Coal Point Public School – Happy 70th Anniversary

On 21 November, despite miserable weather, the Coal Point Public School community came together for a joyful day of reunions to celebrate our 70th anniversary . With the support of our dedicated P&C and staff, the afternoon was filled with activity and warmth. This event was preceded by exploration of old records and photographs, including from former students and sharing with children stories such as from the discipline book, which were met with wide-eyed giggles and disbelief as they learned what the boys got up to in years gone by.

The P&C ran a scavenger hunt for the children, along with the canteen and stalls, creating a lively and welcoming atmosphere. One of the highlights of the day was the slideshow, which was warmly received. Laughter rippled through the room as people spotted themselves, classmates and friends in the photos, sparking stories and fond memories. Another memorable moment was the cake cutting, shared by one of Coal Point’s very first students alongside one of our youngest current students, a beautiful symbol of the school’s past, present and future.

What makes Coal Point Public School so special is the number of generations that have passed through its gates. Former students often return as parents, volunteers and even teachers, continuing a proud tradition of learning and community connection.

As we celebrate 70 years of Coal Point Public School, we honour not only our history, but the many people who have shaped the school into the nurturing and vibrant community it is today. We look forward to many more years of learning, growth and shared memories.

Coal Point Public School Platinum Anniversary

Coal Point Public School will celebrate 

its Platinum Anniversary on 

Friday 21 November from 3pm.

All students, past and present, along with their families and community members, are invited to join an afternoon of reminiscence and fun.

There’ll be food vans, games, and commemorative bricks and school memorabilia on display.

Reconnect with old schoolmates by joining the Coal Point Public School Alumni at facebook.com/groups/coalpointalumni.

We’re also collecting historical photos or memorabilia for a digital slideshow. Please email secretary@coalpoint-pandc.org.au if you can contribute.

There are orders being taken for memorabilia, umbrellas and can coolers, order here.

The CPPS are also building a commemorative brick wall that community members may purchase a brick. Order your brick here

Local Bits & Pieces

Coal Point Public School is seeking a Canteen Manager 

Shhhh…. it’s a library

For the next 20 weeks there’s going to be a fair bit of activity around the concourse that surrounds Toronto’s library, including replacing floor tiles, waterproofing, upgrading the balustrading and the existing accessible ramp.

To accommodate the workers and the work being undertaken a work site has been set up on Brighton Avenue with three dedicated carparks for the contractor’s site facilities.

The project will also be noisy until the end of April whilst demolition of tiles and grinding occurs.

The library is endeavouring to remain open.

A Big Community Weekend

The last weekend in October is looking to be a wonderful celebration of community with two family friendly events happening, the Coal Point School Fete on Saturday 29 and the TASNG/CPPA Car Boot Catch-Up on Sunday 30 October.  

It may seem like ages since we’ve gathered as a community, out and about, and it may even feel a bit strange, but both activities are outdoors, there’ll be lots of room to spread out, (but if anyone is unwell it’s best practice to stay at home, living with COVID is everyone’s responsibility).  

Whilst the event organisers have their fingers, toes and everything in between crossed for wonderful weather it appears that climatic uncertainty is also the new norm. The Coal Point P & C will be making their call on Wednesday as to whether the weather will impact their plans, the Car Boot Catch-Up will make the call on Saturday. Social media and websites are where you’ll find out if the events are going ahead. 

Facebook pages to check include Coal Point Fete, Coal Point P&C, Toronto & Westlakes community notice board, Toronto NSW and community notice board, Coal Point Progress Association and Toronto Area Sustainable Neighbourhood Group.

Many thanks to Altitude Real Estate for supporting the Car Boot Catch-Up.

Coal Point School Fete 29/10/22

It will be fun and festivities at Coal Point Public School on Saturday 29th October with the much-missed-next-generation School Fete returning after the COVID hiatus. 

There’ll be amusement rides, games & prizes, markets, food and a much more.

There’s been an amazing response from the local professional and hobby artists with about 80 pieces of art on display, all for sale and 20% of the sale going towards the school. A great way to procure that special piece as well as support local artists and the school. 

All the information about what’s on and where the activities and events will be is  on the Fete website .

Time to hang out at The Naturespace Hub

Have you been for a walk in the 'Coal Point School – Naturespace and Community Hub' project? The project sits between Rofe Street and the corner of the school that connects to the ridge trail.

The final stage of the project is now complete and the plants are in. That means the Naturespace area is now play-space perfect (a custom picnic table and some signage will be installed during the school holidays) and ready for fun. Please keep in mind that the area is on school property and as such, is open to the community outside of school hours.

The project funds were awarded in 2019 by the NSW State Government as part of their Community Grant program. We've been working for a while through COVID delays and the impacts of wet weather and soaked ground in the early part of the year to bring the project to life. The education trail has been complete for a while and now the Naturespace area is also complete and open for kids and the community to enjoy. Thanks to everyone in the community for the support the project has received and the local businesses that have contributed to the project. Thank you to Ros Cornish for propagating most of the plants for the project. We hope they can adapt to their new home without too many losses.

This new community resource will need the ongoing support and watchfulness of the community to stay playable. Every plant that is meant to be there has at least one stake, partly for protection and partly so we can all identify the weeds. We'd like the stakes and intended plants to stay. If you see any weeds coming up we'd love for you to pull them out and leave in a pile by the gate. Thanks!

Further updates will be posted on the project Facebook page, 'Coal Point Primary School Naturespace & Community Hub.'

by The Naturespace Project Manager – Lindy Hulton-Larson

Two local National Tree Day (NTD) events

All hands on deck on 29th July to finish the “Coal Point School’s Naturespace & Community Hub” project!

So close! We just need to do some planting and the CPPA Landcare group will be helping out for two mornings in July. Can you help too? No experience is needed.

• July 22 - weeding and preparation for planting
• July 29 - planting & mulching. If you can help, we'd love to see you. Unfortunately COVID will prevent the students from participating this year, but we can still plant out the Naturespace.

We're lucky enough to have a great selection of plants grown by a local volunteer (thanks Ros!). 

Entry is off Rofe Street near the top gate. We will be COVID safe with sanitiser on hand.

Please RSVP through the Facebook Page 'Coal Point Primary School Naturespace & Community Hub' or coalpointprogress@gmail.com if you'd like to be part of this great community initiative.

Hope to see you there! - Lindy Hulton-Larson (The Naturespace Team)

Getting Grounded at Gurranba on 31st July

The Toronto Area Sustainable Neighbourhood Group and CPPA Landcare are hosting a planting as part of the National Tree Day celebrations across our Tree City of the World, Lake Mac, and we’ll be sharing a BBQ lunch and morning tea treats for all attendees.

On Saturday 31st July, 10am-noon at Gurranba Reserve (308a Skye Pt Rd) we'll be popping in a few trees to boost the canopy and planting a Lomandra buffer, bordering the foreshore bushland, to prevent the spread of weeds and recognise that remnant veg lives here.

We’ll be engaging in another favourite pastime too, the mindful removal of Mother of Millions; these camouflaging specialists are a great treasure hunt for little ones, and easy to remove.

Please wear a hat, gardening gloves, long sleeves and covered shoes, and bring a water bottle. If you have your favourite gardening tools bring them along too.

To assist with catering please RSVP at https://treeday.planetark.org/site/10025384,

Gurranba Reserve has been the site of both goodness and grief over the past few months. It holds a special place in our local landcare history being the site of the very first landcare working bee in 1995, which involved ropes and a 4WD to remove the Lantana that covered the foreshore slopes. A whispering Casuarina grove now stands tall on that spot.

The Landcare crew have continued to regularly visit and nurture the site with a much more tender touch, to the point where the delicate extrication of Mother of Millions (MoM) resulted in 1.5tonnes of the menacing ‘mother’ taken off-site to the tip.

This huge haul would not have been possible without the concerted effort of caring locals who regularly filled the MoM crate on the foreshore on their morning walks. 

Additional efforts from the Gill family translocating Kangaroo Grass (Themeda), mulching and getting on top of the Farmer’s Friends (Bidens Pilosa) before they became the next big weedy worry, has resulted in amazing progress on this perpetual problem patch.

Unfortunately, with the good also came the grief. The discovery of over a dozen foreshore trees felled to clear a view corridor for a reserve neighbour. 

The intent behind the action of destroying what belongs to everyone for personal ‘gain’ was distressing to the landcarers who have been protecting and preserving this special foreshore reserve for all.

Without hard evidence, such as photos, Council can take no action. Perhaps the neighbours with a good view of the site might like to keep an eye out for any further incidents, take a photo and report the vandals.

All neighbours are welcome to come along to the National Tree Day planting and discuss view corridors and get to know the people who care for our trees and the public land upon which they live.

The Coal Point School – Naturespace & Community Hub project is almost finished!

An update from The Naturespace Team – Lindy, Libby & Sarah

After many wet weather hold-ups, our grant project at Coal Point Public School is racing toward the finish line! The project funds were awarded in 2019 by the NSW State Government as part of their community grant program.

The education trail is complete and winds around the periphery of “top field” at the school. Take a stroll outside of school hours and see the stellar trail work by Synergy Trails – it looks fantastic.

The Naturespace portion is still surrounded by construction fencing, adjacent to Rofe Street, but is almost finished. The last couple of days have seen the installation of “nature play” elements by Timber Creations, a specialist builder from the Central Coast. Through community surveys and teacher input, you helped choose this really cool design. Thank you!

There is still some finishing work to do in this area including soil preparation, weed removal & planting. Please help us by staying outside this area despite the overwhelming temptation to explore & play. When it’s ready, the construction fencing will come down and there will be an official opening.

If you’re able to participate in planting activities please let us know through our Facebook site or the school office.

Further updates, community consultation and opportunities for involvement will be posted on the project Facebook page, Coal Point Primary School Naturespace & Community Hub.

Naturespace construction about to commence

The Coal Point Public School - Naturespace and Community Hub project is about to start construction. Here’s an update from The CPPS Naturescape Team.

The education trail that forms almost half of the Naturescape project will soon be under construction. It is proudly funded by the NSW State Government.

The trail will be built around the periphery of the top field at the school. Our successful contractor is an expert in track design and construction and we’re excited to have his team start on site in the next couple of weeks. To date, the trees in the area (including on adjacent Council properties) have been assessed by an arborist and pruned as needed to provide a safe environment for users of the trail.

Be aware that access to the school from the Coal Point Ridge Track may be limited at times of construction. Please help the project by following signage and/or instructions of the contractor if passing through on your walk/run/ride.

The Naturespace component of the project adjacent to Rofe Street is still in the final stages of design. Jamie Russell from Metiri Consultants in Toronto is providing civil engineering services. His team has kindly provided more services than their contract states in support of this local community project. We’re hoping we can move quickly to have this second stage of the project in construction in the next couple of months, to meet the timing requirements of the grant.

Part of finalising the Naturespace design will be choosing play elements to be incorporated into the activity zones we’re creating. We’re hoping to involve the kids through their classes. Covid restrictions have limited our community outreach but there may also be opportunity for community feedback and participation in planting activities. Please stay tuned and send us a message if you’re interested in being involved.

Further updates, community consultation and other opportunities for involvement will be posted on the project Facebook page, Coal Point Primary School Naturespace & Community Hub.

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.

Naturespace and Community Hub Update

Coal Point Public School's (CPPS) parent project team is in the exciting phase of designing the Coal Point Public School - Naturespace and Community Hub. A concept plan with an education trail and play zones was shared with the Coal Point Public School teaching staff, prior to Covid-19 restrictions, and received useful and positive feedback. The project team are now developing activities for the school students to provide input into the concept plan, which they will receive early third term.

The Naturespace and Community Hub will be built around the periphery of top field, an area that currently gets little use. Once the project is completed it will get lots of use, and so it has been necessary to assess the risk posed by the trees currently growing in the area. An arborist has completed this assessment.

During the school holidays the project team marked the proposed route for the education trail with pink paint and flags. A specialist trail builder measured and recorded the alignment of the trail. His team have prepared a scoping document, which is being used to cost the trail. Further updates, community consultation and other opportunities for involvement will be posted on the project Facebook page -Coal Point Primary School Naturespace & Community Hub.

Have Your Say - Naturespace and Community Hub

The Coal Point School Naturespace and Community Hub needs your input by November 25th! 

Do you want to hop across rocks, or, watch your grandchildren play and have a picnic? Would you like to do a few chin-ups? Will you walk the educational bush track? We are asking for community feedback on design aspects of the project, so please complete our online survey.

The link to the survey can be found from the Coal Point Primary School Naturespace & Community Hub Facebook page, the Coal Point Public school website, or here on the Coal Point Progress Association blog. Go ahead and help to shape the future.

Thanks for helping us make a great space for the whole community to enjoy.

Amazing community support for My Community Projects!

Coal Point Public School Naturespace and Community Hub - is celebrating!

Coal Point Public School would like to gratefully acknowledge the support of our local

community members through their participation in the NSW My Community Project grant program.

The community decided which projects would receive funding by casting their votes, and last week the results of the ballot were revealed. Coal Point Public School Naturespace and Community Hub is one of three successful projects in the Lake Macquarie electorate that will be funded.

The Coal Point Public School Naturespace and Community Hub is a large landscaping and public facility improvement project that will revitalise the school grounds bordering the bushland and create an attractive space that everyone can access, to; play, exercise, explore and relax.

If you would like to know more about the project our first community drop-in session at Coal Point Public School will coincide with the Lake Macquarie Garden Club's Open Garden and Art Trail, between 10am - 2pm on October 13th. Preliminary design concepts will be available for comment and we will be providing tours of the school gardens and a sausage sizzle. All community members are welcome. 

Toronto Community Kitchen

We are so excited to see the overwhelming support that the Toronto Community Kitchen received in the voting for the My Community Project grant.

Our project received the highest points in our electorate! Thank you to all our supporters!

It gives us great heart to know that our community has come together to help some of our neighbours who don't always have a voice, let alone a home or a meal.

We are busy making plans to open our Kitchen while we wait to receive the Grant money. If all goes well we hope to open before the end of 2019.

As this is a community-based Project, we'd love to hear from you if you’d like to help serve in our Kitchen to make some new friends and support others in need.

God bless you and your families from St Joseph's,Toronto

Contact: Bev McWilliam 0437 868888. Community Engagement Coordinator

My Community Projects

The NSW Government is providing $250,000/electorate via a public voting system under the My Community Projects Grants, the aim of which is to improve the wellbeing of people and communities in NSW.

There are 16 projects listed for our local electorate of Lake Macquarie, 7 in the Greater Toronto Area.

You can vote for 3-5 projects. Funding will be allocated to the projects that receive the most votes.

Grab a cuppa and do your part to change our community and don’t forget to encourage your family and friends to do likewise.

Voting is open until 15 August 2019. You have to have a MyServiceNSW account to vote and verify your identity. This is easily done at the Toronto Service NSW centre or My Community Project online portal. 

Coal Point Public School Naturespace and Community Hub $198,086. A naturespace for the school and wider community to gather, make connections and enjoy healthy outdoor exercise during leisure time at Coal Point Public School.

Toronto Community Kitchen $34,000. We will provide a free meal and Food bank to the marginalised in our community and all who are in need.

Textile Recycling and Sewing Hub – 118,370. Create a community sewing hub and textile collection point in Toronto to reduce textile waste and build community.

Installation of a Swimming Stroke Lab $82,115. Swimming machine that analyses a swimmers’ stroke, while providing both coach and athlete instantaneous, real-time feedback via cameras and mirrors at Toronto Swim Centre.

Grandstands for all the community to enjoy! $36,510. Sun-safe covered seating to give community, supporters and families an enjoyable environment to watch football or cricket at Finnan oval.

Woodrising Neighbourhood Centre Solar Project $21,496 .To place solar panels and solar hot water on the roof of the centre’s building.

Managing Big Emotions $28,830. Working with children and their carers to build skills and strategies to manage children’s big emotions.

The CPPA has been approached by some of the local project coordinators to sharing their community project, The Coal Point Public School has included an insert and below are projects by TRASH Inc and the St Josephs community. 

Coal Point Public School Naturespace and Community Hub $198,086

Textile Recycling and Sewing Hub($118,370.)

This project aims to tackle a growing problem – textile waste in landfills. Kilaben Bay local Geraldine McCabe intends to collect textiles bound for landfill, offer sewing classes and courses, an open sewing studio so you can start or finish your own projects, and reasonably priced alterations and mending .

Volunteers can come in to teach their sewing skills to the younger generations. This will be a place to drop in, have a cuppa, get those pants hemmed or that button replaced (or learn how to do it yourself!) – to bring young and old together to share skills, connect, and create together.

Aussies dispose of 6,000kg of textiles every 10 minutes, Gerri explains, but most of this can be re-used, re-purposed, upcycled, or recycled into produce bags, sunhats, and new outfits. It’s a fantastic, affordable alternative to fast fashion. We are already leading the way with our local green waste bins, and this is a great opportunity to keep Lake Mac on the forefront of sustainability. 

Toronto Community Kitchen $34,000.

The St Joseph’s community has partnered with Development & Relief Agency (DARA) with the vision of creating Toronto Community Kitchen.

The plan is to offer a nutritious meal and provide companionship to those who share a meal. We also hope to provide fresh fruit and veggies from Foodbank at a very small cost to supplement households. The Grant would enable us to purchase suitable catering equipment for our kitchen.

Our volunteers will serve a meal, but will also have the time to sit and listen to our guests. Sharing a meal is a simple but powerful way of forming connection and building community.

A community that knows and supports each other will become a stronger community.

If you have a heart for the marginalised and lonely within our community, please consider voting for Toronto Community Kitchen in your number one spot.

Get ready to vote for a Coal Point Community Project!

Coal Point Public School has submitted a wonderful project to provide creative, explorational and passive play activities against the backdrop of the natural bushland setting, within the school grounds and accessible for all to use. The project is to create a naturespace for the school and wider community to gather, make connections and enjoy healthy outdoor exercise during leisure time.

Designed as an 'Everyone Can Play' space, it will be accessible by a wide, pram and

wheelchair friendly path from the Rofe St entrance and it will be the first playspace of its type on our peninsula.

The project will create a naturescape of activity zones, interwoven gardens and winding paths, by revitilising school grounds that border the bushland. This will benefit school families, walkers travelling on the bush trail and the fitness conscious; making a desirable space for people to gather and enjoy the outdoors. The public school grounds are open in holidays, so the whole community can access the naturescape during extended leisure time. 

Between 15 July and 15 August you will be able to vote for the inaugural round of My Community Projects that you want delivered in our local area. This program is funded by the NSW Government and aims to improve the wellbeing of people and communities in NSW, across six categories: accessible communities, cultural communities, healthy communities, liveable communities, revitalising communities and safe communities.

Voting takes place online, or in person at any Service NSW Service Centre and you can only vote once. You are eligible to vote if you are 16 years and over with a valid Medicare card and have, or register for, a MyServiceNSW Account.  You will be able to select three to five projects as part of your vote. For more information on My Community Project, go to nsw.gov.au/mycommunityproject and see the Voting Fact Sheet at nsw.gov.au/mcpresources

We are anticipating some great local project ideas that will benefit our community, and your vote will count! So next time you’re in Toronto visit the Service NSW centre and cast your vote.

This voter fact sheets outlines the general voting process

Neighbours noticing nature

Have you seen the White Headed Pigeons? 

Rod Mackay: “Positive sighting of a pair of White-headed Pigeons this afternoon (3/12/18) on an electrical wire at the Carey Bay Wetlands. They are probably breeding down here somewhere. I saw some a few years ago down near the pool at Toronto west , and have seen some further up the coast; but these two are a first for me this side of Ambrose St.

I also saw four Long-Billed Corellas last Friday on the Toronto Golf Course- now they are a long way from home judging by my bird book at least!: R

Bee in the moment

Coal Point Public School has been successfully awarded an Environmental Sustainability grant from Lake Macquarie City Council. The funds will be

The school appreciates the guidance and support of Coal Point Progress Association and Coal Point Landcare during the grant application process. 
used towards a native bee sanctuary. A native bee hive has recently been installed by bee expert Tobias Smith who also conducted a workshop with year 5 students at the school. This was followed up with a 'Bee Happy’ day with students encouraged to dress to the theme and workshop information shared via peer support groups. The grant funds will also be put towards rehabilitation and establishment of gardens throughout the school, installation of a water tank and garden consumables and equipment.

National Tree Day Sunday 30th July

Be inspired by nature this National Tree Day, Get down and gritty for our local community planting day on Sunday 30th July 9am-noon.

Research from Planet Ark repeatedly shows that spending time outdoors provides a range of health and wellbeing benefits, by making people happier, healthier, and calmer. A new 2017 report from Planet Ark also shows that learning outdoors can help kids develop the crucial skills Australian teachers say they will need most to face major global challenges, like climate change, critical thinking and problem solving, ‘grit’ or resilience, and emotional intelligence.

National Tree Day is a fulfilling opportunity to do something good for the environment and experience the many positive benefits associated with spending time in nature.

Schools Tree Day

The Threatened Species project is supporting Coal Point Public School to continue the creation of the Squirrel Glider Garden on Thursday 27th July. 240 plants will be planted around the perimeter providing food and habitat for critters that Squirrel Gliders like to eat.

Community Tree Day

Thanks to the support of Hunter Water on Sunday 30th July from 9am - noon a community planting of over 1000 plants will be undertaken on Hunter Water land on Whitelocke Street and on the site of the decommissioned water tank. These plantings will provide a buffer to the bushland to protect it from garden escapes and also aid in the regeneration of the ex-water tank site.

All community members are welcome to attend. The Sunrise Rotary crew will be on hand to ensure that the planting targets are met.

Registration on the National Tree Day site is helpful for catering purposes.

Squirrel Glider Goings on

The past month or so has seen a lot of local Squirrel Glider action.

The Squirrel Glider survey was super successful with 21 people willing to come along and check nestboxes. They were rewarded with a glimpse of fur in two boxes and another two boxes having leaf nests that indicated they were being used. Squirrel Gliders often have multiple nesting sites, to avoid predators.

Coal Point Public School is doing their bit to assist the local population with a National Tree Day planting of a Squirrel Glider garden. The Year 6-Kinder/Yr 1 buddy teams planted one hundred wattles and banksias in a memorable morning . These plants are favourite food sources of the Squirrel Glider providing nectar, winter pollen and sap.  To celebrate biodiversity month in September a nestbox will be installed in the Squirrel Garden Grove.

Lake Macquarie City Council released the Draft Squirrel Glider Planning and Managementguidelines 2015 for comment until 14^th September.

The document makes several mentions of the local Squirrel Glider population at Coal Point and the importance of “effective strategic planning to ensure conservation of habitat and viable populations of gliders in areas fragmented by existing and future development”. It goes on to say that any existing population must be considered as viable (p36).  Reassuringly it states  in “locations such as Morisset and Coal Point, detailed analysis on site indicates that restoration measures could be effective in connecting (habitat) components that are currently regarded as isolated (p27).

In discussing conservation issues the guidelines states “ a separate issue for conservation is consideration of the feasibility of maintaining squirrel glider populations in urban areas in the long term. Gliders currently known to exist in some urban locations such as Coal Point where there are small Council reserves and extensive native tree cover. With the expected change in the presence of native vegetation in such locations over time, the already small glider populations will be under threat. Separate planning guidelines mat be required for squirrel glider in urban settings, when compared with rural areas or land currently zoned for conservation purposes, and this may require further scientific surveys”(p35)

The guidelines make several reference to the need for more scientific surveys to better understand the nature of the local population. The Progress Association has recently lodged a funding application that if successful would use citizen scientists to understand the movement of the Squirrel Glider within an urban bushland matrix.

Can you spare 2 hours per month?

Coal Point School Canteen has 5 days per month with no volunteers on the roster for 2010. Can you spare 2 hours (9.30-11.30am) one day per month to help prepare the food? Please email  Kylie-Ann
email  if you would like to help. Anyone can help – you don't have to have children at the school. No experience necessary. Full induction provided. You get your  lunch for free!

Tidy Town Triumphs

Congratulations to Coal Point Public School on winning the Tidy Town Schools Environmental Award for the dry creek bed project. Toronto Tidy Towns won a first place award for the Turning Toronto Green campaign, promoting plastic bag free shopping and were highly commended for the overall Tidy Town Award. The white reusable shopping bags are available for free from the Toronto library.