I recently had the honour of turning the first sod to signal the start of construction on one of the most important water infrastructure projects seen on the Central Coast in more than 25 years - the Mardi-Mangrove Link.

Not since Mangrove Creek Dam was built and commissioned in 1982 has there been such a major investment to protect our future water supply.

When the new 2.1km pipeline from Wyong River to Mardi Dam and the 19km pipeline from Mardi Dam to Mangrove Creek Dam are built and commissioned - along with two new pump stations - the Mardi-Mangrove Link will help secure the region’s town water supply for the next four decades.

Presently, Mangrove Creek Dam is only 28% full. With current demands and rainfall patterns in mind it is anticipated the Mardi-Mangrove Link will help storage levels recover to around 60% by 2015.

We also have both Gosford and Wyong Councils working together as initiators of the project and liaising closely with the Federal Government which has committed $80.3M through the Water Smart Australia Program.

The Councils are jointly funding the remaining $40M. Construction will continue over the next 12 months with all project elements ready for commissioning by June 2011.

I look forward to the day when the Mardi-Mangrove Link is up and running and our Central Coast water supply system is a lot more secure.
-Councillor Chris Holstein Mayor of Gosford City

World Environment Day is upon us with this year’s theme being “Many Species, One Planet, and One Future”. There no bettertime to reassess how we live within the broader scope of our environment and how the actions of humans affect other living things on our planet. The theme ties in nicely with the Year of Biodiversity which also has a focus on the importance of many different living things to give balance to our world.

Kristina Keneally makes young job seekers night

On Friday 7th May a fundraising event was held at Kooindah Waters for David Harris MP. Over 100 guests attended the evening including Kristina Keneally – NSW Premier, all reports were that is was a great success. Assisting in the success of the evening was loyal employee of Kooindah Waters, Alex Wesson, who had the pleasure of meeting both Kristina and David on the night.

Alex commenced employment with Kooindah Waters as a casual room attendant and kitchen hand at the 4.5 star Golf and Spa Resort located in Wyong, in April 2009 and was made full time in September. Alex’s employment is supported by Job Centre Australia, a not for profit specialist employment agency that has been assisting jobseekers with a disability, illness or health condition for nearly 20 years.

Job Centre Australia and Kooindah Waters have been working successfully together for the past 18 months. To date Kooindah Waters have employed 5 jobseekers in various roles within the resort.

The General Manager, Sandra Kerr, commented that “as a result of our ongoing relationship with Job Centre Australia they have saved us time and money by offering work experience placements, wage subsidies and trainers. This allows us to give people a chance to find out if they are the right fit for our organisation.“

Jamie Ryan, Executive Chef, is enthusiastic about the program and states “from day one, nothing was too much trouble for Alex, he came willing to work and to learn. Alex is the type of guy that when you pile a massive amount of dishes in front of him, from a 300+ conference, he smiles and say’s thanks”.

What once was a dream is now a reality for Alex. Congratulations Alex! Keep up the Good Work.

Bluetongue Beer signs on for another two years as naming rights sponsor of Bluetongue Stadium 10th May, 2010:

Bluetongue Brewery today announced that it will renew its naming rights at The Central Coast Stadium in Gosford for another two years, which includes exclusive pouring rights.

Peter McLoughlin, CEO of Pacific Beverages who owns the Bluetongue Brand says “We are proud to announce our ongoing partnership with the Stadium. Bluetongue’s affiliation with the Central Coast region is very important to us, particularly with the new Bluetongue Brewery being commissioned within weeks in Warnervale.

We are the local brewers in the region and investing into the local community is important to us. Our progress to date is in no small way attributed to the support from local customers and consumers and the decision to continue to support the region was an easy one.”

Monique Marks Managing Director of Bluetongue Stadium, says, “We are very pleased to welcome Bluetongue back for a third term as the naming rights sponsor of our stadium. Given Bluetongue’s strong Central Coast 0heritage and its popularity in the region, the brand is an ideal fit for us. Our patrons recognise it as a home-grown success story and are proud to drink a brand that is their own”.