Peter Dutton and the Coalition will put Australians first and are standing up for the community on the Central Coast. The Coalition has a plan to get Australia back on track and address our nation’s cost of living crisis.

The Central Coast is a great place to live and to raise a family. Locals value the relaxed lifestyle, the beautiful beaches, the spectacular waterways and national parks and want to ensure that all locals can enjoy the region’s natural beauty.

The Central Coast is proud of its thriving small business community which is the backbone of the local economy, including tradies, tourism operators, local manufacturers, the hospitality sector, home-based businesses, services businesses and local farmers.

The Coalition knows that the Albanese Government’s cost of living crisis has hit the Central Coast very hard. The costs of food, electricity, gas, insurance, mortgages, rents and transport have all gone up under Labor.

When a government gets its priorities wrong, its policies go wrong, and things go wrong for the Australian people. The Albanese Government has spent three years prioritising a divisive $450 million Voice referendum and pushing the agendas of extreme Greens activists and militant CFMEU bosses instead of addressing the cost of living crisis facing families on the Central Coast.

The Albanese Government has spent much of its term in office deciding on whether or not to build an expensive, unreliable offshore wind farm for the Central Coast, despite few locals wanting one. A Labor-Greens minority government would prioritise building more offshore wind farms, regardless of any local community concerns and how this would impact the natural beauty of the region. The Coalition opposes both the offshore wind and PEP-11 proposals for the Central Coast.

In contrast to a Labor Government fighting for the interests of their Greens allies and union donors, Peter Dutton and the Coalition will put the needs of local families first and focus on bringing down the cost of living.

We will provide direct assistance to Central Coast families by addressing electricity and fuel costs, repealing Labor’s tax on family cars and utes and focus on reducing Government waste to bring down the pressure on inflation. We will also back Central Coast small businesses by encouraging them to invest in the expansion of their businesses.

This is the choice facing the Central Coast at the upcoming election - a Dutton Coalition Government which is supporting small business and addressing the cost of living crisis or the risk of a Labor-Greens minority Government focused on ideological obsessions instead of local families.

Helping Local Families

Peter Dutton and the Coalition know that people on the Central Coast are struggling with the cost of living crisis. A Dutton Coalition Government will deliver low inflation, cheaper energy, affordable housing, safer communities and better healthcare.

The Coalition will deliver a Cost of Living Tax Offset to more than 10 million taxpayers as part of our plan to get Australia back on track.

It means taxpayers on the Central Coast earning up to $144,000 receive up to $1,200 in tax relief when they lodge their tax return for the upcoming 2025-26 financial year.

We know families on the Coast rely on their cars to get around - whether it be to work, school or to sports on the weekend. Peter Dutton will provide immediate relief to Central Coast families by slashing the petrol and diesel excise in half by 25 cents a litre. This will save a household with one vehicle filling up once a week around $14 or over $700 a year, with two vehicle households saving approximately $28 a week or around $1500 a year. We will also repeal Labor’s tax on family cars and utes. Labor will not cut fuel excise because they are chasing preferences from the Australian Greens.

The Coalition will deliver affordable and reliable energy and will pour more Australian gas into the system to address shortfalls and reduce energy prices for Australians. Energy prices will be lower under a Coalition Government.

The Coalition will invest hundreds of millions of dollars in local infrastructure projects on the Central Coast, including significant upgrades to Terrigal Drive and Avoca Drive which have been ignored under the Albanese Government.

We will also assist young local families in their quest to enter the housing market, by allowing first home buyers to access up to $50,000 from their superannuation to put towards a home deposit.

The Coalition will invest an extra $9.4 billion in Medicare nationwide, including additional funding for mental health. As part of this package, a Dutton Government will invest over $500 million to restore critical Medicare mental health funding, after Labor ripped away the affordable extra mental health support required by more than 372,000 Australians.

A Dutton Coalition Government will also back the 24,000 small businesses on the Central Coast by extending the value of assets eligible for instant write-off to $30,000, for firms with annual turnover up to $10 million. This new arrangement will be made permanent. Unfortunately the Albanese Government has refused to back this policy.

Infrastructure

A Dutton Coalition Government will make sure the Central Coast gets its fair share of infrastructure funding to take the pressure off local families.

The Albanese Government has deliberately dragged its feet on a number of vital local roads projects on the Central Coast. A Dutton Coalition Government will deliver for the local community.

We will commit $112.5 million to commence the upgrade of Terrigal Drive, the main single lane road to Terrigal from the Central Coast Highway.

The project will widen and duplicate sections of Terrigal Drive, make safety improvements to intersections, including Jessie Hurley Drive and Portsmouth Road, making the road safer for all road users, including cyclists.

This investment will improve road safety and efficiency - helping to cut congestion for local families and businesses.

The Coalition will also deliver the $130 million Avoca Drive upgrade project which has been delayed and not commenced by the Albanese Government. This upgrade will improve traffic flow and deliver infrastructure for active and public transport access on Avoca Drive through Kincumber.

The Coalition will also be delivering critical road projects committed under the former Coalition Government’s $86.5 million Central Coast Roads Package which have been delayed by Labor.

This includes the $35 million Ocean Beach Road and Rawson Road intersection upgrade at Woy Woy, which will replace the existing single lane roundabout with traffic lights, and the $9.1 million upgrade to Steyne Road in Saratoga. The road upgrade will include the construction of kerbs and gutters, footpaths, street drainage and new pavement.

The Coalition will deliver the $52.4 million upgrade to the intersection of Central Coast Highway and Tumbi Road, which has been delayed by three years under Labor.

In addition, we will complete the final stages of upgrades to Shelly Beach Road, Empire Bay and Lushington Street, West Gosford, also delayed under Labor. We will also commit $3.9 million towards a full upgrade of Nioka Avenue in Point Clare between Talinga Avenue and Takari Avenue.

An elected Dutton Coalition Government will also commit $10 million to expand and resurface the airstrip at Warnervale Airport.

By investing in the growth of Warnervale Airport, the Liberals are investing in more and higher skilled jobs coming to the Central Coast and enhancing the region’s ability to attract other industries and businesses to the region.

The Coalition will also deliver almost $2.8 million to help Central Coast Council strengthen local communities by funding facilities and helping build resilience against natural disasters under the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure program, and almost $1.4 million to the Council to repair and upgrade local roads under the Roads to Recovery program.

Energy

Only Peter Dutton and the Coalition have a plan to lower energy prices for families on the Central Coast.

Peter Dutton will provide immediate relief to Central Coast families by slashing the petrol and diesel excise in half by 25 cents a litre. This will save a household with one vehicle filling up once a week around $14 or over $700 a year, with two vehicle households saving approximately $28 a week or around $1500 a year.

Whether you’re dropping the kids at school, driving to and from work or visiting family and friends, it will cost less. Labor will not cut fuel excise because they are chasing preferences from the Australian Greens.

Whilst Mr Albanese is focusing on building expensive offshore wind farms close to the Central Coast, which will only further drive up the cost of electricity, Peter Dutton is focused on a balanced energy mix to drive down electricity costs for local families.

The Coalition has opposed both offshore wind and the PEP-11 gas projects for the Central Coast.

Many Central Coast families voted for Mr Albanese after he promised to cut their electricity costs by $275 a year. Not only has the Albanese Government failed to deliver on this core promise made in 2022, prices in NSW have instead increased by up to $1,300 more than promised.

Australia needs cheap, clean and consistent power and through our energy plan, a Dutton Coalition Government will deliver affordable and reliable energy.

We will deliver a balanced energy mix with renewables, gas, storage and zero-emissions nuclear. This will ensure retiring ‘always on’ baseload power is adequately replaced to guarantee reliability of the system, with an ongoing source of clean and 24/7 power.

In the short term, the Coalition will deliver affordable and reliable energy that will reserve Australian gas for Australians, pour more Australian gas into the system, address shortfalls and reduce energy prices for Australians. Energy prices will be cheaper under a Coalition Government.

Housing

A Dutton Coalition Government will restore the Australian dream of home ownership and reduce pressure on the housing market on the Central Coast, which is becoming unaffordable for many local families.

To boost the supply of housing for Central Coast families and future generations and help young Australians get into their first home, the Coalition will:

• Fight inflation to take pressure off interest rates and rents.
• Unlock 500,000 new homes across Australia through our $5 billion Housing Infrastructure Programme. This will fund the critical enabling infrastructure – such as water, power and sewerage – that is holding back the development of new homes.
• Reduce migration to sustainable levels that our housing supply can handle, which will swiftly benefit both renters and aspiring homeowners by freeing up stock and reducing competition.
• Implement a two-year ban on foreign investors and temporary residents purchasing existing homes to free up more homes for Australians.
• Boost the number of apprentices and trainees in training, with a particular focus on the construction trades, by providing over $500 million in our Apprentice and Trainee Wage Support program.
• Create the First Home Buyer Mortgage Deductibility Scheme to allow first home buyers who purchase a new property to live in, to claim a tax deduction for the interest payments on the first $650,000 of their mortgage for the first five years of their mortgage.
• Establish the Super Home Buyer Scheme to allow first home buyers and older women to access up to $50,000 of their own superannuation to help with a deposit for the purchase of their first home.
• Expand the Coalition's Home Guarantee Scheme, a former Coalition Government initiative, to help first home buyers, regional Australians and single parent families buy a home with deposits of 2-5%.
• Cut red and green tape to allow builders to get on with the job of building more homes, including freezing further changes to the National Construction Code.
• Tackle CFMEU corruption that has contributed to driving up the costs of building by 30 per cent, including restoring the Australian Building and Construction Commission.

Small and Family Business

A Dutton Coalition Government is unashamedly backing local small businesses on the Central Coast.

The 24,000 small and family businesses on the Central Coast are the lifeblood of the economy in the region, but under Labor they have been drowning under higher costs, higher interest rates, higher taxes, and more red tape.

Only the Coalition has a plan to support small and family businesses on the Central Coast: to grow jobs, cut costs and secure the future prosperity of the region.

A Dutton Coalition Government will revive entrepreneurialism on the Central Coast by delivering:

• Lower taxes on small businesses to support investment, growth and new business creation. Our plan will reduce the tax burden on small business across Australia by almost $2.9 billion over four years.
• Better finance to make it easier for small businesses to get loans and pay off debts.
• Less red tape to reduce the costs of doing business, and lower costs for consumers.
• Cheaper energy for small businesses.
• Easier employment by supporting small businesses with simpler laws and incentives to find the staff and apprentices they need.
• A level playing field by giving small business a seat at the table and strengthening laws to ensure they get a fair go.

As part of this plan we will deliver immediate relief for small and family businesses on the Central Coast. We will:

• Halve the fuel excise for 12 months.
• Scrap Labor’s tax on family cars and utes.
• Increase the instant asset write off to $30,000 and make it permanent. ● Support newly incorporated businesses with tax relief on their first $200,000 of income.
• Reverse the damaging aspects of Labor’s complex industrial relations reforms, including returning to a simple definition of a casual worker.
• Deliver tax deductions for business related meal expenses and tech upgrades.
• Provide wage incentives of $12,000 to take on a new apprentice or trainee in critical areas for the first two years of their training. Unlike Labor, who have ignored the needs of small businesses for the last three years, the Coalition wants to make it easier for small businesses to operate, create economic activity and employ locals on the Central Coast. Only a Dutton Coalition Government will get Central Coast small and family businesses back on track.

Tourism

The Coalition recognises the importance of tourism on the Central Coast.

Peter Dutton and the Coalition will stand up for the environment, local tourism operators and recreational fishers by scrapping the Labor and Greens plan for a Hunter Offshore Wind Zone.

An elected Dutton Coalition Government will commit $1 million to a larger-than-life addition to the iconic Australian Reptile Park in Somersby.

This commitment will support the construction of a Giant Bug Garden & Splash Adventure precinct at the Australian Reptile Park – a visually captivating garden filled with larger-than-life insects – which has been designed to promote water play, learning, and discovery.

The immersive new precinct is designed to attract visitors year-round, boost local tourism, and provide Central Coast families with an engaging and affordable day out.

Health

Under Labor, it has never been harder or more expensive to see a doctor on the Central Coast.

Bulk billing rates have collapsed under Anthony Albanese from 86.4% to 75.1% in the electorate of Robertson and from 90.4% to 73.7% in the electorate of Dobell, adding further cost of living pressure on local families.

Peter Dutton and the Coalition will invest $9.4 billion in extra funding for Medicare nationwide. As part of this package, a Dutton Government will invest over $500 million to restore critical Medicare mental health funding, after Labor ripped away the affordable extra mental health support required by more than 372,000 Australians.

This will double the number of Medicare-subsidised mental health sessions that Australians can access, from 10 to 20, and on a permanent basis. This substantial investment will ensure that all Australians, particularly those in regional communities, have affordable access to the mental health support they need.

The Coalition will also establish a new Urgent Care Clinic in Terrigal to help alleviate pressure on hospital services in the local community.

We will continue to invest in mental health to support young people getting access to local services on the Central Coast. We will invest $6.2 million in expanding the Headspace centre in Gosford to meet increasing demand for its services on the Central Coast. Last year, a quarter of young Australians delayed or avoided seeking professional support for their mental health needs because they just could not afford it.

The Coalition will also invest more than $2.85 million into the trusted local organisation, Health on the Streets. Health on the Streets is delivered from a medical clinic van that regularly visits community hubs and those without a home to provide health services, housing and community support. With this funding, Health on the Streets will be able to support more people and bolster its existing service model to take primary care to where it's needed most and focus on the individual and their particular issues.

Under Labor, 11 private maternity wards have closed their doors across the country. With the Gosford private maternity ward recently closing, public hospital services are increasingly strained and overcrowded, and local women are now being forced to travel up the M1 to Sydney or Newcastle just to give birth. Expectant mothers on the Coast deserve certainty when it comes to local birthing services. The local Liberal candidates will fight to bring maternity services back to the Central Coast.

Community Safety

The Coalition recognises the importance of prioritising community safety.

An elected Dutton Coalition Government will launch Operation Safer Communities to crack down on crime from the border to the backyard by investing more than $750 million through a comprehensive national package.

This package includes a National Drug Enforcement and Organised Crime Strike Team backed by $355 million in additional resourcing to tackle illicit drugs, which will see dedicated Australian Federal Police teams in each state and territory. Every dollar seized from drug dealers and criminal cartels will go towards helping the families and communities devastated by their crimes.

A Dutton Coalition Government will provide much needed leadership in tackling knife crime. We will work with states and territories to develop uniform knife laws across all jurisdictions, including laws which limit and restrict the sale and possession of knives to minors and dangerous individuals.

An elected Dutton Coalition Government will also commit an additional $90 million to further address family and domestic violence across Australia.

Like all Australians, women should live free from harm, violence, abuse, neglect or exploitation. That’s why we’ll put a renewed focus on the prevention of family and domestic violence, early intervention and crisis response.

We will make it an offence to use mobile phone and computer networks to cause an intimate partner or family member to fear for their personal safety, to track them using spyware, or engage in coercive behaviours.

We will also Implement a National Domestic Violence Register, allowing police across Australia and relevant agencies to access and share information about previous family violence convictions to better manage risk and avoid future offending.

A Dutton Coalition Government will also commit $20 million for the first residential Domestic Violence Trauma Recovery Centre for women and children on the Central Coast.

The Central Coast Trauma Recovery Centre will offer women and children fleeing family and domestic violence with a “one stop shop” person-centred approach to trauma recovery, including counselling, mental health and social services support, childcare facilities, legal assistance, return to work assistance and audio-visual rooms for remote court hearings/appearances.

A Dutton Coalition Government will also be investing more than $3 million on the Central Coast in new funding from the revitalised Safer Communities Fund in projects that will make a real difference for the Central Coast community.

This includes more than $2 million in funding through the Regional Youth Support Service to provide frontline youth support services to vulnerable young people, and up to $800,000 to upgrade CCTV to make Central Coast communities safer.

Investing in local communities

The Coalition recognises the importance of investing in local community, sporting and recreational facilities, particularly on the Central Coast.

A Dutton Coalition Government will provide direct investment into building and upgrading sporting and community facilities, including:

• $5 million for the full redevelopment of Warnervale Oval. This includes a new amenities building, extensive ground and preparation works, new sporting field surfaces and new roads, car parking and footpaths.
• $1.8 million for a facilities upgrade for Hylton Moore Oval, East Gosford. This funding would be spent on developing a new amenities building and a clubroom, replacing the older building which is no longer fit for purpose.
• $2 million for an upgrade to Watanobbi Oval which includes the renewal of the amenities building and the redevelopment of the main field to current standards including fencing renewal, floodlighting upgrades and drainage and irrigation extensions.

  $1.8 million for the upgrade of the Barrenjoey and Umina pathway on the Ettalong foreshore, improving access to the foreshore for the local community particularly for those with mobility restraints.

• $1 million to build female change rooms at Don Small Oval, home of the Wyong Lakes Magpies AFL Club. This will promote local participation in footy and cricket, among women and girls, and ensure that anyone can play the sport they love with the necessary facilities.

• $800,000 for the Regional Playspace Renewal - Saltwater Creek Reserve. This contribution would assist in the replacement of the current facility with a new facility up to current standards.

• $450,000 for the Clean4shore program that will engage local schools, youth, community, disability and Indigenous groups in removing plastic and other rubbish from local waterways.

• $450,000 for Empire Bay Tennis Club to facilitate the construction of a new clubhouse.

The Choice

“If you ask me ‘do you rule out governing in coalition with the Greens?’ the answer is NO! NO!” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, 31 March 2025.

The Central Coast cannot afford another three years of Labor.

A Labor-Greens Government would be a disaster for the Central Coast:

• More offshore wind turbines
• Less funding for local roads
• Increased electricity bills
• Higher petrol prices
• Unsustainable immigration
• No plan to fix the housing crisis

In contrast to the Albanese Government’s misguided priorities, a Dutton Coalition Government will focus its energies on alleviating the cost of living crisis for Central Coast families.

We will provide immediate cost of living relief to families through up to $1200 in tax relief to eligible taxpayers and by cutting the fuel excise, saving families 25c a litre for petrol and diesel. We will also repeal Labor’s tax on family cars and utes.

We will help families into home ownership, increase the supply of housing and reduce migration to a sustainable level.

The Coalition will invest in important local infrastructure which has been neglected by the Albanese Government, including upgrading Terrigal Drive, Avoca Drive and Warnervale Airport.

Only the Coalition has a plan to deliver for families on the Central Coast and get Australia back on track.