A NSW council has refused to fly the Australian flag in its town centre for fear “it might offend some people”.

Central Coast Council, north of Sydney, is facing anger from local residents whose repeated requests to erect a flag in the centre of town has been denied.

Any local government that refuses to fly our flag should be dissolved.

Have pride in the country you serve.

Or lose the privilege to serve.https://t.co/b1ofAtfxgB

— Avi Yemini (@OzraeliAvi) October 11, 2022

Peninsula Chamber of Commerce President Matthew Wales said residents had spent three years negotiating with council for the right to install a flag.

He said the council had made numerous excuses blocking the installation of a flag.

“We just don't understand the council's adamant position on preventing this from happening,” he said.

“Council continually blamed or used excuses for why this can't happen, from cost of the flags, to lack of manpower, to offending people and it being contrary to the federal government protocols for flying the flag.”

Mr Wales said Umina and Gosford, two suburbs overseen by the Central Coast Council, were “archetypically Australian” and that residents were proud of the Australian flag.

“We're very disappointed the Central Coast Council has made absolutely no attempt to sit down with us and come up with a solution to this problem,” he said.

“The solution is quite simple, as long as the Australian flag banners complied with the federal government protocols why shouldn't they be flown?”

The Central Coast Council told the Daily Mail the flag ban only applied to town centre street banners, and would be reviewed at their meeting on this week.