NSW · Central Coast (between Sydney & Newcastle) · Local council, made simple
Central Coast Council
A large coastal-and-lakes region between Sydney and Newcastle — around 354,800 people across Gosford, Wyong, Terrigal, The Entrance and Woy Woy. The council returned to elected councillors in October 2024 after four years in administration. It runs the local services you use every week — waste, roads, libraries, development — and sets your rates. Here's the snapshot, then the stuff that affects your week.
Everyday essentials
The things people actually need from the council — fast.
Get to know your council
The basics, in one tap — open any card for key facts and a link to the official source.
This year's rate rise, how it compares across NSW, and why bills differ.
2025–26 rate peg: 4.3%
Open →Budget & financesHow financially healthy the council is, measured against official benchmarks.
Meets 6 of 9 OLG financial benchmarks
Open →Crime & safetyThe Central Coast's recorded crime rates, side by side with the NSW average.
4 of 12 major offences below the NSW rate
Open →Mayor & councillorsWho represents you, by ward — and where to read their official profiles.
Mayor: Lawrie McKinna (Independent)
Open →Elections & votingWhen the next council election is, and how voting works.
Next election: Sat 9 Sep 2028
Open →Contact & servicesHow to reach the council and report a problem.
Customer service: (02) 4306 7900
Open →City profileThe basics: how many people live here, how big the area is.
Population: ~354,800 (2024)
Open →What's happening
2 updatesRecent items from Central Coast Council's public channels, in plain language.
We check Central Coast Council's website every day, but we can't read it. It refuses requests from our collector, so anything below was recorded by hand and may be out of date. This says nothing about what the council has published — these are the pages we watch:
- Have your say
Have your say on Council's draft plans for the years ahead
The council placed its draft Delivery Program 2025–29, Operational Plan 2026–27, Fees and Charges and updated Long-Term Financial Plan on public exhibition (closing 6 May 2026), with increased investment including $203M for road renewal over four years.
What this means for you: Residents could review the council's spending and service priorities for the coming years and make a submission before the plans were adopted.
- Policy
Central Coast Council returns to an elected council
Following the 14 September 2024 election, the council's 15 new councillors were sworn in on 8 October 2024 and elected Lawrie McKinna as Mayor, ending four years of administration that began with a financial crisis in October 2020.
What this means for you: Local decisions are again made by councillors you elect, rather than a state-appointed administrator; the next ordinary election is in September 2028.
Email alerts aren't switched on yet
We haven't started sending email, so we're not taking addresses for now. New items from Central Coast Councilshow up under “What's happening” above as we find them, each linked to its official source.