The Hunter Central Coast AFL season is underway and officials are expecting the men’s first grade competition to be hotly contested The Killarney Vale Bombers have recorded consecutive losses Current flood notices are in place for areas of the Central Coast, including Tuggerah Lake. Read more and follow our Facebook page  Performing Arts Centre of the Year in 2022 The visual arts culture of the Central Coast Creating new and improved destinations for play across the Central Coast renewed and upgraded playspaces completed in the 2022-23 financial year This year’s programme delivered a variety of exciting equipment creating new and improved destinations for play across the Central Coast The renewed Mackenzie Reserve playspace features two slides a dual flying fox with one accessible seat a kids' bike path around the play area with road signs The existing net climber and liberty swing were retained A new concrete pathway was also constructed to connect the playspace plus rubber softfall into and around the playspace to promote accessibility and inclusion Established trees were retained to provide natural shade plus a shade sail was constructed to provide sun protection Infrastructure such as waste and recycling bin enclosures were retained and a water drinking station was installed to keep everyone hydrated The renewed play equipment at the Bluebell Park playspace features a shop front The renewed play equipment at Gurdon Reserve playspace includes a shop front Koolewong Foreshore Reserve – Koolewong The renewed play equipment at Koolewong Foreshore Reserve playspace includes a shop front McKellar Boulevard – Blue Haven  The existing playspace at Birdwood Avenue was demolished and a new playspace at McKellar Boulevard was established Play equipment at the new playspace includes a rope course A new concrete pathway was also be constructed to connect the playspace and stone seating Established trees were retained to provide natural shade.   The renewed play equipment at Oakland Avenue playspace includes a shop front double swing including a standard and nest swing The renewed play equipment at Osborne Park includes a shop front The existing playspace at Pioneer Park was converted to a nature playspace designed to provide opportunity for active play and sensory experiences that feature natural timber play elements including a shop front sculptures and stepping-stones with formal and informal settings connecting the playspace The renewed play equipment at Tonkiss Street playspace features a shop front Wycombe Road – Terrigal The renewed play equipment at Wydcombe Road features new play equipment that will include a shop front Killarney Vale is one of only five football clubs in Australia to receive a $50,000 grant through the Bunnings Community Football Program There were 400 applications in the inaugural Bunnings Home Ground Advantage initiative which will help local clubs with products and materials they need Killarney Vale Football Club – the Bombers – will use the grant for clubhouse improvements to kickstart renovations to the changerooms and update the historic premiership team boards Bombers President Paul Forster said they still couldn’t believe they had been selected as one of the five lucky clubs across Australia to receive the $50,000 funding “We will use the grant to upgrade the clubrooms which is the foundation of our football club and has become synonymous with everything that is the Killarney Vale community,” he said “We can’t wait to celebrate and improve this aspect of our club “I can’t thank Bunnings enough for selecting us as part of the program and deepen the existing connection that we have with the nearest store in Tuggerah “It is a significant amount of money for our club and the other four clubs across Australia which also share this great news.” Bunnings Chief Operating Officer Ryan Baker said the role local footy clubs played in the community was important “We are thrilled to announce the five successful clubs across Australia who will receive a $50,000 grant to spend on Bunnings products and materials “Our store teams provide ongoing support to local footy clubs through fundraising sausage sizzles and hands-on support and the Home Ground Advantage initiative is another way we can lend a hand to help local clubs improve their facilities that will benefit the wider community “To receive over 400 applications nationwide is truly amazing and shows how crucial community football is across Australia “We can’t thank the clubs enough for their interest and we are grateful for each and every application that was submitted.” Bunnings Tuggerah is working closely with Killarney club as they complete their facility upgrades and to help set the club up for head start to the 2025 season I travel on the new trains daily from Woy Woy to Central and vice versa I love the new trains apart from (the fact) they are absolutely freezing Ettalong Memorial Bowling Club in Springwood St have both submitted revised plans to Central Coast Council for significant improvements… Humpty Dumpty Foundation has sprung into action to help Central Coast Local Health District provide seven breast pumps for its midwifery and Aboriginal health services The Entrance Bateau Bay is preparing for a highly anticipated local derby against Killarney Vale this weekend hungry for a victory at home in the Hunter Central Coast AFL competition We've hit the ground running for 2025 with our road crews out-and-about maintaining and improving Central Coast roads.  Other works including maintenance are continuing with crews undertaking: To see what capital work road works Council is undertaking this financial year near you, view our interactive online map.  To report or enquire about specific road maintenance or safety concerns: CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) Killarney Vale and Terrigal are set to butt heads in the AFL Hunter Central Coast Black Diamond Men’s Cup grand final on Saturday set to kick off at 2.20pm at Adelaide St Oval in Killarney Vale with Killarney Vale going into the game as minor premiers and Terrigal having come second on the points table The game will wind up a full weekend of AFL grand finals following a five-month season which saw game postponements and cancellations due to torrential rains which saw grounds impacted all over the Central Coast earlier in the year but people seemed to enjoy being back at the footy after two years of COVID-19 disruptions,” a spokesperson said “Quite a few games couldn’t go ahead and while some were replayed some couldn’t be – there was lots of moving around on a weekly basis.” A full day of AFL will see grand finals played at Bateau Bay as well as Adelaide St Oval the action will commence at 11.50am with the Black Diamond Men’s Shield game as Warners Bay takes on Musswellbrook followed by the Black Diamond Men’s Plate at 2.30pm to be contested by Nelsons Bay and Newcastle City the Women’s Black Diamond Plate kicks off at 9.20am with Cardiff taking on Lake Macquarie followed by the Black Diamond women’s Cup at 11.40 when minor premiers Newcastle City will clash with Killarney Vale The day’s play will conclude with the main event – the Black Diamond Men’s Cup A man was refused bail to appear before Wyong Local Court following a stabbing at Killarney Vale emergency services were called to Avery St Officers attached to Tuggerah Lakes Police District arrived to find a 55-year-old man with neck injuries.NSW Ambulance paramedics treated him at the scene before taking him to Gosford Hospital in a stable condition.Police arrested a 36-year-old man at the scene and he was taken to Wyong Police Station where he was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm (domestic violence) wound person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and custody of knife in public place – first offence Killarney Vale Preschool is doing its bit to educate the community on sun protection with the installation of a large UV indicator “We have been teaching children about sun safety and how to read the UV ratings and implement sun protection based on these numbers,” a spokesperson said the educators have been wanting to share this knowledge with our families and the broader community to have an impact on reducing the amount of skin cancer in NSW “Educators researched and explored ways to embed this thinking and knowledge into our everyday practice and came across a large display UV indicator online that was being used in WA and promoted by Sunsmart and the Cancer Council “After exploring the possibilities with WA Sunsmart the preschool consulted with the children and committee on the installation of this display “Due to the location of the preschool near a sporting oval and next door to the Guides and Scout halls the decision was made to locate it out the front of the preschool where children can see it through the windows at any time of the day and the community can access it while driving or walking past “The children will be able to check the UV rating throughout the day and be able to make decisions about sun protection based on what they can see.” The preschool applied for and was successful in obtaining some funding through the AGECS 100 Years of Excellence mini Grant to assist with the cost of the UV indicator “This grant gave us the opportunity to be the first on the Central Coast to install this technology and educate our community on sun safety,” the spokesperson said The UV indicator is solar powered and will display the current UV index in real time It is intended to encourage safe practice by people observing the meter and promote the development of habits to reduce the risks from exposure to environmental UV The preschool will also participate in a broader national campaign The UV meter will provide a geographic location reporting back to the myUVwebsite This is an important education component of the ongoing campaign by Cancer Councils to increase awareness of naturally occurring UV throughout the Australian population A draft study exploring ways to minimise the impact of flooding in the Killarney Vale and Long Jetty catchment areas has been released by Central Coast Council for public comment The aim of this study and plan is to reduce the impact of overland flooding and flood liability across Killarney Vale within the Killarney Vale and Long Jetty catchments Each of the catchments is drained by a network of channels The Killarney Vale/Long Jetty study only covers overland flooding from the local catchments draining into Tuggerah Lake Inundation from elevated water levels in Tuggerah Lake is not assessed as part of this study as this has been addressed in the Tuggerah Lakes Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan The Killarney Vale/Long Jetty study takes in social environmental and flood risks and evaluates a range of potential mitigation measures Trouble spots identified in this study of January 2020 include: Hume Bvde and Wyong Rd near Macarthur St; Davidson Ave at Ferndale St; and Shelly Beach and Long Jetty sites at Elsiemer St Options for flood modification provided in the study aim to reduce the extent depth and velocity of floodwater by upgrading drainage They include recommendations for stormwater upgrades near Hume Bvde at Killarney Vale with an estimated cost of $770,000; near The Entrance Reef Resort Motel Roadworks and regrading flood modification options are: installation of kerb and gutter along Elseimer St and Pacific St $170,000; median modification near Wyong Rd culverts the study also predicted reduction in flood damage costs if each option was implemented along with the associated benefit-cost ratio The study recommended more detailed analysis of debris control structures upstream of Wyong Rd culverts under Wyong Rd near Kathleen White Cres and under Hume Bved near Macarthur St estimated to cost about $120,000 over a 50-year period assuming each track rack would be replaced after 25 years and maintenance every three months Other recommendations included updating local flood plans making flood data available to property owners and advocate for fair and affordable property insurance premiums that the options in the study could be implemented progressively over a five-year timeframe it was more likely to be a 10-year period because of the high capital cost and dependent on the budgetary commitments of Council and availability of funding from other sources To view the Killarney Vale and Long Jetty Catchments Floodplain Risk Management Strategy and Plan online go to yourvoiceourcoast Council is inviting submissions until 5pm on Wednesday Source:Central Coast Council websiteReporter: Sue Murray One of the best kept real estate secrets is out of the bag as Sydney buyers swarm on the 2261 postcode pushing up average property values by almost 16 percent in 2020 and the beachside suburbs of Blue Bay and Toowoon Bay is now as much as six-fold higher than the beginning of 2020 who is Principal of Raine & Horne Toowoon Bay / Killarney Vale “Hordes of Sydney buyers every weekend come to open inspections whereas a year ago we were lucky if we attracted six groups to a weekend inspection,” Denny said with many travelling to our region from Sydney’s north and north west with 942 properties sold between July 1 to December 31 Long Jetty and Killarney Vale were among the top growth suburbs on the Central Coast with values up by 15-16 percent since February last year,” Denny said they could live and work on the Central Coast,” he said they could buy a decent family home close to excellent infrastructure rather than be stuck living in a pokey Sydney apartment.” three-bedroom homes on large blocks range from $700,000 to $800,000 while $700,000 will buy a three-bedroom house in Killarney Vale such as the new North Connex and the West Connex is also central to demand from Sydney first time buyers who are taking advantage of generous stamp duty benefits and home loan deposit schemes,” Denny said “This region isn’t only attracting first-timers; there are also upgraders leaving behind a $3M property in Sydney suburbs such as Castle Hill and moving to Bateau Bay where they can pay $2M for a lifestyle property with sweeping water views and still have some money in the bank.” The 2261 postcode’s strength is illustrated by the rapid sale of a neat three-bedroom house at 11 Pendant Pde Denny said the property attracted 50 groups at the first open house on February 6 and 400 online inquiries “The property sold within a week of hitting the market for a price well above expectations,” he said listing a Long Jetty or Killarney Vale home between now and Easter will likely produce a decent result for a vendor Blue Bay and Toowoon Bay are benefiting from their proximity to popular Long Jetty The Entrance has been a favourite vacation destination for Sydney residents along with Long Jetty Sydney buyers are discovering Long Jetty’s burgeoning bohemian restaurant café precinct on The Entrance Rd that has remarkable similarities with inner-city Newtown in the 1980s and 1990s “We also have great golf clubs such as Shelly Beach Golf Club Kooindah Waters Golf Club and Magenta Shores plus fabulous beaches that are the traditional attractions of this region “This unexpected café culture appears to be resonating and is helping to attract Sydney buyers to nearby Killarney Vale It’s bad enough having to put up with them all at Xmas Construction of the new amenities building at Adelaide Street Oval Killarney Vale is now complete providing The Killarney Vale Bombers AFL Club with a significantly improved and accessible facility The new sportsground amenities building is fit for purpose to meet the growing needs of local sporting groups in the area new concrete pathways have been constructed around the entire perimeter of the building that links to the carpark and existing AFL Clubhouse ensuring that people with limited mobility can participate.  AFL ACT/Regional NSW Participation and Programs Regional Manager Simon Smyth said this new building firmly placed Adelaide Street Oval as one of the premier AFL facilities north of Sydney is not only a testament to the growth of AFL in the region but also speaks volumes of the growth and high value placed on female participation,” he said “Knowing that the Killarney Vale Bombers currently have 90 plus Auskickers these future stars of the club will enjoy utilising these facilities for many years to come.” Central Coast Council Administrator Rik Hart said this milestone was the result of Council NSW Government and AFL working together for the benefit of the local community “This project will deliver on a goal from Council’s community strategic plan to create a liveable coast through quality sports facilities and one of many sports infrastructure projects underway for the Coast this financial year,” he said said he was thrilled to be able to provide the Killarney Vale Bombers AFL Club with the funding needed to get this project off the ground “The NSW Government is investing record amounts to deliver the infrastructure needed to stimulate economies but we’re also backing grassroots projects that make a positive difference to local sports clubs local communities and surrounding areas,” he said Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said the project was made possible thanks to more than $900,000 through the Stronger Country Communities Fund “Adelaide Street Oval is exactly the kind of project the Stronger Country Communities Fund was designed to deliver and the NSW Government is committed to creating a more inclusive environment for participation in sport and better local amenities,” Toole said Source:Parliamentary Secretary Central Coast Raine & Horne Toowoon Bay/Killarney Vale Principal Paul Denny said up to 50 groups had been attending open houses in the region on recent weekends up from half a dozen a weekend last February The increased interest from prospective buyers has led to a boom in the entire 2261 postcode with 942 properties sold between July 1 and December 31 last year “Long Jetty and Killarney Vale were among the top growth suburbs on the Central Coast with values up by 15-16 per cent since February last year,” Mr Denny said the COVID pandemic helped bring an influx of Sydneysiders to the region when they discovered they could work from home “Sydney buyers realised that with our region’s excellent NBN rollout that they could live and work on the Central Coast,” he said “Better still they could buy a decent family home close to excellent infrastructure rather than be stuck living in a pokey Sydney apartment.” Mr Denny said improved infrastructure such as the new North Connex and the West Connex links had also helped drive demand from Sydney buyers who have been taking advantage of generous stamp duty benefits and home loan deposit schemes “But this region isn’t only attracting first-timers,” he said “There are also upgraders leaving behind a $3 million property in Sydney suburbs such as Castle Hill and moving to Bateau Bay Blue Bay or Toowoon Bay where they can pay $2 million for a lifestyle property with sweeping water views and still have some money in the bank.” Raine & Horne Group Executive Chairman Angus Raine  said the combination of improved internet connectivity improved infrastructure and the working from home trend had helped make living in the 2261 postcode an attractive proposition the NBN has made it much easier for Sydney-based employers to work from home at least a few days a week while the North Connex that opened in October has reduced door-to-desk commutes to Sydney by as much as 20 minutes per trip.” News Sitemap we have road work underway across the Coast to deliver improvements and maintenance works Some of the road works underway this week include: DID YOU KNOW? Road repairs are prioritised by level of risk and traffic volumes with higher traffic roads generally requiring attention first repair work may be undertaken on several roads in the same suburb around a priority site Scheduling of road repairs requires a flexible approach as new issues can be identified or reported at any time and weather can impact which works are able to be carried out – which is why plans are adjusted each week This renovated Killarney Vale home on a tiny 384sqm block has sold for top dollar Picture: The Agency A renovated Killarney Vale property has certainly proved that good things come in small packages Set on a tiny 384sqm block, the gorgeous home at 24 Norton Ave was recently snapped up in just 20 days for $900,000 – a huge price for a non-waterfront home in a suburb with a median house price of $570,000 Sold during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic the Penrith buyers “fell in love” with the home which was extensively renovated by The Agency on behalf of the overseas vendor “The house was originally quite rundown…it would have been worth about $650,000 before all the updates were made,” agent Brian Whiteman said “I project managed the reno’s and we spent about $115,000 on it It was well worth the vendors time and money.” The downstairs guest accommodation leads to the pool The house had been painted and styled right before it hit the market the four-bedroom property is architecturally designed to make full use of the smaller block allowing space for a low maintenance courtyard and pool it includes an upstairs open plan kitchen and living area with stacker doors opening to an undercover balcony with lake views The open-plan living spaces open to a balcony overlooking the lake Downstairs features separate guest accommodation with kitchenette and direct access to the pool and outdoor entertainment area There is also an upstairs study and big double garage “The buyers walked in and just loved the design flow and uniqueness of the home,” co-listing agent Simon Mitrovich said so loved the fact that it was low maintenance.” Mr Whiteman said that he had never seen a property that couldn’t benefit from even a small update and mentioned that he suggested it to almost all his potential sellers “Making changes can really increase the value of a home and is worth delaying a listing in my opinion,” he said The top selling residential property in Killarney Vale is a waterfront home on 740sqm block at 26 Lucinda Ave third parties have written and supplied the content and we are not responsible for it completeness or reliability of the information nor do we accept any liability or responsibility arising in any way from omissions or errors contained in the content We do not recommend sponsored lenders or loan products and we cannot introduce you to sponsored lenders We strongly recommend that you obtain independent advice before you act on the content realestate.com.au is owned and operated by ASX-listed REA Group Ltd (REA:ASX) © REA Group Ltd. By accessing or using our platform, you agree to our Terms of Use. Long before the QBE Sydney Swans Academy started developing NSW talent there was a prototype set up on the Central Coast by Tony McVeigh which set a standard for others to follow and produced a success rate almost impossible to compete with his two sons Mark and Jarrad McVeigh played 557 games between them Jarrad played 325 for Sydney between 2004 and 2019 and Mark played 232 for Essendon between 1999 and 2012 Peter and Shaun Burgoyne (616 games) and Ian and Bruce Nankervis (578 games) have done better for pairings of brothers in the history of the game Tony’s set up was rudimentary with gum trees for goal posts and an overturned trampoline for rebounding ground balls But his Killarney Vale Academy has a strike rate for producing AFL talent none have been able to match- 100 per cent “We played games against each other and trained every single night,” Jarrad McVeigh said “We’d play footy in the morning and come home and watch the only televised match on a Saturday We’d be back outside kicking the footy at half-time I was lucky to have a brother playing footy because there weren’t many on the Central Coast at that time The four year age difference between Mark and Jarrad didn’t seem to matter “I was lucky Jarrad was as good as he was,” Mark said Jarrad’s skill level was amazing for such a young kid.” Their dad Tony was a talented sportsman in his own right representing Victoria in badminton and squash and playing 45 games for Williamstown in the VFA between 1978 and 1981 his wife Margaret (a former Victorian netball representative) and Mark moved to the NSW Central Coast where he took up the coaching job at Killarney Vale Tony coached the Killarney Vale Bombers to a premiership in his first season in 1982 and to runner-up the following season to Gosford He captained the club to another flag in 1987 Jarrad was born in 1985 and it didn’t take long to see the boys had sporting ability and needed some space to develop and grow “I cleared the scrub so they could run around and we had a pool so we did triathlons together,” Tony said do two laps and then rode pushbikes down the driveway The skills were the main thing because they were naturally fit The trampoline was an innovation; I painted a bullseye on it and laid it on its side it bounced back on the ground and they would run in and pick it up and dispose of it Mark was more aerial and Jarrad had great ground skills They would spend hours out there and I would watch them from the house.” While the Killarney Vale Academy and junior footy club gave Mark and Jarrad a great start the move to Pennant Hills took them to another level with their football “We left Killarney Vale to get more exposure to better players and more opportunities,” Mark said “I was 13 years old and it was a good move Pennant Hills was a really strong club and that’s where I met Lenny Hayes It was disappointing for a lot of people on the coast and there was resentment towards us but dad is pretty strong.” For those who know the McVeigh family well it wasn’t hard to see where Tony got his strength from Jimmy McVeigh was a merchant seaman born and bred in Liverpool He was a gunner in the Merchant Navy during the Second World War “The Germans hunted the supply ships down so he saw plenty of action,” Tony said “He travelled to Australia a number of times and fell in love with the place When the war ended he said to mum this is where I want us to live There were already four boys in the family when we made the trip including me The McVeigh’s ended up in Williamstown in Victoria and had another four children including an only daughter Colleen She was Jimmy’s favourite and became a champion lacrosse player for Australia participating in four world championships and captaining the team Colleen married Western Bulldogs player Mark Hunter Their son Lachie Hunter played against Jarrad McVeigh in the 2016 grand final Playing on opposite sides seems to be the family norm the four year age difference meant Mark and Jarrad never played in the same team throughout their junior days They were opposed each other throughout their AFL careers with Mark and Jarrad staying one-team players throughout their time at the Bombers and Swans respectively The closest they came to joining forces was in 2004 when Paul Roos was keen on bringing Mark to the Swans “It was close to happening but Essendon were a big club and I wanted to stay a one team player,” Mark said Mark missed the 2000 premiership team but played in the losing grand final the following year against Brisbane Over the following years he became a key member of the Bombers line up and leadership group He represented Australia in the International Rules Series in Ireland in 2004 In 2008 he finished in the top 20 in the Brownlow after missing eight games through injury polling 13 votes In his 17 seasons at the Swans Jarrad established himself as one of the club’s greats he was captain from 2011 to 2016 winning two Bob Skilton Medals (2008 The highlight came in 2012 when he led Sydney to an epic grand final win over Hawthorn Over the span of their careers the brothers lined up against each other eight times and have continued their rivalry into the coaches box with Jarrad now and assistant alongside John Longmire at the Swans and Mark an assistant to Leon Cameron “They’ve been destined to go in different paths,” Tony said “I’d love to see them on the same team one day but they’re two different people and have got their own ideas and ways Australian Football celebrates its 140th anniversary in New South Wales this year after the founding of the NSW Football Association in Sydney in 1880.To commemorate, 140 coaches, players, umpires, administrators and media personalities from both the Elite (VFL/AFL) and Community level will be inducted into the inaugural New South Wales Australian Football Hall of Fame. Five Sydney Swans stars have polled votes from the coaches in Derby XXX The importance of connecting with local youth was not lost on Sydney Swans defender Nick Blakey as he reflected on his time as a junior footballer during a visit to his junior club The QBE Foundation hosted its annual Goals for Good event at Sunday’s AFL clash between the Sydney Swans and GWS Giants Sydney Swans category B rookies Barry O’Connor and Sam Wicks will have the opportunity to put their hand up for selection after being elevated to Sydney’s senior list but Joel Hamling finally kicks his first goal in AFL footy Will Hayward takes a great mark and kicks our fifth consecutive first quarter goal to give the Swans the dream start Corey Warner finishes off a piece of brilliant team build up to extend our lead late in the third quarter Enjoy Peter Ladhams' standout VFL performance for Sydney the Swans VFL side were unable to overcome the top-of-the-table Giants on Sunday at the SCG The Sydney Swans acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country across all the lands on which we operate and play our great game Elders are the knowledge keepers of our culture and we respectfully acknowledge and pay our respects to the elders past Offering a change of pace from Australia’s mecca sand and surf offered by the Central Coast remain an enticing prospect for those looking to enter the property market in 2023 Fact Checked Where Sydney’s property market experienced a tale of two halves throughout 2022 - with 64 suburbs falling below the million-dollar mark - the Central Coast showed resilience.  founder and director of Sharp Property Buyers noted the Central Coast market fared quite well compared to Australia’s property heavyweights in Sydney and Melbourne.  “The market is still relatively affordable to buyers and when coupled with relatively low stock levels these factors have underpinned the price across most Central Coast suburbs,” Mr Sharp said.  PRD Chief Economist Dr Asti Mardiasmo echoed this sentiment noting the Central Coast fared much better than Sydney given it offers a more affordable price point “The median house and unit price across the Central Coast did soften in the past 12 months however only by 1.1% and 9.5% respectively,” Dr Mardiasmo told Savings.com.au.  the Central Coast has approximately 1,240 units and 343 lots planned which will definitely assist with housing supply.” Like many regions on the outskirts of neighboring capital cities the shift to the Central Coast in recent times was spurred on by the desire to escape normality for a lifestyle change and embrace the new normal that was working from home Director of Property Buyer’s Agency Ready Set Buy said with many people now returning back to the office either on a part-time or full-time basis the demand for some of these locations has naturally slowed down “Working from home is no longer the sole driving factor behind these buyers,” Mr Avelovski told Savings.com.au.  eight consecutive interest rate increases have played their hand creating the ability for prospective homeowners to borrow less while being faced with higher loan repayments “Naturally this will put downward pressure on property prices especially in markets like the Central Coast where we’ve seen substantial growth over the past three years,” Mr Avelovski said.  CoreLogic data revealed the volume of sales across the Central Coast for Spring 2022 declined 33.8% to 1,575 when compared to the pre-COVID decade average of 2,380.  given the Central Coast consists of more than 80 suburbs there lies a number of opportunities across the region in 2023 for first home buyers owner occupiers or investors to capitalise on the market The first of Matt Sharp’s Central Coast picks includes Ettalong Beach “Given Ettalong Beach is surrounded by bodies of water so land is of a premium and is very limited,” Mr Sharp said.  “Located a little over an hour's drive from Sydney’s CBD or a 40 minute train ride Ettalong Beach offers fantastic amenities in terms of cafes restaurants and bars with Woy Woy station right on your doorstep.  “Another alternative to using public transport is the ferry service which takes you straight over to Palm Beach.”  Mr Sharp believes Ettalong Beach presents an attractive proposition for buyers including small developments with the area zoned for R3 or medium density.  Ettalong Beach presents a median house price of $1,265,000 and a median unit price of $875,000 based on PropTrack data.  Considered a first-home buyer market with the opportunity for significant growth in the longer term Mr Sharp says Killarney Vale presents an attractive proposition.  Killarney Vale is taking advantage of the gentrification out in Long Jetty in recent times,” he said “The main strip of shops at Killarney Vale has everything you need including some popular cafes which adds to the gentrification aspect Mr Sharp notes the median house price on offer at Killarney Vale is $850,000 while the neighbouring suburb of Long Jetty currently sits around $1.3 million you remain close to the beach with everything Long Jetty offers at your fingertips plus the addition of a significant discount,” he said.  “This was a market that has been impacted by an increase in interest rates typically you could buy something in Killarney Vale for a million dollars now it has come back to around $850k because people’s borrowing capacity has come down about 20%.” Toukley returns to the fray as a Central Coast suburb to watch Toukley is located 107km north of Sydney’s CBD and 15km north of Bateau Bay surrounded by multiple bodies of water including Tuggerah and Budgewoi Lakes “For similar reasons to last year Toukley presents a good opportunity once more in 2023,” Mr Sharp said.  PRD’s Dr Mardiasmo says Toukley presents an opportunity for growth as a result of balanced affordability and future projects in the pipeline.  Toukley currently offers a median house price of $822,500 and median unit price of $529,080 based on PropTrack data One of the most intriguing prospects on the Central Coast according to Matt Sharp lies in East Gosford “East Gosford is becoming an attractive option for people relocating from Sydney the reason being it is quite a trendy little area,” he said “Typically people that live in East Gosford will either commute to Sydney or be employed at either Gosford Hospital or the Private Hospital.” East Gosford is positioned to take advantage of some of the best beaches on the Central Coast yet remains within arm's reach of necessary amenities.  East Gosford is only five minutes to Gosford meaning you can jump on a train and head straight down to Sydney or jump straight on the M1 if you are driving,” he said.  Mr Sharp notes that like Killarney Vale and Ettalong Beach East Gosford is an attractive option for developers with plenty of R3 zoning available.  Dr Mardiasmo also believes East Gosford presents a significant proposition for growth into 2023 Ready Set Buy’s Tome Avelovski believes demand and growth for suburbs along the coastal fringe is expected to remain throughout the Central Coast in 2023 especially those with water views or within walking distance to the beaches “There’s really no vacant land left to develop on there so people have no choice but to buy existing dwellings,” he said Terrigal and Wamberal would be my top picks for growth in 2023.” Avoca Beach recorded a median house price of $1,795,000 based on PropTrack data Fast forward 12-months and the market has remained stable falling back to a median of $1,700,000.  Similar trends can be seen across North Avoca Terrigal and Wamberal with prices remaining relatively steady across the year despite interest rate increases.  Mr Sharp said the more premium markets such as these have held quite strong “Quality homes include those well established in a desirable street with some X-factor about it - whether that be water views or proximity to amenities These are the homes that are highly sought after because they are few and far between,” he said.  Another pick to return to the fray in 2023 is Bateau Bay located some 96 km from Sydney’s CBD.  With the Central Coast Council being proactive Mr Avelovski said more than 350 key infrastructure projects are currently in the pipeline worth over $175 million “Many of these projects will drive people to the area improving liveability and access to the region and provide a boost to local businesses and employment opportunities,” he said.   the NSW Government will also upgrade the Central Coast Highway for 3.8 km between Wamberal and Bateau Bay.  This will see the highway upgraded to two lanes in both directions between the Tumbi Road intersection and Bateau Bay Road intersection to improve travel time and safety for 26,500 motorists who use this section of highway daily “With the $420 million Central Coast Highway upgrade reducing congestion and improving safety between Wamberal and Bateau Bay I would also expect to see some good growth around the Bateau Bay area,” Mr Avelovski said.   “You’re only minutes away from the beaches and a short 20 minute drive to Gosford CBD and 1.5hrs to Sydney CBD providing a great balance location for work and lifestyle.”  Bateau Bay currently presents a median house price of $1,125,000 based on PropTrack data Learn everything you need to know about buying property – from choosing the right property and home loan tips to save money and more!With bonus Q&A sheet and Crossword Jacob Cocciolone joined the Savings team in 2021 as a Finance Journalist Driven by a passion for keeping Australians up to date with the latest financial news and trends his areas of interest include financial technology Compare thousands of home loans rates and features from 100+ leading Australian lenders Speak to a broker and get help
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For more information, read Savings.com.au’s Financial Services and Credit Guide (FSCG) Stay up to date with the latest rate movements across home loans By subscribing you agree to our privacy policy Join thousands of Aussies getting smarter with personal finance news expert insights and more in our regular roundup email Receive episode alerts plus special invites to have your questions or savings tips read out on the show Days after heavy rain lashed the Central Coast water is still on the doorsteps of several Killarney Vale homes The SES says water levels are gradually returning to normal The Tuggerah Lake at Long Jetty has dipped below the minor flooding level as has the Wyong River at Gears and Jilliby Creek at Jilliby and residents claim a lack of dredging has made it worse Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time shouting and swearing in normally quiet Playford Road alerted residents something was horribly wrong on Friday night As they ran out to check what was the matter they saw a distressed little girl running down the driveway of a neighbour's property crying out ''They killed mummy and daddy.'' The girl and her brother were in the house where a man and a woman were discovered dead allegedly killed in a trail of violence that spanned 23 kilometres starting with a domestic incident and continuing with attempted car-jackings The bodies of a 55-year-old man and a 45-year-old woman were found when police arrived at a central coast home about 8.30pm on Friday Crime scene: The residence where two people were killed police arrested a 25-year-old man at an industrial estate in Enterprise Drive and a police spokeswoman said detectives had taken a knife from the crime scene for forensic examination Police have confirmed the name of the arrested man is Corey Breen He appeared in Gosford Local Court on Saturday charged with two counts of murder Police have alleged the night of violence began in Hay Street where neighbours said Mr Breen has lived for about one year with his partner and two children One resident described the arrested man's family as ''lovely pleasant neighbours'' and ''the last people you'd expect to be involved in any trouble'' although there had been a large group of people drinking at the house all day there was nothing to suggest it was getting out of control Another Hay Street resident spoke of her shock as plain-clothed police descended on the house about 5am on Saturday several hours after her daughter had warned her to lock her doors because ''someone's gone berserk in Gorokan'' ''They were standing in the middle of the street looking at the house I couldn't understand why because they're just your everyday normal people who live there,'' she said It is alleged that after the incident in Hay Street Mr Breen attempted a car-jacking and allegedly stabbed a man in Dudley Street The injured man then drove to a service station on Wallarah Road to raise the alarm while Mr Breen allegedly continued to a takeaway store on the same street and allegedly attempted to assault two men inside It is believed he then allegedly tried to break into a home in Merrendale Avenue The residents would not comment on whether they knew Mr Breen From there he appeared to continue to Thelma Street allegedly committing another trespass offence before stealing a second vehicle and allegedly attempting a home invasion in Robertson Road told the ABC he is devastated by what has happened ''Far out - for [the children] to see it It'll scar them for life,'' he said ''I didn't actually believe it and then obviously seeing the police van here arrived first on the scene after hearing a ''commotion'' They described what confronted them as ''terrible'' and ''traumatic'' and said they alerted police immediately Another said they heard a violent row going on and they heard a man shouting they saw a distressed little girl running down the driveway of a neighbour's property crying out One resident described the arrested man's family as ''lovely pleasant neighbours'' and ''the last people you'd expect to be involved in any trouble'' several hours after her daughter had warned her to lock her doors because ''someone's gone berserk in Gorokan'' ''They were standing in the middle of the street looking at the house I couldn't understand why because they're just your everyday normal people who live there,'' she said arrived first on the scene after hearing a ''commotion'' They described what confronted them as ''terrible'' and ''traumatic'' and said they alerted police immediately Central Coast Council has adopted two Flood Risk Management Studies and Plans one for the Killarney Vale/Long Jetty area and one for the Wallarah Creek catchment areas The catchments include the suburbs of Bateau Bay said the adoption of the plans do not have any immediate financial impact on Council “The purpose of these types of studies and plans is to provide options to better manage the existing future and continuing flood risk,” he said “This is done through various measures including helping to build community resilience land use planning and suitable design of infrastructure and buildings “Now that these studies and plans have been adopted the options identified are eligible for grant funding from the NSW Government which typically requires a one-third funding commitment from Council “Many of the options identified here do not involve capital works with 11 out of the 15 shortlisted recommendations for Killarney Vale/Long Jetty along with the five high priority options for Wallarah Creek only requiring staff resources to implement,” Persson said Council secured funding from the NSW Government to prepare the Flood Risk Management Plan for the Killarney Vale/Long Jetty and Wallarah Creek catchments in 2017 and 2018 respectively Gosford City FC has been defeated by Killarney Vale DSC in the Central Coast Football Battlewin Competition with a strong local crowd turning out to see the two rivals go head to head in a replay of the 2016 Grand Final Gosford City were defeated by Killarney Vale in the Major Semi-Final 7-1 and knew that they needed to produce some of their best football if they wanted to defeat the local powerhouse Killarney Vale District Soccer Club in the grand final With Killarney Vale winning the third grade competition and the second grade competition earlier on the day the first grade team wanted to make it three from three A strong crowd gathered to see some of the best football talent on the Central Coast Gosford were unfortunate to concede in the first five minutes and Gosford knew that they now needed more than one goal if they wanted a chance of defeating the 2017 minor premiers Gosford were dealt a blow when their fi rst choice goalkeeper needed to be substituted The fi rst half saw a variety of chances to both teams the score at the end of the first half would remain 1-0 in Killarney Vale’s favour Both teams entered the sheds at half time knowing that the second half would have to be their best half of football for the year if they wanted to be crowned champions of the Central Coast it was Killarney Vale who were able to get the better of Gosford after some nice football resulted in a tidy finish from Killarney Vale Gosford were unable to create any chances after this as Killarney Vale had gathered the momentum and were in full control of the game Gosford’s hopes of winning the Grand Final were dealt a massive blow after a screamer from Killarney Vale’s Gosford were hoping to not concede seven goals as they knew that things could start to get ugly Gosford never really troubled Killarney Vale’s defence Gosford’s defence was consistently called into question to make it 4-0 after some quality football on their behalf guaranteed that they would take out the title for two consecutive years and a lack of discipline resulted in them conceding a penalty in the last minute knowing that Gosford had no chance of staging a comeback The full time whistle confirmed Killarney Vale’s dominant display Gosford have now been runners up for three consecutive years Judging by the number of print ads in our local papers of late the Liberals seem to be outspending Labor three to one in the campaign to win the seat… Players and teams from across the Central Coast have been recognised for their efforts on the AFL field at Hunter Central Coast AFL’s Elliot Davey Awards Starting off with the minor premiers for the 2021 season the Terrigal Avoca men’s team won the Black Diamond Cup and Black Diamond Plate Killarney Vale’s Brandon Lloyd was recognised as the runner up for the Maurice Goolagong Trophy which recognises the player that scored the most goals closely following the winner Mitchell Crawford of Newcastle City who scored 31 goals Wyong Lakes’ Luarna Greentree was recognised as the fifth highest goal kicker in the Black Diamond Cup Women’s Leading Goal Kicker award Wyong Lakes’ Justin McPhan was awarded the Black Diamond Plate Men’s Leading kicker award with 33 goals scored Killarney Vale players Ashleigh Page and Aaron Duncan were both selected as Hunter Central Coast’s Representative players of the year for 2021 Other Coasties mentioned in the awards include Killarney Vale’s Corey Shackleton who was a joint winner with Singleton’s Nadene McBride for the James J Arnold Clubperson of the Year award Wyong Lakes’ Lee More was awarded the Black Diamond Plate The Granland Medal for tallying the most votes for best and fairest tying with Cardiff’s David Graan with 13 votes The Elliot Davey Awards recognises players from across the Hunter and Central Coast teams for their efforts and achievements on the field over the last season which was cut short at round nine when the current COVID-19 lockdown started in June A spokesperson for Hunter Central Coast AFL said thank you to all club volunteers umpires and club families for their hard work and commitment to the 2021 season “The season didn’t end the way we would have liked it to so we hope to see everyone in 2022 for what we hope can be a more complete season,” the spokesperson said A Police investigation into an aggravated break and enter at Kariong has led to the discovery of firearms during a home search at Killarney Vale officers attached to Brisbane Water Police District responded to reports of an aggravated break and enter on the Central Coast Hwy at Kariong Police were told two males were seen entering a home Further inquiries suggested the home had also been targeted in the days prior and inquiries commenced before the matter was taken on by police officers of Raptor Squad North Raptor Squad operatives executed a search warrant in Playford Rd imitation assault rifle and an imitation shotgun All items were seized to undergo further forensic examination where he was charged with aggravated break and enter with intent-in company-not steal etc attempt stalk/intimidate intend fear of harm two counts of possess unauthorised prohibited firearm possess unregistered firearm-pistol and possess prohibited drug He was refused bail to appear in Wyong Local Court A woman has been treated for shock after a Killarney Vale home went up in flames this afternoon to find the property on the corner of Yangoora Street well alight The 73-year-old female resident was treated by paramedics on scene A depleted Killarney Vale side was unable to gain a victory over Nelson Bay as they were defeated 111- 49 at Adelaide St Oval in the last round of the AFL Black Diamond Cup Nelson Bay confi rmed their place in the semi- fi nals thanks to their resounding 62 point win over Killarney Vale in the absence of Scott Reed and Ryan Barrett Wyong Lakes secured the Minor Premiership with a strong 37 point win over Newcastle City at No.1 Sportsground while Terrigal Avoca finished their season with a 68 point win over near neighbours Killarney Vale and Wyong Lakes were unable to progress in their preliminary fi nals after both sides were defeated by Gosford and Maitland Killarney Vale served notice to minor premiers Cardiff that they mean business with a professional 31 point win over Warners Bay