What a year!

It’s been a big year for the CPPA with the completion of the 6-year Threatened Species project, an Art & Craft Show, a new grant for energy efficiencies at the Hall along with joining forces with other community groups to raise awareness about and prevent a 4-6 storey development on public land at Bath Street.

The Bath St proposal has been a real eye-opener for what happens when the community

doesn’t see eye-to-eye with council proposals and the majority of elected representatives don’t seem to be supporting the community viewpoint.

Since the tabling of the 5295 signature petition in late October the following actions have been undertaken and information obtained:

• A comprehensive submission was compiled and delivered to all councillors and key council staff detailing inconsistencies with local and state planning instruments. 
• TFPG lodged requests for information from Council on documentation deemed ‘commercial in confidence’ relating to environmental constraints, heritage, traffic, architectural drawings and feasibility results. The Information & Privacy Commission have stated that Council’s decisions to withhold the information were not justified and have recommended council make a new decision. Council have declined to release the information sought either until the DA is lodged or not at all. 
• Council has produced a summary of the community engagement from the Toronto
  
  Foreshore Masterplan. The document reiterates council’s intention to build and has a strong flavour of community opposition to that proposal. 
• A meeting was called by the Mayor with Clr Pauling and representatives of the TFPG in attendance to investigate how trust could be re-established with the community and to identify areas where cooperation and collaboration could be undertaken. At the meeting 
• The Mayor extended an invitation to TFPG to meet with councillors and consultants in the new year 
• TFPG representatives suggested Council investigate other landholdings in the Toronto CBD such as the 1500m2 holding on the corner of Pemell St and Brighton Ave or their landholdings between the Aldi Carpark and the Anglican church 
• TFPG suggested partnership options with the RMYC be explored. 

The CPPA is a member of the Toronto Foreshore Protection Group (TFPG) and by including updates in The Chronicle has played an important role in keeping the community informed of the proposed Bath St development.

The CPPA has agreed to continue to support the TFPG by offering space in the newsletter for updates. The TFPG is hoping to extend the delivery area of the Chronicle to Kilaben Bay and Toronto to aid dissemination of information whilst the Bath Street issue is unresolved. To extend the delivery requires additional funds to cover the cost of printing and walking volunteers to letterbox the newsletter. If you can assist with either of these actions visit the ‘Volunteer’ or ‘Donate’ tabs on the tfpg.org.au website.