HOW GOOD IS THE GOOD NEWS ON THE FORESHORE?

The Toronto community has welcomed the recent news that Lake Macquarie City Council will place a modest café on the waterfront at Bath Street site and not a six-storey apartment tower.

On the surface the community’s two-year campaign to preserve the public foreshore for recreational use looks to have been successful, however, community unease still exists that Council is not following up with all of its previous decisions to protect this key piece of public waterfront for future generations.

The concern is that the ‘operational’ land of the proposed café and car park could still be sold off to a developer and, under the current zoning, be built upon at higher density.

Council’s resolution of September 2019 to defer further work on the large commercial development at Bath Street also included the integration of this site into the Toronto Foreshore Masterplan and initiating a process to reclassify the site as ‘community’ land.

Unfortunately, the community is still in the dark over Council’s implementation of the other aspects of last year’s resolution, still waiting almost 12 months later! 

In the past few years Council has reclassified numerous ‘Community land’ holdings around Toronto to ‘Operational land’, allowing the lots to be commercially developed or sold. It would be equitable for the Toronto region to regain some public land by reclassifying the Bath St site to ‘Community land’ for future generations .

TFPG and community leaders want Council to respond to the urgent need to provide more and not less recreational parkland for our rapidly growing population. The COVID crisis has brought even more awareness of the need for open-air public recreation.

TFPG is advocating for the Bath Street and adjacent ‘operational’ land to be reclassified and rezoned as ‘community’ land in perpetuity. Community classification does not preclude a long-term lease of compliant businesses such as café, information centre or equipment hire.

TFPG are encouraging the community to respond to the Council's online survey and include a comment about the importance of permanent protection of all the public foreshore as ‘Community land’.

Council’s very brief online survey https://shape.lakemac.com.au/future-toronto is providing an opportunity for the community to say what features they would like to see included on the Bath Street parkland. The survey is open till Monday 24 August.

Make your comment count.

How will you be Fighting for Planet A?

The CPPA is getting on board with the Fight for Planet A: Our Climate Challenge. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s the ABC’s latest do-gooder campaign hosted by Craig Reucassel which explores how we can all reduce our individual and collective carbon emissions. The documentary series aims to empower and motivate Australians to take action on climate change and they provide a Carbon Counter and a community solutions plan too.

One of the community solutions put forward by ‘The Fight’ is to take part in the

‘Walk Safely to School Day’ on September 11.

Transport is a huge contributor to carbon emissions. Walking is not only good for the environment, but also has a favourable impact on our long-term mental and physical health – plus it’s free!

The CPPA, Toronto Area Sustainable Neighbourhood Group (TASNG) and Coal Point Public School have taken up the challenge and will be putting our best feet forward by having a go at getting a Walking Bus on the move. 

What’s a Walking Bus?

A walking bus is a fun way for local children to walk to school together, thanks to adult volunteers and parents who walk with the group. The Walking Bus is accompanied by at least 2 adult volunteers, a ‘driver’ at the front and a ‘conductor’ at the rear.

For the Sept 11 event, which routes will be walked and the number of children who can join in will be determined by how many adults are keen to get on board.

COVID has changed many of our habits, our work days are different, our commute is not what it used to be. This is creating an opportunity to try something different. A way to build some exercise in the day, have a wander through some of our amazing bushland and enjoy some quality time with the kids and break down the fear of walking as a way of getting to school safely.

If you’d like to be a part of this community drive to reduce driving and help our kids get comfortable with walking to school get in touch with Suzanne by phone 0438596741 or email coalpointprogress@gmail.com. A video conference will be held on 31/8/20 with interested adults to work out what we’d like to see happen and map out a route.

Here are links to more reading about the Walking Bus concept.

The National Walk Safely to School Day site 

How to start a Walking School Bus Resource page. This includes a how to start guide, parents survey, participation pledge and certificate 

A 4-page pdf guide on how to get a Walking started  

Have an individual stoush for the Planet.

To celebrate National Science Week the ABC launched its Carbon Counter that allows you to see how much CO2 you could save with just one change to your lifestyle. If you want to do something about climate change but aren’t sure where to start, the ABC Science Carbon Counter can help you identify simple ways to reduce your carbon footprint – and see how much CO2 you would save.

Could you have shorter showers? Or try eating kangaroo instead of beef? What difference would composting make? You can compare the savings from different challenges to choose the one that suits you.

Climate change is a daunting problem that requires society-wide solutions. But Carbon Counter shows that individuals can also make a difference, especially if we work together.

Toronto Scouts Donation Drive

When the Toronto Scouts reopened 12 months ago they soon realised that a lot of their gear was either mouldy or so old it had to be thrown out. In addition, during the 5 years the group was closed many people had keys to the hall & lots of stuff went missing.

So the Scouts are on a mission to raise funds to start replacing the gear they need.

The Scout group has been actively fundraising and would like to thank the community for the support so far. A special thanks goes out to Mark & Leanne Shields from Shields Auto. They have donated kayaks & life jackets plus tables & are sponsoring the first order of our group shirts.

The next fundraising target is to buy tents for the troop. It’s hard to imagine a scout without a tent.

To make a donations contact Diane by email: Diane.Bellette@nsw.scouts.com.au or their facebook page

Centennial Coal’s Myuna Coal Mine - Modification 2 proposal

Centennial Coal’s Myuna Coal Mine - Modification 2 proposal aims to haul 1million tonnes of coal/year along Wangi and Wilton Roads as the proposed route between Myuna Colliery and Cooranbong Entry Site. The proposal is on exhibition until 27 Aug.

Greg Piper MP has created an e-petition which states “NSW Planning will soon consider an application by Centennial Coal to truck one million tonnes of coal per year over busy public roads in western Lake Macquarie. This will create 62,400 truck movements a year, or one every three minutes during the specified times of operation. This must not be allowed to happen.”

There are two ways to make a comment.

1. Sign the e-petition put forward by Greg Piper MP -Stop Centennial Coal putting 62,000 coal trucks a year on public roads in Western Lake Macquarie

which requests the Minister for Planning and Legislative Assembly to:

• Reject Centennial Coal’s application to move a million tonnes of coal a year over public roads in Lake Macquarie;

• Ensure that future applications to allow coal haulage on public roads in Lake Macquarie are rejected, except for when there may be an emergency short-term need to provide ongoing power generation.

Petition link:https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/la/pages/epetitions-list.aspx

2. Make a Submission to the NSW Government's Major projects portal. You have to create an account, which is easy and then there’s a space for comments or you can just tick a box. 

https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/project/35026

From the Myuna colliery Modification report

Beyond Our Backyard

Early August was Landcare Week and our local team celebrated with the completion of a little video, Beyond Our Backyard. It highlights our landcaring efforts, showcases the wrap technique for treating large quantities of weeds and celebrates our local bushland. The video was created by Suzanne Pritchard on behalf of the CPPA as part of a Digital Storytelling course sponsored by the Sustainable Neighbourhood Alliance.

What we’ve been weeding

Landcarers spend a lot of time weeding because that releases the natives from the

grip of super tough, vigorously growing, abundantly seedy weeds that can easily gain an upper hand and outcompete the locals for light and water.

We have a list of over 100 common weeds that we deal with in our local reserves. They flower and seed at different times of the year and each have a particular extraction technique.

The weeds we’ve been dealing with lately include; 

Mother of Millions aka Bryophyllum delagoens - removed by carefully plucking them out of their camouflaging hidey-holes and bagging them up for a trip to the tip.

Thunbergia alata

Black-eye Susan aka Thunbergia alata,not the threatened species but the orange petalled-black centred weed with dainty fragile stems that need to be traced back to the ground and carefully dug out by the roots.

We’re constantly dealing with exotic grasses that escape from under the fence of neighbours, or are brought in on equipment and vehicles of maintenance crews. Buffalo grass gets chipped out with a mini mattock, Guinea grass can be chipped out or cut with a gyprock knife in a circular sweep around the roots.

Turkey rhubarb tuber...mmmm

Another favourite that puts some variety in our landcare session is Turkey Rhubarb-Acetosa sagittata. This rambling, arrow-leaved, vigorous vine smothers anything in its path, produces a mass of wind borne seeds and grows an amazing chain of underground tubers, which provide quite a bit of enjoyment whilst digging them out.

TASNG TIMES- Aug 2020

Eco-Angels Outcomes 

On Sunday August 9, the Sustainable Neighbourhood Alliance organised a citywide cleanup in order to highlight the increase in plastics litter during the current Covid19 crisis. Rubbish collected included plastic takeaway, gloves, masks, wipes and especially coffee cups as well as other rubbish! Toronto Lions Park was one of 5 cleanup areas and 23 full bags of rubbish were collected there, plus lots of broken furniture. Well done to the community for helping!

The Toronto Eco-Angels

Australians use about 130 kg of plastic per person each year and up to 130,000 tonnes of plastic will find its way into our waterways and into the ocean. Australians use about 10 million straws each day and 1 billion Takeaway coffee cups each year, mostly going to landfill! There is a push to increase the use of plastics during the Covid19 crisis but recent research points out that Coronavirus may last longer on plastic than other surfaces.

One hundred and twenty five world health experts have defended the safety of reusables during the pandemic. There are safe ways of using reusable coffee cups without cafe staff touching them, so encourage cafes to start using them again. Also, Queensland is to ban single use plastic straws, stirrers and plates, etc. joining South and Western Australia and the ACT, as well as 112 countries and cities. So, let’s get the NSW Government to ban them as well. Let’s back up our wonderful community members who cleaned up at Toronto Lions Park last Sunday!

Pamper Care Report

Pamper Care turned three in July. In the last financial year, the project assisted approximately 100 people. We have networked with a local school, Woodrising Neighbourhood Centre and OzHarvest which has seen food go to families in Blacksmiths, Belmont, Charlestown, Windale, Warners Bay, Speers Point, Blackalls Park, Wangi, Dora Creek and Bonnells Bay.

DAs In Play to 19/8/20

The CPPA endeavours to provide a summary of active applications in our area as outlined in the table.

Please consult LMCC’s website for a full listing: https://www.lakemac.com.au/Development/Planning-and-development-services/Application-Enquiry.

DA=Development Application

BC= Building Information Certificate

TA=Tree Assessment

CC=Construction Certificate,

CDC= Complying Development Certificate,

REF= Review Environmental Factors

SC=Subdivision Certificate.

DA UpDAte

The approval for Anglican Care’s the Aged Residential facility on Laycock Street has been granted.

It went before the Hunter Central Coast Regional Planning Panel on 15th July by videoconference.