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Council budget would see $23.7M in capital works

Capital works to the value of $23.7 million will be undertaken on the Peninsula by Central Coast Council next year if the Council's $1.17 billion draft budget is adopted at tomorrow night's council meeting.

The $23.7 million is the Peninsula's identified share of the Council's $343.1 million capital works program.

Of the Peninsula's allocation, $11 million will be spent on the Ocean Beach-Rawson Rds intersection upgrade.

Another $3.7 million will be spent on work at Woy Woy tip.

The intersection is expected to cost a total of $32 million over the next three years, while the tip is expected to cost more than $21 million over the next four.

Other major expenditure this coming year includes $2.1 million to renew sewer pumps at The Esplanade in Umina and at Horsfield Bay, $1.65 million to replace the wharf at Little Wobby, $1.2 million to upgrade the pool on the Woy Woy waterfront and $1.1 million for the Woy Woy waterfront reserve project.

The playground at the recreation precinct at Umina will be renewed for $550,000 and $120,000 will be spent to renew the Stoney Park playground in Woy Woy.

Pathway lighting at Woy Woy oval will be replaced at a cost of $335,000 and a shade sail and landscaping will be undertaken at Umina Childcare Centre for $292,000.

"Landfill remediation" totalling $171,000 this year will be undertaken at Rogers Park, James Browne Oval and Austin Butler Oval, each of which were created on top of "closed" rubbish tips.

The budget foreshadows a total expenditure of $1.8 million on these areas over four years.

Investigation and design work for the "renewal" of the Patonga seawall has been allocated $500,000.

A start will be made on a revetment at Phegans Bay, with $350,000 spent on this over two years, and more than $2.5 million has been allocated over two years from 2027-28 for renewal of the Lance Webb Reserve revetment in Ettalong.

Patonga Campground has been allocated $400,000 in the coming year for a road and drainage upgrade, with spending on the campground costing more than $3.6 million in the next three years.

The budget allocates a total of $1.8 million over three years to upgrade the Mt Ettalong Lookout, starting in 2027-28.

Viewing platforms at Ocean Beach and Ettalong have also received an allocation for 2027-28 of $262,000.

Two projects have been foreshadowed for 2029-30, being the Umina Library Renewal at $270,000 and a shared pathway on Barrenjoey Rd and The Esplanade at $647,000.

The budget papers no longer reveal the source of funds for the projects, but the Ocean Beach-Rawson Rds intersection upgrade is expected to be federally-funded, while the Woy Woy pool upgrade is State-funded.

The Woy Woy waterfront project was identified in previous Council budgets as being funded from rate revenue.

Replacement of fitness equipment and renewal of filters and pumps at the Peninsula Leisure Centre will cost $430,000 this.

Total expenditure over $1.35 million over the next four years is foreshadowed, including $475,000 on "pool area renewal" in 2027-28.

Income from the leisure centre is not disclosed in the draft budget.

Unlike previous years, no projects are listed as "subject to grant funding".

Of the total, $55 million is allocated to "region-wide" projects, with the remaining $288 million allocated to identified suburbs.

The Peninsula's share of this is 8.2 per cent, while the Peninsula's population represents 11 per cent of the local government area.

Scant detail is given of the Council's operational budget of $828 million.

However, about $18 million of this is listed, which includes $200,000 on tree planting.

None of this spending is specific to the Peninsula.

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