Our annus horribilis

It started with the most devastating bush fire season in history although for our region it could have been much worse.

By February storms and floods in early February saw parts of Wamberal Beach and North Entrance beach washed away and all around the lakes extensive flooding causing the Government to declare a natural disaster.

And came COVID-19 that saw the state locked down and borders, state and international, closed.

That was March and it went on until June and beyond that too.

Meanwhile, as 2019 was coming to a close a lot of people were talking about a recession even though the Treasurer would not hear a word of it.

So its been a difficult year but to their credit both State and Federal Governments have handled it well.

The Premier has done an excellent job showing the other states why NSW is the leading state and the Feds likewise.

JobKeeper, Jobseeker, support for business across the board has ensured that most businesses will come out the other side in good shape if they have knuckled under to the changes that have had to be made.

And then, we get to the Central Coast

Council debacle!!

The Interim Administrator's Report

We have held back publication of this issue of CCBR to comment of the Interim Administrator's Report which he announced at an Extraordinary Meeting of Council on 2nd December (see Page 14).

It was not enough to appoint a CEO who came from running a tiny council in Lismore to one of the largest in Australia - a bit like asking a milk bar manager to run BHP we then had a bevy of councillors who, it seems were not interested one scrap in the financial affairs of council.

Generally speaking the Interim Administrator lets the elected Councillors off the hook even though he makes the point about them being politically divided, motivated by hate and unwilling to compromise. He also makes the point 15 councillors is not a council it is a 'parliament' and is critical of the State Government for creating what will always be an unworkable council.

In any event the entrenched thought that pervades the minds of ALP and Green/Independent politicians that money grows on trees would preclude them from asking any questions as to 'where is the money coming from'?

The Interim Administrator will remain in the job for a further three months in order to appoint a new CEO and introduce comprehensive reforms to Council's budgeting and reporting systems.

He will depart around March/April and the present 13 Councillors (2 resigned earlier) will continue on until Local Government Elections in September 2021

Meanwhile ratepayers will be stuck with the most destructive Council imaginable.

While these Councilors (nearly all of them) have presided over the greatest financial debacle in local government history, it is worse than that, much worse.

This Council, from the day they were elected, have assiduously worked to stop investment in the region by frustrating and denying Development Applications that would generate employment and give us a strong local economy.

Council's Planning Department is both incompetent and out of control. It is also beholden to the activist green/environment lobby that ensures the economy of the Central Coast has been set back years.

OOO

As we head into Christmas and 2021 let us put 2020 behind us and look forward to a bright New Year.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our readers, advertisers and subscribers.

Edgar Adams
Editor