Central Coast, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n state of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, located on the coast north of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and south of Lake Macquarie
Lake Macquarie (New South Wales)
Lake Macquarie is Australia's largest coastal salt water lake, covering an area of in the Hunter Region of New South Wales with most of the City of Lake Macquarie's residents living near its shores. It is connected to the Tasman Sea by a short channel. Lake Macquarie is twice as large as Sydney...
.
The Central Coast has an approximate population of 299,000 making it the third largest urban area in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and the ninth largest urban area in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Geographically, the Central Coast is generally considered to include the region bounded by the Hawkesbury River
Hawkesbury River
The Hawkesbury River, also known as Deerubbun, is one of the major rivers of the coastal region of New South Wales, Australia. The Hawkesbury River and its tributaries virtually encircle the metropolitan region of Sydney.-Geography:-Course:...
in the south, the Watagan Mountains
Watagan Mountains
The Watagan Mountains are located on the East Coast of New South Wales, Australia. They are between the Hunter River Catchment and the Tuggerah Lakes. The Watagans are a popular tourist location and are close to Newcastle, Sydney and the Central Coast....
in the west and the southern end of Lake Macquarie
Lake Macquarie (New South Wales)
Lake Macquarie is Australia's largest coastal salt water lake, covering an area of in the Hunter Region of New South Wales with most of the City of Lake Macquarie's residents living near its shores. It is connected to the Tasman Sea by a short channel. Lake Macquarie is twice as large as Sydney...
in the north.
Politically, it is administered as two local government areas; City of Gosford and Wyong Shire. In September 2006, the NSW Government released a revised long term plan for the region that sees the Central Coast classified as a regional city, along with Wollongong
Wollongong, New South Wales
Wollongong is a seaside city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It lies on the narrow coastal strip between the Illawarra Escarpment and the Pacific Ocean, 82 kilometres south of Sydney...
and the Hunter Region, with the largest regional city in the area being Gosford
Gosford, New South Wales
Gosford is a city located on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia, approximately 76 km north of the Sydney central business district...
.
History
In 1811 the Governor of New South Wales, Lachlan MacquarieLachlan Macquarie
Major-General Lachlan Macquarie CB , was a British military officer and colonial administrator. He served as the last autocratic Governor of New South Wales, Australia from 1810 to 1821 and had a leading role in the social, economic and architectural development of the colony...
, gave the first land grant
Land grant
A land grant is a gift of real estate – land or its privileges – made by a government or other authority as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service...
in the region to William Nash, an ex-Marine of the First Fleet
First Fleet
The First Fleet is the name given to the eleven ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 with about 1,487 people, including 778 convicts , to establish the first European colony in Australia, in the region which Captain Cook had named New South Wales. The fleet was led by Captain ...
. No further grants were made in the area until 1821.
Geography
The region is a network of towns that have been linked in recent years by expanding suburban development. The main urban cluster of the region surrounds the northern shore of Brisbane WaterBrisbane Water
Brisbane Water is the northern arm of Broken Bay on the east coast of New South Wales Australia. Brisbane Water is named after Sir Thomas Brisbane, Governor of New South Wales between 1820 and 1825...
and includes the Coast's largest population centre, Gosford
Gosford, New South Wales
Gosford is a city located on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia, approximately 76 km north of the Sydney central business district...
, stretching east to the retail centre of Erina
Erina, New South Wales
Erina is a suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, located between Gosford and the Pacific Ocean at Terrigal. It is part of the City of Gosford local government area....
. Other major commercial "centres" on the Coast are Wyong
Wyong, New South Wales
Wyong was proclaimed a town in 1888 and is currently a major northern suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, located approximately 89 km NNE of Sydney. It is the administrative centre for the Wyong Shire local government area.- History :...
, Tuggerah
Tuggerah, New South Wales
Tuggerah is a suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, situated on the Main North Line and Sydney-Newcastle Freeway about 90 km north of Sydney. It is part of the Wyong Shire local government area....
, Lakehaven, The Entrance
The Entrance, New South Wales
The Entrance is a district centre and town of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the Wyong Shire local government area. At the 2006 census, The Entrance had a population of 2,632 people....
, Terrigal
Terrigal, New South Wales
Terrigal is a major coastal suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, located east of Gosford on the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the City of Gosford local government area....
, and Woy Woy
Woy Woy, New South Wales
Woy Woy is a coastal town and a southern suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, located on the southern reaches of Brisbane Water north of Sydney...
. Large numbers of people who live in the southern part of the region commute daily to work in Sydney. The Central Coast is also a popular tourist destination, and a popular area for retirement
Retirement
Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...
. As a result, the cultural identity of the region is distinct from that of the large and diverse metropolis of Sydney as well as the Hunter region, with its mining, heavy industry and port.
On 2 December 2005, the Central Coast was officially recognised as a stand alone region rather than an extension of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
or the Hunter Valley.
Climate
The Central Coast region has a humid subtropical climateHumid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
, with warm to hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters. Rainfall is spread evenly throughout the year but mildly more frequent during Autumn.
Population
The Australian Bureau of StatisticsAustralian Bureau of Statistics
The Australian Bureau of Statistics is Australia's national statistical agency. It was created as the Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics on 8 December 1905, when the Census and Statistics Act 1905 was given Royal assent. It had its beginnings in section 51 of the Constitution of Australia...
considers the Central Coast to be part of the Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
Statistical Division. However, it also identifies the Central Coast as the Gosford-Wyong Statistical Region. At the 2006 census the population of this region was 297,956. The most populous suburb in the Wyong Shire is Bateau Bay
Bateau Bay, New South Wales
Bateau Bay is a coastal suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the Wyong Shire local government area. Bateau Bay lies in the area known as Darkinjung to Indigenous Australians...
with a population of 11,599.The most populous suburb in the City of Gosford is Umina Beach with a population of 15,392.
Future issues
In recent years the Central Coast's main issues have centred around sustainable development and creation of local employment as the population of the region expands rapidly. High-rise development has been at the centre of many disputes as well as an ongoing water supply issue.Water restrictions
Water restrictions in Australia
Water restrictions have been enacted in many cities and regions in Australia, which is the Earth's driest inhabited continent, in response to chronic water shortages resulting from the drought. Depending upon the location, these can include restrictions on watering lawns, using sprinkler systems,...
on the Central Coast currently stand at Level 3, Level 5 being the highest. The water supply system on the Central Coast is the third largest in NSW, after Sydney and the Hunter. Water is supplied from three dams. Mangrove Creek Dam is the largest, with smaller dams at Mardi and Mooney Mooney. A project is currently underway to link Mardi Dam to Mangrove Creek Dam. This will boost total dam storage levels, speed up drought recovery and help protect the Central Coast against future periods of drought. The Mardi-Mangrove Link project is an initiative of Gosford City and Wyong Shire Councils with Australian Government funding of $80.3 million through its Water Smart Program. This Mardi-Mangrove Link is complemented by a pipeline that can transfer water from the Hunter to boost supplies when needed. As part of WaterPlan 2050, the long term water supply strategy for the Central Coast, a permanent desalination plant and recycled water will be considered as future water supply options if another prolonged drought occurs.
Environmental issues have also been a hot topic particularly with the quality of the lakes and waterways in the region. The Tuggerah lakes system has been plagued with weed growth and polluted stormwater runoff. The opening of the lake to the ocean is located at The Entrance
The Entrance, New South Wales
The Entrance is a district centre and town of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the Wyong Shire local government area. At the 2006 census, The Entrance had a population of 2,632 people....
however due the very small amount of water travelling through the entrance, it provides virtually no tide nor flush out any considerable storm water.
There have also been recent issues about the creation of a rugby league team (Central Coast Bears) in the National Rugby League competition
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
. These efforts were rejected in 2005 in favour of Queensland's Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
region but are likely to resurface in the near future when the governing body of rugby league once again considers new applications.
Education
The Central Coast has a campus of the University of NewcastleUniversity of Newcastle, Australia
The University of Newcastle is an Australian public university that was established in 1965. The University's main and largest campus is located in Callaghan, a suburb of Newcastle in New South Wales...
located at Ourimbah
Ourimbah, New South Wales
Ourimbah is a small township and a suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, located about north of the Sydney CBD. The township today consists of small scattered local shops and businesses along the Pacific Highway, as well as the Central Coast campus of the University of...
.
There are three campuses of the Hunter Institute of TAFE
Hunter Institute of TAFE
TAFE NSW - Hunter Institute has 15 campuses located in the Hunter and Central Coast regions. Its former names include Hunter Institute of TAFE and Hunter Institute of Technology.-External links:*...
located at Gosford, Wyong and Ourimbah.
The Central Coast has a wide range of primary and secondary school institutions. Notable schools include: Gosford High School
Gosford High School
Gosford High School is a public, co-educational, academically selective high school located in Gosford, New South Wales, Australia with 1080 students from years 7 to 12....
, the only selective high school in the region, and many private primary and secondary schools which include:
- Brisbane Water Secondary College
- St Edwards Christian College
- Central Coast Grammar School
- Green Point Christian College
- St Philip's Christian College
- Central Coast Rudolf Steiner School
- Central Coast Adventist School
- Lakes Grammar - An Anglican School
- Wyong Christian Community School K-12
- MacKillop Catholic College K-12
Media
Radio- Star 104.5 FM (commercial)
- 2GO FM 107.7 (commercial)
- ABC Local Radio92.5 ABC Central Coast92.5 ABC Central Coast is an ABC Local Radio station based at Erina in Gosford and broadcasting to the Central Coast region in New South Wales. The Central Coast is a large semi-urban coastal region just north of Sydney. The large transmission area of the station stretches from Woy Woy to The...
92.5 FM (ABC) - Sea FMSea FM (Australian radio network)Sea FM is a commercial Australian radio network, consisting of stations in Queensland, New South Wales and Tasmania and is owned by Southern Cross Austereo. Some Sea FM stations were later sold to meet media ownership requirements...
101.3 (commercial) - Triple JTriple Jtriple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
102.1/105.7 (ABCAustralian Broadcasting CorporationThe Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
) - Radio NationalRadio NationalABC Radio National is an Australia-wide non-commercial radio network run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.Radio National broadcasts national programming in areas that include news and current affairs, the arts, social issues, science, drama and comedy...
576 AM (ABC) - News RadioABC News RadioABC News Radio is the radio service of ABC News, a division of the ABC Television Network. Formerly known as ABC Radio News, ABC News Radio feeds, through Cumulus Media Networks, newscasts on the hour to its more than 2,000 affiliates...
98.1 FM/630 AM (ABC) - Radio Five-O-Plus 93.3 FM
- Big Country FM 94.1
- Rhema FM 94.9 (Christian)
- Coast FM 96.3
- Raw FMRaw FM (Australian radio network)Raw FM is an Australian narrowcast radio network, consisting of stations in New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and Queensland....
99.1 (Dance Music)
These are local stations only. In most locations on the Central Coast, Sydney and Newcastle stations can be received at good levels.
Television
The Central Coast has three Broadcast translators across the region, located at Bouddi (between Killcare & MacMasters Beach), Gosford & Wyong (Forresters Beach). These translators carry national broadcasters ABC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
& SBS
Special Broadcasting Service
The Special Broadcasting Service is a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television network. The stated purpose of SBS is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect...
, commercial broadcasters Seven
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
, Nine
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
& Ten from Sydney, and regional broadcasters NBN Television
NBN Television
NBN Television is a television station based in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. The station was inaugurated on 4 March 1962 as the first regional commercial television station in New South Wales, and has since expanded to 39 transmitters throughout the northern half of New South Wales and...
and Prime7. Southern Cross Ten
Southern Cross Ten
Southern Cross Ten is an Australian television channel broadcast by the Macquarie Media Group in Queensland, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and South Australia. The channel is owned by the Macquarie Media Group as is affiliated to Network Ten...
is only available from the North Wyong TV translator.
In addition to ABC1
ABC1
ABC1 was a United Kingdom based television channel from Disney using the branding of the Disney owned American network, ABC.The channel initially launched exclusively on the British digital terrestrial television platform Freeview on 27 September 2004. On 10 December 2004 it was launched on...
, SBS One, Seven (Sydney relay), Nine, Ten, NBN, Seven (Regional) and Southern Cross Ten; new digital-only channels have commenced broadcasting across the region. They include One HD, ABC2
ABC2
ABC2 is a national public television channel in Australia. Launched on 7 March 2005, it is the responsibility of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's television division, and is available nationally to digital television viewers in Australia...
, ABC3
ABC3
-Future shows:Programming confirmed for future broadcast will include:* After School Care * Bindi's Boot Camp * Bushwacked! * Dance Academy * Dancing Down Under...
, ABC News 24
ABC News 24
ABC News 24 is an Australian 24-hour news channel launched and owned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The channel replaced the former ABC High Definition simulcast of ABC1 and commenced broadcasting at 7:30pm 5:30 on Thursday, 22 July 2010.-Pre-launch:The ABC announced in January 2010...
, SBS Two, 7Two
7Two
7TWO is an Australian free-to-air standard definition digital television channel which was launched by the Seven Network on Sunday 1 November 2009 at 12pm....
, 7mate
7mate
7mate is an Australian free-to-air high definition digital television channel, which was launched by the Seven Network on 25 September 2010.The network stated that 7mate would contain sport and regular programs aimed primarily at a male audience, with programming drawn from a combination of new...
, GEM
GEM (Australian TV channel)
GEM is an Australian free-to-air high definition digital television channel, launched by the Nine Network on Sunday 26 September 2010 at 6am...
, GO!
Go! (Australian TV channel)
GO! is an Australian free-to-air standard definition digital television channel launched by the Nine Network on Sunday 9 August 2009.-Origins:...
and Eleven
Eleven (TV channel)
Eleven is an Australian free-to-air standard definition digital television channel, which was launched by ElevenCo, on 11 January 2011.-Joint venture:...
.
Digital transmission of these channels is available from all three TV translators.
Subscription Television service Foxtel
Foxtel
Foxtel is an Australian pay television company, operating cable, direct broadcast satellite television and IPTV services. It was formed in 1995 through a joint venture established between Telstra and News Corporation....
is also available via satellite.
Newspapers
The Central Coast is serviced by one twice-weekly newspaper.
The Central Coast Express Advocate, published by News Limited
News Limited
News Limited is one of Australia's largest diversified media companies. The publicly listed company's interests span newspaper and magazine publishing, Internet, Pay TV, National Rugby League, market research, DVD and film distribution, and film and television production trading assets.News Limited...
's News Local, is distributed on Wednesdays & Fridays. It is delivered to the resident's doorsteps free of charge.
Newspapers from Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
including The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald is a daily broadsheet newspaper published by Fairfax Media in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1831 as the Sydney Herald, the SMH is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Australia. The newspaper is published six days a week. The newspaper's Sunday counterpart, The...
, The Sun-Herald
The Sun-Herald
The Sun-Herald is an Australian tabloid newspaper published on Sundays in Sydney by Fairfax Media. It is the Sunday counterpart of The Sydney Morning Herald. In the 6 months to September 2005, The Sun-Herald had a circulation of 515,000...
, The Newcastle Herald
The Newcastle Herald
The Newcastle Herald is a local tabloid newspaper published daily, Monday to Saturday, in Newcastle, New South Wales, the largest non-capital city in Australia. It is the only local newspaper that serves the entire Hunter and Central Coast regions six days a week...
, The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph (Australia)
The Daily Telegraph is an Australian tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, by Nationwide News, part of News Corporation.The Tele, as it is also known, was founded in 1879. From 1936 to 1972, it was owned by Frank Packer's Australian Consolidated Press. That year it was sold to...
, The Sunday Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph (Australia)
The Daily Telegraph is an Australian tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, by Nationwide News, part of News Corporation.The Tele, as it is also known, was founded in 1879. From 1936 to 1972, it was owned by Frank Packer's Australian Consolidated Press. That year it was sold to...
and National Newspapers such as The Australian Financial Review
The Australian Financial Review
The Australian Financial Review is a leading business and finance newspaper in Australia.Fairfax Media publishes it in a compact format six days a week, Monday to Saturday....
and The Australian
The Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
are also available.
Sport
Central Coast Mariners FC
Central Coast Mariners Football Club is a professional football club based on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia. They participate in the A-League and are one of three teams from the state of New South Wales playing in the competition...
who play ssociation Soccer and compete in the A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
. The Mariners, the regions' most popular team, were grand-finalists in the first A-League 2005-06 season
A-League 2005-06
The 2005-06 season was the first season of the A-League, a domestic club competition for football in Australia. After over 12 months without a national professional club competition, the first match in the A-League was played on 26 August 2005...
, in the A-League 2007-08
A-League 2007-08
The A-League 2007-08 season was the third season of the Australian A-League football competition, won by the Newcastle Jets. Football Federation Australia hoped to build on the success of the previous two seasons and on the interest generated by and playing in the 2007 AFC Champions League, and...
season The Mariners play out of Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium
Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium
Central Coast Stadium, named Bluetongue Stadium due to sponsorship, is a sports venue in Gosford, on the Central Coast of New South Wales. The stadium is home to the Central Coast Mariners Football Club who compete in the A-League...
at Gosford
Gosford, New South Wales
Gosford is a city located on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia, approximately 76 km north of the Sydney central business district...
and in the A-League 2010-11 season. Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium is the largest stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
on the Central Coast. As well as hosting all the Mariners home games, several National Rugby League (NRL)
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
and Super 14
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
games have been held there.
The Central Coast Rhinos
Central Coast Rhinos
The Central Coast Rhinos are a semi-professional ice hockey team based in Erina, New South Wales, Australia that play in the Australian International Ice Hockey Cup. They are a former member Australian Ice Hockey League, playing in the league from 2005 to 2008...
is another team that plays in the Australian Ice Hockey League
Australian Ice Hockey League
The Australian Ice Hockey League is Australia's top-level ice hockey league. It is sanctioned by Ice Hockey Australia and is run by its own Board of Directors....
. The team have played out of Erina Ice Arena at Erina Fair
Erina Fair
Erina Fair is a major shopping centre located in Erina on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia. Erina Fair was opened as Central Coast Fair in 1987. With expansions in 1994, 2003 and 2009, Erina Fair has become the largest non-metropolitan shopping centre in Australia and the largest...
, which is the Central Coast's only ice rink
Ice rink
An ice rink is a frozen body of water and/or hardened chemicals where people can skate or play winter sports. Besides recreational ice skating, some of its uses include ice hockey, figure skating and curling as well as exhibitions, contests and ice shows...
. The Rhinos have played in the previous three seasons finishing 8th in 2005
2005 AIHL season
The 2005 AIHL season was the 6th season of the Australian Ice Hockey League, the 4th in which the Goodall Cup was awarded to the league champions....
, 7th in 2006
2006 AIHL season
The 2006 AIHL season was the 7th season of the Australian Ice Hockey League, the 5th in which the Goodall Cup was awarded to the league champions.The Melbourne Ice mathematically clinched their first ever V.I.P...
and 6th in the 2007 AIHL season
2007 AIHL season
The 2007 AIHL season was the 8th season of the Australian Ice Hockey League, the 6th in which the Goodall Cup will be awarded to the league champions....
.
The Central Coast 'Oxigen' Crusaders are the elite senior basketball program of the Central Coast region incorporating the Gosford City Rebels and The Entrance Lakers junior associations with their successful junior representative programs acting as the breeding grounds and feeder programs of the Crusaders senior teams. Their home 'national class' basketball stadium is located in Terrigal.
Several attempts have been made to have teams enter other national competitions. The most notable of these was the attempt to enter the Central Coast Bears as the 16th team into the NRL. This attempt was financed by a consortium led by John Singleton
John Singleton (Australian entrepreneur)
John Desmond Singleton AM is an Australian entrepreneur. He built his success and wealth in the advertising business in Australia in the 1970s and 1980s...
, but the Gold Coast Titans
Gold Coast Titans
Gold Coast Titans are an Australian professional rugby league football club, based in the Gold Coast, Queensland. The club competes in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership. It is the newest of the sixteen clubs in the league, having commenced its...
were ultimately successful. The Northern Eagles
Northern Eagles
The Northern Eagles were a rugby league team, that competed in the National Rugby League between 2000 and 2002. The club was formed during the rationalisation process of the NRL by the merger of the North Sydney Bears and the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in 2000...
, a merger of NRL
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
clubs Manly-Warringah
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League's Telstra Premiership, the premier rugby league competition of Australasia...
and North Sydney
North Sydney Bears
The North Sydney Bears are an Australian rugby league football club based in North Sydney, New South Wales. They currently compete in the New South Wales Cup, having exited the National Rugby League following the 1999 NRL season after 92 years of top-grade competition. The Bears are based on...
began their tenure playing half of their games at Gosford, however within three years the team was solely playing back at Brookvale. South Sydney were also unsuccessfully approached to play out of Gosford, despite the few games that are played on the Central Coast attracting large crowds. The Central Coast Storm rugby league team play in a number of NSWRL
New South Wales Rugby League
The New South Wales Rugby League is the governing body of rugby league in New South Wales and is a member of the Australian Rugby League. It was formed in Sydney on 8 August 1907 and was known as the New South Wales Rugby Football League until 1984 when forward thinking marketing managers decided...
lower grade competitions in rugby league, and the Central Coast Waves
Central Coast Waves
The Central Coast Waves are a rugby union club based on the Central Coast, New South Wales, Australia. They contest the Shute Shield NSW club competition...
rugby union team plays in the Shute Shield
Shute Shield
The Shute Shield is a rugby union competition in Sydney, New South Wales. It is the premier grade rugby trophy in NSW rugby. The Shute Shield is awarded at the end of the Sydney Club Rugby season to the team that wins the Grand Final...
. Most recently, the Central Coast Rays
Central Coast Rays
The Central Coast Rays were an Australian rugby union football club that played in the now-defunct Australian Rugby Championship. The Rays were formed as one of New South Wales' three clubs that participated in the inaugural season of the championship, which started in August 2007. The team were...
rugby union club who competed in the ill-fated Australian Rugby Championship
Australian Rugby Championship
The Australian Rugby Championship, often abbreviated to the ARC , was a domestic Rugby union football club competition in Australia which ran for only one season in August–October 2007...
's only season late in 2007, called Bluetongue Stadium home.
The Central Coast has numerous sporting ovals, golf courses, skate parks, tennis courts and swimming pools that are open to the public. Attempts are underway to build a series of bicycle paths. A velodrome is also open to the public at West Gosford
West Gosford, New South Wales
West Gosford is a suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the City of Gosford local government area....
. National parks on the Central Coast have a large range of walking paths and mountain bike trails. Water sports like sailing, rowing and water skiing are popular activities on the Central Coast lakes. Attempts are being made to attract pro golf tournaments to Magenta Shores (a new resort north of The Entrance), and plans are being considered to sink the wreckage of HMAS Adelaide off the coast for divers.
Tourism and visitor information
The Central Coast is a big magnet for tourism, located just a short day-trip away from Sydney makes it an ideal destination. Places such as Terrigal, Ettalong and The Entrance are extremely popular with tourists, and this is evidenced by an increase in major hotels in the region, such as Mantra, Oaks and Crowne Plaza resorts all thriving.The regional tourism body is known as Central Coast Tourism and manage the three accredited Visitor Information Centres located in the area. These are located in the Mt Penang Parklands at Kariong, in Memorial Park at The Entrance and also on Mann Street in Gosford.
Health
The Central Coast has two large public hospitals with Emergency departments. Gosford Hospital is the largest and has 460 beds, Wyong Hospital is located at Kanwal and has 274 beds. In addition to this there is a small public hospital in Woy Woy and Health Care Centre at Long Jetty. The largest private hospital on the Central Coast is North Gosford Private. Brisbane Waters Private in Woy Woy and Berkeley Vale Private are also major healthcare providers. The region has 21 aged care facilities. The Ambulance Service of NSW has seven ambulance stations on the Central Coast located at Bateau Bay, Doyalson, Ettalong, Point Clare, Terrigal, Toukley and Wyong.Transport
The Central Coast is serviced by an extensive road system as well as a combination of bus and rail providing public transport for the population. The region is also has a number of taxis operated by Central Coast Taxis.Sydney Newcastle Freeway
The main access to the Central Coast by road
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
is by the 127 kilometres (79 mi) Sydney-Newcastle Freeway
Sydney-Newcastle Freeway
The Sydney-Newcastle Freeway is a stretch of motorway linking Sydney to the Central Coast, Newcastle and Hunter regions of New South Wales. It is part of the AusLink road corridor between Sydney and Brisbane, carrying the route designation....
that carries the designation National Highway 1
National Highway (Australia)
thumb|right|150px|The National Highway Shield in NSW, QLD, WA, NT & TAS.The National Highway is a system of roads connecting all the States and Territories of Australia, and is the major network of highways connecting Australia's largest and most important cities.The National Highway was...
, known to most as the F3 Freeway. The freeway provides the most important road
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
link between Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, the Central Coast, Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
and the Hunter Valley
Hunter Valley
The Hunter Region, more commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney with an approximate population of 645,395 people. Most of the population of the Hunter Region lives within of the coast, with 55% of the entire...
.
Since December 2009 the F3 freeway is three lanes in each direction for 43 kilometres between Wahroonga
Wahroonga, New South Wales
Wahroonga is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Wahroonga is located 22 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council and Hornsby Shire....
and the Kariong Interchange and from Tuggerah
Tuggerah, New South Wales
Tuggerah is a suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, situated on the Main North Line and Sydney-Newcastle Freeway about 90 km north of Sydney. It is part of the Wyong Shire local government area....
and north to Beresfield, the freeway is two lanes in each direction. The freeway is then three lanes in each direction between Tuggerah and Peats Ridge, where a small 8 kilometre section leading to the Kariong interchange is again two lanes.
Central Coast Highway
The roads that link Kariong with Doyalson (Pacific Highway, Dane Drive, Masons Parade, York Street, George Street, The Entrance Road, Oakland Avenue, Coral Street, Wilfred Barrett Drive, Budgewoi Road and Scenic Road) became known as the Central Coast Highway
Central Coast Highway
The Central Coast Highway is a major road corridor through the Central Coast region of New South Wales. The route was officially named by the New South Wales state government on 9 August 2006 and aims to provide an easily identifiable route through the Coast for visitors to the region...
from 9 August 2006.
The Central Coast's roads are maintained by both local councils as well as several state roads, however, due to the relatively large geography, maintenance issues often arise.
Rail
The western suburbs of the Central Coast are serviced by CityRail'CityRail
CityRail is an operating brand of RailCorp, a corporation owned by the state government of New South Wales, Australia. It is responsible for providing commuter rail services, and some coach services, in and around Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, the three largest cities of New South Wales. It is...
s Newcastle & Central Coast line. The rail line is primarily used to provide mass transport for those that commute to Sydney and as such services are most frequent during peak commuter times (typically one hour before in the morning and after in the evening in comparison to Sydney peak times due to the distance). Gosford station is the central station on the line connecting with most bus services as well as taxis.
Central Coast stations on the CityRail network are (from south to north):
- Wondabyne
- Woy Woy
- Koolewong
- Tascott
- Point Clare
- Gosford
- Narara
- Niagara Park
- Lisarow
- Ourimbah
- Tuggerah
- Wyong
- Warnervale
- Wyee
Trains terminate at both Gosford and Wyong stations which are also utilised by the far-reaching CountryLink
CountryLink
CountryLink is the operator of passenger rail services in country New South Wales, Australia and into Queensland and Victoria. It is an operating brand of the Rail Corporation New South Wales, a government-owned entity...
network.
Bus
The Central Coast has no government-owned bus service, instead it is serviced by three separate private operators. The private bus operators in the region are Busways which has depots at KincumberKincumber, New South Wales
Kincumber is a south-eastern suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, nested between the Kincumba Mountain Reserve and the local waterway and located north of Sydney via the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway...
and Charmhaven
Charmhaven, New South Wales
Charmhaven is a suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the Wyong Shire local government area. The suburb is close to the Lakehaven Shopping Centre....
, Red Bus Services and Coastal Liner Coaches. All companies serve their own individual areas covering almost all areas of the region rarely overlapping.
Busways operates services using Tuggerah, Erina and Gosford as central points. In the south services cover as far south as Woy Woy, Umina, Ettalong and Pearl Beach/Patonga, and also stretch out to Kincumber, Erina, Avoca and Terrigal in the east. Occasional services are conducted to Kariong in the west. Busways' northern services cover from Gosford and north to Tuggerah (through the Narara Valley and Ourimbah), then continue north to Wyong via Tuggerah, which in turn services the northern section of Lake Haven, Charmhaven, Gorokan, Toukley, Noraville Budgewoi, Buff Point and San Remo. Further services also utilise routes including Blue Haven, Gwandalan, and as far north as Swansea and Charlestown in Lake Macquarie. As of February 2008, Busways now have more than 50 wheelchair accessible buses in its fleet.(17 at Charmhaven, 33 at Kincumber)
Red Bus Services operates services mainly between Wyong and The Entrance as well as The Entrance and Gosford, although some services do reach Ourimbah and Wyong Hospital at Kanwal. Their services also operate to West Gosford, Wyoming, Holgate, Matcham, Point Frederick and Springfield. Although most services operate to/from Wyong Hospital via Berkley Vale and Westfield Tuggerah, one service (Route 29) operates from Bay Village to Wyong Hospital via The Entrance, Magenta Shores, Toukley, Gorokan and Lake Haven. Red Bus have around 25 buses that are suitable for wheelchairs.
Coastal Liner operate limited route bus services around the Westfield Tuggerah, Wyong, Wyee, Hamlyn Terrace, Woongarah, Warnervale, Dooralong and Jilliby. Routes 10 (Tuggerah-Wyee via Hue Hue Road and Wyong), 12 (Tuggerah-Jilliby via Dicksons and Mandalong Roads) and 13 (Tuggerah-Dooralong via Jilliby Road) all operate only on weekdays with limited services. Route 11 is the most popular service, Linking Lake Haven with Warnervale via Hamlyn Terrace and Woongarah. This service on weekdays occasionally extends to Westfield Tuggerah and Wyong Station via Hue Hue Road. Coastal Liner also currently has 2 wheelchair buses.
Telecommunications
The Central Coast falls entirely in the fixed phone 43xx xxxx region and is classified Regional 1 for billing. Fixed-line telephone service is universally available. GSM and 3G3G
3G or 3rd generation mobile telecommunications is a generation of standards for mobile phones and mobile telecommunication services fulfilling the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 specifications by the International Telecommunication Union...
mobile services are available from Optus, Telstra and Vodafone. Though only Telstra's NextG network has broad coverage in the region.
ADSL and good quality fixed-wireless broadband services are widely available - however, significant blackspots continue to exist. High speed ADSL2 is available at most exchanges through Telstra, though few other providers exist, leading to an expensive high speed broadband offering for the region.
Retail
The Central Coast is home to Erina Fair, the largest single level shopping centre in the Southern Hemisphere and the largest non-metropolitan shopping centre in Australia. It provides many of the areas amenities such as restaurants, cinema, fast food and shopping.Another large shopping centre exists in the north, Westfield Tuggerah. It is a two story centre, with the bottom story reaching 1 kilometer in length.
There are also other smaller shopping centres that are further away from the large ones, such as Woy Woy, Kincumber, Gosford, Bay Village and Lake Haven.