Central Coast Council (New South Wales)

The Central Coast Council is a local government area in the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. It is adjacent to the Pacific Highway, Central Coast Highway, the Northern railway line and the Pacific Ocean. The council was formed on 12 May 2016 following the merger of the Gosford City and Wyong Shire Councils.

The council comprises an area of 1,681 square kilometres (649 sq mi) and is bounded to the east by the Tasman Sea, to the south by Broken Bay and the Hawkesbury River, and to the west by the Yengo National Park northwards to Bucketty before heading eastward along George Downes Drive, encompassing the Olney State Forest and crossing the Pacific Motorway, meeting the southern edge of Lake Macquarie at Mannering Park and eventually reaching the coast north of Moonee. The Central Coast Council has over 40 beaches and over 90 kilometres (56 mi) of coastline. As at the 2021 census the council area had an estimated population of 346,596.

The most recent Mayor of the Central Coast Council was Lisa Matthews (Labor), who was elected on 23 September 2019. On 30 October 2020, the Minister for Local Government, Shelley Hancock (Liberal), announced the immediate suspension of the elected council and the appointment of former senior public servant Dick Persson as the new interim Administrator. On 13 May 2021, Persson was succeeded as administrator by former acting CEO Rik Hart.