Council facilities to reopen via staged approach

Published on 08 October 2021

Following the announcement that NSW has reached the 70% vaccination rate milestone, Cessnock City Council has released a schedule for reopening their facilities via a staged approach (pending the approval of COVID Safety Plans).

Monday 11 October will see the reopening of Kurri Kurri Library, the Hunter Valley Visitor Information Centre, Cessnock Performing Arts Centre, the Cessnock Civic Indoor Sports Centre and the Cessnock Youth Centre and Outreach Service (CYCOS).

The Cessnock Civic Indoor Sports Centre will only open to regular hirers at this stage and won’t be taking casual bookings.

The CYCOS facility will be available for community services who hire the venue and will be open for scheduled appointments with young people. At 80%, the service will be open for small youth group programs, which will need to be booked in advance.

The contractor who operates Kurri Kurri Aquatic and Indoor Fitness Centre has also confirmed they are working towards reopening on Monday 11 October. To find out more about the services being offered and the restrictions for entry to the Kurri Kurri Aquatic and Indoor Fitness Centre, please visit their website.

Cessnock City Library will reopen on Monday 18 October.

Once 80% vaccination is achieved, Council will reopen its Customer Service Centre on Vincent Street in Cessnock, and community-based facilities and halls will be able to reopen, pending the approval of COVID Safety Plans.

Under the NSW Government Roadmap to Reopening, the 1 December 2021 will likely see all Council facilities and services return to normal.

Cessnock City Mayor, Councillor Bob Pynsent said it will be wonderful to see these Council facilities reopened and the return of some level of normalcy, but also reminded the community to remain vigilant.

“While our facilities will reopen, there will be strict guidelines in place to adhere with the Public Health Order, including only opening these facilities to fully vaccinated people, and I encourage everyone in our community to do the right thing.”

“With the recent fluctuation of cases in the Cessnock LGA, I encourage those who haven’t already, to get vaccinated. This will not only protect yourself and your family, but it will help to support the reopening of local services and businesses,” added Cr Pynsent.

For more information about the reopening of Council facilities and services, please visit the COVID-19 page on our website.