Council announces spending plans

Central Coast Council announced it will spend a total of $18.38 million in its Gosford West Ward in the coming year.

The Ward includes the Peninsula, but total was given for Peninsula spending in the Council's Operational Plan.

However, individual items were listed.

The plan divided capital works between those funded out of council's own revenue and those that needed grants or external funding.

They then fell under four categories: community; environment; economy; and governance and leadership.

In the environment category, around $2.7 million will be spent from council's own funds on Peninsula-specific projects, out of its total budget for the whole LGA of $17.78 million, which is around 15 per cent of the total budget.

Woy Woy's Austin Butler Oval will receive the largest instalment of council expenditure in the "community" category on the Peninsula.

Out of council's own revenue, it will spent $310,000 to install drainage and irrigation at the over and another $900,000 on amenities and the car park.

Lemongrove netball courts at Ettalong will receive a $500,000 upgrade in 2017-18.

Upgrading of floodlighting at Umina Oval will cost $220,000 and the installation of drainage and irrigation at Rogers Park, Woy Woy, is budgeted to cost $210,000.

A further $181,429 of council's own revenue will be spent on upgrading mobile shelving units at Woy Woy Library.

Over $300,000 will be spent on the Peninsula Leisure Centre to purchase lockers, upgrade gym equipment and upgrade change rooms.

Closed circuit TV will be purchased for Ettalong ($15,000) and around $77,000 will be spent to replace furniture and upgrade the playground at council's Umina child care centre.

The playground in Trafalgar Avenue, Umina, will receive a $30,000 upgrade.

Out of the total for the whole LGA of $17,775,575

Within the environment category, expenditure out of council's own revenue on the Peninsula will be going into sewer upgrades and work at the Woy Woy tip.

An upgrade of the sewer pump station at Railway Crescent in Woy Woy has been estimated to cost $1.89 million.

Another $331, 533 has been budgeted for an upgrade of the Woy Woy sewer treatment plant, $280,000 to upgrade a clarifier at the plant and $120,000 to upgrade the final settling tank at Woy Woy.

Another $100,000 will be spent on the replacement of effluent pipe work at Woy Woy, building refurbishment has been slated to cost around $45,000 and the installation of flow monitoring devices has been priced at $25,000.

An upgrade of the sewer pump station at Cowper Road, Umina, will cost $116,000.

Aroung $62,500 will be spent on the upgrade of other sewing rising mains.

Expenditure at Woy Woy tip will include replacement of a sediment dam pump ($61,500), upgrades to leachate pump stations ($88,000), road and drainage upgrades to the access road on Nagari Rd ($111,000) and the construction of a cell and cover material ($905,250).

That brings the total environment spend on the Peninsula for 2017-18 to around $4.14 million out of a total budget for the entire LGA of around $59.9 million which is around seven per cent of the total budget being spent on the Peninsula.

Road reseals and upgrades, constructions of sea walls and bus stops, and projects related to improving car parks and footpaths are the main expenditure areas for the Peninsula under council's "economy" category.

Seawalls will be constructed at Araluen Drive, Hardys Bay ($60,000), Patonga Creek ($160,000) and the existing seawall at The Boulevarde, Woy Woy, will be replaced ($200,000).

West Street Umina will receive a $290,400 road upgrade.

A lengthy list of road reseals is included in council's 2017-18 capital works budget for the Peninsula that will result in over 30 local roads being resealed during the course of the financial year.

Those roads are: Adelaide Ave, Umina ($7630); Adelaide St, Umina ($73,000); Augusta St, Umina ($30,171); Bapaume Ave, Umina, ($4258); Bay St, Patonga ($37,000); Burdett Place, Umina ($20,870); Bourke Rd, Umina ($249,175); Bathurst St, Umina ($24,500); Central Ave, Phegans Bay ($13,691); Cowper Rd, Umina ($49,648); Dunalban Ave, Woy Woy ($33,192); Fraser Rd, Killcare ($6491); Kathleen St, Woy Woy ($20,000); Lalla Place, Umina ($9752); Lace Ave, Umina ($38,780); Manly View Rd, Killcare ($10,292); Nowack Ave, Umina ($20,059); Onslow Ave, Woy Woy ($51,000); Patonga Dve, Patonga ($116,457); Priestman Ave, Umina ($17,272); Paton St, Woy Woy ($96,909); Pozieres Ave, Umina ($43,622); Smithy St, Killcare Heights ($12,776); Station St, Woy Woy ($75,600); Telopea St Booker Bay ($10,588); Tapestry Way, Umina ($40,956); The Esplanade, Ettalong ($45,956); Trafalgar Ave, Umina ($145,165); Wattle Crescent, Phegans Bay ($4421); and Weatherly Parade, St Huberts Island ($29,563).

Bus stops will be constructed at: Gordon Rd, Empire Bay Drive and Rickard Rd, Empire Bay; Schnapper Rd, Ettalong; and two in Helmsmen Boulevarde, St Huberts Island; as well as one bus stop upgraded in Uliganda Street, Ettalong.

Council's car park in Blackwall Rd at Woy Woy will be upgraded along with traffic facilities at The Esplanade, Umina and Wellington St, Umina.

Woy Woy Bay Rd will be upgraded with a budget of $182,677 and $82,000 will be spent rehabilitating Fraser Rd at Killcare.

Council will also spend money designing a footpath for Empire Drive at Empire Bay, installing LPG gas generators at Blackwall ($100,000) and a drainage upgrade costing $250,000 in Carpenter Rd at Umina.

It also plans to install a dump point for caravans at Patonga camping ground ($25,000) as well as construct and repair the camping ground's access road ($60,000) and upgrade one amenity block ($90,000).

In addition to the capital projects funded out of the council's own revenue, grants funding will also be used to complete a $1.5 million upgrade of Ryans Road, Umina.

Springwood Street in Umina will also be the subject of a $1.26 million upgrade during the 2017-18 financial year.

A further $500,000 will be spent on Lone Pine Avenue, Umina, $201,000 on Ocean Beach Road, Umina and $501,000 on the Woy Woy stretch of Ocean Beach Road.

Mt Ettalong Rd will receive a $600,000 upgrade via external funds.

Council Administrator, Mr Ian Reynolds, said the financially sound Operational Plan struck a balance between delivering essential services in local areas and big picture regional projects to benefit the entire Central Coast.

"The community can have confidence our finances are sound and strong - everything in this plan is costed and is on track for delivery," Mr Reynolds said.

"We have chosen to directly tackle our infrastructure backlog and will deliver bumper investment in our local road network, parks, playgrounds, sports fields and water and sewer assets.

"There is also a strong investment in regionally-significant assets that will drive investment, growth and tourism for the Central Coast," he said.

None of those regionally significant assets, including a regional airport, regional sporting complex and regional performing arts centre, were located on the Peninsula.

He said over 75 per cent of operating and capital expenditure would be invested in the top priorities identified by the community - roads, transport and drainage, water and sewer, open space and recreation, waste services and waterways.

"A key priority for this Administration period of Council has been to build a solid foundation in preparation for the newly-elected council in September, and I believe we have delivered," said Mr Reynolds.

"This truly marks a line in the sand as we now go forward as one council with a sound plan and budget and a vision to create a vibrant and sustainable Central Coast."

SOURCES:

Media release, 28 Jun 2017

Ian Reynolds, Central Coast Council

Central Coast Council agenda 3.7, 28 Jun 2017