Grapevine News Online News

30 September 2026

Dangers of over-correction: misreading Australia’s real economy

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) stands on the precipice of a historic policy error. As Governor Michele Bullock announced yesterday, the interest rate hike that financial markets had predicted, the central bank’s leadership now risks choking off an economy that is already gasping for air.

30 September 2026

The rise and fall of AI populism

It seems that the previous rise in AI populism has hit a snag in the river as global anti-establishment fury has vented at a system seen as rigged against average working people. Couple this fury of Anthony Albanese’s revelation that an Open AI agent hacked into a Medicare portal, AI has become Exhibit A.

30 September 2026

Offshore oil and gas rig clean up on taxpayers

Big corporations could continue to treat Australia’s oceans as a “dumping ground” for old equipment and leave taxpayers out of pocket unless the Albanese government closes a loophole.

30 September 2026

Post Office payments service axed

Central Coast Labor MPs are disheartened that attempts to have payments of rates and water accounts retained at Post Offices across the Central Coast have again been voted down by Liberal and Team Central Coast Councillors at Council’s most recent meeting on 22 September.

30 September 2026

Local hospitals to benefit from more nurses

Hospitals on the Central Coast will soon benefit from an additional 45 FTE nurses, with recruitment to begin in coming weeks. The State Government will begin to implement Safe Staffing Levels across general wards in the region through the recruitment of 27 full-time employed additional nurses for Gosford Hospital and 18 full-time employed additional nurses for Wyong Hospital.

30 September 2026

Flags up for 2026-27 beach patrol season

The Central Coast's beach patrol season for 2026-27 officially commences on Saturday 26 September 2026, running through until Sunday 25 April 2027.

30 September 2026

How many do you do? Weet-Bix honoured with blue plaque

Member for the Entrance, David Mehan congratulated Sanitarium Health Food Company for its legendary Breakfast of Champions that has been filling bellies for a century on being recognised with a blue plaque to celebrate its unique contribution to NSW history.

30 September 2026

Spring into Council's school holiday program

Central Coast Council is bringing together activities, events and experiences from across its venues and teams to help families make the most of the break with free or affordable events.

30 September 2026

Nominate now for Wyong 2027 woman of the year

Member for Wyong David Harris is encouraging residents of the Wyong electorate to participate by nominating the next Wyong Woman of the Year, recognising their contributions and celebrating their achievements across the community.

23 September 2026

An inconvenient truth: 2026

Dozens of world leaders are in New York for annual gathering at the United Nations (UN). They have a lot to talk about — wars, an oil shock, the risks of A.I., and a shifting world order. Not to be outdone, our own Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, is there and has unveiled Australia's pitch for a seat on the UN’s Security Council.

23 September 2026

War and economic crisis

This is little doubt that Trump’s insane war with Iran has impacted on everyone and continues to do so. The Mad King has thrown the world into an economic crisis – no less than a deepening ongoing fuel crisis.

23 September 2026

Universities steamrolling staff and students in AI rush

UNSW and the University of Sydney have both in recent weeks signed agreements with OpenAI to roll out ChatGPT Edu, ignoring concerns from students and staff, who have been sounding the alarm over A.I.’s encroachment in higher education and have gone on strike over being steamrolled into the A.I. rush.

23 September 2026

Improvement delivers major reduction in DA assessment times

Central Coast Mayor Lawrie McKinna has announced Council's focus in improving development assessment services is already delivering significant results, with average Development Application (DA) assessment times falling by more than 40 days in just two months and further improvements expected.

23 September 2026

More than half-a-million in upgrades

Federal Member for Dobell, Emma McBride MP, has delivered on her election commitment to support public school upgrades across the electorate.

23 September 2026

Stronger communities grant now open

The Federal Member for Robertson Dr. Gordon Reid MP is encouraging eligible local community organisations to put forward projects for consideration under Round 10 of the Stronger Communities Programme.

23 September 2026

Government launches psychosocial advisory service

With psychosocial requests for service to SafeWork NSW more than doubling over the past five years and psychosocial incidents in the workplace on the rise, the State Government has launched a dedicated Psychosocial Advisory Service (PAS).

16 September 2026

AI's 10 percent extinction threat

Last weekend, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said that the risks now being posed by today’s advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools were simply too great to continue development at the same breakneck pace. "AI systems that can improve on their own without human intervention could outrun our ability to understand and control these systems," he said.

16 September 2026

Real pollution cuts, not accounting tricks

Last Thursday (1 September 2026), the Greens announced that they will support an Improved Native Forest Management (INFM) method following negotiations with the federal government.

16 September 2026

$33 million a day, every day, for 35 years

Australia is now celebrating the 5th anniversary of AUKUS. Five years ago today, Scott Morrison, Boris Johnson and Joe Biden announced the AUKUS submarine deal.

16 September 2026

Works get underway on Gosford Waterfront revitalisation

The State Government has begun work on revitalising the Gosford waterfront precinct, delivering on an election commitment to unlock the potential for a long-overlooked precinct.

16 September 2026

Have your say on the Natural Disaster Resilience Strategy

Is your community informed and ready to deal with a natural disaster? The draft Natural Disaster Resilience Strategy sets out Central Coast Council’s long-term plan for addressing disaster risk and strengthening community resilience, with residents and emergency services partners encouraged to provide feedback.

16 September 2026

Sensory garden opens at Wyong Hospital

Patients in Wyong Hospital’s acute geriatric ward will now benefit from a purpose-built sensory garden. The sensory garden has been delivered with $250,000 funding from the Regional Health Minor Capital Works program to provide therapeutic benefits for patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

16 September 2026

The future of The Entrance Bridge

Member for The Entrance David Mehan, is pleased that Transport for NSW (TfNSW) will now be undertaking investigation work to help plan next steps for work along The Entrance Bridge.

16 September 2026

Nominations open for Local Woman of the Year Awards

From Olympic athletes to dedicated community volunteers, the Gosford Local Woman of the Year Awards honours outstanding women making a difference in their own way.

9 September 2026

The hidden toll

There is little doubt that artificial intelligence (AI) poses severe risks to Australia through immense energy consumption, educational decline, job disruption, and an unprecedented rise in digital scams. Yet our government has been caught up in the fervour of the nonsense being feed to it by money-grubbing AI proponents.

9 September 2026

You cannot make this stuff up!

While our Prime Minister talks climate leadership in the Pacific, Madeleine King cut the ribbon on a new climate bomb gas project back home.

9 September 2026

Latest coal approval is climate denial

The approval of a new coal mine - the first under the National Environmental Protection Agency, and the 37th fossil fuel project since Labor formed government is a slap in the face in combatting climate change.

9 September 2026

A sheer lack of respect for ratepayers

Although it has been an option to pay rates bills at Australia Post using Post Billpay, which accepts flexible payment methods both in-store and digitally, Central Coast Council has decided to remove Australia Post BillPay as a payment option starting September 29, 2026.

9 September 2026

Calls for fish and yabby PFAS testing

Ourimbah Valley residents are calling for targeted PFAS testing of fish and yabbies in Ourimbah Creek following information presented at a community meeting on 15 August highlighting the potential for PFAS to accumulate in aquatic animals even where concentrations in surrounding water are relatively low.

9 September 2026

Meals on Wheels delivers record number of meals

Meals on Wheels Central Coast delivered 262,746 meals to homes across the region in the past financial year, the highest number in the organisation’s history, as it marked National Meals on Wheels Day on Wednesday, 26 August.

9 September 2026

Central Coast scores major win

The Central Coast Regional Sport and Recreation Complex will take centre stage on the international sporting map, with two Rugby League World Cup teams selecting Council’s Tuggerah venue as their official training base ahead of the October 2026 tournament – including the Australian Women’s ‘Jillaroos’ team and Cook Islands Men’s team.

9 September 2026

Grant to make a difference for disaffected youth

Music has been found to be the vital connection vulnerable young people need to strengthen wellbeing, resilience and a sense of community.

9 September 2026

Community invited to review heritage proposal for former library

Central Coast Council is inviting the community to review a Planning Proposal to heritage list the former Gosford Library and provide feedback on whether it reflects the building's history, significance and heritage values. The proposal is on public exhibition from 31 August until 28 September 2026.

9 September 2026

Central Coast Conservatorium honours patron

Celebrated violinist Charmian Gadd has been recognised for her extraordinary legacy and decades of advocacy for the arts.

9 September 2026

Urgent care service continues to support community

Communities across the Central Coast are continuing to benefit from more timely access to urgent care, with the Long Jetty Urgent Care Service providing more than 32,700 patient attendances since opening in December 2023.

9 September 2026

Funding a safer George Downes Drive

The Federal Government continues to improve road safety in NSW, delivering funding for safety upgrades at George Downes Drive in Kulnura.

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