Dates for Doing - March 2026

Visit the Calendar for details of events and hall activities

https://coalpointprogress.blogspot.com/p/calendar.html

Progress Hall OPEN DAY & AGM

Saturday 14 March 
10-12 Open Day
12:30-1pm AGM

Progress Hall, 197 Skye Pt Rd
Details of the Open Day
Details of the AGM

TASNG Meeting

Wed,11 Mar

4:30-6pm, The Hub,

97 The Boulevarde.

Locals Landcaring

Tools & training provided

Morning tea at 10am

12/3 Hampton St Link - Hampton St end

19/3 West Ridge

26/3 Gurranba

2/4 Burnage

9/4 Stansfield

16/4 Puntie Creek Reserve

23/4 Threlkeld

30/4 Yarul

7/5 Hampton St link - Laycock St end

14/5 West Ridge

Ponte Point (TASNG)

1st &3rd Wed

8:30-10am. Meet under the Fennel Bay bridge

Want to join us?

To receive weekly updates email Ros

cppalandcare@gmail.com

Learning at Landcare - March

Autumn has arrived on Awabakal Country. The air cools, dew settles overnight, rainfall increases. In many years, this is our wettest season as breeding cycles shift with some species finishing, and others just beginning. The birabaan, the Wedge-tailed Eagle, begins its breeding season now.

Country is never still. It turns quietly, precisely, season by season. One of the most noticeable autumn movements happens at yareya, dusk.

Have you noticed the nightly flyover?

There are several species of winakang, bats, on Awabakal Country. The Grey-headed Flying Fox is the largest. These are our local fruit bats, a threatened keystone species protected by law.

They are the only mammals capable of true flight. Their wings are modified hands, a fine membrane stretched over elongated fingers. With these, they can travel up to 50 kilometres in a single night searching for pollen, nectar and small aru, insects. Unlike the smaller microbats, flying foxes do not use echolocation. They rely on keen eyesight and smell to locate flowering trees and fruiting forests.

In Australia, bats are major pollinators. They spread pollen and seed across distances far greater than birds and bees. They support forest regeneration. They provide prey for owls and other raptors.

On Coal Point you can watch and hear them foraging in our mature eucalypts, moving through late summer blossoms before drifting off into the dark.

If you would like to know more about our local flying fox population, there’s a comprehensive management plan for the Blackalls Park Flying-fox Camp and advice about injured wildlife is available 24/7 on Hunter Wildlife’s Rescue Line: 0418 628 483.

Feeding the pollinators

So what is in flower for autumn’s pollinators? Red Bloodwood, Corymbia gummifera (pic), is still blooming from January through to April, look for its tessellated rough bark and distinctive urn-shaped gum nuts. You will find it at Hampton Street, Stansfield Close, Threlkeld and West Ridge Landcare sites.

Grey Gum, Eucalyptus punctata, also flowers from summer into autumn, its smooth bark sheds in ribbons, revealing fresh pale trunks beneath.

Along the road to Myuna Bay, Paperbark, Melaleuca species, Tea Tree, Leptospermum species, and Banksia species provide valuable nectar sources. Autumn is not a quiet time in the bush. It is the feeding season. A replenishing season.

Watching and learning

Our Landcare team is always learning. One of the tools helping us build knowledge is iNaturalist. Observations logged around Coal Point are creating a living record of our local biodiversity. Every plant, insect, bird and fungus adds to the picture. You are welcome to contribute. We are happy to help you learn how. https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/coal-point-progress-landcare

A tale of two groundcovers

An attractive native groundcover you may notice in reserves and backyards is Commelina cyanea.

It has lance-shaped leaves that trail across the ground and vivid blue flowers loved by native blue-banded bees. Early settlers gave it the unfortunate name “scurvy weed” after eating it to ward off scurvy. Despite the name, it is hardy, shade-tolerant and forms a useful dense groundcover. (Image from PlantNET)

It is often confused with a serious environmental weed, Tradescantia fluminensis, commonly called Trad or Wandering Trad.

At first glance they look similar. But Trad has fleshier leaves, white flowers and far more vigour. It spreads aggressively, rooting at every node. Any fragment left behind can regrow. It can smother large areas of bushland if left unchecked. There is good news though.

CSIRO has developed a biological control for Trad, a leaf smut fungus, Kordyana brasiliensis. Approved for release in Australia in 2019, it weakens the plant gradually over time. We are hopeful it will reduce some of the dense infestations in our reserves when it is released.

Learning at Landcare is never finished. Autumn is a season of movement and change.

Each Thursday morning from 8am to noon, with morning tea at 10, we work, observe, question and share knowledge.

Dates For doing Feb Update

 

 Visit the calendar for updates

https://coalpointprogress.blogspot.com/p/calendar.html

CPPA Monthly Meeting 
Monday 9 Feb, 9 March 

3-4:30 pm Progress Hall, 197 Skye Pt Rd, Coal Point
contact cppasecretary@gmail.com

TASNG Meeting
Wednesday 11 Feb, 11 March 

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

Progress Hall Open Day
Saturday 14 March

• Grow Me Instead weed display
• Native plants for sale
• Meet the members, join up
• Community conversations
• Cafe-style beverages and bites

Locals Landcaring -
Every Thursday 8am-11ish 

Check the Calendar for locations

Tools & training provided
Morning tea is always at 10am

• 29/1 Burnage
• 5/2 Gurranba
• 12/2 Stansfield- neet behind the hall
• 19/2 Puntei Creek 
• 26/2 Threlkeld
• 5/3 Kilibinbin
• 12/3 Hampton St link- Jabiru Street end
• 19/3 West Ridge
• 26/3 Burnage
• 2/4 Gurranba

Crocodile Point (TASNG)
1st &3rd Wed
8:30-10am. Meet under the Fennel Bay bridge

Want to join Us?
Receive weekly emails about landcaring and what we will be doing, send a request to Ros cppalandcare@gmail.com

End-of-Year CPPA Volunteers, Members and Sponsors Lunch - Dec 18

Before the year winds down, we’re gathering to say thank you, to our Landcarers, Chronicle deliverers, members and sponsors who’ve all helped make our community a little more connected.

Join us for a friendly End-of-Year Lunch at Progress Hall, Thursday 18 December, 11am–12:30pm.

This year, the invitation is extended to all members and sponsors, a wonderful chance to catch up, see the new kitchen in action, share stories and enjoy local camaraderie.

It will be catered, with a $10 contribution towards the catering. 

Join in the $5 secret santa which always provides a laugh and plenty of festive spirit.

If you’ve been meaning to join the CPPA, drop by and fill out a form while you’re there, new faces are always welcome.

Please book your spot for the lunch by Monday 15 December to help with catering numbers. 

As we wrap up the year, we offer heartfelt thanks to every volunteer, neighbour and friend who’s helped nurture our bushland, brighten our hall and strengthen our community spirit. We couldn’t do it without you.

Learning at Landcare - Citizen Science and The Good, The Bad ,The Ugly

From the Awabakal seasonal calendar, we’re now entering Wunal, the hot time on Awabakal Country. Days are humid, nights are warm, mosquitoes are biting, and many animals are breeding and active. Afternoon storms often sweep in with lightning and heavy rain, though in some years Wunal brings dry heat and drought instead.

Australia, including Awabakal Country, moves to the rhythm of El Niño and La Niña, global climate cycles that shape whether Wunal brings rain or dryness. Climate change now adds further complexity, with hot weather sometimes arriving earlier or lasting longer. Toward the end of Wunal, as koyiwon (rain) increases, the weather begins moyiyakowa, cooling again.

This awareness of seasonal change reminds us that Country is constantly shifting and that caring for land means observing its patterns closely.

Learning through Citizen Science

In September, Landcare members learned about the iNaturalist citizen-science platform. We’ve since launched a Coal Point project, where locals can log sightings of plants and animals. These observations build a record of the area’s biodiversity and changes over time, valuable data for the community and researchers alike. 

One of our most exciting finds came from a bundle of decaying weeds, a blackish blind snake (Anilios nigrescens). These fascinating, non-venomous snakes spend most of their lives underground, eating ants, termites and their larvae. With their smooth scales, small dark eyes and tapering snout, they look a bit like shiny earthworms. They “taste” the air with their tongue to follow insect trails and use their upper jaw to rake prey into their mouth.

Blind snakes are part of the intricate food web of our bushland, preyed upon by owls, feral cats and foxes. Keep an eye out, though you’ll more likely find signs of them than the snakes themselves.

The Good: Spring in Full Bloom

Coal Point has been showing off a spectacular spring. Gardens are glowing, pollinators are busy, and the bushland is full of life and colour. Our native plants have put on a dazzling display, providing food and shelter for birds, insects and small creatures.

A heartfelt thanks to everyone contributing to this beauty, our Landcare volunteers, hall users, citizen scientists and those simply caring for their patch of land. You all help keep the peninsula flourishing.

One local plant to watch for over summer is Bursaria spinosa, known variously as Whitethorn, Blackthorn, Sweet Bursaria or Christmas Bush, and by the Dharawal names geapga and kurwan. This hardy, prickly shrub provides safe nesting spots for small birds. Its mid-summer flowers are creamy and sweetly scented, attracting butterflies and many other insects. Later, they form coppery, purse-shaped seed pods, hence the Latin name Bursaria (purse) spinosa (spiny). It’s a great native for gardens, growing 3–4 metres tall in sun or light shade with moderate drainage. A light prune keeps it bushy.

You’ll see Bursaria flourishing in West Ridge and Stansfield reserves, two of many local bushland pockets lovingly tended by our volunteers.

The Bad: Spanish Moss on the Move

Another plant catching our attention is Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoides), also known as Old Man’s Beard. While pretty hanging from trees, this air plant can smother and damage its hosts in humid conditions. Without roots, it grows in long, silvery chains that can block sunlight and weigh down branches until they snap.

Spanish Moss has been spotted growing wild on Coal Point. You can help track its spread by recording sightings on iNaturalist under the project Tracking Spanish Moss in Australia.

When recording, note the distance from cultivated sources, host species (if known), urban or bushland location and the number of clumps.

If you love Spanish Moss in your garden, please keep it contained. If you find it in bushland, record it, then carefully remove and bin it. Let’s stop this escapee before it shades out and smothers our native trees.

The Ugly: Bagged but Not Beautiful

Finally, a plea from the Threlkeld Reserve team. During a recent Landcare morning, volunteers found four plastic bags of dog poo dumped in the bush. These weren’t the compostable kind, just ordinary plastic, left behind.

Please, if you’re walking your dog, use the compostable green Council bags and dispose of them in the green-waste bin. Our volunteers already give their time to look after the land, let’s not detract from their joy. Most dog owners do the right thing. Be one of them.

Learning from the Land

As Wunal’s warmth builds, Coal Point continues to hum with life, birds calling, cicadas buzzing and the scent of native flowers in the air. Each season brings lessons about resilience and renewal, and Landcare is one way we learn from Country while giving back.

Whether you’re a regular Thursday morning Landcarer, a hall helper, or simply someone who takes “one weed out each walk,” your care counts. Together we keep this place healthy, for people, wildlife and the next generation learning to love the land as we do.

Celebrating Our Backyard Biodiversity

September is Biodiversity Month, a time to celebrate the richness of life around us. Here along the Coal Point peninsula, we don’t need to travel far to be reminded of just how lucky we are, our reserves, link tracks and lake foreshore are buzzing with life.

There’s so much to love about our beautiful and biodiverse bigger backyard. Every Thursday the Landcare crew revels in the joys of Mother Nature. And every Tuesday we get a wonderfully-crafted reminder of where we’ve been, what we’ve done and where we’re going from Ros, our Landcare coordinator.

Over the past month the team gathered at sites like Hampton Street Link, Gurranba Reserve and Puntei Creek. We tackled invasive plants that threaten to smother the bush. We’ve been pulling out swathes of Mother of Millions (Bryophyllum delagoense), hacking back Black-eyed Susan (Thunbergia alata), and keeping an eye on the surprise arrival of Australian Umbrella Tree (Heptapleurum actinophyllum) seedlings, a native species but not from this part of the country.

Clearing weeds may sound unglamorous, but every thistle uprooted or tangle of Morning Glory (Ipomoea indica) removed gives native plants room to breathe. It means Basket Grass (Oplismenus aemulus), Scurvy Weed (Commelina cyanea) and young Grevillea sericea can flourish. It means flowers return to the bush, and with them the bees, birds and lizards.

And what a cast of creatures still call our peninsula home. In recent weeks, landcarers have encountered a resident blue-tongue lizard, a secretive Blackish Blind Snake (Anilios nigrescens), and the usual chorus of birdlife. Just last month, Pandorea pandorana and Clematis glycinoides were in bloom, adding to the colour of spring.

These small weekly efforts add up. Together, they keep the bush in balance and remind us that biodiversity isn’t an abstract idea, it’s the living world right at our back door. The resilience of our native plants and animals is something to be celebrated, and it depends on community care.

This Biodiversity Month, take a walk through your local reserve, pause to notice the small flowers pushing through the leaf litter, or the rustle of skinks underfoot. Every sighting is a reminder: we are fortunate indeed to live among such abundance.

And if you’d like to lend a hand, the Landcare team meets every Thursday morning. Come for the weeding, stay for the cuppa and company, and help keep our backyard brimming with life. Visit the CPPA calendar to see where we will be. 

Which Black-eyed Susan?

Why we use scientific names

What’s in a name? There’s a beautiful, vulnerable plant that grows locally on the West Ridge, on the low-nutrient soils of the Awaba Soil Landscape. It’s a clumping shrub, with single or multiple stems that stretch 30–60 cm long. The stems are often leafless, edged with narrow wings that give them an angular look. Along the stems, delicate flowers droop downwards, usually in fours, with petals ranging from white to soft pink through to deep purple.

This plant is commonly known as Black-eyed Susan, but its scientific name is Tetratheca juncea, affectionately called TJ.

BUT there’s also an invasive weed with the very same common name. This Black-eyed Susan (Thunbergia alata) is a vigorous perennial climber, scrambling 3–4 metres high . Its triangular leaves form dense mats, while its orange or yellow flowers with dark throats are eye-catching but destructive. After flowering, hairy seed capsules form, helping it spread. More often though, its escape comes via dumped garden waste. On Coal Point it is a major problem, smothering native plants.

And if that wasn’t confusing enough, Rudbeckia hirta, another “Black-eyed Susan,” also known as Yellow Coneflower, hails from North America. It’s a daisy-like plant growing up to a metre tall, with many cultivated varieties.

So we have three very different plants, all called Black-eyed Susan. This is why Landcare uses scientific names. Botanical names cut through the confusion, and once you start using them, it’s a bit like learning a new language. It’s good for the brain, helps us be precise, and even opens the stories behind the names:

• Tetratheca = “four cells or lobes” for the four-petalled flower
• juncea = “rush-like,” describing its long, slender stems

While Tetratheca juncea isn’t currently available for sale, there are many local native plants that make excellent understorey options for home gardens. You can find tubestock at the Lake Macquarie Landcare Nursery, 80 Toronto Road, Booragul, open Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 8.30am–3pm, or by appointment.

All the details on the very special Tetratheca juncea are here 

Alternatives to plant instead of Thunbergia alata are here 

Stansfield Reserve Project Underway

On Thursday 14 August, the much-anticipated Origin Energy–funded bush regeneration project at Stansfield Reserve got underway, bringing together professional bush regenerators and local volunteers.

The day began early with Suzanne Pritchard taking Sally Alldis from the Bushland and Rainforest Restoration & Consulting (BARRC) team on a tour of the reserve. This walk provided an overview of the site’s potential and challenges, including the effects of a past burn, neighbour concerns and the extent of weed invasion.

By 8am, ten local landcarers gathered at Progress Hall with project leader Sally and her colleague Jenni to discuss the strategy. Maps in hand, the group soon moved into the reserve, forming a line across the ridge and working upwards; gravity has an impact on seed dispersal. Targets included Ground Asparagus (Asparagus aethiopicus), Bitou Bush (Chrysanthemoides monilifera) and Corky Passionfruit (Passiflora suberosa).

Sally and Jenni shared tips on best practice removal, including “rafting” weeds into nearby shrubs to decompose naturally. Even the stubborn asparagus crowns were managed by stripping their water vesicles to prevent regrowth and once hung in a tree was easy to keep track of who had been where.

Morning tea back at the hall offered cakes, biscuits and plenty of conversation before work resumed. With further days planned this year and follow-up next year, the project marks a strong start in restoring this important reserve right behind our community hall.

BARRC in the bush days: 25 Sept, 20 Nov at Stansfield Reserve.Meet behind the Hall, 197 Skye Pt Rd.

Dates for Doing

Visit the CPPA calendar to see what's happening at the Hall and where we are landcaring


CPPA Monthly Meeting 10 Aug
3:30-5pm Progress Hall 197 Skye Pt Rd- Members welcome

TASNG AGM
Wednesday 13 Aug
5-6:30 The Hub, 97 The Boulevarde.
All Welcome.

An Intro to Ethics Wedesday 27 Aug @ Progress Hall



Landcaring around the Reserves

Tools & techniques provided
Morning tea at 10am

• 31/7 Stansfield
• 7/8 Puntei Creek
• 14/8 Stansfield
• 21/8 Puntei Creek
• 28/8 Hampton St Link
• 2/9 West Ridge

Crocodile Point (TASNG)
1st &3rd Wed
8:30-10am. Meet under the Fennel Bay bridge

Want to join Us?
If you would like to receive weekly emails about where we are landcaring and what we will be doing? Email Ros cppalandcare@gmail.com

Learning at Landcare - from Pam

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.

More info on Asparagus Fern 

Watch this short, informative video: Remove Asparagus Fern – Pittwater Ecowarriors  1b

Wattle I grow instead?

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!

What's happening at the Hall and where the Landcare team will be lurking

The Hall is being utilised again for community activities and events.

If you want to know what's on check out the calendar for Yoga times on Monday & Wednesday, Pilates on Friday.

Or if you want to book the hall for an event, you can see when it's available.

Locals Landcaring around Coal Point, Carey Bay & Toronto

There's lots of information about the reserves and the local landcare activities on the website.

We meet anytime between 8am and noon, for however long you want 

Tools & techniques provided

Morning tea at 10am

15/5 West Ridge

22/5 Hampton St Link

29/5 West Ridge

5/6 Ambrose/Yarul

12/6 Puntei Creek

19/6 Burnage

Crocodile Point (TASNG)

1st &3rd Wed

8:30-10am. Meet under the Fennel Bay bridge

Want to join Us?

If you would like to receive weekly emails about where we are landcaring and what we will be doing?

Ros - cppalandcare@gmail.com

Learning at Landcare- Pamela Sharp

It's Autumn, we’ve passed the equinox and the days are becoming shorter, cooler and wetter with damp nights and morning dew. On the Awabakal seasonal calendar (seasons.awabakallanguage.org.au) it’s the breeding season for birabaan the Wedge-tailed eagle and owls such as the Powerful owl and the Barking owl. The Noisy miners at my place are acting like it’s their breeding season too!

Madeira Vine and Native Violet- Time of the Vine

There’s a vine that I’ve needed to learn about since moving here and have become good at recognising its heart shaped leaves and climbing habit. 

Madeira Vine (Anredera cordifolia) also known as Lamb's tail or Potato vine, is an invasive climbing vine with fleshy heart-shaped leaves and aerial tubers. It smothers other vegetation including the canopy of tall trees. It has aerial tubers which are light green or brown, wavy and look a bit like rough knobbly potatoes. The tubers can get quite heavy and cause branches to fall off. In the Hunter region it is considered a priority weed and it is not permitted to sell, buy or plant it.

Madeira Vine has recently flowered on Coal Point. The flowers are mildly fragrant, white or cream star shaped with 5 petals. These flowers cluster on spikes 6 -30 cm long. But it's not the flowers that cause the problem.

At Landcare we carefully remove the vines from the plants they are covering, taking care not to damage the plants, then we even more carefully collect the aerial tubers so that they don’t sprout from the ground. Just as important is coming back and monitoring for sprouting tubers, carefully tracing them back to the shoot and removing them from the site. As a landcarer, this is one weed we can remove to help the bushland recover and thrive.

Land owners can help by removing it from their property. Dog owners need to be aware that it is a plant considered toxic to dogs.

Information on how to control Madeira Vine and the various techniques that can be used.

Removing weeds or reducing their bulk allows the small native plants to see the light of day and thrive without competition.

One local favourite is the Native Violet (Viola hederacea). Lake Macquarie Backyard Habitat Planting guide describes it as adaptable to most soil types and grows in partial sun to full shade. Leaves are bright green and kidney shaped. Flowers appear all year-round and are purple and white, appearing singularly on stems. In bushland they are good frog habitat and grow prolifically to out compete some weeds.

My lovely neighbour gave me a bucketful to plant in my small backyard and they look much prettier than a lawn and I don’t have to mow. As a bonus the flowers are edible with a mild taste that goes well as a garnish for sweet or savory dishes.

Come and join us at Landcare any Thursday morning. There’s lots to learn and plenty to do, it’s great for getting in some social activity, some exercise and helping to care for the land on which we live and play. Send an email to Ros to get on the mailing list for her weekly update.

2025 is looking to be a big one for the CPPA!

We’ll be doing a lot of celebrating and socialising this year. The first major event is an open day at Progress Hall on Saturday 22nd March, from 10am-2pm, celebrating the kitchen completion and hall refurbishments, 30 years of local landcaring and holding our AGM! 

CPPA members and the local community are warmly invited to visit Progress Hall and inspect the recently completed  kitchen and hall facilities. The new kitchen now has all the mod-cons including a dishwasher, induction cooktop, large oven, a very neat bin system, places for everything and everything in its place. The $35,000 project has been overseen by Selma Barry who has done an amazing job coordinating the transformation with funding provided from an $8,000 grant from the State Government, a donation of $8000 from Eraring Energy’s Community Fund, and an incredible $2000 in donations from our members!

Thirty years of local landcaring will be celebrated with a special cake and a display of freshly picked local weeds and some ‘grow me instead’ options to purchase. Landcarers will be on hand to share their weed treatment techniques and knowledge of our reserves and local biodiversity. https://coalpointprogress.blogspot.com/p/bonza-backyard-gardening-guide.html 

There’ll also be an opportunity to express your interest in having habitat hollows installed in large trees on your property, utilising the Hollowhog approach, as part of a funding application under consideration to enhance the number of hollows for our local wildlife within our community. It takes over 100 years for a hollow to form, a significant number of our fauna require hollows for shelter and nesting. The Hollowhog approach fast tracks hollow creation.

The CPPA Committee will be on hand to hear your thoughts about activities that the CPPA can undertake, especially around utilising our unique community-owned hall. There will be a rolling morning tea and nibbles on hand and an opportunity to join or renew your membership to the CPPA.

A brief and efficient Annual General Meeting will be held from 1:30-2pm. The Agenda will be as follows

• Welcome
• Minutes of the previous AGM
• President’s Report
• Financial Report
• Election of CPPA Committee

If you would like to join the Committee a nomination form is available.

Drop in for a quick visit or hang around for a while, the Open Day at the hall is an opportunity to catch up with some locals and share your thoughts on what you’d like to see happen in our community or at our hall. 

Membership renewals are due ...

or join our progressive progress association.

CPPA membership aligns with the calendar year and membership renewals are due, or join up now!

Our annual membership fees are $8 for an individual, or $13 for a household (defined as people living at the same address, whether a family or not). Five-year memberships are $32 and $52.

There’s a membership form on the website and inside.

Wanted: Civil construction advice on addressing access to Progress Hall.

The CPPA will be applying for funding to improve access to the hall and would greatly appreciate some advice to guide our application.Please contact  cppasecretary@gmail.com or 0438 596 741 in February to discuss.