Regional Powerhouses Partner for Prosperity

A newly minted partnership between Lake Macquarie City Council and Central Coast Council is set to drive investment, innovation and advocacy across the two local government areas. 

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The partnership agreement was presented to Lake Macquarie Council at their meeting on Monday night and is scheduled to be tabled at the Central Coast Council Meeting on Tuesday 23 September 2025.  

It is expected that following that meeting, Lake Macquarie Mayor Adam Shultz and Central Coast Mayor Lawrie McKinna will formally sign the agreement.

Both Mayors praised the initiative as a significant step forward in ensuring the region receives the recognition and support it deserves.

Mayor Adam said the councils represented a combined population of almost 600,000 people, covering some of the most important development and growth sites in NSW.

“It’s not just a border we share with Central Coast Council,” he said.

“It’s our environmental, social and economic values, and our vision to grow our cities to make them places where people want to live, work and invest for generations to come.”

“By aligning our efforts, we can more effectively represent our communities to NSW and Federal Governments, ensuring our collective voice is heard and our priorities are supported.”

Central Coast Mayor McKinna said that by working together, we are better placed to address today’s challenges and lay the foundations for a well-planned future across the Central Coast and Lake Macquarie regions.

“This partnership reflects a strong and enduring commitment to work together in good faith. It is founded on mutual respect and a unified purpose to support the development of meaningful and lasting outcomes for our region,”

Mayor McKinna said.

Under the partnership, the two councils will keep each other informed of key projects, activities and strategies, and will collaborate more closely on shared areas of interest.

Those areas of interest include:

• The Morisset-Warnervale growth corridor

• Community infrastructure affecting both LGAs

• Energy transition initiatives, including Eraring and Vales Point

• Collaborative use of assets and resources to help the community

“We will also explore opportunities to streamline our operations through a coordinated or joint approach to suitable projects,” Mayor Adam said.

Mayor McKinna said a partnership committee comprising the Mayors, Council CEOs and a steering group, would meet at least twice a year to “strengthen the relationship and deliver for our communities”.

Combined, the Central Coast and Lake Macquarie LGAs cover an area equivalent to the entire ACT, from Woy Woy and Killcare in the south to Cameron Park and Charlestown in the north, and west to Martinsville and Mangrove Mountain.

They have a total estimated gross regional product of more than $38 billion, and support more than 215,000 jobs and 40,000 businesses.