4 tials to turn this Council around encouraging investment and getting our economy on track again. Of course the good intentions of these groups will depend on them having control after September14. We note that Jane Smith has had the temerity to stand in West Gosford Ward denying she had any part in the demise of the council she led. And while it was expected that Labor would field candidates no one expected that they would be so shameless as to nominate a candidate from the previous failed council. The Labor Team will be led by former high profile MP and Gosford Councillor Belinda Neal. Let’s not forget that it was Labor and CEN people that wrecked the last council. Finally, to every business owner and manager on the Central Coast, this will be the most important election our region has ever had to contend with. Doing business at present is hard enough, lets not make it any harder by voting the wrong people in. AS YOU READ this Editorial, once again criticising our Central Coast Council let’s hope that our October issue will be full of hope for the future of our region. Administrator Rik Hart held his last meeting on 27th August and complemented himself and Council’s staff for the ‘achievements Council has made to develop and implement Council’s Long-Term Financial Recovery Plan’. He made no mention of the fact that under his Administration and that of the former Council the Central Coast economy has gone backwards. For the past eight years investment in the region has been seen by staff from top to bottom as a dirty word. Investors have turned their backs on us and for good reason. Right now there are over 40 rejected Development Applications before the Land and Environment Court. The past few years has seen Council’s legal costs go through the roof and there’s more to come. Activist environmental staff take pride in finding any spurious reason to stop any development no matter how small or large. The finding of the so called Warnervale Orchid in recent times has to be the most nefarious of all to find a reason to say “no”. Refusal of the expansion of Woolworths’ Distribution Centre at Warnervale, a $60 million investment, earlier this year and now the refusal of the extension of water and sewer infrastructure intended to unlock land in the Mountain Road Precinct at Halloran on the basis of the Wyong Sun Orchid and Midge Orchid, neither of which existed a year or so ago, has to be the most diabolical of all. Meanwhile, across the whole Council the culture is seen as toxic and anyone with any ability left ages ago. This is less to do with the Administrator than it is to do with the CEO who has allowed the situation to fester resulting in a totally disfunctional organisation. However this didn’t stop Administrator Hart giving Mr Farmer a five year extension to his contract late last year effectively hogtying the new Councillors to more of the same. Of course all of this was put in place by the first elected Central Coast Council under former Coastal Environment Network CEO Mayor Jane Smith. She was backed up by other activists and Labor councillors whose actions created what has become known as the worst financial crisis in the history of New South Wales local government. A new Council In our August issue we announced those Candidates who had already declared their intentions with Lawrie McKinna’s Team Central Coast, Independents former Wyong Mayor Doug Eaton in Budgewoi Ward and Kevin Brooks in West Gosford Ward. This month we highlight the Liberal Party Team all of whom have excellent credenEDITORIAL Edgar Adams discusses local issues We’ll handle it from here • Major supplier of architectural hardware to the residential and commercial market • Door locks, handles, security and more • Consultation service available • Working closely with direct clients, builders, architects and interior designers • Visit our showroom today! Avoca Beach Architectural Hardware & Locksmiths www.avocaarchitectural.com.au 4382 1286 0412 437 327 177 Avoca Dr, Avoca Beach info@avocaarchitectural.com.au Edgar Adams Editor Administrator leaves behind disfunctional council CENTRAL COAST BUSINESS REVIEW SEPTEMBER 2024
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