First region wide Youth Strategy
More than 7,500 suggestions and ideas received during consultation have been collated into the Central Coast’s first Youth Strategy, which has been adopted by Council. Mayor, Lisa Matthews, said the Strategy provides direction for the delivery of contemporary youth services and programs over the next five years. “The Strategy features six themes named, Including Us, Happy and Healthy, Feeling Safe, Somewhere to Live, Living Green, and Skilled and Ready. “There was extensive research and consultation with over 1,600 young people in 67 organisations, ” Mayor Matthews said. Fifteen percent of the population are people aged 12 to 24 and clean local environment and local jobs were their two major points of importance, while 22 percent said mental health was a concern, too. Cr Jillian Hogan said: “We need to get items of interest to young people early in the agenda so we could keep them here longer and interested”.
Council calls on State to Save our Recycling
Council will be once again be supporting the Save Our Recycling campaign, which calls on the State Government to work in partnership with local governments to improve waste and recycling processes. Less than one fifth of the $772M Waste Levy revenue collected in NSW last financial year has been invested back into waste minimisation, recycling and resource recovery. Mayor Lisa Matthews said Council already has several programs and initiatives in place to help reduce waste, but more must be done at a State level in order to tackle the expected increase in waste generation. “With worldwide changes to recycling processes, there is an urgent need for us to develop innovative approaches to resource recovery, ” Mayor Matthews said. “The latest reports’ findings show that we are generating more waste and recycling less, showing how crucial it is that we invest in infrastructure and create new markets now. “By working in partnership with the State Government we could fund and deliver modern, smart, home grown resource recovery and recycling industries that our community deserves. “This would lead to creation of much needed local jobs for our growing community without any extra cost if funded by the Waste Levy. ” Council will now formally write to local State Members and relevant State Ministers outlining the urgent need to educate, innovate and invest in local waste and recycling services via the waste levy and calling for their support for recycling.
Playspaces advisory group
Six community members will join Mayor Matthews, Councillors Kyle MacGregor, Jillian Hogan and Rebecca Gale Collins to form a Playspaces Advisory Committee. The new advisory group will provide advice and feedback to Council on community vision to help ensure the fair and equitable spread of future, accessible and inclusive playspaces across the region. Selected community members represent each of the five Central Coast wards, with the sixth representing a demonstrated connection to accessibility and inclusivity. This group will add to the feedback that Council gathers from broader community consultation undertaken for several playspace projects each year to guide design inclusions and shape future playspace strategic planning.
Meetings re-started at Gosford Chambers
Council has completed works related to the safety audit and review at Gosford Chambers, meaning that Council meetings are now being held at both Gosford and Wyong locations. The remainder of meetings for 2019 will be held at the Gosford Chambers and starting in 2020 Council will meet alternatively between Gosford and Wyong, with the first meeting next year to be held at Gosford.
Source: Meeting, Oct 28 Media release, Oct 28 Central Coast Council Website, Oct 29 Merilyn Vale, Central Coast Council Watch Journalist, Sue Murray