Give your spring clean out collection another life!

 

All the details of the Car Boot Catch-Up are here.

You can register to secure your spot here.

A cuppa for a Chronicle?

“A big thank you for The Chronicle each month, we moved from Fishing Point to Toronto last year have really enjoyed reading The Chronicle each month keeping us informed of what is happening in our area. Like knowing the DAs that have been submitted and all the other news.” - Carol

The first edition of the ‘Coal Point Chronicle’ was published in January 1980 as a means of keeping the community in touch with the issues of the day. Back then the headlines were ‘Lake Pollution’ resulting from sewage effluent, ‘Preserving the Coal Point Ridge Green Belt’ to prevent it being developed and denuded of trees, a ‘Family Fun day at Gurranba Reserve’ and the ‘Future of the Laycock Street Quarry’ which Council said at the time “will ultimately be developed as a park. The rumoured sporting area (to be) sited on the present day pony club”

Forty-two years later: (i) the Lake is a lot cleaner without leaky septic systems, (ii) Council continues to acquire parcels of land along the ridge with part of 11 Skye Point Rd currently being assessed for acquisition, (iii) ‘the Laycock St park’ became the Anglican Aged Care facility and (iv) the pony club did become the ‘sporting area’, Puntei Park, the leash free dog area and site for the upcoming Car boot Catch-up, our version of a family fun day with face painting, drumming, car boots full of tempting recyclable-useable items, a Lions BBQ and community groups showcasing their projects.

Since its inception The Chronicle has been produced and delivered by volunteers as a service to our members in the area, and over the years whilst the distribution has expanded beyond the initial Laycock/Ambrose Streets boundary to now include Coal Point, Carey Bay, Kilaben Bay and Toronto households east of Cary Street. Alas the financial membership does not reflect the distribution of the local newsletter.

For almost a year now the Chronicle has been letterboxed to Kilaben Bay, but only one new member from Kilaben Bay has joined, similarly the number of new members west of Laycock street towards Toronto are few.

The Chronicle expansion came about as there were community issues which needed to be shared: development applications, Council’s plans and strategies, protecting and caring for our unique bushland setting and the trees and Lake that frame our community, and the Toronto Foreshore we all enjoy.

Justifying the cost of extended Chronicle distribution is becoming a hot topic at local community meetings with an additional $133.67 having to be found each month.

Whilst one-off donations are appreciated, an annual or regular monthly donation from a group of dedicated supporters would result in tangible benefits from the donations. https://www.givenow.com.au/toronto-foreshore-protection

Of course having more members from Toronto and Kilaben Bay allows us to keep servicing those members with the distribution of the Chronicle.

All the membership information for CPPA and TASNG can be found on this website.

Williamtown (Newcastle Airport) Airspace and Civil Flight Path Review

The outcomes of the community consultation over the proposed flight path design changes at Newcastle Airport have been released. The following is summarised from the Official Fact sheet

COMMUNITY SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENT 

• Move the arrival flight paths and holding pattern to the west (over Crown land) 

• Increase the minimum altitude of the holding pattern 

The township of Toronto relies heavily upon tourism to support its economy. Feedback from the community has focused on reducing the noise impacts from aircraft, as much as possible. Specifically, residents are concerned about aircraft noise reflecting off the lake. As uninhabited Crown land is located directly to the west, it has been suggested that the arrival flight paths to the west be moved to reduce impacts on populated areas.

CONCLUSION 

Airservices Australia acknowledges the community concern regarding the Toronto location. However, under the proposed flight path, the area will be subject to aircraft operation at the same height that it is currently experiencing. 

Whilst the community has requested that the proposed arrival flight path is moved further west, the designers have identified that the path is as far west as it can go because: 

• Williamtown arrivals must use the existing air routes from the south associated with Sydney Airport until they reach Williamtown airspace. 
• These air routes have already been moved as far west as possible, including with the minimum acceptable spacing in between each route. 

This area has significant airspace constraints. Specifically this airspace is used to facilitate the segregation of civilian and military traffic within Williamtown airspace, and to avoid the airspace, managing Sydney arrivals to the west. 

The community has also requested that consideration is given to increasing the minimum height of the proposed holding pattern. In considering this suggestion the designers note: 

• The minimum height does not mean that the aircraft will necessarily operate at that height. Rather, aircraft prefer to be as high as possible to minimise fuel consumption. 
• The ATC will therefore always use the highest available level (8,000 feet AMSL) first, then 7,000 feet AMSL, then 6,000 feet AMSL, and so on. 

ASSESSMENT OUTCOME 

The proposal to move the arrivals flight paths further west is not able to progress due to the requirement for aircraft to pass over Catherine Hill Bay to link with Sydney airspace and connect with the existing air route network. 

Whilst Airservices Australia is unable to alter the proposed design for Runway 12 operations, Airservices Australia and RAAF have re-considered the need for the holding pattern between 8,000 and 5,000 feet AMSL over Belmont, Caves Beach and Swansea for Runway 30 operations, and has decided not to proceed with the proposed holding pattern. Aircraft will instead hold over the ocean, if required. 

 

TORONTO FORESHORE UPDATE

Residents may be wondering what is going on with what Council has designated as our Town Green. After all the time and money spent on consultants and the Masterplan, the improvements so far consist mostly of shared paths, sandstone seating, landscaping and a strange spacecraft in the corner.

According to the Masterplan (2021) “The Town Green is subtly sculpted to create a shallow amphitheatre which addresses the water with a new stage (#8 on image) and shade canopy. This canopy is a keenly located upgrade to the existing rotunda, and makes for a dramatic stage for weddings, performances, and social gatherings right on the water’s edge....”.

Fast forward to September 2022 and Council now advises that the ‘new stage’ won't be built because of lack of funds. So the long rows of expensive cut sandstone (the 'amphitheatre') face outwards towards a stage that won't exist.

It is acknowledged that there are more tables and an abundance of seating options with smooth sandstone blocks and soft grass, all directed towards the wonderful Lake vista, and when the trees grow up there will be shade-a-plenty. Without a stage is Council planning to use the rotunda for entertainment purposes?

There is meant to be more open space for large events but it’s not clear how these will be organised with even less parking than previously. It’s also unclear how people are expected to use the space at other times. Will young people be allowed to set up informal volleyball courts or older people play bowls on the Town Green?

As it happens, consultants are proposing a very similar sandstone-lined amphitheatre for the river entrance park at Port Macquarie. Hopefully they will get a stage to go with it.

In Toronto there had been disquiet about removal of the old rotunda. The new spacecraft is located closer to the road, and has greatly improved disability access. The finished product will apparently be the frames plus a covering on top. . It’s a rotunda in style because it’s round. Is the proximity to the road and orientation to the seating conducive to performances?

Work is scheduled to begin on the Tinto cafe/playground end of the foreshore during 2023/24, followed by the terraces at the Bath Street end during 2024/25, then perhaps the café and amenities during 2025/26.

Council is to be commended for its willingness to spend money on the foreshore, but it would be good to have some community consultation to give more detail and a better understanding of how variations to community consulted plans are made.

If you feel strongly that our Town needs the proposed over-water stage you can contact our Councillors or Council directly

All the Councillor contact details are on the CPPA website. 

What does the Toronto Area Sustainable Neighbourhood Group do?

The recent AGM of TASNG provided an opportunity to reflect on the year that was and plan for the year that will be with a newly elected committee.

Chair’s Report – Lois Simpson, September 2022

Entering 2022 was like trying to accelerate with the brakes on, but our team was up to the task and as COVID barriers were removed, great advances were made. The dedication of our committee cannot be over-rated. It has been good to meet again in person, thanks to the management of the Hub, and to strengthen our partnership with CPPA and the Five Islands Sustainable Neighbourhood Group.

Over this difficult time, we supported the ‘buy local’ publicity campaign to help shore-up our local businesses. At the same time, we have connected with Council and other community groups to maintain and improve sustainable practices in our area.

With the abolition of single-use plastic bags imminent this year, Steve Dewar strengthened the campaign with local businesses, supermarkets and cafes to turn to suitable alternatives to both plastic and disposable items, especially take-away coffee cups. He also took the messages across Lake Macquarie, including coffee vans.

TASNG members manned a stall outside Woolworths to take the message to the people of Toronto.

Through Chris Murphy and Marea Buist, we have maintained a positive connection with the Hub Community Garden and applaud the group’s progress over the years. Marea has also encouraged Council to give more attention to footpath rubbish management.

Many thanks to Tricia Eldridge in her role as contact person and ‘digital director’, connecting us to our city and local community through emails and Facebook. Her role is invaluable in today’s world.

Nico Marcar’s interest in cycling and pathways has kept us updated with action and options from Council, such as the upgrade of the Greenway and the possibility of, and issues with, a pathway between Five Islands and Toronto. Nico and Lois have also looked into garden maintenance in The Boulevarde and swimming enclosures on the lake. Nico has also found time to review and draft an update our TASNG Action Plan.

Nico, Suzanne Pritchard and Lois Simpson have worked with the Toronto Action Group (TAG) to keep communication open with our West Ward councillors. We have been able to get updates on the foreshore revitalization project and to monitor development across Toronto. TASNG members continue to contribute submissions and feed-back on Council plans and strategies, including, recently, dog leash-free areas and plans for Puntei Park (aka Hampton St Reserve).

Again this year, wewe are so grateful to Suzanne for providing a vital link between TASNG and CPPA which has provided a partnership for projects, publicity and membership. Currently, with CPPA, plans are well underway for a jointly-organised car-boot sale and catch-up to bring our community together, with the theme of ‘reduce, re-use, re-cycle’.

We value our association with Five Bays SNG through Robyn Charlton and the chance to assist with the pamper care project and urban greening. We congratulate Robyn on the establishing of a native garden at Blackalls that will strengthen the green corridor west from Toronto.

TASNG has registered a wetland Landcare site by Fennell Bay bridge, where work will begin soon, now that flood levels have gone down.

It has been wonderful to work with you all this year. Thank you to every member of our group for the support you have given, each in your own way. Your will, your determination, your energy and your caring have been inspiring.

Election outcomes Chair: Steve Dewar, Assistant Chair Lois Simpson, Treasurer Tricia Eldridge, Secretary Nico Marcar, Assistant Secretary- Suzanne Pritchard.

Landcare as Community Service - Austin Jones

There is no doubt that Landcare provides a service to the local environment, a helping hand against the threat of weeds, and the Landcarers provide that community service.

Recently, Austin Jones, a local high-school student, joined in Landcaring with our locals as part of his school’s Community Service Assessment. His reflections give us hope for the future.

Fig 5 - Mother of Millions          Fig 6 Austin (foreground) Lois and Rod background

Landcare is a local movement which is dedicated towards maintaining natural wildlife and reducing environmental issues. During my community service assessment, the Landcare group was located at Gurranba Reserve, and was focused on the removal of invasive flora such as Mother of Millions, Black-eyed Susan and Guinea grass.

These invasive species, known as weeds, take over the natural cycle the ecosystem withholds, and enforces an imbalance of biodiversity. Weeds also harm native flora by taking over resources such as sunlight and water and may also carry diseases and toxicity into the natural ecosystems. For example, the mother of millions plant also known as ‘devil’s backbone’ is native to Madagascar, and was introduced to Australia as a garden plant, but is now a serious weed especially along the east coast of New South Wales. If eaten by native fauna, this weed can be very toxic and harmful, therefore it is important to remove these weeds, and ensure the root is removed in the process to disallow regrowth. During my volunteering, our group was able to successfully fill multiple large bags of weeds.

The volunteering was fun, and it involved providing for a good cause of helping with maintaining our natural environment, which encouraged me to continue with the volunteering. It built social connections and enhanced the natural beauty of the reserve we had worked at.

A difficulty I had experienced though was the ease of pulling out the weed from the root. For example, the guinea grass may have a root which is firmly held into the ground, in which I had to use a shovel to forcibly dig around the root and remove it that way, which induced difficulty. Another example was the Black-eyed Susan, a large weed which wraps a far distance from its root in the ground and all the way up and around a tree in some cases, wrapping around and strangling the tree branch. This would provide difficulty in attempting to unravel the plant to allow myself to eventually find the root and pull it out. But overall, it was a great experience, a lot of progress was made and I had learnt a lot about invasive species in our area.

Before and after Black-eyed Susan removal

Is your House Sustainable?

Housing is changing rapidly. The cost is prompting many to renovate instead of relocate and new owners are looking to make their mark on their new home.

Both of these options provide an opportunity to build for a more resilient future to adapt and mitigate the effects of our rapidly changing climate on our living space and the broader community.

The Sustainable House Day organisation is creating a year-long program, culminating in an open house event on 19 March 2023 and commencing this October with a series of online offerings, Sustainable Design 101. 

This online series is an introduction to the fundamentals of sustainable design, perfect for those who are in the planning stages of a build, curious about improving their existing home, or even just dreaming of a future sustainable home.

The October topics include-

• Where to start? ONLINE, 4th Oct 2022, 7-9pm (AEDT) 
• What is low energy design?  ONLINE, 11th Oct 2022, 7-9pm (AEDT)
• The basics of building materials. ONLINE, 18th Oct 2022, 7-9pm (AEDT)
• Energy systems and efficient design.ONLINE, 25th Oct 2022, 7-9pm (AEDT)

Retrofitting for Resilience is the November theme.

The sessions are held online from 6:30-8:30pm and are either $10 or free for members of Renew. 

All the details are at https://sustainablehouseday.com/

• Getting Started - ONLINE, 9th Nov
• Protection from embers and radiant heat ONLINE, 16th Nov
• Water and landscaping ONLINE, 23rd Nov
• Energy setups ONLINE, 30th Nov

Living a Local Life

Dates for the Diary

A choir where the audience does the singing!

Upcoming Dates:
27 September, 11 October, 25 October.

No experience necessary, just turn up, grab a drink and get ready to sing.

We meet fortnightly: 7.30 pm, Mulberry Room, upstairs at the Toronto Pub.

Green Waste Tour with TASNG

Wednesday 28 September,

9:30-11

Awaba Recycling Centre

Wilson Roard, Awaba

RSVP to torontoareasng@gmail.com

Wednesday 28 September, 10am-noon
Morisset Multipurpose Centre, 143 Dora Street

Natural systems with higher biodiversity are more resilient against change, pest damage, disease and extreme weather events. Learn a range of techniques to encourage biodiversity in your garden.

Lachlan Storrie of Tree Frog Permaculture is an enthusiastic purveyor of all things permaculture and the natural world. His background in Biology, ecology and 12 years of sustainable gardening will get you excited and informed, ready to do the same in your corner of the globe! Call Southlake Neighbourhood Centre on 4973 7000 to book your spot.

TASNG Monthly meeting 
2nd Wednesday of the month.

5 - 6:30pm
The Hub, 97 The Boulevarde

Next meeting is 12 October 

- All Welcome -

Sunday 16 October , 11am-3pm
Myuna Bay Foreshore Park

The Nature Conservation Council is holding their first Picnic for Nature event where local communities will host and hold picnics - coming together to celebrate nature.

Our local picnic is being hosted on Sunday 16th October by the Coal Ash Community Alliance at Myuna Bay Foreshore Reserve, 11am-3pm. They are organising an amazing program, from fun activities for the kids, to discussions on what's next for the area. Bring a picnic lunch and something to sit on.

As well as a fun day out with the family, it’s also an opportunity to celebrate our local natural beauty and biodiversity and a chance to connect with locals who also care about nature in our area. More information 

The Aussie Bird Count

October 17 – 23 Outdoors and online

Taking part in the bird count is easy, register to participate, take a seat and admire the birds!

Spend 20 minutes in your backyard, local park, farm, balcony, or anywhere you can see birds, and submit your count using the web form or the app – both come with a handy bird finder to help you identify what you see.

Count as often or as little as you like. Some people count multiple times per day, others only once or twice for the week. Every count helps.

https://aussiebirdcount.org.au/#register

The Hunter Bird Observers Club website has many great resources available, including their newly-released publication, “Birding Guide to the Cessnock Woodlands“

Dreamtime to Modern

Sunday 23 October, 2 - 4 pm 
Rathmines Theatre , Stilling Street, Rathmines

The Lake Macquarie Wind Band presents, in partnership with the Gabinya Miyay Aboriginal Dance Group, an afternoon celebrating aspects of culture, from ancient indigenous dance, a smoking ceremony and modern Australian soundscapes.

Gold Coin Donation.Bookings are recommended via the Dreamtime to Modern Booking Link.

The Great Southern Bioblitz

28-31 October- Online

The Great Southern Bioblitz returns 28-31 October when the southern hemisphere’s natural world awakens from its winter slumber.

Help us learn about biodiversity across our suburban backyards, parks and bushland reserves, and see what is recorded in this snapshot of spring across three continents.

The iNaturalist website and phone app connect you to expert scientists and other naturalists from around the world, and let you collect observations that contribute to biodiversity science. You can explore observations from Lake Macquarie and the world, and get help to identify plants and animals.
To participate sign up to iNaturalist and join the Great Southern Bioblitz 2022 Lake Macquarie City project.

Graffiti in Toronto

At the recent TASNG meeting a conversation started about the proliferation of unsightly graffiti around Toronto and what can be done about it.

One of the problems with unwanted urban art for residents and small businesses, is the malicious property damage, which is expensive to remove and leaves victims feeling angry and powerless.

Graffiti has historically been addressed locally with painting over or cleaning surfaces and there have also been some very successful and colourful murals created by urban artists at Eddie’s corner, the Woollies carpark and the Coal Point Water tank.

An organisation called Vandal-trak has a free app and a graffiti register which provides a way to record, report and share graffiti. The information is collated and shared with police and councils to provide a holistic view on the scale and the scope of the local problem across all public and private assets and buildings. 

The Vandal Trak app is available through App stores and https://www.vandaltrak.com/graffiti-register/

Ride to Work Day

 

Make your bike commute count and register now

Whether you’re a regular two-wheeled commuter or looking to start a new healthy habit, National Ride2Work Day is all about supporting your decision to jump on the bike.

For people new to riding, National Ride2Work Day is a fantastic way to kickstart a new habit, to get all your physical activity in before you kick off your work day. For existing riders, it’s a chance to celebrate and show everyone that riding bikes is bonza.

If you register your ride it helps the bicycle network understand where people are commuting by bike, how far they pedal and where we need to build better infrastructure to support places to ride.

The benefits of riding to work are many: improved health with increased activity, increased productivity because of improved fitness and increased mental health, increased need for better bike facilities because more people are riding, and it’s good for the planet too. Every kilometre you ride a bike instead of driving a car saves more than 240 grams of carbon.

https://www.bicyclenetwork.com.au/rides-and-events/ride2work/resources/

DAs In Play

DA Update

The 2 into 3 Lot subdivision of the block of land that runs from 2 Brighton Ave to 133 Excelsior Parade was recently approved. Hopefully the protection of the vegetated ridgeline which was a concern for so many locals will be the result.

 

DAs In Play 23/8/22 to 22/9/22

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