Piece Together Coal Point - A Community Speed Puzzling Night

Celebrate 80 years of community with a night of friendly competition

To celebrate the Coal Point Progress Association's 80th birthday, we're inviting the community to enjoy something a little different, a Speed Puzzling Night at Progress Hall.

If you haven't discovered speed puzzling yet, you're in for a treat. Teams race against the clock to complete the same jigsaw puzzle, testing observation, teamwork and a little bit of luck. It's fast, surprisingly competitive, and guaranteed to produce plenty of laughs.

Saturday 17 October
5.00 pm for a 5.30 pm start
Progress Hall, 197 Skye Point Road, Coal Point

Teams of two, three or four will tackle a bespoke, high-quality jigsaw created especially for the CPPA's 80th anniversary. Better still, every team takes their puzzle home at the end of the evening.

Will a larger team finish first, or will too many puzzle solvers create delightful chaos? There's only one way to find out.

Not feeling competitive? That's perfectly fine. Enter a social team, enjoy the challenge at your own pace, and discover some of the fascinating flora, fauna and history of the Coal Point peninsula as the picture comes together.

Non-puzzlers are welcome too. Bring along your favourite board game, catch up with friends, or simply watch the friendly mayhem unfold.

Soup and damper will be served from 7.00 pm.

What to bring

Your favourite nibbles and drinks, a little patience and your laughing gear.

Cost

$50 per team, including your commemorative puzzle, soup and damper.

All proceeds will support the next stage of improvements to Progress Hall, making it more accessible for everyone in our community.

If you'd simply like the puzzle, commemorative copies can be pre-ordered for $40. They make wonderful Christmas gifts or keepsakes celebrating our beautiful peninsula.

Bookings via Humantix. Numbers are limited to 20 teams. 

Because the real prize isn't just winning... it's being able to say you're the best puzzlers east of Toronto and north of Wangi.

AGM reflects a year of growth and a future full of possibilities

Although our AGM and Open Day were held back in March, the enthusiasm from the day is still carrying us forward.

A big thank you to everyone who joined us. It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces, along with plenty of newcomers discovering what the Coal Point Progress Association is all about.

The annual reports highlighted what has been a very positive year for the Association. Hall hire continues to grow following the recent renovations, The Chronicle sponsorship remains fully subscribed with a waiting list, and our community events and workshops continue to bring people together. Landcare has also gone from strength to strength, with our new "guardianship" approach helping volunteers build a stronger connection with individual reserves.

Financially, the Association is now in a much stronger position. A Lake Macquarie City Council (LMCC) rate rebate, printing sponsorship from First National Toronto and increasing hall hire have all helped place the CPPA on a solid footing for the future.

More importantly, this gives us confidence to keep investing in projects that strengthen our community and care for our local environment.
Something happening every day

One message came through loud and clear during our Open Day conversations, people want to know what's happening at Progress Hall.

Since March, the Hall has become busier than ever. There is now something happening almost every day of the week, making the Hall a welcoming place for learning, creativity, movement and connection.

Current regular activities include:

• Life Drawing – Mondays, 10.00 am
• Healing Moves Yoga & Therapy – Mondays and Thursdays, 5.15 pm, Saturdays, 9.00 am
• A Soulful Way Sound Bath – Tuesdays, 6.30 pm
• U3a Wine Appreciation - Tuesday 11:30am-1pm
• U3A Fibre & Textiles - Wednesday 9:30am-12pm
• Knocking Boots Dance Classes – Thursdays, 6.00 pm
• Pilates – Fridays, 7.45 am

Whether you're looking to improve your fitness, meet new people or simply try something different, there's likely to be an activity for you.

Visit our online calendar for the latest activities and events:
coalpointprogress.blogspot.com/p/calendar.html

Meet your Committee

We're delighted to have a full committee bringing together experience in community governance, accounting, environmental education, communications and project management.

Our committee members are:

• Suzanne Pritchard - President/Secretary 
• Pamela Sharp - Vice President 
• Nico Marcar - Treasurer
• Cath Fairs - Hall Bookings
• Ros Cornish - Landcare coordinator
• Nicole Haigh - Newsletter distribution
• Helen English  
• Selma Barry
• Denise Rickman
• Kathy Gall

While we each bring different skills and experiences, we all share the same goal, protecting our natural environment, strengthening community connections and ensuring Progress Hall continues to thrive for future generations.

As always, none of this would be possible without our volunteers, Landcare crew, newsletter deliverers, hall users and supporters. Thank you for everything you do.

If you're not already a member, we'd love you to join us. Membership is one of the simplest ways to support the Association and the ongoing care of our community-owned hall and local bushland.

Membership forms are available from the noticeboard outside Progress Hall or online 

Looking Ahead

Making Progress Hall accessible for everyone

One of the strongest messages from our Open Day was that our community wants Progress Hall to be welcoming and accessible to everyone.

Improving access has been discussed for many years, and we recognise that both parking and accessibility remain challenges. Rather than looking for a quick fix, the Committee is developing a long-term plan that will allow us to seek grant funding and stage improvements over time.

An Inclusive Access Working Group has now been established to develop a practical roadmap for the future.

If you have experience in accessibility, planning, engineering, grant writing or simply have ideas you'd like to share, we'd love to hear from you. Community knowledge will be essential in shaping a solution that works for everyone.

This is an investment in the future of Progress Hall and in making sure every member of our community can enjoy everything it has to offer.

Can We Lose the Lawn?

Local native groundcovers that work hard for wildlife

As we learn to garden more sustainably, many people are asking the same question.

Do we really need lawn everywhere?

There's certainly a place for open grassed areas, but many parts of our gardens can be transformed with hardy local native groundcovers that suppress weeds, reduce mowing and provide valuable habitat.

The secret is recognising the wonderful native species already growing naturally around us.

Earlier this year we featured Scurvy Weed (Commelina cyanea), a tough local groundcover with striking blue flowers that is often mistaken for the introduced weed Tradescantia.

Another local favourite is Basket Grass (Oplismenus aemulus). Although often overlooked, it forms an attractive green carpet beneath trees, spreading gently by rooting at each node. It thrives in shaded areas where traditional lawn struggles.

Kidney Weed (Dichondra repens) is another excellent choice. Its bright green kidney-shaped leaves spread to form a dense mat, making it ideal beneath trees or in sunny positions where only light foot traffic is expected.

For those wanting a genuine lawn alternative, Weeping Grass (Microlaena stipoides) is one of Australia's best native grasses. Soft underfoot and naturally elegant, it can be mown occasionally to create the appearance of a traditional lawn while providing far greater habitat value.

Native Violets (Viola species) are another versatile option. Their attractive mauve and white flowers are edible, they tolerate light foot traffic and gradually spread to form a dense living carpet in shaded gardens.

White Root (Lobelia purpurascens) is less well known but equally deserving of a place in the garden. This delicate local groundcover has small white flowers and attractive purple undersides to its leaves, thriving in moist, sheltered locations.

Once established, these species require very little maintenance. While they won't eliminate weeds entirely, they greatly reduce weed growth, making ongoing garden care much easier.

Looking for local plants?

The Lake Macquarie Landcare Sustainable Living Centre, umali bara-ku, 80 Toronto Road, Booragul regularly offers locally native plants for sale and can help you choose the right species for your garden.

Because every garden can become part of our bigger backyard.

Plastic Free July

Small changes. Lasting impact.

Plastic Free July is a simple reminder that small actions, repeated every day, can make a real difference.

Choosing reusable shopping bags, drink bottles and coffee cups is an easy place to start. At home, look for fresh produce without plastic packaging, buy in bulk where you can, and choose reusable alternatives instead of single-use plastics.

Every piece of plastic we avoid is one less item that can end up in our waterways, bushland and Lake Macquarie.

If you've already accumulated a stash of soft plastics, don't throw them in your recycling bin. Instead, collect clean, dry plastic bags, bread bags, biscuit wrappers and other soft plastics and take them to the Awaba Waste Management Facility, where they can be recycled through dedicated collection programs.

Looking for more ideas? Low Plastic Eating Made Easy is a practical video packed with simple tips for reducing plastic waste in your everyday shopping and cooking:


This July, challenge yourself to refuse just one single-use plastic item. You might be surprised how quickly one new habit leads to another.

On the Verge of Greatness

Ten free local native plants could transform your street

Have you ever looked at your nature strip and imagined something more than mown grass?

LMCC has introduced a new verge garden approval process that makes it easier for residents to establish attractive, wildlife-friendly verge gardens while maintaining safe access for pedestrians and road users.

Read the Verge Garden Standards or Street Tree Standards, depending on your planned activity. 

Even better, once your planting plan is approved, Council is offering ten free locally native tube stock to help get your project started.

The guidelines include practical advice on plant selection, spacing and visibility, together with easy-to-follow planting diagrams.

Across Coal Point, verge gardens have enormous potential. They can create valuable wildlife habitat, cool our streets, reduce stormwater runoff and improve neighbourhood character, all while reducing mowing.

Locally native species are particularly important because they provide food and shelter for the birds, insects and pollinators that have evolved alongside them.

Free tube stock can be collected from the Lake Macquarie Landcare Sustainable Living Centre, umali bara-ku, at Booragul.

Sometimes the smallest patch of land can make the biggest difference.

From LMCC- https://www.lakemac.com.au/Services/Trees-and-environment-services/Verge-gardens-and-street-trees

From Weed Patch to Bushland Recovery

A year of teamwork transforms Stansfield Reserve

After ten months of hard work, the CPPA Landcare group is celebrating the successful completion of the Eraring Community Investment Fund project at Stansfield Reserve.

Backed by a $9,000 grant administered through the Lake Macquarie Landcare Volunteer Network, local volunteers worked alongside professional bush regenerators from BARRC (Bushland and Rainforest Restoration & Consulting) to restore this important bushland reserve behind Progress Hall.

The project built on years of previous restoration work and provided strategic follow-up after the ecological burn undertaken in 2016.

The transformation has been remarkable.

Across seven on-ground sessions, volunteers worked shoulder to shoulder with experienced bush regenerators, tackling a long list of invasive environmental weeds including Ground Asparagus (Asparagus aethiopicus), Bitou Bush (Chrysanthemoides monilifera), Morning Glory (Ipomoea indica), Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), Lantana (Lantana camara), Mickey Mouse Plant (Ochna serrulata), Fishbone Fern (Nephrolepis cordifolia), African Olive (Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata) and Corky Passionfruit (Passiflora suberosa).

But the project was about much more than removing weeds.

A key objective was to build local knowledge and confidence in ecological restoration. Throughout the project, BARRC staff shared practical bush regeneration skills, helping volunteers identify priority weeds, apply low-impact control techniques and recognise native plants returning naturally to the site.

Those lessons are already paying dividends.

Areas once smothered by Morning Glory and Honeysuckle are now supporting healthy populations of Bracken Fern (Pteridium esculentum), Basket Grass (Oplismenus aemulus), Molucca Bramble (Rubus moluccanus), Rasp Fern (Doodia aspera) and hundreds of naturally regenerating native seedlings.

During the final inspection in June, the BARRC team described the reserve as "much improved", noting that many areas now require only routine maintenance rather than primary treatment.

Stansfield Reserve forms part of an important bushland corridor supporting Spotted Gum Forest and Sugarloaf Bloodwood Apple Forest communities. These habitats provide refuge for significant wildlife including Powerful Owls, Squirrel Gliders and the threatened plant Tetratheca juncea.

Protecting and restoring these connected habitats strengthens biodiversity across the Coal Point peninsula and helps build resilience for future generations of wildlife to endure and people to explore.

The project also strengthened community connections.

Fourteen volunteers contributed hundreds of hours of on-ground work while sharing knowledge, stories and plenty of morning tea conversations. Support from LMCCs Green Team provided valuable follow-up weed control and practical assistance throughout the project.

The CPPA sincerely thanks the Eraring Community Investment Fund, the Lake Macquarie Landcare Volunteer Network, the BARRC team and every volunteer who turned up with gloves, enthusiasm and determination.

The work doesn't stop here.

Ecological restoration is a long-term commitment, but thanks to this project, Stansfield Reserve is well on its way from weed domination to a healthier, more resilient native ecosystem.

If you'd like to be part of the next chapter, join us for Landcare on Thursday mornings. New volunteers are always welcome. No experience is necessary, just bring a hat, sturdy shoes and a willingness to learn.

Electrify Everything!

New support to make your home more energy efficient

"Electrify Everything" has become a familiar phrase, and for good reason. By replacing gas appliances with efficient electric alternatives powered by renewable energy, households can reduce both their running costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

The NSW Government's Home Energy Saver Program is helping eligible households overcome the upfront cost of these improvements.

Support is available for upgrades including:

🌞 Solar panels and batteries

🪟 Double glazing

♨️ Induction cooktops

🌬 Reverse-cycle air conditioning

Eligible homeowners and landlords with a combined household income of up to $210,000 may apply for an interest-free loan of up to $15,000.

Households with a combined income of up to $80,000, or those holding an eligible concession card, may also qualify for a rebate of up to $4,000.

To find out more, visit: energy.nsw.gov.au/households/grants-rebates/home-energy-saver

Experience Landcare

Landcare Week 3 to 9 August 2026

Experience Landcare

This year's Landcare Week theme is Experience Landcare, and we'd love you to experience the bushland that local volunteers have been caring for, week after week, year after year.

Every Thursday morning, an enthusiastic team, up to fifteen strong, heads into one of our 10 local reserves to restore the bushland habitat through facilitated regeneration. It's rewarding work, good exercise, and a wonderful way to connect with both nature and neighbours.

Take a walk through some of the places our volunteers care for.

Follow the Western Ridge from Whitelocke Street to Coal Point Public School and you'll discover some of the best remaining bushland on the peninsula, with magnificent hollow-bearing trees, diverse native understorey and relatively few weeds.

If you prefer the lakeside, wander through Threlkeld Reserve, on Coal Point Road, our most biodiverse foreshore reserve and home to one of the oldest trees on the peninsula.

Or visit Gurranba Reserve, where years of careful restoration are transforming what was once a dense infestation of Mother of Millions (Bryophyllum delagoense) into an expanding foreshore grassland dominated by Kangaroo Grass (Themeda triandra). It's a powerful reminder that ecological restoration is measured in years, not weeks.

Together, our volunteers now care for ten reserves across Coal Point. Each one has its own story and each one demonstrates what a committed community can achieve. We’ll be featuring the reserves in upcoming Chronicle articles.

This Landcare Week, take the opportunity to experience your local reserves, or better still, join us on a Thursday morning any time from 8-11am.

No experience is necessary. Just bring a hat, sturdy shoes and a willingness to lend a hand.

Morning tea is always at 10.00 am. Contact Ros cppalandcare@gmail.com to receive a weekly email highlighting the activities and location.