Grapevine News Online April 2021

30 April 2021

Ambulance system in crisis

Last month on the Central Coast the worsening ambulance crisis saw units being directed from Newcastle and Sydney to service local demand. We have an emergency unit in crisis the the State Government continues to ignore the problem.

30 April 2021

Rent crisis exposed

With a property market that’s on the rise and landlord’s still unsure about the longterm impacts of COVID, small-time investors are putting their properties on the market to get that million dollars in the bank to provide a security buffer.

29 April 2021

The fix is on with Central Coast Council!

David Harris MP Shadow Minister for the Central Coast has described the terms of reference for the Central Coast Council public inquiry as an outrageous attempt to protect the NSW Government from any scrutiny as to their contribution to Central Coast Council’s financial woes.

29 April 2021

Tear up the dodgy private NDIS contracts

and toss them out Prime Minister

It's time the Morrison Government, under the direction of Minister Linda Reynolds, stopped dismembering the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

29 April 2021

International worker’s Memorial Day

The annual memorial service to commemorate International Workers Memorial Day was held on Wednesday 28 April 2021.

29 April 2021

It’s time to paddle the paddle

The weekend’s re-announcement that the Prime Minister opposes PEP-11 is welcome but the Minister, Keith Pitt, is dragging his feet on a decision.

28 April 2021

NSW Government must take responsibility for Council chaos

Has Administrator Dick Persson really solved Council’s financial debacle or merely done the bidding of Macquarie Street? Keeping the real truth from Central Coast ratepayers! And why is Minister for Local Government Shelley Hancock hellbent on avoiding a judicial inquiry?

28 April 2021

Astonishing backflip by Council: Terrigal Bowling Club saved

In an eleventh hour reprieve, Council Administrator Dick Persson has reversed his decision to sell the land occupied by the Terrigal Bowling Club.

28 April 2021

Bike infrastructure needed

Despite the decrease in commuters as a result of the pandemic bicycle and scooter users are struggling to find spaces to safely store their devices at train stations across the Central Coast.

28 April 2021

Travelling to school safely

The community at our local schools have had enough of the lack of concern for students on their way to school and the severely insufficient safety measures currently in place.

27 April 2021

Failure to act in community's best interests

Community land cannot be sold until certain steps have been taken to comply with section 57 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act. Yet it seems that Council Administrator Dick Persson is hellbent on ignoring the law and community concerns and to proceed to sell off community assets.

27 April 2021

Merciless cash crab threatens 70 years of Terrigal history

Central Coast Council’s mismanagement of finances is now affecting seventy years of Terrigal history. The question is, where is State Member for Terrigal Adam Crouch? Will he argue against the Berejiklian Government on behalf of his community? Or, will he merely bury his head in the sand?

27 April 2021

A threat to our democracy

Despite the State Government having ample time to implement an independent funding model for the state’s integrity agencies, media reports have revealed that the NSW Electoral Commission was unable to comply with the Government’s cyber security regulations due to funding constraints.

27 April 2021

Manufacturing excellence on the Central Coast

Manufacturers on the Central Coast are punching well above their weight, innovating, designing and building world-class products.

26 April 2021

Yarramalong’s Pied Piper tosses pennies for Anzac Day

Town Crier Graham Keating, who played the role of the Pied Piper for Yarramalong’s Easter Egg Treasure Hunt for children last month, took on another role on Anzac Day at the Yarramalong Valley’s restaurant, Angel Sussurri.

26 April 2021

Minister ignores 22,000 Central Coast residents

Despite 22,000 Central Coast residents disagreeing with the authoritarian and heavy-handed tactics of Local Government Minister Shelly Hancock, it is now apparent that the Government's sticky fingers are manipulating the Council for the benefit of their developer buddies.

26 April 2021

Speeding blitz this May

Locals and visitors to the Coast will see a heightened focus on speeding across May as NSW Police and Central Coast Council roll out a collaborative road safety initiative.

26 April 2021

Licence to print money: the sinister side of the Government

Drivers are paying the price for the Government’s removal of mobile speed camera warning signs, with record fine revenue flowing into government coffers. Berejiklian's mobile fine mania is out of control!

23 April 2021

The battle for a brighter, cleaner and sustainable future

After 13 long years of struggle, it appears that the battle to save the Liverpool Plains from coal mining has finally been won! Now it's up to the Government to give Coasties the same deal!

23 April 2021

Emergency agencies have been marking their own homework

The Berejiklian Government is still to confirm recommendations from a decade of disaster inquiries, including the NSW Bushfire Inquiry, have been rolled out.

22 April 2021

Data breach is being swept under the carpet

The Service NSW massive data breach last year has left many customers wondering how safe their personal information is and when Cyber criminals will steal their lives.

22 April 2021

Greed closes The Entrance Cinema

When businesses are being encourage to keep employing people now that JobKeeper has ended, one unscrupulous and avaricious company has forced an iconic Central Coast business too close.

22 April 2021

Homelessness on the rise and funding on decline

As homeless rates continue to rise the Federal Government is set to rip out $7.5 million in funding for the frontline services in NSW, including the Central Coast..

21 April 2021

Inquiry’s terms of reference must be wide and deep

Central Coast Council’s Interim Administrator Dick Persson has recommended in his final report that the Minister for Local Government takes whatever action necessary to prevent the return of suspended Councillors.

21 April 2021

Relish the Coast at Woy Woy’s new food and wine festival

Jump into the culinary delights and the great music the Central Coast has to offer during the first weekend of May!

20 April 2021

Why isn't the Government investing in disaster protection?

For the second year in a row NSW, including the Central Coast, has felt the onslaught of what has been described as a “once-in-a -generation” disaster.

20 April 2021

One month on from March4Justice

One month on from March4Justice, which saw hundreds marching at Gosford Waterfront in solidarity with thousands across Australia, Liesl Tesch MP, Member for Gosford is pushing to maintain the momentum until there’s real change.

19 April 2021

Another blow for people with a disability

The Morrison Government has fallen to an all time new low, set to squander taxpayer's money, that could be utilised to maintain the services under the National Disability Scheme (NDIS), on an advertising campaign to justify its razor gang cuts to people with disabilities.

19 April 2021

War over vaccine rollout must end

While the world continues to buckle from the impacts of COVID-19 and countries, such as India, have mounting infections and deaths the NSW and Commonwealth Government are still arguing on how to roll out the vaccine.

16 April 2021

Masterplan resolution a catastrophe for ratepayers and future jobs

The decision by Central Coast Council’s administrator to spend $5 million from restricted funds on a Warnervale Airport Masterplan and Plan of Management is a catastrophe for local jobs and the future of the region, according to the Central Coast Airport Resistance Group.

16 April 2021

Compulsory independent assessments should be cancelled!

The ugly side of the Morrison Government's politics continues, hellbent, to strip services from the National Disability Insurance Scheme. The Government's reckless and uncaring attitude will impact exponentially on the lives of many Central Coast citizens!

16 April 2021

Five year road safety plan

Road safety actions over decades have saved thousands of lives, but more can be done. NSW has set a target of zero fatalities and serious injuries on our roads by 2056 as part of our Future Transport Strategy.

15 April 2021

Disability razor gang is off and running

The Grapevine has now reported three previous stories on the Morrison Government's hidden agenda to slash the National Disability Insurance Scheme and we can now reveal that the Government's secret 'Disability Razor Gang' intends to slash disability services even further.

15 April 2021

Failing to serve the best interests of the community

Council Administrator Dick Persson decision making process has left a bewildered community wondering what’s going on. His decisions do not serve the best interests of the Central Coast community!

15 April 2021

Community building partnership grants open Monday

The Community Building Partnership Grant program will open on Monday for community groups on the Central Coast.

14 April 2021

Bankstown by the sea - without the jobs

The dictatorial hammer struck a devastating blow upon democracy and the protection of the environment at last night’s Council meeting when the government’s puppet threw the democratic process out the window as he kowtowed to his master’s wishes.

13 April 2021

Calls for action on coal ash inquiry findings

Central Coast Community Better Planning Group has called for a review of the population growth projections for the northern area of the Central Coast due to recommendations from the NSW Legislative Council’s report Costs for remediation of sites containing coal ash.

13 April 2021

Bad News for the Central Coast

Deloitte: Record low wages growth set to worsen. Covid recovery will be defined by even weaker wages growth, remaining hostage to the vaccine rollout and withdrawal of government JobKeeper support.

12 April 2021

An unacceptable legacy

Both State and Federal Governments must tighten up the regulatory system to prevent mining companies from merely walking away at the end of the life of a mining project and leaving the taxpayer facing the cost of remediation of the devastation left behind.

9 April 2021

Government rip off impacts regional area

The Morrison Government has yet again ripped off regional areas, such as the Central Coast, for its own political gain.

8 April 2021

COAL-ition: it’s in their DNA

An attitude of deceit and misinformation has, for more than two decades, been rampant within the mining industry. Now an ex-Prime Minister has exposed the truth about the impact of coal mining on the environment and people's lives.

8 April 2021

Tesch backs council inquiry

Member for Gosford, Liesl Tesch has welcomed the Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast’s back-down on a public inquiry into Central Coast Council..

7 April 2021

Morrison government used fake independent report to slash NDIS

The Morrison Government rewrote an ‘independent’ review of the NDIS to ensure it was able to cut services for people with a disability and force them into compulsory assessments.

7 April 2021

Administrator welcomes findings of the Independent Review

of Council’s management of open coast lagoons

The Central Coast Council Administrator has released Mr Angus Gordon’s report ‘Review of The Entrance management Policies and Practices for the Central Coast Council’s Open Coast Lagoons’.

6 April 2021

Ettalong channel dredging secure

After years of campaigning, the Ettalong Channel has been declared a “key investment location” by the State Government meaning dredging the area will become a responsibility of the NSW Government.

6 April 2021

Coast Shelter and Pacific Link Housing continue to deliver in the midst of a growing housing crisis

The Easter period has shown how tough it is for many people in the community who are struggling to find somewhere to live and to feed themselves.

1 April 2021

Central Coast retirement villages let down by government

The Berrijiklian Government must explain unfair changes to retirement village exit entitlements on the Central Coast!