21 February 2024
LIESL LEADS: MP DRIVING CHANGE ON THE COAST
Dare to dream: our world-class destination
By ARTHUR STANLEY
IT’S a Mariners home game at Industree Group Stadium and Liesl Tesch is sitting in her much-travelled e-wheelchair alongside a host of sport and business identities, spruiking the wonders of Gosford and her beloved Central Coast.
18 February 2024
TAXI FARE HOTLINE HOTS UP
SINCE the NSW Government mandated Taxi Fare Hotline stickers on all vehicles in September 2023, there has been a notable increase in refunds for passengers receiving unfair taxi fares. From November to January, there were 679 calls and 874 QR code scans compared to 473 and 97 in the previous year. Taxi companies issued 528 refunds in the last five months, comprising over half of all refunds since the hotline's inception in November 2022. In the 2022-23 financial year, more than 68 million point-to-point trips were recorded in NSW, with 892 refunds issued since the Taxi Fare Hotline launch.
18 February 2024
SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITY GRANTS
THE NSW Government's Open Streets program encourages councils to organize more community events by providing up to $150,000 for street closures. Aimed at easing cost-of-living pressures, the initiative supports free and safe cultural events such as markets, performances, dining, and street parties. Part of the $15M Vibrant Streets package, it aligns with Vibrancy reforms that simplify the event approval process without requiring a Development Application, significantly reducing associated costs. Applications are open from January 29, and funded events must occur by January 2025. Visit the Vibrant Streets Package website for details.
