The new Central Coast Council is moving forward with a redesigned sponsorship and grants program for the whole Local Government Area.
The former Gosford Council’s Developing and Recognising Talent Program funding recipients were announced at the May ordinary Central Coast Council meeting.
As part of adopting those recommendations, Council Administrator, Mr Ian Reynolds, said the program was “being reviewed as part of Council’s extensive review of its grants and funding programs.
“Details including guidelines and the application process will be in place for the new financial year,” Mr Reynolds said.
Coordinators of community and sporting programs have expressed concerns that there has been no community consultation about the detail of the far-reaching review whilst, during the administration period, long-standing programs have fallen into abeyance.
Coast Community News understands, for example, that the Independent Sport Council has been waiting for Central Coast Council to release details of a “revamped” Recreational Assistance Program.
A report was expected to go before the Administrator at the May meeting, but that didn’t eventuate.
The program is usually administered in consultation with the Sport Council, which determines how the $50,000 allocated annually will be divided into $5,000 parcels to assist sporting clubs and associations with clubhouse maintenance, fencing, flood lighting, ground maintenance and improvements.
The 2015-16 Recreational Assistance Program was finalised last June, but no information has been released from Council about grants for the current year.
The usual process is that the Sport Council would look at applications and make recommendations to Council.
The Sport Council in the former Gosford LGA is an independent association, so it was not wound up when a similar organisation for Wyong was disbanded as part of the amalgamation of the two former councils.
Online “policies” from the former Gosford Council about the funding of sporting and community programs have been changed to “guidelines”.
Council officers no longer attend Sport Council meetings.
Guidelines and policies for recreational grants can no longer be found on the Gosford section of the Central Coast Council website.
Under previous Councils, any changes to guidelines or policies relating to community sponsorship and grants programs were placed on public exhibition, and organisations such as the Sport Council were able to make submissions and have input into changes.
Source:
Website, May 31
Central Coast Council
Meeting notes, May 24
Central Coast Council ordinary meeting
Jackie Pearson, journalist