31 JULY 2020
ISSUE 253
REAL INDEPENDENT LOCAL WEEKLY NEWS
COVID-19 and amalgamation drive Council deeper into deficit Council Watch, pages 28 & 29 • Council to hike fees and charges, cut capital works projects • Council to borrow $50M • Cost-shifting costs council $45M • Council amalgamation costs underestimated by almost $40M
News
With work set to resume over the weekend on a temporary fix for severe erosion at Wamberal Beach brought on by wild weather and powerful tides two weeks ago. See page 3
Out&About
• Councillors’ pay rise will stand
Central Coast Council’s Gosford Art Prize will be accepting online entries this year to ensure all COVID-safe processes are followed. See page 17
Central Coast Council will increase fees and charges, shelve capital works projects and borrow up to $50M as it tries to navigate the impact of COVID-19 and high amalgamation costs. In a fiery meeting, the Mayor used her casting vote this week to approve the 2020/21 Operational Plan which projects a $13.3M operating deficit this coming year, following an expected deficit of over $40M in 2019/20. Continued page 6 Photo: Justin Stanley
Horse rescued It took four fire trucks, 10 firefighters, and several residents to save a horse stuck in a flooded dam at Matcham on July 28. The rescue took place at 11.30am in an area that is notorious for flash flooding. The female horse, Naaman Flaunt, became trapped under a fence and was struggling to keep her head above the rising waters. Local resident, Tarni Letherbarrow, was passing by and said she was trying to keep the horse calm. “I kept her head propped up on my knees to keep it out of the water,” Letherbarrow said.
Health
Central Coast Local Health District has paid tribute to its security teams following International Security Officers Day on July 24. See page 33
Sport
Fire and Rescue NSW’s Leading Station Officer at Gosford Fire Station, Rodney Tobone, led the rescue operation. “We tried a couple of times to get the horse to its feet, but it did not have the energy, so it was slipping in the mud,” Tobone said. “We then called for a specialist Technical Rescue Vehicle to come from Newcastle that carries large animal rescue equipment,” Tobone said. “We managed to get the horse in a harness and onto a large animal slide [and from there] we were able to slide it up on to some solid ground. Jacinta Counihan
Two local football clubs have been given a financial boost to assist with getting their seasons up and running, courtesy of Minister for Sport grant funding. See page 38
Puzzles page 23
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