There was some other good news. Council finally relented in its determination to build a 6-storey apartment tower on the Toronto Foreshore and the long-awaited masterplan was finalized, albeit with the unwanted removal and rebuild of the rotunda and closure through the summer of what planners have decided should be known, English-fashion, as the ‘Town Green’.
The delayed Council elections were eventually held on Saturday 4 December and did not result in much change. Mayor Kay Fraser was returned for another term, as were three of the West Ward councillors, David Belcher, Jason Pauling and Luke Cubis. Hard-working Independent Wendy Harrison retired and was replaced by Labor’s Madeleine Bishop. Cr Harrison was always available to meet with, listen to and act for the community. We hope Cr Bishop will be as accessible and community-minded as her predecessor and look forward to meeting with her.
One thing we learned from the last term of Council is the importance of having a strong community voice and engaging respectfully with councillors and staff. The ad hoc Toronto Foreshore Protection Group has provided a voice with representatives of Toronto Sunrise Rotary, the Royal Motor Yacht Club, Coal Point Progress Association, and the Toronto Area Sustainable Neighbourhood Group(TASNG) as well as local residents. This single-issue group has now morphed into the Toronto Action Group (TAG) and will continue to represent community concerns to councillors and staff. Ongoing issues will be the zoning of and access to foreshore land and the lake; pedestrian safety, parking and cycling; care of the wetlands; and protection of the tree canopy from aggressive development.
Another lesson from the previous Council is the importance of networking with community groups in Toronto and adjacent suburbs. The pre-election Candidates’ Forum for West Ward candidates was organised by TAG in conjunction with the Rathmines and the Five Bays Sustainable Neighbourhood Groups. We look forward to working together through Council’s next term.
One of the big challenges is how residents can find out what is happening in the community. Thanks to Covid, we no longer have the weekly Lakes Mail. ‘The Herald’ doesn’t give much attention to Lake Macquarie. Council has expanded its own media ‘spin’ machine but only tells us what it wants us to know and when.
To help fill the gap, the letter-boxed ‘Chronicle’ will continue to update residents each month on local news, including ‘Development Applications near You’, but the extra distribution beyond Coal Point and Carey Bay costs money.
To support a local voice, consider joining the sponsoring neighbourhood group (TASNG), especially if you live in Kilaben Bay (where there are currently no members) or please consider a small donation. We require $550/year to cover the expanded distribution. https://www.givenow.com.au/toronto-foreshore-protection
TAG reports its activities in the monthly Chronicle and also has a (moderated) Facebook page where residents can post comments or queries on local issues https://www.facebook.com/TorontoActionGroup
The more of us who get involved, even in small ways, the stronger our neighbourhoods and community will be and the more Council will listen first instead of deciding for us.
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