gordon said the yellow line is

also often obliterated by fallen leaves from nearby trees with further concerns that an adjacent pathway is constantly overtaken by weeds, further endangering pedestrian safety.

The visibility issue was also exacerbated by a constant the overgrowth of tall grass which completely hides the small section of Turpentine St for traffic coming up Day St, the intersection of Day St, Kinara Ave and the main start of Turpentine St, he said.

Gordon said a Council work truck was spotted parked across the yellow line in recent days.

“When I spoke to the driver, he said ‘I did not even see the yellow line’,” Gordon said.

“This is a road safety situation and not a decorative sign.

“Do I wait until (someone) is hit by a vehicle coming into the short street to turn or will someone do something … and put up a sign?”

Council cleared the site of overgrowth and leaf build-up

The yellow line indicating no stopping is regularly blocked by leaf debris from nearby trees

on March 23.

“This included mowing either side of the pathway and treatment of the weeds in the gutter and (the site) presently poses no safety risks to pedestrians,” a Council spokesperson said.

“This area is programmed for vegetation maintenance at 12week service intervals.

“Upon the last service the street sweeper has been organised to clean the kerb and

gutter gutters of leftover debris from adjacent trees and mowing work.

“While Council does carry out routine inspections to manage issues, as noted above, it is likely that the routine inspections do not line-up with the build-up of leaf litter or vegetation growth.”

With a 12-week schedule for clearing leaf debris from the kerb, Gordon is concerned build-up of green matter will

continue to block the yellow line between regular clearings

by Council.

“The grass grows over a period of about four weeks to be out of control and the rubbish from the trees can build up in a week,” he said.

“I am no longer capable of cleaning the gutter and road area on the opposite side of the road to my place; the only solution is a sign which is not affected by the rubbish buildup.

“Council says that there is not enough traffic to worry about.

“If a child or person is hit by a truck there will be hell to pay.”

A Council spokesperson confirmed that the C3 yellow line marking is considered appropriate to indicate No Stopping at the site.

“Council utilises the implementation of C3 yellow line marking instead of physical No Stopping signs, as it reduces the proliferation of signage and reduces instances of damage

and vandalism which occurs to signage,” the spokesperson said.

“The area in question carries a low volume of traffic and is predominantly used by residents.

“Therefore, Council has no current plans to provide No Stopping signage at this location.

“Council does undertake regular patrols to ensure compliance with regulatory signage or road markings, including the C3 yellow line marking, including for No Stopping restrictions, and will issue infringement penalties as required.”

The spokesperson said Council invited residents to advise of built-up leaf litter and vegetation which could not be easily removed by residents.

Reports can be made at www. centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/ council/contact/onlineservices for review and appropriate action.

Terry Collins

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Jared tackles 620km track to help Save the Children Jared Styan of Lake Munmorah is set to embark on a world-first 620km running expedition along the Oodnadatta Track in South Australia to raise awareness and funds for Save the Children Australia.

He will set off on July 1 with the aim of raising $50,000 for the charity.

An accomplished adventurer, children’s author and ultrarunner, Styan intends to become the first person to run the entire length of the famous track, which runs through the heart of the Australian desert.

He aims to complete it in just 10 days, running an ultramarathon every day for 10

Jared Styan will run 62km every day on the 10-day venture

days, covering a distance of 62km per day.

Styan has previously run up Australia’s highest mountain in pyjamas, summited a 5800m

Off duty officer charged following RBT An off-duty police officer has been charged with mid-range drink-driving after being arrested at Terrigal on March 25.

At about 9.30am, officers attached to Brisbane Water Police District stopped a motor vehicle at an RBT site on Terrigal Dr.

The driver, a 61-year-old man, was arrested after allegedly returning a positive roadside reading.

He was taken to Gosford Police Station where a breath analysis returned a reading of 0.082.

The off-duty Senior Constable, who is attached to a specialist command, was issued a field court attendance notice for mid-range PCA and is due to appear in Gosford Local Court on Wednesday, May 10.

Source: Media release, Mar 26 NSW Police

Man wanted on three arrest warrants Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a man wanted on three outstanding arrest warrants.

Harley Heron, aged 19, is wanted for offences including aggravated break and enter damage and steal, dishonestly obtaining property by deception, taking and driving vehicle without owner’s consent and being unlicensed.

Heron is of Caucasian appearance, between 165cm to 170cm tall, with a thin build

and brown hair and is known to frequent various places across the Central Coast.

Police warn not to approach Heron if sighted and anyone with information about his whereabouts is urged to immediately contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers. com.au

volcano in Peru and hiked through the Himalayas, but this challenge is sure to test even

Harley Heron

“I’ll be running 62km per day to tackle rugged terrain, extreme temperatures, and challenging conditions.

“Throughout the expedition, I’ll document the journey to showcase the beauty, challenges, and triumphs of this incredible adventure.”

For more details, go to Styan’s website: https://jaredstyan. com/expeditions/ runningoodnadatta To donate to Save the Children Australia go to www.savethe childrenfundraising.org.au/ runningoodnadatta2023 Source: Media release, Mar 24 Jared Styan

Police catch 11 youths in Peninsula operation Police from Brisbane Water Police District have conducted Operation Peninsula Precinct, focused on juvenile violence and anti-social behaviour, after numerous violent incidents were captured and circulated on social media.

It resulted in the arrest of five youths who were subsequently charged with various offences

including Affray, Intimidation, Malicious Damage and Aggravated Break and Enter.

Each were granted strict bail conditions including curfew, non-association and place restriction from certain areas within the Peninsula area.

A further six youths were dealt with under the Young Offenders Act for various offences including Assault,

Malicious Damage, Affray, Fail to Comply with Police Direction and other offences.

Police worked together with relevant schools, parents, guardians and the community to achieve results.

Investigations remain ongoing, with further legal action anticipated in relation to social media footage obtained.

Source: Brisbane Water Police

Drugs and cash haul at Ettalong Beach Brisbane Water Police District Proactive Crime Team executed a search warrant at Ettalong Beach on March 23 for the supply of steroids and cannabis.

Source: Brisbane Water Police

his limits.

He is partnering with Save the Children Australia to raise awareness and funds for its educational and health programs in Australia and around the world.

As a children’s author and having previously been an English teacher in Peru, Styan strongly believes in the power of education to help children and families in need.

“I’m excited to take on this challenge and support Save the Children Australia,” he said.

“Their work is making a real difference in the lives of children and families in remote areas of Australia, and I’m proud to be a part of that.”

They seized 56kg of cannabis, a large quantity of steroids and cash totalling $265,000.

A 38-year-old man was charged with a number of offences including Supply

Commercial Quantity of Prohibited Drugs and Knowingly Deal with Proceeds of Crime.

The man was refused bail when he faced Gosford Local Court and will reappear in court on May 19.

Source: Brisbane Water Police Some of the drug haul

PAGE 12

THURSDAY, 30 MARCH 2023

FORUM

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Sub spend not so clever Three nuclear-powered submarines is the best use those geniuses down in Canberra can come up with for $368B (yes, billion) of government spending?

With those we’ll “threaten” (ha!) the world’s largest economy (China), our largest customer (China) and the country upon whose growth

Australia’s standard of living depends (China).

While it’s debatable whether Australia is still the Lucky Country, one thing is certain; we ain’t the Clever Country.

Email, Mar 27 Richard Pryke, North Avoca

FORUM Opinions expressed are those of the writer and not necessarily of the newspaper

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What use will nuclear subs be?

At a cost of $368B and (with) the first nuclear submarine to be delivered in the early 2040s, what use will they be when they do come into service in fighting climate change with devastating floods, fires, droughts and pandemics?

Eventually the only war which

FORUM could unite all countries and worth fighting against are the daily catastrophes threatening our sacred planet fuelled by out-of-date political systems and financial manipulation and greed.

As Greta Thunberg stated: “We need new politics and new

economics … we need to stop competing and start cooperating and sharing our remaining resources”.

Sadly we are still trying to solve today’s problems with the same thinking that created them.

Email, Mar 26 Paul Corkeron, Kincumber

Specialised home manufacture a possibility While I agree with much that Bruce Hyland writes (Rose-coloured view of home-grown manufacture, CNN 383), I consider that an Australian manufacturing industry could be much more than a stopgap in the event of interruption to imports.

Over two decades ago I entitled a joint research paper, On the High-Skills Road or in the Ditch.

It elaborated on the need to differentiate ourselves from low-skilled, mass-producing economies by focusing on the

FORUM production of high valueadding, specialised, short-run outputs which we could create and supply because we could afford to invest in a highlyskilled workforce.

Robert Findley (CNN 382) regrets no longer being able to purchase locally-made footwear.

Research of that industry by me and others in the late nineties, suggests that perhaps those shoes were not as locally-made as he thinks.

Some imported cut soles and uppers in dense stacks then shaped, sewed and glued etc. to produce the much more space-demanding product.

More to the point, it illustrated that then we could contribute our more complex skills to economic effect.

Now? Perhaps not in mass shoe manufacture, but, for instance, in bespoke footwear?

Hyland casts doubt on submarine-manufacture as a contributor.

However, we might recall that subsidised car-manufacturing was justified because those

trained there carried their skills to other industry sectors.

There is no reason to think that would not happen with those employed in highly complex marine-vessel manufacture.

We are not a nation where we stay in one job for life; rather, we typically move vertically and laterally, carrying and building on our skills and knowledge to the betterment of our work.

But by deserting the development of a complex, highly-skilled manufacturing industry, we have failed to take

full advantage of that practice.

With increasing problems in waste disposal and in demand for source materials, we must move from being a throw-away economy.

Manufacturing can play a contributing role in the supply of people with skills applicable in maintenance and repair.

This is not to suggest that we withdraw from the global economy.

We will always want to purchase in the massproduction market.

And that means selling to achieve a balance of trade.

We can assume the days of coal are coming to a close, and perhaps even post-secondary education, as China and other growing economies develop their own high-status universities.

Perhaps there would also be a contributing market for some of our yet-to-be manufactures.

Email, Mar 26 Sonnie Hopkins, Tascott

Not many strategies in Housing Strategy Central Coast Council is to be congratulated on the presentation of the draft Strategic Housing Strategy for comment.

This is the finest compilation of Central Coast data that I have seen – easy to follow, well-organised and as comprehensive as one could wish for, in a publication only using secondary sources.

It will be a most useful reference work for some time to come.

Unfortunately, the Housing Strategy that derives from all the analysis is almost completely useless.

It consists almost entirely of

FORUM platitudes, wish lists and future conjectures that don’t amount to a strategy of any sort.

The kindest thing that can be said of it is that it would be a good basis for a housing strategy, if ever anybody got around to preparing one.

To take an obvious example, population projections suggest an older population that will need an increased supply of smaller, affordable units in particular locations suitable for less-mobile people.

Yet, the data shows that small, affordable units are

decreasing in number.

This would suggest that whatever is being done now is not fit-for-purpose as a continuing practice.

Nevertheless, the best that the Strategy can suggest is that regulations will provide the opportunity for a change in shelter output.

As anybody can see, the present regulations provide all the opportunity that could ever be required, but the market does not respond to opportunities: the market responds to profit motivation.

If a pious hope that things will change is the best that a Strategy can offer, it doesn’t

amount to much.

A Strategy is supposed to formulate targets and to suggest mechanisms for reaching those targets.

In turn, this allows us to prepare practical plans and to institute programs that will achieve the desired results.

A proper Strategy is set out in a form that leads logically to the next steps in the process: what we have instead is a scatter-gun approach that touches on a variety of issues and suggestions, without ranking them in any hierarchy, without mapping out a forward path and without demonstrating how all the elements of the

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Strategy interact with one another.

Much of what is said is just overblown rhetoric and pseudo-comprehensive statements about matters the Council cannot control but would like to see happen in an ideal world, if only somebody else would take the necessary action.

Incidentally, pretty much the same can be said for the draft Street Design Manual which is also open for comments.

It is obvious that an enormous effort has gone into preparing this manual, but the impact it will have is highly questionable.

There is great detail about

(as well as our print version in flip book format)

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how various different kinds of streets could be designed, but most of it is just re-stating the bleeding obvious, and there is no suggestion as to how any of this could be applied in practice.

If present street designs are unsatisfactory (and I shouldn’t think that needed to be pointed out to anybody), there has to be some process for bringing about change.

Any such process is conspicuous by its absence from this document: I give it an A for effort and an F for substance.

Email, Mar 25 Bruce Hyland, Woy Woy

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Magical sights and sounds at Japanese Gardens Global DJ duo Stereogamous

Gosford Regional Gallery and the Naughty Noodle Fun Haus will join forces to present an immersive and interactive experience at Edogawa Commemorative Garden at East Gosford on April 15.

The audience will be transported into a fantastic alternate reality experience of story, sound, light and exploration.

The gardens will come alive in a mini–VIVID Festival type experience at the Origami Garden Art. Naughty Noodle Creative Director Glitta Supernova said the night would fold art with sound, layering live music with mesmerising light and visual projection.

There will be DJs, food curators and performance art from dusk and into the night across multiple outdoor

spaces.

Headliners Global DJ duo Stereogamous have performed at Glastonbury and Burning Man and collaborated as producers with artists such as George Michael, Kylie, Grace Jones, LCD Sound System and Electric Fields.

They will bring the dance party vibes in between the live music and performance sets and will play alongside projection artist David Hoare

and visual artist Thomas Pullar.

These artists will bring the trees alive with 3D visual displays.

Live music acts will be local band the Strange Paradise Quartet, Sydney-based electronic musician Dyan Tai and soulful crooner Imbi.

Performance artists Canoe and Glitta Supernova will wrap the audience in worlds of story, absurdity and costuming as they explore memory, place

and belonging.

The Honest Cook will offer traditional Sichuan dumplings and bao buns handmade on the night using only Australian prawns, beef, pork, chicken and lamb and there will be a pop-up bar and nibbles.

Dress in your best garden party gear and bring your own festival seating and picnic rugs.

The outdoor event will move inside to Gosford Regional

Gallery should it rain.

The event will be held between 5pm and 11.30pm on Saturday, April 15.

Bookings are available online only at naughtynoodle.com.au/ whats-on.

Source: Media release, Mar 27 Naughty Noodle Fun Haus

Feast of chamber music in newly renovated Robert Knox Hall Two of Australia’s leading chamber musicians, cellist Georg Pedersen and concert pianist Phillip Shovk, will return to Central Coast Conservatorium of Music in Gosford on April 2 for a special Charmian & Friends concert to mark the reopening of the renovated Robert Knox Hall. he fundraising event is the brainchild of Central Coast Conservatorium of Music patron, acclaimed Australian violinist Charmian Gadd, and will be the first concert held in the new-look auditorium which has undergone a makeover as part of the Conservatorium’s recent upgrades.

The two will perform Beethoven’s Cello Sonata no. 2 in G Minor, Chopin’s Cello Sonata in G Major and Brahms Cello Sonata no. 2 in F Major.

Gadd said she was looking

Pianist Phillip Shovk

forward to making the Charmian and Friends concert series, previously held at Greenway Chapel in Green Point, a regular fixture in the newly-renovated hall.

“We are grateful for the good years of music making that enriched our years at Greenway, but as the Chapel is now no longer available for our

weekend offerings, let’s start a new chapter in Robert Knox Hall,” she said.

“The Con is looking quite different – welcoming and warm in its retained stone and basic structure.

“Audience members would do well to leave a little extra time to arrive and have a look around.

Cellist Georg Pedersen

“Robert Knox was quite a complex and interesting figure, designing golf courses, playing and making violins.

“He was teaching in Gosford and looking for somewhere to start a music school when the old courthouse fell vacant.

“According to his own tale he more or less simply occupied the building and persuaded the

powers-that-used-to-be in those days to turn it into a Conservatorium.

“It has gone from that point to where it is today with the help of a lot of great people to whom we owe such a lot.”

Light refreshments will be served in the interval in the historic courtyard at the Con – a former police station and

courthouse.

Money from ticket sales will go towards the Conservatorium’s successful scholarship program.

The event will also see the launch of the Con’s Take a Seat campaign, giving supporters the opportunity to own a piece of Central Coast history by “buying” one of the new fixed seats in the refurbished Robert Knox Hall.

Donors will have a special and limited opportunity to have their name on a plaque on one of the new 72 permanent seats.

Phillip Shovk and Georg Pedersen in concert will be held at 2.30pm on Sunday, April 2.

Tickets are available at www. trybooking.com/CGSBN. Source: Media release, Mar 27 Central Coast Conservatorium

PAGE 14

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First Long Jetty Festival a resounding success The Long Jetty Festival was the ultimate summer send-off with an estimated crowd of 20,000 flocking to the foreshore and streets to enjoy all things art, culture, music and food on March 12.

This first family-friendly community event at the lakeside suburb was such a resounding success that organisers have already started planning next year’s Long Jetty Festival and set the date for March 10.

Promoters Stephen Sewell and Matt Wise said Long Jetty Festival had been in the works since COVID stopped the world back in 2020.

“It was great to finally make it happen and what an amazing day,” Sewell said.

the community support.”

Event organiser, Liz Hart of Hart Events, said her team did an “absolutely phenomenal job to deliver this epic day out for the people”.

“It’s so great to see the community out and about enjoying themselves and the vibe was high all day,” she said.

The huge crowds enjoyed music from The Rubens, Meg Mac, Little Quirks and several other bands, as well as the massive flea market of preloved, recycled and up-cycled goods, about 250 food stalls (with many selling out) and the Kiddy’s Corner with music, games, wildlife presentations, face-painting and temporary flash tattoos.

Around 20,000 people attended

“We were stoked to make an impact on the region and prop

Long Jetty up by celebrating the town in true Long Jetty

style – good food, great coffee, vintage wares and quality

music.

“We’ve been blown away by

Sue Murray

New podcast for young people A new youth-led podcast is set to launch on the Central Coast on April 5.

Way Underground Youth Radio will be launched at Kincumber Neighbourhood Centre’s Youth Space brekky club from 7am to 8.30am.

The podcast will be part of the Regional Youth Radio Program, a NSW Government-funded iniative which aims to increase young people’s participation in activities that strengthen their opportunities to have a voice,

as well as their connection and belonging to their communities.

Youth leaders will produce and run a podcast focusing on arts and culture as well as mental health and wellness, covering different topics each episode and highlighting support services available on the Central Coast and around regional NSW. They will conduct interviews with regional services and provide links to connect young listeners who might be

struggling with similar issues.

Way Underground Youth Radio aims to have a real and positive impact for young people who are out there listening.

More information is available by emailing at ymedia@ kincumberdnc.com.au or checking @ wayundergroundknc on Instagram.

Source: Media release, Mar 22 Kincumber Neighbourhood Centre

The Way Underground Youth Radio team

Special screening a precursor to Kids Day Out As the annual Central Coast Kids Day Out (CCKDO) approaches, a fundraiser will be held at Tuggerah on Saturday, April 1.

The movie is aimed at 2-10-year-olds Photo: Robyn Edmonds-King

It will be a pre-screening of the Argonuts movie at Event Cinema at 10am.

The day will begin with a mini expo and activities from 9am and will officially launch Central Coast Kids Day Out 2023 as it helps raise much-needed funds for the May event.

Children will be captivated by

the adventures of young mouse Pattie and her cat-mate Sam as they help Jason and the Argonuts save the city.

This will be a sensory screening with lights and sound dimmed to create a comfortable environment where kids can move around, with the movie aimed at 2-10 year olds.

There will be a red carpet, a photo wall and giveaways and activities to engage children before the show.

A variety of stalls will feature at the mini expo and a mega raffle will be drawn on the day.

Also there to share the fun will be the CCKDO bear mascot Kody.

Funds raised from ticket sales will help fund CCKDO on May 7 so prices can be kept low and affordable for families.

Tickets can be booked via https://www.cckdo.org/ Central Coast Kids Day Out will be held from 10am to 3pm on Sunday, May 7, at Narara

Valley High School.

Now in its 24th year, the event delivers an affordable family day out while bringing agencies and services together with tips on raising happy children.

The day also highlights services available to help families in the community, with a wide variety of children’s activities and entertainment on offer.

Source: Media release, Mar 27 Robyn Edmonds-King

Fun fundraiser for Ronald McDonald Family Room Gosford RSL Club will host a family fundraiser afternoon on April 16 from 3pm to raise much-needed funds for the Ronald McDonald Family Room at Gosford.

There will be an online and inhouse raffle, many free activities including a jumping castle, hair colouring and balloons along with a special visit from Ronald McDonald.

Gosford RSL has $10,000 in prizes up for grabs in the raffle

with all profits going to Ronald McDonald Charities.

The Ronald McDonald houses and rooms are welcoming spaces where families can take time out from the clinical environment of the wards, have a tea or coffee, freshen up with a shower or find a quiet space for a much-needed nap.

They are located within footsteps of major women’s and children’s hospitals across Australia and provide a homely and inviting place to stay for

parents, guardians, carers and their siblings while their child is undergoing treatment in a nearby hospital.

Part of what makes them unique is that families are able to benefit from the compassionate support of the volunteers and staff, the companionship of other families who are navigating a similar journey and there’s dedicated play areas so siblings of seriously ill children can have a bit of fun.

Ronald McDonald Family Rooms rely on the work of volunteers and the financial support of individual and corporate donations.

Raffle tickets for the Gosford fundraiser can be purchased at www.grsl.com.au or https:// www.raffletix.com. au/?ref=xwnkr.

Source: Media release, Mar 24 Gosford RSL Club The Ronald McDonald Family Room at Gosford

THURSDAY, 30 MARCH 2023

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British India to play Drifters Wharf Melbourne indie rock band British India will play at Drifters Wharf in Gosford on Friday, April 21.

Recently awarded both ARIA Platinum and Gold Record status for their songs I Can Make You Love Me and Suddenly, due to increased streaming during the pandemic, the band has survived COVID restrictions and is launching a 23 date national tour.

Formed in high school, the band’s critically acclaimed debut album Guillotine won an AIR Award in 2007 along with a Triple J album of the year nomination.

The band has since released six albums, have had five ARIA Top 10 debuts and earned eight entries into the Hottest 100.

British India

It gained a reputation as one of the hardest working bands in the country, notching up more

than 1,000 headline shows in metro and regional Australia, along with performances at all

the major festivals across the country.

“For a band that has always felt like outsiders – too nerdy, too abrasive, too badly dressed – hitting milestones like gold and platinum feels so satisfying,” vocalist/guitarist Declan Melia said.

“I know as indie musicians we’re supposed to act like we don’t care about accolades and industry recognition – but that would be disingenuous.

“I’m thrilled that so many people enjoy British India.

“It suggests to me that even when we couldn’t tour through COVID, people still sought out our music.

“Also, I feel like both of these – I Can Make You Love Me and Suddenly – were high watermarks of creativity and expression in our songwriting.

“After we recorded them, we all really felt like we had tapped into something special.”

British India’s Rolled Gold 2023 tour kicked off on February 10 in Perth and ends in Brisbane in May. “It makes us super excited to get on stages again to celebrate these two tracks and all the others in our body of work,” Melia said.

Joining Melia in the line-up are Jack Tosi (lead guitar), Will Drummond (bass) and Matt O’Gorman (drums).

British India plays Drifters Wharf at 8.30pm on April 21.

Tickets are available via www.britishindia.oztix.com. au.

Terry Collins

Golden celebration for Inner Wheel club The Inner Wheel Club of Gosford North celebrated its golden anniversary on March 8 with a luncheon at Linton Gardens Somersby with 85 men and women enjoying the day.

Fifty years of fun, friendship and service to the community began when the club was chartered on March 2, 1973.

The Gosford Bowling Club was the initial meeting place, with 19 members and the late Cecily Roberts as inaugural president.

Charter member Joan Williams, helped by current member Colleen Boyce, cut the

cake at the anniversary celebration.

President Chris Hirons welcomed members and friends from as far as Scone and District women from Sydney.

A slide presentation told the story of the club’s years servicing the community while leading to lifelong friendships.

The club now has a membership of 40 very active women who meet monthly and organise fundraisers to aid the vulnerable in our community, nationally and internationally.

Meanwhile, the club has donated a fully laden car of

Magenta NAILS

warm pyjamas and trackies to a very grateful We Care Connect following a successful stall at Kincumber Shopping Centre.

We Care Connect supports vulnerable children living on the Central Coast, with more than 10,000 children living below the poverty line in the region.

It has been operating since 2016 and the number of those needing help, especially since COVID, has grown more than tenfold since that time.

This year the charity hopes to support more than 4,500 children.

The Inner Wheel club holds

regular craft stalls inside the Kincumber Shopping Centre, with the next one a Mother’s Day stall planned for Friday, April 14.

The stall will be open from 9am to 4pm featuring a range of beautiful handcrafted gifts.

Members of Inner Wheel are all volunteers and all funds raised are donated to local, national and international organisations.

For further details check out the Inner Wheel Club of Gosford North Facebook page or Inner Wheel’s website.

Terry Collins

Some of the members at the anniversary celebration

Easter art show at Hardys Bay

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Some of the artworks which will be on display

Hardys Bay Community Church will host its seventh annual Easter Art Exhibition and Sale this year.

The show continues to feature the works of seven local artists.

This year Terry Baker, Giuliano Balos, Inel Date, Berengere de Tarle, Walter Koppen, Colin

Tapping and Cheryl Stone will have works on display and for sale.

The exhibition will be held over the Easter long weekend from Friday, April 7, to Monday, April 10, and entry will be free.

It will be held in the beautiful 100-year-old community hall

now owned and used by Hardys Bay Community Church at 114 Araluen Dr, Hardys Bay. The exhibition will be open on Friday from 11am to 5pm, on Saturday from 9am to 5pm, on Sunday from 11am to 5pm and on Monday from 10am to 3pm.

The art works will remain on

display during the Church’s Easter services, on Good Friday and Easter Sunday, both at 9.30am.

For more information go to www.hbcc.com.au Source: Media release, Mar 24 Hardys Bay Community Church

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Showcase of young performers at Opera House

From left: Guitarist Ethan Cochran, Vocalist Lilianna Davis, Flautist Patrick Ward and Vocalist Scotia Emmett

Four young performers from the Central Coast were among 22 in the Encore concert at Sydney Opera House which showcased the best musical performance and composition pieces from 2022 Higher School Certificate music students.

It is the first time that so many Coast musicians have been chosen in one year, with just 12 selected over the past 20 years for the annual Encore concerts which celebrate the achievements of a crosssection of talented young

performers.

The Coast’s excellent four are: guitarist Ethan Cochran from Kincumber High School; flautist Patrick Ward from St Edwards Christian Brothers College at East Gosford; and vocalists Lilianna Davis from Gosford High School and Scotia Emmett from Green Point Christian College.

Ethan said that for as long as he could remember he had a drive and passion for music, particularly for playing guitar.

Watching his father play guitar and listening to his eclectic genres of music inspired him to a life of music.

He was given his first guitar for his sixth birthday, then on his 13th he received a Gibson Les Paul guitar and from there he decided to take his music to new heights.

Motivated by the annual Byron Bay Bluesfest and other live concerts, Ethan has formed his own band, Bigfoot and the Falcons, which is in the process of making its first LP. When Lilianna was eight she achieved success in multiple rounds of auditions for the Australian Voice Kids which spurred her on to take singing lessons and develop her enthusiasm for performance

through school shows and small events.

She progressed from choirs to solo showcases, discovering a passion for musical theatre and winning several awards.

Lilianna has sung as a featured artist in Newcastle’s Starstruck and in the Schools Spectacular as well as acting professionally, recently winning the national John Bell Scholarship with Bell Shakespeare.

During his school studies Patrick performed in a variety of genres to enhance his musical knowledge and technical abilities: classical,

jazz, music of the 21st century and many others.

In his study outside school he participated in the Australian Music Examinations Board exams from ages eight through to 15, always receiving an A or A-plus.

For the Encore concert he chose to perform Fantasia Arabesque by Herman Beeftink for its technical interest with Middle Eastern and Asian music tones and motifs weaving their way through the entire work.

Scotia’s love of music began when she was about seven years and first began

performing in musicals with Gosford Musical Society.

She has since participated in 16 productions, with her roles including the title role in Annie and most recently the genie in Aladdin Jr. Scotia, who works as a children’s entertainer, has participated in Youth in Performing Arts (YIPA) concerts as a solo performer for many years and in 2021 received the YIPA/Gosford Musical Society award.

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A PINCH OF SALT

Butter chicken with Dorian Mode and Chef Daniel

Considering how long Indian people have been making curries, butter chicken is more like the new kid on the block, developed by accident in the 1950s in New Delhi.

Its Indian name is murgh makhan and it was first called Butter Chicken in an Indian restaurant in Manhattan in 1975.

How spicy do you like it?

See the full series of A Pinch of Salt at our website and YouTube Channel @CentralCoastNewsAU or scan the QR code below.

SCAN ME

Chef Daniel and Dorian Mode

Chef Daniel’s next guest is the King of satire and comedy Dorian Mode.

Dorian is a local jazz pianist who writes original songs about our local area such as the Woy Woy Waltz Waltz, the Kincumber Rhumba and Get along to Ettalong.

These two are as cheeky as each other.

In this episode, Chef Daniel

helps Dorian make butter chicken from scratch.

No more bottled sauce mixes; they make Chef Daniel cringe.

Dorian learned a lot about the use of lots of butter and cream in home cooking, despite the belief that these fats are bad.

Turns out they are good with most chefs using butter in their cooking.

Tina Wake

Visit Dorian and see upcoming gigs at: • www.dorianmode.com/ • Dorian’s jazz trio plays every Thursday fortnight at Avoca Pizza pasta café.

• For bookings call: 02 4382 3506 Visit Chef Daniel’s socials:

WWW.COASTCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM.AU

Recipe Ingredients: • One chopped brown onion (not red) • Heaped tablespoon of ghee (clarified butter) • Fenugreek seeds, cumin, garam masala, turmeric, paprika, chilli flakes • Half a cup of water • A cup of cream • Chopped ginger and garlic • ½ kg of chicken thighs • ½ cup of Mutti tomato pulp • Coriander for garnish Instructions: 1. Melt ghee in saucepan on high 2. Add chopped onions and cover with lid (to let the onions sweat it off) 3. Sprinkle fennel seeds over onions while cooking for 5 minutes 4. In a bowl mix dry spices cumin, fenugreek seeds, paprika, turmeric, cumin, garam masala and chilli flakes to taste and mix well.

5. Add ½ cup of water into spices and mix to form a paste then put in with onions and stir 6. Add ginger and garlic to onion mix 7. Add chicken thighs 8. Add ½ cup of tomato pulp 9. Add ½ cup of regular cream 10.Cook on high for 6 mins then turn heat off and stir 11.Garnish with chopped coriander and serve over cooked rice Yellow rice:

• chefdaniel.com.au/about-chef/ • www.facebook.com/chefdanielaus • www.instagram.com/chefdanielaus/ • www.youtube.com/c/chefdaniel

1. Fry off some butter in a pan with saffron (to make it yellow) 2. Then add rice and cook as normal

Thousands of pre-loved books on offer The annual Easter Saturday Book Fair co-ordinator Alison Pearl Beach Book Fair will Phillips said visitors could have be at letter the of Memorial a once lot of only. fun searching for that Fill held in each the alphabet Hall on Saturday, April 8. special book.

“All books T are good quality This isGthe 46th year of the and include annual the largest U R E S many popular M fair A whichEis S authors to keep you engrossed,” single fundraising activity L A Dshe said. managed by the Pearl Beach A L A Tyear, S as well as selling “This Progress Association.

E H A P E S S books, we will have the Back It promises to be the best yet Deck Café, E of pre-loved E E XEaster raffle and a with thousands Homemade L Tchildren’s R I E Tby Locals stall out novels, biographies, front of the books house E S S and E books L on art,G YMemorial Hall.” or credit cards will be and garden willTbe on offer, V CashR accepted with all proceeds along with U puzzles I E and T DVDs. from the E book L fair and raffle

MISSING LINK

Co-ordinator Alison Phillips sorts through some of the books

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going toward Pearl Beach initiatives and hall upkeep and maintenance.

The fair will be open from 9am to 5pm.

Further details are available on 0487 444 537.

While you’re in the area, check out the Easter Art Trail, with Pearl Beach artisans welcoming locals and visitors to the Artist Hub in the Arboretum, and home studios open between 10am and 4pm.

More than 15 local artisans

will be exhibiting in the The Artist Hub and 10 artists will be opening their studios to showcase and sell an eclectic and colourful selection of art, cards, jewellery, handicrafts, ceramics, pottery and sculptures.

A route map with details of the trail and addresses of the exhibitors will be available at the local cafe and community hall.

Source: Media release, Mar 27 Pearl Beach Progress Association

© Lovatts Puzzles

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Pesticide Use Notice

Missing Link Solution:

NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) advises that the following pesticide use is proposed for use in the Central Coast area.

G D K T MA Z E S C U R E S G L A D X V A S T L O A T S E H A P L E S S I R U E E H E X B L A T R I N E T S E L F G E S P Y M T Y V R QU I E T J EWE L S R R Y

The pesticide fipronil will be for the euthanasia of wild European honey bees within the Varroa mite emergency eradication zone in the Central Coast area during the period from April 2023 for up to 12 months.

This work is strictly controlled by NSW DPI, in accordance with an Australian Pesticide and Veterinary Medicines Authority permit [PER84929v2].

For further information regarding this notice visit dpi.nsw.gov.au/varroa

LP0699

The bait stations will be clearly signposted and all directions of these signs including tampering should be followed.

See the puzzle soutions online at CoastCommunityNews.com.au/puzzle-solutions/ or scan the QR code above

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Business & Property

New specialist disability homes at Toukley

An artist’s impression of the disability accommodation

Work is underway on five new one-bedroom villas at Toukley which will be specialist disability accommodation (SDA) for residents with high physical support needs.

The project,named Sanctuary, is being developed by Whitestone Group and will be managed by disability and community housing provider Home in Place, with Catholic Care Broken Bay available to provide supported independent living services for those who do not already have a provider.

There will be two on-site overnight assistance rooms as well as a communal vegetable garden and electric vehicle

charging station on the 700sqm block.

Whitestone Director, Julian Carlo-Stella, joined Home in Place Executive Manager Specialist Services, Larissa Bridge, and Catholic Care Broken Bay Executive Director, Tim Curran, earlier this month to see completion of the framing and construction is expected to be complete by October.

Carlo-Stella said the project was one of four SDA projects Whitestone had in its pipeline in partnership with Home in Place.

The others are at Kariong, Charlestown and Penrith.

“There is an under-supply of high-quality SDA housing on

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the Central Coast that is tailored to the needs of individuals,” Carlo-Stella said.

“We like to build high-end housing in nice neighbourhoods that looks and feels great.

“At Sanctuary we are using more expensive artificial turf, rather than grass, because it will make the yard spaces more accessible and usable for residents in wheelchairs.”

Carlo-Stella said he would be actively involved in the management of the property for years to come and that Whitestone approached Home in Place as a partner because of its experience in SDA and community housing.

“I’d heard lots of good things about Home in Place in the

industry and I like their focus on helping their residents and tenants,” he said.

Larissa Bridge from Home in Place said they were working to provide people with a range of specialist disability housing that met their needs, in line with the important NDIS principle of choice and control for participants.

She said Sanctuary was nestled between the beach and lake and within walking distance of shops, medical facilities, public transport and recreational facilities.

“It is important for housing for people with a disability to be close to services and amenities, not in isolated fringes of towns and cities,” Bridge said.

Expressions of interest are now open for people with high physical support needs looking for a forever home on the Central Coast.

The Home in Place website – www.homeinplace.org/sdavacancies – has details for this property and other housing options.

“To live in an SDA home people need SDA under Capital Supports in their NDIS plan,” Bridge said.

“That can take some time, so we encourage people to talk to their support workers about starting the process.”

SDA homes give people the opportunity to live more independently in a highly supported way. They are built

to special regulated standards and must be registered with the NDIS. Tim Curran from Catholic Care Broken Bay said the role of an independent living services provider was to give residents support and supervision around the typical activities of daily living including personal care, medication support and cleaning.

“We give residents enough support to allow them to look after themselves and access all the other things they want to do as they get out and about in their new community,” he said.

Source: Media release, Mar 27 Whitestone Group

FREE SEMINAR Challenging Wills Seminar

Experienced down-to-earth help and advice throughout the Central Coast This free public seminar is being given by Brazel Moore Lawyers to help people understand what to expect, so they know where they stand in: • Challenging a Will; or • Defending a Will from Challenge The theme is to educate people about the options and choices available to them if they have been

left out of a Will - or if you want to leave someone out of your Will - alerting you to the pitfalls and procedures in dealing with Challenging Wills and how you should best deal with challenges.

Mr Geoff Brazel, Solicitor will present the seminar on Challenging Wills to help you through the maze of legal regulation

The seminar will be presenting in a friendly relaxed atmosphere and there will be plenty of time for your questions.

You’ll be helped a lot in understanding the system and will then be able to confidently consider what steps you need to take to properly consider challenges to Wills.

WHEN: 4 April 2023 TIME: 6.45pm to 8.00pm WHERE: Gosford RSL Club Call 4324 7699 to reserve your spot now!

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Election result sparks hope to get long-time projects moving President of Business Wyong Matt Lusted is very hopeful and excited that projects in the Northern Growth Corridor that have been slow moving for a long time will now take off following the election of a NSW Labor Government.

Lusted said that with local Labor MPs re-elected to the three northern electorates – Wyong, The Entrance and Swansea – they now had opportunities in government which could only be a good thing for the northern end of the Coast and he hoped they could cut through the red tape.

“The one to focus on is the upgrade of the Pacific Hwy through Wyong which is effectively already in train but we’re just after start dates,” he said.

“From there we’d like to see a time commitment on the link road from Wyong to Warnervale.”

Business Wyong, the regional Chamber of Commerce, is wasting no time to engage the newly elected Federal and State Labor Governments and has already invited the Treasurer Jim Chalmers to visit

Business Wyong President Matt Lusted

and as soon as Premier Chris Minns announces his full ministry, they’ll be getting an invitation too.

“We just want to see some action, we have plans upon plans upon plans, but what we need is the government to say, right, this is the way we’re pushing forward,” Lusted said.

“Look at what the Libs did in western Sydney over the past 12 years – what they did out there was quite incredible, there’s some great examples – and I would love to see if the new government could actually do that on the northern end of our Coast, everywhere from around Warnervale to the Wyong Employment Zones, incorporating Darkinjung

Wyong Town Centre

lands, around Bushells Ridge Rd and all the way through to Doyalson.”

Lusted said what was needed was a set timeframe for when land would be released and developed.

Business Wyong is looking at the Northern Growth Corridor as a whole but Lusted says that even in the Central Coast Regional Plan 2041 “there’s a few things they’ve got wrong”.

He said that straight away he was unnerved by the Plan referring to the growth corridor as being between Tuggerah and Wyong rather than Tuggerah to Warnervale.

“It made me think that they’re not going to fund the link road, a four-lane highway basically

from Wyong Golf Course to Warnervale then linking to the education precinct so that northern area can expand,” he said.

“That’s a big thing – we need the Pacific Hwy upgrade through Wyong and the link road to form the spine for the Northern Growth Corridor to actually grow the area and develop it properly.”

Lusted also said NSW Planning got it the wrong way around in the Plan by naming Tuggerah as a regional city and Wyong only as a strategic centre.

“Wyong should be the regional city as it’s identified as an administrative hub for the northern end of the Coast; it’s

an established city with all the services including bus and rail transport interchange with plenty of parking,” he said.

“It would be smart if (the government) just picked the low-hanging fruit and got some successes by building on what is already here … millions upon millions of dollars is being spent doing this massive Pacific Hwy upgrade, new bridges, rail interchange, the whole lot.

“Why wouldn’t you change the zonings on a Council map so you can actually build housing around it?”

Lusted said Wyong was a classic example where the zonings and densities around rail and transport hubs could be

changed to allow multi-level housing and provide incentive to local developers for lot amalgamation, heritage offsets and so on.

“We need to go up, and that means we can provide cheaper accommodation, and in a centre that already has all the services,” he said.

Lusted said he’d like to see the new State Government continue the commitment with the Six Cities Commission, of which Central Coast is a part, and that it needed to hold Transport for NSW accountable regarding the fast train from Newcastle to Sydney.

“There’s been talk for too long and the route has been mapped out since the early 2000s but they need to identify the one or two stations on the Central Coast for this new future fast train access,” he said.

“We’re declaring that station should be at Tuggerah because when you look at the 2041 Regional Plan it could link with the whole Bateau Bay/The Entrance area with a fast bus service straight through to Tuggerah.”

Sue Murray

LEP Digital secures major Signarama contract Central Coast-based digital content marketing agency LEP Digital is going from strength to strength.

Scooping up three major awards at last year’s Central Coast Business Awards (Excellence in Small Business, Outstanding Business Leader and Outstanding Employee of the Year) the company has recruited three new staff members in the past 12 months, taking its team to eight.

Its latest coup is securing a contract to plan, deliver and manage digital marketing for for Signarama nationally.

Part of the global United Franchise Group (UFG), Signarama is the world’s

Jess Hickey and Mel McCrone of LEP Digital at Signarama

largest sign franchise group, with a network of almost 1,000 locations in 60 countries, and 102 sites in Australia.

LEP Digital Director Laura Prael said the company was one of nine invited to submit a tender.

“A shortlist of three agencies were then invited to present a two-hour in-person pitch to the Signarama Advertising Fund Board at the UFG head office in

Sydney,” Prael said.

Signarama’s Ad Fund, which in 2023 is close to $1M, is governed by a Board of Signarama franchisees around Australia.

The Board has a connection to the Central Coast with President, Melissa Marshall, being co-owner of Signarama Tuggerah, which is one of the company’s strongest performing stores.

Signarama’s Ad Fund had previously been with the same Melbourne-based agency for a decade.

Marshall said the Board was impressed by LEP Digital’s ability to understand the market, including key competitors, and how

Signamara could cut through by using creativity.

“As an agency, they offered everything we were looking for to drive our business forward and we could see that they were hungry to help us succeed,” she said.

Since 2015, LEP Digital has rapidly grown to become the Central Coast’s leading content marketing agency and gained widespread industry acclaim, featuring in Australia’s business media.

Prael said securing the Signarama account was good not only for LEP Digital, but also for the Central Coast economy.

Source: Media release, Mar 27 LEP Digital

Another surf club gets a co-work hub Killcare Surf Lifesaving Club has opened a coworking hub thanks to a partnership with local entrepreneurs KoWorks who started a similar space at Copacabana in 2021.

The new Killcare workspace was previously leased to restaurants on the first floor of the clubhouse.

Initially, KoWorks started as a small group of people working together during the pandemic,

but it quickly transformed into a fully-fledged co-working movement.

The team behind KoWorks has worked tirelessly to transform the old restaurant space at Killcare into something special.

Local entrepreneurs, freelancers and remote workers can book a desk and join this beachside co-working community.

The facility officially kicked off on Monday, March 27, and was immediately picked up by

several locals looking for workspace.

The unique and inspiring work environment right by the beach is co-ordinated by KoWorks Community Manager, Central Coast local Josh Cleal.

The casual sitting area at the Killcare KoWorks Hub. Image: Gough Venter Photography The KoWorks team, led by Adam Hyman, Joanna Mitchell and Nicola Britton, is committed to positively impacting the local community by supporting local businesses, hosting community

events, and conducting workshops at the space.

The initiative has been welcomed by the club, which is thrilled to work with KoWorks.

According to the KoWorks team, there’s more to come, with plans for more initiatives and opening up more coworking spaces in other Surf Life Saving Clubs along the coast in the coming months.

Source: Media release, Mar 27 Koworks Killcare

Photo: Gough Venter Photography

The new coworking space at Killcare Surf Club

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Business community welcomes new government The business community on the Central Coast has welcomed the new Labor State Government and expressed hopes that a “fresh start” will see expanded opportunities for the region.

With all four Labor MPs in the region retaining their seats and Terrigal still too close to call, Business NSW Regional Director Central Coast Paula Martin said it was a “critical time” for the Central Coast and the state.

“NSW Labor’s priorities of spending restraint, toll relief, increasing affordable housing and fixing the state’s workers compensation scheme have clearly resonated with NSW voters,” Martin said.

“The Central Coast business community has a strong ambition for regional growth and are ready to invest, grow and create jobs with the right measures for growth in place.

“In particular we look forward to the prospect of a Minister for the Central Coast and the focus that role can bring to drive regional and economic development for all our business community.

“I am hoping some of our Central Coast based MPs earn

Business NSW Central Coast Regional Director Paula Martin

Ministerial and Cabinet positions to recognise their commitment and give the Central Coast a true voice in the new Government.

“The requests from the region are very clear and we look forward to working with the new government and collaborating together to achieve our respective

objectives, particularly progress of the Gosford Waterfront.”

Peninsula Chamber of Commerce President Matthew Wales said the change in government was “a rare opportunity to implement sweeping change across the Central Coast”.

“NSW Labor ran an excellent

Peninsula Chamber of Commerce President Matthew Wales

campaign which was underpinned locally by Liesl Tesch who has been a great hard working advocate for the Woy Woy Peninsula,” Wales said.

“As we said during the election, grass roots local representation is vital.

“NSW Labor gave us good solid candidates with proven

track records and that has been reflected in the election results.

“Once the dust has settled, the Chamber will be pushing the new State Government for more funding for local roads and for improvements in the way Central Coast Council interacts with the local community.

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“Our local roads are a disgrace and the Chamber will be seeking State Government funding to assist Council in road reconstruction works.”

Wales said the Chamber believes that one of the underlying reasons for the region-wide swing to Labor was the backlash over the way Central Coast Council has managed the period of administration following the sacking of the former Council.

“It is important that the new State Government exert more influence on the Council to ensure that there is more transparency over Council decisions and better communications with the ratepayer,” he said.

“The Chamber also wants to see more state funds flow to the Central Coast for major infrastructure projects rather than the disproportionate focus on Western Sydney.

“We have seen billions of dollars flow to Western Sydney while the Central Coast has had to fight for the loose change.

“The business community looks forward to working with the new Government and the newly elected local members.”

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Accolades for new Buttonderry landfill cell Central Coast Council’s $9M landfill cell at its Buttonderry Waste Management Facility has taken out the Environmental Enhancement Project Award at the 2023 NSW & ACT Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA) Engineering Excellence Awards.

Designing for the new cell commenced in June 2019 with construction completed in August last year.

Council undertook the construction of the new cell as the existing cell, constructed in 2013, was reaching its end of life.

The new modern engineered landfill cell – about five hectares or seven football fields in size – was built to meet the community’s waste disposal needs for about the next fourand-a-half years.

Council’s Unit Manager Waste and Resource Recovery, Andrew Pearce, said the award was testament to the commitment of Council to not only provide a facility for the community’s waste disposal needs but was also an example of best practice and the successful collaboration

From left: Council employees Stefan Botha, Darren North, Andrew Pearce, Stephen Davies, Matthew Salmon and Joanna Murray at Buttonderry Waste Management Facility

between council operational staff and contractors, given the works were carried out within an active waste management facility.

“Council’s team, together with our contractors, faced many challenges during the project including COVID-19 impacts to contractor staff, higher than average wet weather and two significant natural disaster events, but succeeded in delivering the project on time, on budget and meeting expectations,” he said.

“However, while the new cell has enormous capacity and is needed as an important facility for the community, Council also wants the community to be aware of alternatives in reducing waste.

“Council, through its Resource Management Strategy, wants to educate the community to look at alternative ways of avoiding the generation of waste and to recycle and repurpose wherever possible.

“Actions like sorting your waste and putting the right items in the right bins, using

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“You can also take your steel, cardboard, E-waste, batteries, motor oil and fluorescent lights to our waste management facilities for free.

“Council also facilitates household Chemical Clean Out days every year.”

Pearce said the new cell design sought to maximise the selected void space while

working within site constraints which included proximity of groundwater, riparian zones, boundary geometry, highvoltage power lines, neighbouring organics processing facility and potential future undermining from longwall coal mining operations.

“This project was challenging on many levels, with the priority always to ensure the new cell met all environmental requirements and community expectations,” he said.

The works on the project

included: the excavation and stockpiling of about 415,000cum of soil and rock; the installation of three engineered leachate barrier liners totalling 153,000sqm designed to protect the environment; placement of 20,000 tonnes of leachate gravel, 1.8km of leachate collection pipelines, and a leachate pumping station; and access roads, stormwater management infrastructure, electrical poles/lines and litter fencing.

The cell has a total airspace of 820,000cum which is the equivalent to 430 Olympicsized swimming pools,” Pearce said.

“However as already noted, the best outcome would be that this cell is never filled.

“Rather, we want to work with the community to reduce waste in landfill.”

Council Administrator Rik Hart said the project was fully funded by Council from revenue received in prior years from the operation of Council’s waste management facilities.

Source: Media release, Mar 23 Central Coast Council

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Brought to you by moneymag.com.au

When it’s time to upgrade your solar system WITH

Michelle BALTAZAR Editor-in-Chief • Money magazine A third of households – roughly 3.2 million – have a solar system, according to research by Roy Morgan.

And the rate of adoption has boomed in recent years, with ownership rates jumping from 14% in 2018 to over 32% in 2022.

This recent solar rush is by no means the first, though.

As Vanika Sharma, a lecturer in power engineering from the University of South Australia, explains, government incentives and generous feed-in tariffs offered at the start of the previous decade kicked off the first wave of installations.

“Uptake really started from around 2001 to 2010, although it was very slow to start off, so the extremely rapid growth took place from 2010 to 2013,” he says.

There have been big changes in technology over the past decade, including the increased efficiency of solar cells.

“At the very beginning,

efficiency could be around 10% to 15%,” says Sharma.

“Then, with time, efficiency has improved, so the panels that are available at the moment tend to be more than 20% efficient with a maximum of around 25% or 26%.”

Solar systems have also grown in size over the decade.

According to the Australian Energy Council, the average size of residential and small business systems jumped from 2.65kW in January 2012 to 9.54kW in December 2021.

Advantages of upgrading Given these advances, households that installed solar in the early 2010s may be wondering whether they should upgrade.

“If your energy bills are higher than you’d like them to be, that is a sign that you should consider upgrading your solar system,” says Finn Peacock, solar expert and founder of SolarQuotes.

“When I say energy bills, that’s

not necessarily just electricity bills – that might also include your gas bill, because you may want to swap out your gas appliances for electric ones.”

Then there are electric cars to take into account.

“Australian houses might use 20kW hours a day, but if you’re buying an electric car with a 65-75kWh battery and you do a reasonable amount of driving, you can quite easily double your household’s electricity usage,” says Peacock.

As well, some older systems may pack it in.

“It’s usually worth getting a good installer out to see if they can fix it, but some of the systems are so bad that they’re beyond help,” says Peacock.

“So, it’s much easier, cheaper and better to just rip the whole thing off and start again.”

What costs to consider The cost of a new solar system will vary depending on its size.

“At the moment, people are paying about $1.10 a watt, so

that would translate to about $11,000 for a 10 kilowatt system,” says Peacock.

Removing an old system might add $500 to $1000 to the cost of the new system.

“I would just say that with an investment in solar or a battery, one of the biggest risks is that if you buy a bad system that fails after a few years, that destroys the economics of it.

“So, don’t go for the cheapest system on the market because it’s very rarely the best option.”

Some solar owners may lose generous feed-in tariffs if they upgrade their system.

“If you’re on one of the increasingly rare and expiring premium feed-in tariffs, you will lose that if you upgrade in most cases,” says Peacock.

Is a battery worth it?

Households looking to upgrade will be faced with another decision: is a battery worth installing at the same time?

For years, the cost has made batteries hard to justify, but that appears to be steadily changing, with the Clean Energy Council estimating that 34,731 smallscale household batteries were installed around the country in 2021 – a 46% increase on 2020.

“They have definitely moved from having a really long payback period that would put a lot of people off buying them to being worth consideration, in my opinion,” says Peacock.

“But that’s more to do with how the electricity tariffs have changed than the actual cost of the batteries coming down.”

A battery can also provide a back-up if there is a general power failure.

TOM WATSON

How women can get on top of their personal finances Women earn less than men and have lower savings on average, but there are steps you can take to improve your financial situation.

You won’t be able to achieve it overnight, but if you regard Christmas as your deadline, this will give you ample time to schedule these tasks into your hectic schedule.

Now Download the app for your super fund: Most, if not all, funds

offer their members an app to keep track of their contributions, membership benefits and fee changes. Contact your fund to get more details.

Set up your own savings account: Many women, especially if they are married or in a long-term relationship, have joint transaction and savings accounts with their partner.

This may cut costs but leave you financially vulnerable if your personal circumstances change,

such as a relationship breakdown or you’re applying for a loan under your name.

Set up custom alerts in your bank account: With scams siphoning millions of dollars from unsuspecting bank customers, it’s time for you to take advantage of some of the most popular features now available in banking apps, such as transaction alerts (to check that you’ve been charged correctly or if the transaction

ever happened) and “low funds” alerts (to avoid penalties).

Give it three months Refinance your home loan: If you haven’t changed home loan providers for two to three years, chances are you’re not getting the lowest rate – a 0.5% difference between your current loan and a new loan through refinancing can save thousands of dollars.

Invest in the sharemarket: Start building wealth by opening a

share trading account. There are plenty of trading platforms that can help you get going with as little as $1000.

You need more time ...

Boost your borrowing power: Your credit rating will impact your ability to borrow money and the rate you pay, so aim to have a six-month record in your bank account where a prospective lender can see that you’ve been paying your bills on time and saving a set amount

regularly, with a healthy balance at the end of each month.

Pay down debts: If the prospect of paying down a huge amount seems overwhelming, you can seek help from a financial counsellor, investigate consolidating debts under one loan so you only have to focus on one repayment, or make 2023 the year when you focus on paying down existing debts instead of taking on new ones.

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Last chance to have a say about Warnervale’s future There is only a day left to have your say about Central Coast Council’s draft Greater Warnervale Structure Plan, which outlines land use strategy through to 2041, with submissions closing on Friday, March 31.

With the population of Warnervale and surrounding suburbs expected to nearly double over the next two decades, Council says it is actively taking steps to ensure that future development is both responsible and sustainable for residents and the environment.

It is anticipated that nearly 57,000 people will call Warnervale home by 2041 and the draft plan helps identify the long-term vision and principles that will guide land use planning in the Greater Warnervale area encompassing Jilliby, Halloran, Warnervale, Wallarah, Woongarrah, Hamlyn Terrace, Wadalba and parts of Charmhaven, Kanwal, Wyongah, Tuggerawong, Tacoma and Wyong.

The Plan will take into account the significant ecological constraints associated with the Porters Creek wetland

Council’s Director of Environment and Planning, Alice Howe, said Council wanted Greater Warnervale to grow in a sustainable way by allowing for future growth in a manner that did not compromise the attributes that made the area a desirable place to live.

“Although this is a long-term project, it’s important we take the steps now to understand what facilities will be required to ensure development in Warnervale meets future community needs,” she said

Council Administrator Rik Hart is hoping residents will participate in the process.

“We want the community to share local knowledge that can be used to better shape the region to meet future needs,” he said.

“Council is seeking feedback on community, education and recreation facilities as well as environmental open space and connecting pathways that people would like to see in their area.”

The Plan also considers

providing enough employment land for an additional 8,500 jobs to improve the local economy and jobs close to home.

The aim is to ensure orderly development of land with short, medium and long-term progress with recreational improvements such as playgrounds, sportsgrounds and shared pathways as well as promoting natural features including waterfront areas, public reserves and wildlife corridors.

Among the long list of actions set out by Council in the Plan is a range of proposals to Transport for NSW for improvements along Sparks Rd/Pacific Highway; to advocate for a Food Innovation Centre within the Greater Warnervale area; to improve walking and cycling networks and ensure they are incorporated in subdivision designs.

Sporting and community facilities will be bolstered with plans for a regional playspace, a new sports ground in the

southern area; an aquatic/ leisure centre with multipurpose community facility; upgrade and expansion of sports complexes at Woongarrah, Wadalba and Warnervale Oval; a new community facility at Wadalba; and a park in Peony Pl, Hamlyn Terrace.

The Plan also considers boundaries for biodiversity corridors throughout the area with a suggestion they should be a minimum of 50m to 100m wide and Council will liaise with private landowners to encourage conservation opportunities.

The Greater Warnervale Structure Plan can be viewed and submissions made until 5pm on Friday, March 31, online at yourvoiceourcoast. com It is expected the Draft Plan, following amendments from public feedback, will go before Council again in June for adoption.

Sue Murray

New committees to guide regional development Regional Development Australia Central Coast (RDACC), has established three distinct committees to address the region’s top priorities: jobs and skills; infrastructure and development; and leadership and collaboration.

Board members have nominated for each of the committees according to their backgrounds, working

knowledge and individual skill sets.

RDACC Chair Lawrie McKinna said the committees had been established to help address identified gaps in the Coast’s economic development activities.

“The new RDA Charter highlights several priorities that align with the challenges we experience here on the

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Central Coast and the committees have been created in accordance with this,” he said.

“For example, our Jobs and Skills Committee will be looking at innovative ways to address critical worker shortages and our Infrastructure and Development Committee will be proactively working to unlock stalled developments

across our region.

“Similarly, our Leadership and Collaboration Committee will be working with all three levels of government and other stakeholders to deliver solutions on the regionally significant issues that most impact our everyday lives.”

RDACC CEO and Director Regional Development, John Mouland, said the committees

PUBLIC NOTICE - ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME NC-120 Petitioner or Attorney: Amira Hasenbush, Esq. State Bar Number: 293968 Firm Name: All Family Legal | Law Office of Amira Hasenbush Street Address: 17043 Ventura Blvd City: Encino State: CA Zip Code: 91316 Telephone No.:(323) 813-1199 Fax No.: (323) 594-8192 Email Address:amira@allfamilylegal.com Attorney for Christian Ross-Daniel Ward. Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles Address: 111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles CA 90012 Branch Name: Stanley Mosk Courthouse PETITION OF CHRISTIAN ROSS-DANIEL WARD AND BRUCE CHUN MAN TSUI ON BEHALF OF ALICIA ZARA WARD-TSUI FOR CHANGE OF NAME. ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE -- CHANGE OF NAME. FILED Superior Court of California County of Los Angeles 03/07/2023, Case Number :23STCP00751.

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS. Christian Ross-Daniel Ward and Bruce Chun Man Tsui on Behalf of Alicia filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name Alicia Zara Ward-Tsui to Proposed name Alicia Zara Ward. THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes reason for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted.

If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING. Date: 1 May 2023 Time: 10AM Dept.: 72 Room:731. The address of the court is: same as noted above. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in the county in which petitioner resides or, if no county, in the local subdivision or territory where petitioner resides.

Date: 03/07/2023 Judge: Hon. Curtis A. Kin, Judge of the Superior Court. Form Adopted for Mandatory Use. Judicial Council of California. NC-120 (Rev. January 1, 2023). Order to Show Cause -- Change of Name. Code of Civil Procedure, section 1277.

would take tangible actions to build on the achievements of RDACC and its partners to date.

“Creation of the committees will see concentrated efforts in areas of skill shortage, workforce development, jobs growth, transport and infrastructure, investment attraction and affordable housing, all of which have long been priorities for RDACC,” he said.

“Deliverables will include building on the achievements of the Food Innovation Initiative, working with developers to

reduce local pain points, continuation of regional stakeholder roundtables and developer forums and submissions and advocacy to attract funding for where we need it most.”

The committees will hold their inaugural meetings in April 2023, with terms of reference being developed for each and endorsed by the RDACC Board.

Source: Media release, Mar 21 Regional Development Australia Central Coast

RDACC Chair Lawrie McKinna, Deputy Chair Anna Cruckshank and CEO, John Mouland

THURSDAY, 30 MARCH 2023

PAGE 27

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Central Coast Council news and community information

ADMINISTRATOR MESSAGE

Rik Hart

Have your say on all things Gosford This month, Council launched the Let’s Talk Gosford place-based community engagement project, which showcases multiple key projects, plans, strategies and infrastructure works planned for Gosford.

Let’s Talk Gosford is asking you to take a deep dive on projects in the area; share your thoughts and opinions, attend face-toface and/or online drop-in sessions to ask questions, seek information and talk with Council staff.

Libraries celebrate 75 years

It is 75 years since the adoption of the NSW Library Act 1939 by Gosford Shire Council on 16 March 1948, enabling free public library services at our first libraries. Today, libraries are as relevant as ever with an offering of online services. Unlock all that your local library service offers - including eAudiobooks, eMagazines and eNewspapers as well as events, music, DVDs, mobile and home library service.

For more information, go to centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/libraries

Putting the spotlight on local young people!

The Coast has more than 50,000 young people aged 12 to 24! Young people are the future of the Coast and we recognise their contribution and provide a platform for their voices - and you can too. Nominate for the youth week awards, encourage entries in the eMergent Sounds Song Competition and to join our Thinking Out Loud Youth Forum.

Search ‘youth’ at centralcoast.nsw.gov.au

Gosford is the Central Coast’s principal city – it’s centrally located and has enormous potential to evolve into the economic and social heart of the Coast. To achieve this though, Council needs the vast and diverse knowledge of residents to ensure it’s done right.

The feedback from these sessions is critically important for the development of each project respectively, while strengthening the interrelations between them.

Council staff are hosting drop-in information sessions on Thursday 30 March at Parkhouse Gosford (124 Donnison St, Gosford NSW 2250). Sessions for businesses, collaborators and the community are scheduled throughout the day, and drop-in times can be found on Council’s engagement website linked below – be sure to check the times for each session.

Shaping Warnervale’s future

Greater Warnervale is booming and with a huge increase of expected residents by 2041, we’re putting in plans for its future now. We recognise the importance of developing a vision that is responsible to both future generations and the natural environment. You’re invited to make a submission on the draft plan or comment on our interactive map until 31 March.

Have your say at yourvoiceourcoast.com

Easter school holiday program

Term 1 of school went by in a flash but don’t worry we’ve got you covered to keep your kids busy and entertained these school holidays. We have over 30 free and affordable events for all ages delivered by our regional gallery, libraries, leisure centres, and youth services.

To see full details and booking information, go to centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/schoolholidays

I strongly encourage everyone on the Coast to take the time to have their say. Click here for more info: yourvoiceourcoast.com/ gosford Did you miss this week’s Council meeting?

Re-watch the webcast on our YouTube channel. Links can be found on our website at centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/meetings, along with meeting agendas, reports and minutes.

Next meeting will be held at Wyong on 26 April 2023

What’s on? Go to centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/events

Did you know?

Upcoming author talks

Council’s road crews are always on!

Maintenance works such as pothole filling and longer term solutions such as heavy patching (section repairs) and road renewals (whole road rehabilitation) roll out regularly.

This week Council crews have been working on the road pavement renewal at Debenham Rd South, West Gosford, a road upgrade at Springwood Street Blackwall and undertaking pavement works at The Ridgeway, Tumbi Umbi.

To see planned road closures, search ‘road closures’ at ‘centralcoast.nsw.gov.au

Our libraries regularly host a fabulous line-up of author events, with Sandie Docker and Lucy Bloom coming up. Whether you are into murder mysteries, history, contemporary fiction or discussing social issues – there is something for everyone. Events are free to attend, however bookings are essential.

Check out the upcoming program and reserve your place at centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/libraries/ whats-on

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THURSDAY, 30 MARCH 2023

HEALTH & EDUCATION

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Cast a line for prostate cancer research With the proportion of prostate cancer cases in the late stage on the Central Coast almost double the national average, Coasties are being encouraged to prepare their fishing gear for the fundraiser 2023 PIRTEK Fishing Challenge.

The Challenge is an online national fishing competition open to all ages and experience levels, to support the work of Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA).

It is the largest fishing competition in the country, with all competitors receiving a limited-edition cap, brag mat and sticker and junior competitors receiving a bonus packet of Berkley soft-plastic lures.

This year’s Challenge will be a two-day event taking place on Saturday and Sunday, April 22 and 23.

PIRTEK has partnered with PCFA since 2009, helping to raise vital funds for research and awareness in support of the 66 Australian men diagnosed with prostate cancer each day.

The Challenge also supports

Event Director Michael Guest with angler James Tobin

the Peter Duncan Neurosciences Research Unit, which has recently been lauded as the number one Neuroscience Research facility in Australia.

Competitors who register will fish for their favourite species, photograph their catch on the brag mat with their angler number and codeword clearly visible and upload the photo to the website for judging.

There are 22 target species nationally covering all states and territories, both fresh and saltwater.

PIRTEK CEO Mark Devitt said the Challenge had developed and grown over the past 15 years.

“This is all made possible by the wonderful support from our keen competitors,” he said.

“I’m looking forward to seeing smiling faces and some great fish photos from the April event.”

Event Director Michael Guest said it didn’t matter whether participants were experienced anglers or picking up a rod for the first time.

“The PIRTEK Fishing

Challenge is all about getting together with your friends and family, having fun and supporting our charity partners,” he said.

Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia CEO Anne Savage said the event made a remarkable contribution to its mission each year, raising significant awareness and funds.

“The Challenge has been casting a line out to support men’s health since 2009, netting a local and national impact that cannot be under-

estimated,” she said.

“Above and beyond fundraising, their efforts go a long way to promoting prostate cancer awareness, getting the conversation started about early detection.

“The Pirtek Fishing Challenge plays a pivotal role in driving forward life-saving research and improving survival outcomes for the one-in-five Australian men who will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.

“This year’s Challenge is set to be the biggest and best yet – we’d love to see Australians of all ages fight a fish for prostate cancer research.”

This year’s Challenge is offering a record $280,000 in cash and prizes, with mystery length prizes of $2,500 and $1,500 up for grabs.

The mystery lengths are awarded in each category for the fish measuring closest to a secret measurement determined by the event organizers.

These lengths are generally of an average-sized fish giving everyone the opportunity to win.

The event also has a $100,000

On The Water prize draw, proving participants don’t have to catch big to win big.

Prizes include an impressive list of fishing gear, ranging from a $39,649 Stacer 469 Outlaw side console boat motor trailer package to Berkley/ABU Garcia tackle packs (1x$2,000 and 4x$1,000) and a host of prizes from Valvoline, BAR Pressure washers and Mako eyewear.

An extensive range of merchandise is available on the website, including fishing shirts, t-shirts, neck buffs and broadbrim hats.

For more information and to register visit pirtekfishing challenge.com.au.

For prostate cancer information and support, visit www.pcfa.org.au or call 1800 22 00 99.

The Central Coast Prostate Cancer Support Group meets at Terrigal Uniting Church on the last Friday of each month.

More information is available at https://www.pcfa.org.au/ support/find-a-support-group/ central-coast-pcsg/.

Source: Media release, Mar 21 PIRTEK

Podcast raising awareness about indigenous health A new podcast called Coffee on Country which was launched this week is aimed at raising health literacy among the local indigenous community.

There will be an initial six episodes, many featuring notable indigenous and nonindigenous health professionals and community members discussing topical health concerns and general health awareness.

It’s the brainchild of the First Nations Health Team at Hunter New England Central Coast Primary Health Network and Community Engagement

Officer, Josh Fuller, says the podcast will provide a better understanding of First Nations health in a holistic approach.

“The gap is only getting wider, so it’s time we start to increase health literacy,” he said.

“The podcast gives us a platform to reach our communities across the Central Coast, Hunter and New England areas especially our mob from rural or remote areas who we wouldn’t cross paths with every day.

“The podcast provides us with a platform to yarn about the health programs available, interview guests, have a laugh

and to educate people on our health care system.

“We want our communities to understand who the Primary Health Network is, what we do, and how they can access services to be proactive about their health care.

“Voice is a powerful tool that can reach far and wide and my co-host Robbie and I are feeling very grateful to have this platform to be able share these conversations and people’s stories.”

Fuller said the podcast would provide a better understanding of First Nations health in a holistic approach which incorporated telling people’s

stories and health journeys in our communities.

The Hunter New England Central Coast Primary Health Network CEO, Richard Nankervis, said the podcast was a great example of how the First Nations Health Access team was working closely with local First Nations organisations and service providers, forming strong relationships that helped identify regional needs and in turn closed the service gap.

Listeners can tune in to Coffee on Country on Spotify.

Source: Hunter New England Central Coast Primary Health Network

Josh Fuller and Robbie Watson raising awareness about indigenous health

Impact Gym team rallies for Ronnie The team at Impact Gym, Erina, will hold a fundraising event on March 30 for team member Rhonda Richards, who has recently been diagnosed with a high-grade aggressive bone cancer.

Ronnie has an aggressive bone cancer

Rally for Ronnie will take place at Joker and Thief at Erina from 6.30pm to 9.30pm and will feature live music, raffles and a lucky door prize.

“Ronnie is a much-loved member of our community and we are rallying together to help ease some of the financial pressure for her and her family

during this challenging time,” spokesperson Cayla Blanch said.

“We have incredible support from the community and local businesses have donated more than 70 prizes.”

Blanch said the $30 admission price would go directly to Ronnie and her family.

The team has also set up a Gofundme page which has attracted just over $23,000 in donations to date.

The page says the cancer was discovered after Ronnie suffered a collarbone and back injury.

“When you first meet Ronnie it’s impossible not to fall in love with her warm, beautiful and caring nature,” the page says.

“She truly is one of the most selfless human beings and instantly feels like family.

“Ronnie absolutely adores her Impact children, families and fellow team members and would do anything to help anyone.

“It is now our time to help her.

“Ronnie has an extremely tough road ahead of her and has begun immediate treatment.

“Understandably Ronnie is

unable to work during this time and we would love to be able to take some of the financial pressure off her husband Wal and her children.”

Donations will go towards costs including medical bills, meals, cleaning and other comforts she and her family may need.

To donate search ‘Ronnie’ on the gofundme website.

A link for tickets for the March 30 fundraiser is on the Impact Gym Erina Facebook page.

Source: Media release, Mar 23 Impact Gym Erina

30 MARCH 2023

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Growing Beautiful Brassicas Horticulture author and along with Pete Little, hosts ‘At Home with The Gardening Gang’

8 - 10am live every Saturday on CoastFM96.3

cheralyn cheralyn.darcey Get planting your brassicas now and you can be enjoying the treats of winter at your place.

Bury the first two leaves when planting out as this will ensure greater stability of the growing plant.

They need a sunny position in very deep, rich soil that is free draining.

Watering needs to be regular to avoid loose heads and a nitrogen-rich general fertiliser is recommended.

To harvest, cut the head from the plant and then score the stump of the plant twice in a cross about 1.5cm deep as this can encourage a supplementary growth of smaller cabbages.

Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) Most varieties can be planted from mid to late autumn.

On the Coast, they are best The list of vegetables raised in seed trays and then belonging to the Brassica transplanted once about 10cm family is very long, but these in height. are probably the most common Make sure that watering is vegetables that most of us steady and even throughout consume regularly. growth until harvest as this will All of these vegetables are give you nicely formed heads. also often referred to as ‘super’ Keep nitrogen feeding low as foods because they contain you want the plant to focus on substances known as development of the head, not glycosylates. the leaves.

These are what give them They do like a liquid feed their stronger flavour and aroma, but it is these that also Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. every fortnight as well. help inhibit the development of italica) Once the heads are reaching many cancer types as well as Like many vegetables, maturity, bend over the leaves reduce inflammation and Broccoli has lots of varieties and tie at the top to enclose. balance our stress responses. these days and this means you This will keep them white, Cabbage (Brassica oleracea can pretty much ensure year- clean and deter pests. round crops in our temperate Harvest by cutting head from var. capitata) plant once the size for variety Although there are lots of area.

In saying that now is the time has been achieved or if you varieties, most really do best when cultivated now, in the for planting most, and you can notice separation of florets get those seeds into trays, so occurring. autumn.

Keep up feed and watering of Sow into seed trays and then they are ready for the garden PLANT NAME POSITION once they reach the size PLANT NAME POSITION plant after harvest as this can transplant when around 8 to recommended by the variety. encourage additional smaller 10cm high.

Flax 2P 4-6 Goldfussia 1P 12 They all love a warm position NZ heads.

Water the trays well for a few Orange Trumpet Vine 3P 9-10 Grevillea 3P 3-4 days before transplanting and and lots of sun and though Parlour (Brassica Palm 3PSprouts 12 Groundcovers N4 free-draining soil is best, they Brussel then ensure they areGymea kept moist oleracea 4Pvar.gemmifera) 8 Lilly 3P 11do like to be kept a tad on the Paulownia after moving into place. for varieties that can PeaceLook Lilly out GH Outside Hebe 1P 11 moist side.

Philodendron GH Outside

NEWS & EVENTS

and knowledge and answering our questions about the fungal kingdom of the Sydney region. $3 entry (with lucky door prize) A small selection of plants also on sale.

Website - Austplants.com.au/Central-Coast-Events

GAR DENING PLANNER This week you could plant: culinary herbs, beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrot, cauliflower, chicory, cress, endive, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, mustard, onions, parsnips, peas, radishes, salsify, shallots, silverbeet, spinach, spring onions, swedes, turnips, ageratum, alyssum, calendula, candytuft, carnation, cineraria, columbine, coneflower, delphinium, dianthus, everlasting daisy, forget-me-not, foxglove, godetia, gypsophila, hollyhock, larkspur, linaria, lobelia, nemesia, nigella, pansy, polyanthus, poppy, primula, snapdragon, statice, stock, sweet pea, viola, wallflower

chinensis), brown mustard (Brassica juncea), collards (Brassica oleracea, variety acephala), kale (Brassica oleracea, variety acephala), kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea, variety gongylodes), turnip (Brassica rapa, variety rapa), horseradish (Armoracia rusticana), wasabi (Eutrema japonicum), watercress (Nasturtium officinale), white mustard (Sinapis alba), radish (Raphanus sativus), rock cress (genus Arabis), rocket (genus Sisymbrium) and even wasabi (Eutrema japonicum).

Pest Control We love them and so do pests and this is one reason that I have suggested bringing up your seedlings in seed trays rather than planting them straight into the garden bed.

This gives them a bit of a chance to develop.

Having healthy soil and plants

G F LOWER I B

are the best defence against pests and disease but you might try also some clever companion planting.

For brassicas, plant in some anise, thyme, pennyroyal and letting a healthy tomato plant or two stay in the plot can also help deter pests.

Don’t water the actual plants but rather the soil and that goes for fertilisers as well as this will help keep diseases at bay.

If you do have an infestation of insects, look for an organic preparation but perhaps one of the best ways is to simply sacrifice a few plants in a plot grown near the edge of your garden.

Plant a couple of each in a small plot for the pests.

Leave them undisturbed and you should see pests preferring to set up home there rather than your busy garden area.

Phone: 4362 2236 24 Burns Road, Ourimbah (at the M1 intersection)

UP

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Hibiscus N 11 Photinia N 18-20 Hydrangia N14 Pittosporum 3P 20-21 Ixora 1P 17-18 Plumbago 1P 14 Jacaranda 4P 3 Polygala N 17 Jasmine 3P 9-10 Paw 3P- 10.30am 3 Create a BilbyKangaroo Sanctuary Saturday 1st April - Ponytail KariongGH EcoOutside Garden Potato Vine 3P 9+10 Kentia Palm 3P 12 Using collage with Eco Artist people, Protea 3P 06$15/child or $10/ Lavender 2P 7 Rachel Bunney for kids and young Rhaphiolepsis 02 sanctuary child for 2 or more.

Accompanying a safe3Pcosy Leptospermum 3P 20-21adult free. We will be making GH Outside Lilly Pilly 3P 17-19 for your own Easter Bilby by bringing and finding organic Rhoeo materials and talking about Rosemary 2P 02 Liriopeand GH what they like to eat. bilbies, their habitat Spirea 1P 9-10 Lomandra GH + 4P 27-30 Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/beloved-bilbies-1-april-2023 Syzygium 3P 17-19 Loropetalum N05 Tibouchina 4P 21-24Community Magnolia 4P 17, N 17 Plant Sale and Permaculture Talk - Saturday 1st April - Wildplant Tiger Grass 4P 15 Melaleuca 3P 21 Nursery, Loop Road, Ourimbah.

Tricolour N 3 Michelia M 15-17 Community Environment Network April4P Plant Viburnum 1+2Sale and learn Monstera GH Outside (CEN) invite you to come to their about the principles of NPermaculture with Permaculture Central YuccaCoast.

2P 1 Plant Sale 9am – Mop Top 21 12pm, Permaculture talkN –5-710am. For more information: cen.org.au Murraya Myoporum 4 The Fungal Kingdom -N1:30pm for a 2pm start, Saturday 8th April - Phillip House, 21 Nandina N 10 Old Penang Road, Kariong Native Frangipani 4P 10 Anna Durkin willNSW share herBush work1Pas12a Citizen Scientist in this field, educating us with her skill Xmas

be planted in autumn, (which is the majority) and sow into seed trays.

They are not fond of root disturbance so you might like to chance sowing into their final destination, if not, water well the days before popping them out of their trays.

You will need a sheltered position that is sunny and a very rich, free-draining soil for these lovelies.

While your seeds are germinating, let’s check the soil quality in their final position.

It needs to be rich in organic matter, so add if needed and requires a pH of around 7.

If lower, then add lime as per instructions.

Once you have planted out your brussels sprouts, feed with a nitrogen rich fertiliser, but once sprouts have begun to form, back off on the nitrogen.

They love steady watering so don’t let them dry out.

To harvest, cut off mature sprouts with a sharp small knife.

There are so many brilliant brassicas to explore and discover other than ‘the big four’ above and some of the others you might consider for your garden include: bok choy (Brassica rapa, variety

ER NURSER

Y

Feeding should be regular and keep the nitrogen levels low in your selected feed as you want more florets not more leaves.

Harvest as per variety by cutting the head and leaving as much stem as possible so that additional supplementary heads can form.

Keep feeding so this can occur.

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PAGE 30

THURSDAY, 30 MARCH 2023

HEALTH & EDUCATION

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New child safety program launches on Coast An innovative new program which evaluates child pedestrian safety around local childcare centres and promotes safety of children around cars has been launched on the Central Coast.

The program, presented by the Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation in conjunction with Central Coast Council and the University of NSW Transport and Road Safety Research Centre, was launched on March 22 at Terrigal Children’s Centre.

The Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation has received Federal Government funding from the National Office of Road Safety to co-design and implement the research pilot project, which is specifically focused on road safety initiatives to reduce child road trauma.

The Foundation is a not-forprofit organisation established in 2014 by Michelle McLaughlin, following the death of her fouryear-old son Tom due to a pedestrian/motor vehicle crash at MacMasters Beach.

Its mission is to protect child pedestrians from the everpresent danger of roadways and moving motor vehicles, community education and road safety collaborations with government stakeholder

partnerships.

McLaughlin said land transport crashes were the leading cause of death for Australian children aged between one and 14.

“Over the past decade from 2013 to January 2023, 587 children aged (up to 16) were involved in a road fatality crash, with 22 per cent of these fatalities occurring when the child was a pedestrian or a cyclist,” she said.

“On average, one child per week dies in Australia this way, and it’s entirely preventable.

“It is especially important for young children to hold their carer’s hand when around busy roads.

“Over the past nine years, the Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation has partnered with 68 local government areas in four Australian states with its signage and media campaigns.

“This pilot program is very important, and we thank Central Coast Council for being so proactive.”

The community awareness campaign was developed following a partnership with the University of NSW, which analysed the causes of child road trauma and death to identify better prevention strategies, and to evaluate the effectiveness of intervention

Michelle McLaughlin and Central Coast Council Administrator Rik Hart (centre back) with parents and children at Terrigal Children’s Centre

methods.

“It is vital that parents understand why they must hold hands with their children in traffic environments,” McLaughlin said.

“Parents must actively always supervise children, especially those aged one to 10 years, who have significant cognitive, physical, and perceptual limitations around roadways.

“Due to these limitations, children are unable to keep themselves safe from road trauma events and need adults to perform this responsibility on their behalf.”

Administrator Rik Hart welcomed Council’s involvement in the project alongside 10 childcare centres across the Coast.

“The safety of our children and preventing child road trauma on the Central Coast is of vital importance,” he said.

“This project with the Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation will put pedestrian road safety at the top of all our minds.

“Council will be helping to build safety awareness by installing metal Hold My Hand signs, created by the Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation, outside of each participating childcare

facility.”

Participating childcare facilities on the Coast are Kanwal Little Coast Kids, Kariong Child Care Centre, Niagara Park Children’s Centre, Northlakes Little Coast Kids, Terrigal Children’s Centre, Toukley Little Coast Kids, Umina Child Care Centre, Wyong Little Coast Kids, Kooloora Preschool and Peninsula Community Centre Long Day Care.

Member for Robertson Gordon Reid also lent his support to the project.

“As an emergency department doctor, I am very supportive of

initiatives to reduce motor vehicle accidents involving children and boost road safety awareness,” he said.

“The Australian Government will continue working to improve road safety for pedestrians, especially children, in partnership with organisations like the Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation and Central Coast Council.”

The program on the Central Coast will involve a pre-survey of attitudes about child pedestrian road safety; a community awareness/ educational campaign with educational resource materials supplied to the preschools and after-school care facilities; and a post-survey of attitudes to child pedestrian road safety to gauge the impact of the project.

At the end of the project, the awareness and education materials will remain at the participating centres and a summary of the results will be available later in the year via the Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation website.

For more information about the Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation visit www. littlebluedinosaur.org.

Source: Media release, Mar 20 Blue Planet PR

Info booth to mark World Parkinson’s Day The Central Coast Parkinson’s Support Group will mark World Parkinson’s Day and Month on April 11 with an information booth in the foyer of Gosford Hospital.

A visual of how Parkinson’s affects the body

Plain language information will be available on Parkinson’s disease and where to find support if you are living with Parkinson’s or caring for a loved one with the disease.

It is estimated that there are more than 660 people living with Parkinson’s in the Central Coast area, however, the Parkinson’s community is much larger than that if you factor in carers and family members of people with Parkinson’s.

That means more than 1,300 people are affected by Parkinson’s in some way in our region alone.

Parkinson’s is a progressive, degenerative condition of the central nervous system.

Neurological diseases are the world’s greatest contributor to disability – and Parkinson’s is the most prevalent neurological condition.

It has no cure.

There are currently more than 200,000 people living with the disease in Australia, including more than 69,000 people in

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NSW. By 2040, the number of people living with Parkinson’s in Australia is expected to double.

Parkinson’s is more prevalent than breast, prostate, and bowel cancer combined, yet it receives far less government funding than those diseases.

With more than 50 symptoms, Parkinson’s is complex, misunderstood and in some cases misdiagnosed.

Men are twice as likely to be diagnosed with Parkinson’s than women.

Common Parkinson’s symptoms include shaking and tremors, rigid and stiff muscles, slowness of movement and a frozen facial expression.

Non-motor symptoms include anxiety, fatigue, pain, sleep problems, depression, eating and swallowing difficulties and more.

Loss of smell and small handwriting may be an early sign of Parkinson’s.

Source: Media release, Mar 28 Parkinson’s NSW

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Redemption for the Crusaders in weekend double-header BASKETBALL The Central Coast Crusaders were prepared for a slog over the weekend of March 25-26 with backto-back games starting on Saturday against the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles.

The Crusaders crossed the Hawkesbury for Saturday’s matchup against the Sea Eagles looking for redemption after a tough defeat on home turf against the Sutherland Sharks.

Despite the odds being in their favour against a Manly squad missing their star players, neither the men’s or women’s Crusaders could secure the win despite stellar performances from Luke Cassidy and Sara Matthews in their respective matchups.

The Crusaders then travelled home to the Central Coast on Sunday to face a mountainous challenge from reigning

champions Canberra.

The men’s side got the show started in the early afternoon hours as both teams traded blows with the Canberra Gunners led by Glenn Morison.

Young star Luke Cassidy’s hot hand carried over from Saturday’s matchup as he racked up 11 points on efficient shooting from deep, to end the first half 53-52 in favour of the Crusaders.

The second half was much easier for the Crusaders as captain James Trustum came online to help outscore the Gunners 25-14 in the third quarter.

Trustum, who suffered a preseason injury to his right shoulder, has had to adapt to shooting under duress and struggled leading up to the match.

He proved why he’s a veteran in the league as he led the Crusaders to a statement 10288 win over reigning champions

Photo: LookPro Photography

Jasmine Forcadilla rallies the troops

Canberra, finishing with 22 points and 5 boards.

The main event of the day was the much-anticipated matchup between the Canberra Nationals and the Central Coast

Crusaders women’s side.

The last time these two sides met was at Breakers indoor sports stadium where the Crusaders were handed a crushing defeat.

Things looked to be going the same way as former WNBL player Abby Solway drained an endless barrage of three pointers to see the Crusaders go into half-time down 37-52.

Returning star Jasmine Forcadilla sparked a Crusaders resurgence out of the gate with her own collection of threes as the ladies began chipping away at Canberra’s lead.

20-year-old wunderkind Sara Matthews turned on the jets as the Crusaders triumphantly toppled the Nationals in front of a roaring home crowd, notching an outstanding 23-point 15 rebound double-double in a 17-point comeback, downing the Nationals 90-81.

Both the men’s and women’s Crusaders squads advance to 2-2 for the start of the season which is miles better than where they sat this time last year.

The Crusaders play host again this coming Sunday, April 2, to league newcomers Penrith with the men tipping off at 2pm and the women at 4pm.

Stefan Kataric

Coast’s littlest warrior qualifies for Ninja World games NINJA WARRIOR Ten-year-old Hunter Hollingsworth of Springfield has secured a spot on the Australian team to compete in the Ultimate Ninja Athletic Association World Championships in Orlando, Florida in July.

She trains as part of the Elite Squad at Australian Warrior Fitness at North Gosford and finished in fifth place when she represented NSW at the Australian Ninja Games in January which qualified her for the Australia team at the 2023 World Ninja Championships.

Hunter started doing ninja when she was just six after her mother Sarah discovered that a dedicated ninja gym was opening in the area.

Ninja warrior Hunter Hollingsworth

“Ever since Hunter could walk, she was climbing on everything, and for the past four years, she has lived and breathed ninja,” she said.

“Over the past 12 months, we have travelled across the country for her to take part in ninja competitions.

“We are proud of her hard work, perseverance and dedication to the sport and excited to support her at the World Ninja Games.”

Ninja is a growing sport globally and has the potential to be recognised as an official Olympic sport in years to come.

Hunter said her ultimate goal was to represent Australia at the Brisbane 2032 Olympics when ninja could finally be recognised as an official

Olympic sport.

“For now, I’m just looking forward to going to the US to compete alongside the best in the world to further develop my skills and represent Australia with absolute pride,” she said.

A fundraising page has been established via the Australian Sports Foundation website to help get Hunter to the US for the World Games in July.

All funds raised will support the Hollingsworth family with the costs of flights, accommodation, uniforms and other expenses.

To make a donation, head to asf.org.au/projects/supporthunter-hollingsworth.

Source: Media release, Mar 22 Ninja World Cup Media

Easter Open Swim returns – with a Daffodil Dip on the side Terrigal Surf Club will hold its annual 1km and 2km Ocean Swim on Easter Saturday, April 8, along with a new initiative – The Daffodil Dip, in partnership with Cancer Council NSW. The 1km Ocean Swim will start at 9am, The Daffodil Dip at 9.30am and the 2km Swim will get underway as close to 10am as possible.

The Daffodil Dip will be a 400m swim out to Goldie, Terrigal’s well known yellow buoy, and back to shore.

The daffodil is recognised as the symbol of hope and all participants in the dip will receive a vintage yellow Daffodil Swim Cap as part of

their registration.

Water safety will be present to ensure all swimmers are looked after and swimmers who would like to stay closer to shore are welcome to register and swim in the shallows and participate in the “ocean of hope” with their daffodil cap.

The full $35 registration fee for the Daffodil Dip will be donated to Cancer Council NSW and its work to help ensure nobody on the Central Coast faces a cancer diagnosis alone.

The registration fees for the 1km and 2km Ocean swim start at $30 and funds raised from both swims will assist the surf club in purchasing and maintaining vital equipment.

Both the 1km Ocean Swim and 400m Daffodil Dip are ideal for open water swimmers of all abilities and ages, with the minimum age set at 10 for the 1km and 2km swims.

Younger participants can join the Daffodil Dip if accompanied by an adult.

The 2km Ocean Swim is more challenging and offers a chance for more experienced swimmers to race against Masters Athlete and multiple record holder Paul Lemmon.

Register for the Ocean Swim and Daffodil Dip at: https:// terrigalsurfclub.com.au/.

Source: Media release, Mar 17 Terrigal SLSC

The Daffodil Dip will be held alongside the annual Easter Saturday Open Swim

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Max Mason is revving up his career

Max revs up his career at Euro NASCAR Max Mason (right) with Racingfuel team boss Ferruccio Finkbohner

NASCAR Max Mason of Killcare has moved to Europe to further his career in race car driving and will be a starter in this year’s Euro NASCAR championship.

After graduating as a Formula Ford NSW Rookie Champion in 2022, Mason has joined the Racingfuel Motorsport Team for the upcoming stock car

season.

The Swiss outfit has successfully completed its debut first season in the franchise series of the renowned US-based NASCAR Cup and is now planning to field two Chevrolet Camaros in EuroNASCAR 2 and EuroNASCAR PRO. Mason, 16, was selected as one of the top 23 young drivers in the Asian region to compete

for the Ferrari Academy in Malaysia in September 2022.

He will start in EuroNASCAR 2, the series’ second tier.

“The car is really fast, the team is professional, and the racing series is a lot of fun,” he said.

“I am looking forward to the season and am extremely motivated to get everything out of the car.”

Mason was one of six drivers

invited to participate in the Euro NASCAR recruitment days earlier this year.

Having competed in the EuroNASCAR Club Challenge in Zolder, Belgium, last year, he will now drive his first full season.

Racingfuel Motorsports team manager and owner, Ferruccio Finkbohner, welcomed Mason to the team.

“We have already been

working with Max, so we knew about his talent,” he said.

“I am sure that he will adapt to the car and the series quickly.

“We are confident that we are ahead of a successful season.”

The season opener will take place on May 6 and 7 at the Circuito Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain, and Mason is already preparing himself on the team’s simulator.

“Most of the tracks are new

Rugby season kicks off on April 15 RUGBY The Central Coast rugby season is set to kick off on April 15, with nine Premier 1 teams registered.

An official launch was held on Sunday, March 19, with representatives from most clubs in attendance.

A Central Coast Rugby spokesperson said the season

promised some great competition, with the entry of Lake Macquarie Rugby Club taking the number of clubs up to nine,following the withdrawal of Kariong and The Bay from Premier 1.

They will play in the President’s Cup competition (the original Third Grade Competition).

In Round One on April 15:

138 Robina Town Centre Drive Robina Qld 4226 PO Box 3275 Robina Town Centre Qld 4230 Lake Macquarie will play Tel: 1300 36 0867 Fax: 1300 81 8962 Warnervale at Walters Park, email: artwork@localdirectories.com.au Boolaroo; Woy Woy will take on www.localdirectories.com.au the Razorbacks at Woy Woy

Source: Media release, Mar 22 Racingfuel Motorsports

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Oval; The Lakes will play Avoca Beach at Slade Park; Hornsby and Gosford will clash at Mark Taylor Oval; and Terrigal will have the bye.

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to me, so my learning curve will be quite steep,” he said.

“However, the team has a state-of-the-art simulator at its workshop, which means I have the perfect conditions for preparing myself.

“Also, I am grateful to Simattack for their support.”

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