9 DECEMBER 2020
ISSUE 218
REAL INDEPENDENT LOCAL WEEKLY NEWS
Foreshore reserve rejuvenated
News
Construction of Elsie’s Retreat, the Coast’s first dedicated inpatient palliative care unit, is poised to begin. See page 6
Out&About
Over the past 18 months, a small group of Budgewoi locals have been rejuvenating a small foreshore reserve at the end of Noela Pl, bringing it back to life, firstly with a proud new name, Ashley Chapman Reserve, as well as wall murals in tribute of its namesake.
The halls aren’t the only things that have been decked this festive season, with Busways Central Coast rolling out some specially decorated buses to spread holiday cheer and raise funds... See page 17
Health
See page 4 Doreen Vandersteen, Lyn Clark-Duff, Janet Clark-Duff and Jenny Sullivan at the mural walls in tribute to the namesake of Ashley Chapman Reserve at Budgewoi
Workforce at Central Coast Council to be slashed by 242 The workforce at Central Coast Council will be slashed by 242 in the wake of its financial crisis, to return to the number of staff at the time of amalgamation. Staff costs have risen by 43 percent since amalgamation, using a normalised cost of $154M as the starting base, while revenue has risen by only six percent, the Administrator, Dick Persson, stated in his interim 30-day report delivered to the public on December 2. He also mentioned the “substantial costs” of $25M from an industrial dispute concerning 38/35-hour week
negotiations as well as unifying the salary scale and harmonisation costs. The nine directorates making up the senior leadership team has been reduced to five long term. A sixth directorate is short term, which is Malcolm Ryan, who has been engaged short term as Chief Operating Officer to assist the interim Administrator and Acting CEO deal with issues such as improving processes and structures. Council has earmarked $45M in its current budget for organisational restructuring costs including staff
redundancies. It then adds another $5M for the recruitment of critical or revenue generating positions. Acting CEO, Rik Hart, proposed the new organisational structure and the Administrator, Dick Persson, adopted it at the November 30 meeting. The revised Senior Staff Structure will consist of a director for water and sewer, community services, environment and planning, infrastructure, and corporate affairs. The senior staff roles that no longer form part of the executive structure are the Director Governance, which is
currently vacant, the executive manager People and Culture; executive manager Innovation and Futures; and the chief information officer, which is currently vacant. It is unclear whether these four roles will be cut or simply demoted. Persson flagged that the next level of management, the 37 unit managers, would also be substantially cut. CEO, Rik Hart, has called a series of staff information sessions throughout the day on December 9 to include all staff, including those at work depots. United Services Union representative, Luke
Hutchinson, said he has had numerous meetings with the CEO about proposed workplace changes and staff levels. “Discussions I’m having with Council are in relation to a voluntary redundancy program and to limit the loss of rank and file or operational jobs or essential workers, which I think would be disastrous for delivery of services on the Central Coast,” he said. “The Union has been working with Council through all the staff changes and what we’re trying to achieve is that any of these changes don’t impact the community,” Hutchinson said. Sue Murray and Merilyn Vale
Compass Housing has teamed up with the Royal Botanic Gardens and Cerebral Palsy Alliance to build and plant-out a wheelchair accessible sensory garden... See page 31
Sport
Wyong, Northern Power and Lisarow-Ourimbah White claimed the points in Round 5 of Central Coast Cricket Association’s Women’s A Grade Competition.
See page 39
Puzzles page 23
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