5 AUGUST 2021
ISSUE 021
REAL INDEPENDENT LOCAL WEEKLY NEWS
News
Little fishing village with a big council problem
Two local surf lifesavers were honoured with Life Membership from Killcare Surf Life Saving Club on July 31. See page 5
Out&About
Aged care centres on the Peninsula have jumped into the Olympic spirit with a range of events...
The Patonga Progress Association was one of the very few groups to make a submission to the Public Inquiry into the financial woes of Central Coast Council according to a published list..
See page 13
Business
See page 5
Vaccine ‘theft’ from locked down locals beggars belief Hundreds of Central Coast residents were left frustrated and angry over the weekend when their Pfizer vaccination appointments, many of which had been made months in advance, were rediverted to HSC students in the areas of greatest concern in Sydney. Many furious residents, some of them essential workers, took to Facebook to vent their fury as Coast politicians slammed the move and criticisms of the Federal Government for failing to secure adequate vaccination supplied poured in. NSW Health announced that Pfizer appointments at Gosford and Wyong hospitals and the
Belmont vaccination hub would be rediverted. Killcare local, Leah Fotofili, said she had her Pfizer booking suddenly cancelled via text and was frustrated at the lack of information surrounding the decision. “People are so frustrated though and it is that feeling of helplessness, lack of any control, fear and uncertainty,” she said. “We are all, for the most part, accepting of the situation, doing the right thing, accept our position in Greater Sydney, understand the health implications, put our hands up for the vaccine … and now this. “It beggars belief that the Federal Government has
actually left us all so compromised – how many vaccines are we talking about going to Year 12 students in those eight LGAs? “It’s not millions of doses, possibly not even hundreds of thousand, we are talking just thousands of doses. “It blows my mind.” Her sentiments were echoed by hundreds of residents, who claimed the classification of the Coast as part of Greater Sydney or Regional varies according to the NSW Government’s whim. Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on August 2 that the move was ‘in the best interest of public health’. “Can I stress how important it is for us to get Year 12 students
able to complete their HSC exams and make sure they have those qualifications they worked hard for,” she said. “We know that for 16 to 18-year-olds that Pfizer is the only option. “All of us are making a sacrifice, and if it means that some people wait a few extra weeks before they get their Pfizer, I think people would appreciate that.” Reports suggest the amount of Pfizer vaccines sent away from the Central Coast to Sydney was in the hundreds, and not thousands, but no exact number has been confirmed yet. A source close to the Central Coast hospitals said staff were outraged and upset at the
decision to divert the vaccines away from the Coast. They said a load of Pfizer vials were removed from the freezer on Tuesday overnight without the staff’s knowledge. They said staff expected the supply to ‘drop off’ on the Coast but were shocked that it was taken away completely. CCN reached out to Central Coast Local Health District for confirmation of the removal of vaccines from the hospitals but was sent the following statement from a NSW Health spokesperson. “NSW Health is redirecting Pfizer vaccines from across the state,” the spokesperson said.
A development application currently on exhibition for a residential flat building in Woy Woy has sparked community outcry after plans were said to ‘spoil’ the look of the area. See page 21
Education
In celebration of Education Week, teachers from Umina Beach Public School have shared their thoughts about working at the school
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See page 27
Puzzles page 18
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