Ever found yourself in a heated discussion, certain you’re right—only to realise the other person is just as sure they are?
Ethics is often described as helping us work out “what should happen.” But in the real world, “should” isn’t always so straightforward. That’s where this thought-provoking session steps in.
Join us for a lively and enlightening morning exploring how ethical thinking can help navigate disagreement—without diving into division. Instead of reacting from the gut, we’ll look at how ethics provides tools and models for more reasoned, compassionate decision-making.
Led by Henry Wellsmore, the session will unpack the common misconceptions around ethics and explore the big question: How do we sort through complex options when more than one answer seems right? Expect an engaging mix of ideas, examples, and practical frameworks to take into everyday life—whether in community, work, or kitchen table conversations.
This is a chance to grow skills in respectful dialogue and build bridges of understanding, especially when facing those thorny “hot topics” that tend to divide us.
It’s also a chance to meet some locals and enjoy a cuppa!
When: Wednesday 27 August
Where: Progress Hall, 197 Skye Point Rd, Coal Point
Time: 10am-12 (doors open from 9:30am for a cuppa and a catch up
RSVP or more info contact Cath: m: 0405 297 830 cppa.hall.bookings@gmail.com
Entry : Gold coin donation
All welcome – bring a curious mind and a willingness to listen, learn and (maybe) look at “being right” a little differently.
The Toronto Area Sustainable Neighbourhood Group (TASNG) continues to bring grassroots action to life, with a host of community-focused projects gaining momentum this winter.
Waste and recycling remain a hot topic, with the group welcoming the new North Belmont Community Recycling Centre. However, questions remain over the fate of items collected at Awaba—members are seeking clarity to ensure local recycling efforts aren’t going to waste. The group also flagged broader waste issues, highlighting the impact of takeaway coffee cup waste and challenges with soft plastics nationally.
Graffiti vandalism in the Toronto CBD—particularly over the June long weekend—prompted strong advocacy from TASNG, with member Joanna Schumacher reporting and following up with Council and local businesses. The group is pushing for faster action through Lake Macquarie City Council’s Graffiti Hot Spot Program. TASNG are attempting to organise prompt graffiti removal with Toronto businesses working together encouraging businesses to be vigilant about new graffiti incidents.
Pamper Care efforts have reached new heights, with 28 individuals supported with pantry items and winter warmers through the Woodrising Neighbourhood Centre in June. The weekly Tasty Truck food event also had a record 24 attendees—demonstrating the ongoing need for informal food networks and local generosity.
Green thumbs were busy at the Awaba Road garden and Crocodile Point Landcare site. Volunteers cleared weeds and identified a rogue Camphor Laurel for removal. Meanwhile, the Fennell Bay site is recovering from storm damage, and a spring replant is on the horizon—with hopes of rabbit-proofing new plantings.
Looking ahead, the group’s AGM is set for 13 August, 5pm at The Hub, and members are encouraged to renew or join for just $5.
Key advocacy priorities include graffiti response times, tobacco plant management at Toronto Pool, and broadening local recycling options—topics that will be raised at a meeting with the Mayor later this month.
TASNG continues to prove that community connection and sustainable action go hand in hand. Get in touch torontoareasng@gmail.com
There’s now a Climate Resilience Plan for Toronto to Teralba (T2T)
The Teralba to Toronto (T2T) Climate Resilience Plan is now available for review and feedback. Submissions can be made via Shape Lake Mac until 31 July 2025.
Covering nine lakeside suburbs from Teralba to Toronto, the plan sets out how our community can build resilience by proactively preparing for, and adapting to, current and future climate-related hazards. These include familiar risks like bushfires, flooding and rising lake levels, as well as the growing impacts of heatwaves, urban heat and severe storms. The plan is structured around five themes.
Did the recent east coast low trigger any anxiety in your household? Do high winds and high tides make you wonder if you’re prepared and what can you do? Are you concerned about foreshore erosion or local flooding?
In early July a community workshop was held at The Hub where Council’s Climate team introduced the Teralba to Toronto Climate Resilience Plan and the Red Cross crew delivered an Emergency ‘RediPlan’ session exploring the contents of the guide ‘Emergencies Happen: Protect what matters’.
The RediPlan is a must read & do document offering practical tools to help households prepare for floods, storms, heatwaves and more. Being prepared for a climate emergency not only reduces the immediate stress but also greatly assists in recovery. The Red Cross’s experience is “The ‘what ifs’ hurt less afterwards when you’ve got a plan.”
With 111 years of experience supporting communities, the Red Cross knows that having a current emergency plan can make all the difference. Emergencies often strike fast. Knowing what to do, and who is doing it, can turn chaos into calm.
The Get Prepared app and downloadable RediPlan offer a simple start. Having a plan for your family household and other significant people in your life can take a lot of pressure off when it counts.
Knowing the emergency plans for organisations that care for your loved ones is also important. Where would they be evacuated to in an emergency? The Blue Mountains fires had parents in a panic as they got gridlocked for 3 hours trying to return home, not knowing where their kids were, and if they were safe.
Having an emergency grab-and-go bag in these situations can make all the difference in a crisis and in recovery. The Red Cross’s ‘Get Packing’ guide says there are two types of items to consider:
Survival items- things that will help if you have to evacuate your home quickly or if you have to stay in place without essential services. Items include light (torch & batteries), water, food, battery-operated radio, medications, phone charger, pet essentials, clothing, First Aid kit, toiletries, cash, hard copies of important phone numbers and ID.
Recovery items – things that will help limit disruption to your life after the emergency has passed e.g. key documents, insurance, ID, photos of memories and valuables (on a USB or in hard copy), your RediPlan.
When faced with 30 seconds to evacuate from your home your decision making is often not functioning optimally. The Red Cross team provided some anecdotes to drive home the importance of being prepared; the newlyweds response to having to evacuate as the Blue Mountains fires approached…wife was home, hubby was at work, she grabbed her wedding dress and a hair straightener, these were the most important things in the moment. The mum of four who grabbed two bananas and an electrical cord, it looked useful. Having a Grab & Go bag packed, having thought through your responses means you know you’re doing what you need to do.
The workshop also emphasised that evacuation centres are a last resort—like a life raft. It’s better to identify a meeting place, plan three ways to get there, and share this with your family or carers. Think about what the needs of your family and friends are, how your pets will cope or be transported, and what support networks you can rely on.
Neighbourly connections also matter. In most cases, it’s your neighbours who will be first on the scene—not emergency services. Strengthening our local networks now can save lives later. The RediPlan includes helpful tools like ‘Connecting to the Social Grid’ cards to start these connection conversations.
“Besides being fulfilling in many other ways, being a part of a community will help you in an emergency”
The CPPA is exploring how to support our community in times of need. Making the hall available in an emergency, fostering social connections, and ensuring our local environment can recover are all priorities.
Together, we can build a safer, stronger, more connected and climate-ready community.
Soft Plastic Recycling: What Are Our Local Options?
If you’ve been wondering what to do with your soft plastics since the REDcycle bins disappeared from our local supermarkets, you’re not alone. With Plastic Free July in full swing, it’s the perfect time to explore how our community can continue to reduce waste, even without a perfect system in place.
The good news? Soft plastic recycling hasn’t disappeared entirely, it’s just become a little trickier.
Local residents can now take separated soft plastics to the Awaba Waste Management Facility. Just a heads-up: closed-in shoes are a must at the tip, and the soft plastics must be kept apart from other recycling materials.
For those wanting a more supermarket-style drop-off, Woolworths is currently running a soft plastics recycling trial. Participating stores include Mount Hutton, Charlestown, Cardiff and Glendale. This trial is part of a broader plan being developed by the Australian Food and Grocery Council, in collaboration with major supermarkets, to reintroduce a national soft plastics collection program.
The catch? There’s still no firm timeline, and the path from collection to actual recycling into usable products, like park benches or furniture, remains unclear.
As outlined in a recent response to local sustainability advocate Steve Dewar, the Boomerang Alliance has been advocating for federal-level producer responsibility. In the meantime, they recommend that communities like ours reach out directly to our Woolworths via Facebook Messenger to express interest in joining the trial.
They also encourage locals to support their “Cut the Wrap” campaign, which is calling for stronger government action. You can add your voice here:
So while we may not have a perfect solution just yet, there are ways we can keep soft plastics out of landfill, and show there’s strong community demand for a better system.
It’s winter, which on the Awabakal seasonal calendar is Takarir, the cold time when the tall spikes of the Gymea lily (minmai) flower red and the wattle blossoms, reminding us that the humpback whales are heading north. It was the shortest day of the year (winter solstice) on 21 June, so the days are getting longer, and Spring is on its way.
At Landcare we have our eyes peeled for seasonal weeds, aiming to remove weeds before they flower and produce seeds that are spread by birds, wind and water run-off. Landholders can help by removing these weeds, or at least the seeds, before they spread into the bush.
Common weeds which keep us busy each Thursday include Asparagus Fern, Mother of Millions, Lantana, Madeira Vine, Morning Glory, Privet, and Thunbergia.
If you would like to replace your weeds the “Grow me instead’ guides are helpful and Lake Mac Landcare at Teralba has local native plants for sale.
Asparagus Fern – A Pretty Plant Turned Problem Weed
Once popular as a decorative indoor pot plant, Asparagus fern (Asparagus aethiopicus) is now listed as a Weed of National Significance. While it might look attractive, this aggressive invader poses a serious threat to native bushland, growing in a range of soil types, from full sun to shade, and across a range of environments. It has adapted remarkably well to the conditions on the Coal Point peninsula, from the woodlands on the ridge tops to rainforest gullies and wetlands, it can be found everywhere.
Asparagus fern forms dense, smothering mats that outcompete native groundcovers and understorey plants, preventing their germination and growth. This alters the natural landscape and reduces biodiversity. A new climbing variety has even been detected in the Lake Macquarie LGA.
How It Spreads
The plant flowers from spring onwards, producing green to red berries from spring to summer, though berries can be found year-round. These are spread by birds, foxes, reptiles, and even flowing water or dumped garden waste. Significant infestations are found along the west ridge of Coal Point, Stansfield Reserve, and in local gardens, which can serve as sources for further spread into bushland.
Plants can shoot from the central rhizome, a specialsed stem that grows horizontaly underground. The watery tubers don’t regrow, they are just an energy and water store for the plant.
What You Can Do
Seedlings and small plants: Hand-pull or dig up, ensuring the entire rhizome is removed.
Larger plants: Cut around the central rhizome, like doring an apple, this is called crowning.use a sturdy garden knife or mini mattock and remove the ‘cored out crown’ from the site.
Wear gloves: The plant has sharp, prickly stems.
Always remove the berries! Seed dispersal is the main way asparagus fern spreads, with each plant producing up to 600 seeds per year! Cut off any berries and place them in your red-lid bin. Also collect any fallen berries—green ones can ripen and produce viable seeds even after being removed from the plant.
There are over 1,000 species of Acacia in Australia, and several beautiful varieties are local to our area. One of the standouts is Acacia longifolia (Sydney Golden Wattle), a fast-growing shrub reaching 3–4 metres. It produces bright golden cylindrical flower spikes and offers a range of benefits—stabilising erosion-prone soils, providing protective shade for young seedlings, and acting as a natural screen.
Wattle seeds grow in pods and have even been traditionally eaten after roasting. Their value in regeneration, habitat creation, and aesthetics makes them a top choice for local gardens.
However, not all wattles are welcome. The Queensland Silver Wattle (Acacia podalyriifolia) is considered a weed in our area. Although it is an Australian native, it doesn’t belong here and aggressively outcompetes local species.
If you’re looking to plant local wattles, consider these suitable options:
Golden/Sunshine Wattle (Acacia terminalis) – flowers early to mid-autumn.
Sickle Wattle (Acacia falcata) – a tall open shrub (4–5m), flowering in early winter.
Hickory Wattle (Acacia implexa) – a small to medium tree with creamy ball-shaped flowers in summer.
Prickly Moses (Acacia ulicifolia) – a hardy, early-flowering shrub.
Heath Wattle (Acacia brownii) – a compact shrub (up to 1m) with bright yellow spring flowers.
Want to get started? Lake Macquarie residents can join the Backyard Habitat for Wildlife program and receive two free native plants, a planting guide, and discounted tubestock from the Landcare Nursery at Booragul.
Fun fact: Wattles don’t attract nectar-feeding birds—but they do attract insects, which in turn support insect-eating birds. It’s biodiversity in action!
We couldn’t let this edition go out without giving a huge congratulations to our long-standing President and newsletter editor, Suzanne Pritchard, for receiving the Paul Harris Award from the Rotary Club of Toronto Sunrise NSW. This award recognises Suzanne’s many years of tireless service to our community, and although she was humbled by the honour (and would have preferred we didn’t make a fuss), the committee felt it was important to share the news. Suzanne has given so much of her time, energy and heart to the Coal Point Progress Association, Landcare, and many other environmental pursuits, and this award is a fitting acknowledgment of her contribution.
The Paul Harris Award is presented by Rotary to individuals who have made a significant and sustained impact in their communities. While Suzanne is usually the one quietly working behind the scenes, this time we’re shining the spotlight on her—and rightly so! Congratulations Suzanne, and thank you for all that you do.
