Annual Report 2013

There was no coup at the recent AGM, just a handful of Committee folk keen to keep progress happening around Coal Point and beyond.  The new Committee looks very similar to the old Committee only wiser, their contact details are on the back of the Chronicle.

At the outset of this report I would like to acknowledge the tremendous work that The Committee has done over the past year and encourage any community minded folk to get involved in your passion project. The Progress Association can be a vehicle to both give to the community and gain from the experience, there is a lot of evidence that supports community mindedness being a key to happiness.

The AGM provides an opportunity to reflect on the past 12 months and some of the shimmer from these reflections is below. 2012 proved to be an eventful and exciting year for the Progress Association and the community in general. Special mention goes out to Treasurer John Gill and auditor Allan Fletcher for their financial tenacity in maintaining a beautiful set of balanced books.

Formation of the Toronto Area Sustainable Neighbourhood (TASNG) group was a significant highlight for the year which brought interested locals under a well structured, LMCC supported, umbrella, ‘The Alliance’ and a plethora of opportunities for working towards sustainability emerged across the Toronto community in the form of the Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Plan.

The benefits of the TASNG include

• Providing clear project objectives to work towards
• Good council contacts
• Governance support 

The working groups that sit under the TASNG are working on

• Community Garden activities
• Pedestrian /access ways with safety issues being identified and community feedback sought
• Increased Landcaring opportunities
• Waste reduction issues

Congratulations to John Gill and Nico Marcar and the TASNG team realising the formation of the group.

Obtaining and delivering grants was another highlight in 2012.

Receipt of the six year Environmental Trust funded Threatened Species Last Stand on the Coal Point Peninsula (TSLS) project aims for a weed free environment that supports the ongoing survival of the local threatened species. The project will provide opportunities a plenty to

• Get on top of the weeds
• Learn about and love the local wildlife
• Secure succession of CPPA
• Provide a social events program

Completion of the recently delivered LMCC sponsored brochure tied in well with the TSLS project in providing local information to locals about the local community. The compilation of the content of the brochure highlighted pedestrian access points that need further work to get officially recognised by LMCC and a process to get them publicised for the community. Thanks go to Robyn Gill for her support in compiling the content for the brochure.

The CPPA owned Hall continues to be well utilised providing a community space for yoga, painting and parties. The Hall hire rates were reviewed based upon CPI and new fees set with discounts available at the discretion of the Committee. The fees for 2013 are

•       Commercial uses =$14/hr
•       Incorporated Community groups=$12.50/hr
•       Social groups=$8/hr
•       Small Parties (upto 30ppl)=$75
•       Large parties =$150
•       Party bond $350

Renovations are afoot to tile the toilets and provide onsite secure storage. If you know of a business or organisation that would like to assist please pass on the details.

Sincere thanks to Margaret Vero for her ongoing generosity in coordinating the bookings for Progress Hall and to Tony Dynon for keeping a watchful eye on maintenance issues.

The Fundraising highlight of the year was the Art & Craft show. The funds raised have ensured the running costs for the Hall can be met for another year. Thanks to Barbara Lawrenson and the Art & Craft Committee for doing a great job and contributing over 1000 voluntary hours towards the event. The Art & Craft show showcases the local talent and provides a wonderful opportunity for local artists to collaborate.

The Chronicle was distributed eight times this year and with the support of the sponsored spaces generated funds to almost cover the Association’s insurance needs. The Chronicles are produced by Suzanne Pritchard and letterboxed by 12 locals. This year 204 hours of volunteer time made it happen. Content and suggestions for what you’d like in the Chronicle are always appreciated.

Community assets were the topic for discussion towards the latter stages of the year and will generate the undercurrent for Progress activities in 2013.

• Removal of public toilets will be questioned
• Sale of public land 93-95 Skye Point Rd will be investigated
• The sale of Progress owned land adjoining the Stansfield Reserves will be investigated
• Support for work on public and private land will be provided through the TSLS grant

The local landcare team continued to work wonders and a full report is provided by Robyn Gill our local Landcare Coordinator   

As we work over 10 reserves… Coal Point Landcarers are a keen bunch… even after the excitement of realizing that we would soon be seeing paid professional bush regenerators working with us as part of the Threatened Species project, we didn’t put down our tools.

We enjoy our reserves so much that (with the help of a skilled spread sheet manager) we are able to report that in 2012 we worked a total of 858.5 hours OR  21.4 weeks of 40 hours (morning tea time only allowed).

During those hours we planted and cared for (especially in the dry time) 650 seedlings. The Landcare group varies between 3 and 6 workers weekly and our aim is to spend as much time as possible replacing the problematic plants that enjoy the conditions as much as we do. Left alone these often take over from native plants that, given a chance, do a great job of maintaining the balance of the environment and are quietly beautiful. 

We try to spread our work as well as possible through the reserves but can see that last year Gurranba and Burnage had a lot of attention because of special projects we were working on.  At Gurranba we removed a large amount of Asparagus Fern and Mother of Millions replacing them with a variety of Westringia, Dianella, Tuckeroos, Wattles, Allocasuarinas and Casuarinas and especially Kangaroo Grass which does very well in some quite harsh conditions on the point. At Burnage we had a “breakthrough” in a gradual process of removing Lantana while replacing it with Wattles and other lowish plants that quickly provide some canopy to suppress weeds.

We are always mindful of not taking too much bird and animal shelter and sometimes they prefer weed cover to nothing. We enjoyed the sight of a rapidly shivering and curving pathway of Trad. (often known as Wandering Jew) as a Rail ran among it totally invisible except for leaf movement. The area where that happened is rapidly becoming fern covered – even more shelter.  At Carey Bay Wetlands a Red-browed Finch has nested in a Melaleuca with spiky leaves specially planted for small bird shelter on National Tree Day about 5 years ago and a Regent Bower Bird’s brilliant blue bower has definitely been noticed by a female lately. Sightings like these help to make the work a joy.

To now have the pleasure of working, as part of “the big project”, with professionals who encourage us, share and hugely enlarge what is achieved is definitely the “icing on the cake” for us. Many thanks go to Suzanne Pritchard who pulled off this dream project design with a huge, complex and unrefuseable grant application and is now coordinating the groups involved to the benefit of our environment and community.