Cultural and Civic Space Still on Track (2 May 2020)

There has been some confusion over the current status of the Cultural and Civic Space.

But I’m happy to tell you that we are proceeding in accordance with the Coffs Harbour City Council resolution made last week not to pause the Cultural and Civic Space project.

The Cultural and Civic Space project is exactly the kind of project to provide added stimulus to the Coffs Harbour economy as our community recovers from COVID-19.  It will deliver much needed jobs and contribute to better literacy and education outcomes for our youth and future generations.

Let’s not forget what the building is designed for – a new Library, Gallery, Museum, meeting spaces for the community that would hold up to 200 people, a café, an outdoor space for community events and Council staff in the same building with all the front counter services you are used to.

A key aspect to bear in mind is that we – unlike many other councils – are in a strong financial position that will allow us to begin a range of transport, cultural, sporting and recreation infrastructure projects for our community as we start the recovery process.

Please Remain Vigilant

The NSW Government has announced that social distancing restrictions can now be slightly relaxed with two adults allowed to make a visit to someone at home to provide care, help reduce social isolation and to look after everybody’s mental health.

I’ve been so proud of the way the Coffs community has overwhelmingly followed the health rules and guidelines during this pandemic.

But there’s still a very long way to go. Please remain vigilant and keep to the rules as much as possible. Remember that the government advice is still to stay at home unless shopping for groceries, for medical or health needs, for exercise or to go to work if you can’t do so from home.

The beautiful Botanic Garden is a wonderful place to exercise safely. It’s tranquil, there’s plenty of space, some lovely paths and so much to see and enjoy.

Remember to hand-wash or sanitise regularly, please don’t spit and have a tissue handy to sneeze into and discard.

#supportlocal #buylocal

It is great to see the local community getting behind local business in these challenging times. Keep up the great work! Here are some ways you can continue to support our local business community:

Give a shout out to your favourite local business on social media. Do your Christmas shopping now with local businesses. Give yourself a night off cooking and order take-away. Buy your lunch from a cafe, restaurant or take-away business. Reschedule instead of cancelling your trip, activities or events. Pre-purchase an experience so that you have something to look forward to when life returns to normal.