Central Coast Council



Amalgamation costs

The cost of implementing an IT system for a proposed new Central Coast Council was $70M back in 2015. The former Wyong and Gosford councils prior to merger identified that…



Don’t be too hard on councillors

Forum – Amalgamation is seldom easy, just remember your family and your partner’s family when you got married and multiply that saga by at least 1,000. The amalgamation of councils…






Questions for an eventual Inquiry

Former Central Coast Council CEO, Gary Murphy, has joined the chorus of people calling for a fuller inquiry into how the financial crisis occurred. In his interview, Murphy set out…


Sacked CEO sets the record straight

In an exclusive interview with Coast News, former Central Coast Council CEO, Gary Murphy, has accepted responsibility for his actions, says he has been denied “natural justice” and has added…


You get the local government you deserve

Forum – The letters in the Chronicle are full of finger pointing about the predicament of the Council and many suggestions as to who should pay for the financial debacle,…







$70M shortfall for essential services

Four Director positions and their departments have been cut from Central Coast Council as part of cost-cutting, but Administrator, Dick Persson, says an extra $70M a year is needed to…


What guarantee do ratepayers have?

Forum – So, we are bailing the Council out and providing the nominated 10 or 15 percent rate increase. Did we have a choice? It defies common sense that poor…


Regional Library to go ahead

Despite its financial woes, Central Coast Council is forging ahead with plans for the Gosford Regional Library and is set to lodge a development application to the NSW Department of…