Toronto Foreshore, eternal vigilance?

Remember the battle over Toronto’s foreshore?

In 2018, Lake Macquarie City Council decided, with minimal public consultation, to pursue a four to six-storey mixed-use development on Council-owned foreshore land at Bath Street.

Community opposition followed, including a petition with more than 5,000 signatures and a well-attended public meeting. In September 2019, Council changed course, deferring the development and incorporating the site into the broader Toronto Foreshore Master Plan, adopted in 2021.

So where are we now? Local resident and long-time community watchdog Ron McSporran has been asking. Ron recently sought an update on the Wharf Road and Terraces precincts, including the much-criticised public amenities beside Toronto Baths.

Wharf Road Precinct. There is some good news.

Council says detailed design for a new amenities building is complete, including lockable change rooms with internal showers, accessible facilities, public toilets and an outdoor shower.

Remaining design and approvals for the Wharf Road precinct are expected to be finalised early this financial year.

Then comes the catch. There is no construction funding and no confirmed construction date.

Council says the project will be ready when construction dollars are allocated through a future Operational Plan.

And the Terraces?

Ron also raised the lack of visible progress in the northern precinct, including the Terraces and Bath Street ends, along with concerns about weeds, vegetation and the general condition of this important public waterfront. He made a pragmatic suggestion. If implementation of the Master Plan remained years away, why not undertake more immediate rehabilitation and landscaping?

Council says it will not abandon the Master Plan in favour of simply undertaking weeding and landscaping.

Funding has been allocated this financial year to complete detailed design of the northern precincts.

Council’s stated aim is that by the end of June 2027, all precincts of the Toronto Foreshore revitalisation will be designed, approved and construction-ready.

That’s progress. But construction-ready isn’t constructed.

Future work remains dependent on funding and must compete with other priorities across Lake Macquarie. Council cannot yet provide a construction timeframe.

For a community that fought hard to retain its foreshore as public space, that’s worth watching.

Back in the April 2020 Chronicle, while we waited for the draft Master Plan, we borrowed an old observation:“The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.”

Six years later, perhaps the price of a great public foreshore is eternal patience.

Sincere thanks to Ron for his determination and vigilance.

You can subscribe for updates at https://www.lakemac.com.au/Projects/Toronto-foreshore-revitalisation

Toronto Foreshore Upgrade Update

The Toronto Foreshore Master Plan has long been a key community priority, and questions continue to be asked about the pace of progress, particularly around Stage 2. Council has recently provided clarification (below) on the current status.

To date, $5.1 million has been spent on the Toronto Foreshore Master Plan. This funding has delivered the Town Green Precinct, completed in 2022, and covered significant preparatory work across the remaining precincts. This includes site investigations, detailed design work, approvals, and the demolition of two properties at Victory Row.

In the 2025–2026 Operational Plan, Council has allocated a further $200,000 for continued planning and design. Decisions about when construction of future stages will proceed are made annually through Council’s operational planning process and its four-year capital works program.

Recent works at Edward Gain Park are maintenance works only, aimed at keeping the playground safe and usable until the broader foreshore redevelopment is delivered.

The next major focus area is the Wharf Road Precinct. This site presents particular challenges due to contaminated soils, which require formal remediation before construction can proceed. A Development Application for contamination remediation at Wharf Road is under assessment. Until all approvals are in place, construction funding cannot be confirmed.

The Toronto Foreshore Master Plan divides the foreshore into four precincts, intended to be delivered in stages over time. While the Town Green precinct was completed soon after adoption of the plan in 2021, the remaining precincts, Wharf Road, The Terraces and Bath Street, have proven far more complex.

Investigations across these sites have identified a range of constraints, including:

• contaminated soils requiring remedial action plans
• geotechnical challenges
• Aboriginal and European heritage investigations and approvals
• complex Development Applications

These issues have added both time and cost to the process, but they are necessary steps to ensure the foreshore is safe, compliant and fit for long-term community use.

The playground upgrade remains the major children-focused element of the Master Plan. It is planned to be supported by complementary improvements across the remaining precincts, including seating, shaded areas, shared path connections and landscaping.

Council’s Delivery Program 2025–2029 includes the Toronto Foreshore Reserve, with the intention of securing all remaining approvals and completing detailed design for the Terraces and Bath Street precincts in 2026–2027. The allocation of construction funding will then be considered alongside other community facility upgrades across the city, balancing competing needs within Council’s overall budget.

The CPPA will continue to monitor this project closely and advocate for timely delivery, keeping the community informed as decisions are made.

As always, we encourage residents to stay engaged, ask questions and make their voices heard about the future of our foreshore. You can keep up top date on Council's webpage for the Toronto Foreshore Revitalisation project.

Council’s Agendas for our community

One of the pleasures in putting the Chronicle together is catching up on what Council has planned for our community. It often takes time to do the find-search through the hundreds of pages of multiple documents that embed the detail in tables and maps, sort of like an easter-egg hunt really. Following are some of the treasures discovered in the recent searches.

Toronto Foreshore updates from LMCC

The Toronto Foreshore Masterplan (TFM) February update predicted that the next phase of the Foreshore revitalisation works is progressing, with construction for $1 million in upgrades to enhance the Toronto Baths going ahead in April 2024.

The Baths upgrade aims to create an inclusive and fully enclosed space with improved accessibility features.

Expected to be completed by late June 2024, the upgrades include:

• a jetty extension
• an accessibility ramp with handrails
• replacement of existing jetty decking
• netting around the internal perimeter to enclose the swimming area and prevent the entry of large marine fauna.

Access to the baths will be closed during construction.

The December update discussed how the detailed design of the baths building will feature toilets, showers, change-rooms and facilities for those living with disability.

Other recent TFM project developments included:

• completion of geotechnical investigations for the Wharf Road and Goffett Park precincts, with detailed design works due to be complete by mid-2024.
• design and approval documents are progressing for upgrades to Toronto Baths.

Council predicts that it is on track for works to begin on the Wharf Road Precinct of the TFM, including the Toronto Baths enclosure in mid-2024. This precinct includes:

• expansion of the playground
• cafe refurbishment
• expanded amenities
• shade pavilion and seating with barbecues
• outdoor fitness zone
• landscaping and pathways
• two accessible car parking spaces at the end of Wharf Road
• the removal of the boat ramp at Wharf Road.

Council’s Operation plan outlines the 2024-25FY projects that have been allocated budget including -

• Delivery the Toronto Foreshore Master Plan’s detailed design and delivery of capital works actions for Stages 3,4,5 and 6
• Lake Mac libraries are expanding the self-access services at the Toronto library.
• The draft Teralba to Toronto Climate Resilience Plan will be presented to Council for exhibition.
• Plan and develop road rehabilitation at Milford Street, Toronto between Awaba Road and Carleton Street

A Draft Active Recreation Strategy is now on Public Exhibition for community comment till 30 April

https://shape.lakemac.com.au/activelakemac

In the summary ‘Analysis of Hierarchy Distribution’ it identified that the Toronto planning catchment area provides two neighbourhood active recreation hubs (Bolton Point, Rathmines) supported by three local sites (Bolton Point Park, Ron Hill Oval, Wangi Foreshore).

There are some minor gaps in provision around Awaba, Wangi Wangi and Coal Point.

It recommended the establishment of a neighbourhood hub in the Toronto catchment to provide two to three active recreation facilities or one key attractor that people will travel to e.g. a skate park or BMX pump track. Neighbourhood hubs have a 10-minute drive-time catchment.

Some active recreation facilities are already planned such as a new multi-court at Hampton Street Reserve (Puntie Park) and the Toronto Foreshore Exercise Area as part of the current Toronto Foreshore Masterplan.

Also identified as part of the Toronto Contributions Plan in Toronto or Carey Bay is a new BMX facility at Toronto (Cook Street) or Carey Bay (Hampton Street Reserve/Puntei Park)

The only formally recognised walking trail in our area is the Kilaben Bay Nature Walk The walk starts from Toronto Fire Station down a fire trail and links to the elevated Boardwalks through to Kilaben Bay. The walk features five separate vegetation communities and over 100 different bird species. If you haven’t explored it, perhaps the school holidays will be a great time.

LMCC’s Infill Development Plan

LMCC’s Infill Development Plan has been adopted to facilitate infill housing in residential zones close to the business zones of Lake Macquarie. It is primarily intended to help unlock development in existing medium density residential areas. The intent is to support a range of infill residential development in areas already zoned for that purpose, but where such development is not well supported by current planning controls.

The planning proposal seeks to marginally increase the current ten metre height limit in the R3 Medium Density Residential zone, and in some cases the relevant Business zone close to and within town centres. This generally aims to enable three-storey development. In Toronto it could allow four- to five-storey residential development.

Council considers the proposed changes are minor in nature. In Toronto there are minor height variances from 10 to 11/12m and a small additional R3 zoned area proposed.

Whilst several community submissions regarding the proposal for Renwick Street were received, concerns were not considered important enough to change the outcome.

What’s happening on the foreshore? Works update – July 2023

Aboriginal Heritage Impact Permit

From mid-July LMCC will be undertaking investigation works at Toronto foreshore to help prepare the Aboriginal Heritage Impact Permit for future precincts of the Toronto foreshore revitalisation project.

The investigations are part of the due diligence process for the detailed designs of these future stages.

Wharf Road Precinct

LMCC are on track for works to begin on the Wharf Road Precinct, including the Toronto Baths enclosure in mid-2024. This precinct includes:

• expansion of the playground
• expanded cafe area
• expanded amenities
• shade pavilion and seating with barbecues
• outdoor fitness zone
• landscaping and pathways
• two accessible car parking spaces at the end of Wharf Road
• the removal of the boat ramp at Wharf Road.

Prior to works starting, LMCC will be working directly with affected stakeholders, as well implementing a robust communications plan to inform the wider community about the works

The plans for the rest of the foreshore precincts as outlined on the council’s website include 

The Terraces Precinct works will celebrate the existing character of the site and provide connections along and between each terrace.

This stage is in detailed design but will involve key elements such as:

• shade pavilion and seating
• lookouts
• extension of the shared pathway to link to the Town Green
• demolition of the cottages at 5 and 9 Victory Row
• vegetation and landscaping

The Bath Street Precinct is in detailed design but will involve key elements such as:

• new public square and parking
• commercial building approximately 300sqm
• new landscaped terraces
• belvedere and new stair connections

What’s a ‘belvedere’ you may ask? It is derived from the Italian belvidere, which means beautiful view, and that’s exactly the purpose of these structures. According to Wikipedia “A belvedere is an architectural structure sited to take advantage of a fine or scenic view. The term has been used both for rooms in the upper part of a building or structures on the roof, or a separate pavilion in a garden or park.”

Looks like Toronto might become a two rotunda town!

The Toronto Baths refurbishment

Exciting news for Toronto with a $1 million grant secured by Council for an upgrade of the Toronto Baths. The funding provides for a disability access ramp, netting, jetty extension to provide full enclosure and an upgrade of the amenities building to include an accessible facility. Design works will commence in 2023 with construction to commence in 2024.

The upgrade will contribute towards the vision for the Wharf Road Precinct, as described in the Toronto Foreshore Master Plan (p25).

The Wharf Road Precinct is the most urban and active of the precincts, comprising:

• the existing cafe and pavilion, with upgraded kitchen
• an expanded playground, water play and learning features
• new seating, walls and landscape celebrating the railway heritage of the site
• increased shade structures and bbq facilities
• improvements to the baths including the provision of netting,

The removal of the poor-quality boat ramp and the re-making of the eastern end of Wharf Road increases the area of usable park whilst retaining drop off and accessible parking spaces.

A key item in the removal of the boat ramp is a feasibility study to upgrade the Lions Park boat ramp facilities to accommodate increased usage.

The existing public wharf remains, and future public ferry services are encouraged for investigation.

The expansion of the playground allows for improvements to the street environment which provide a direct connection to Goffett Park with a raised pedestrian crossing - aligning to the memorial and drawing Goffett park into the overall foreshore open space network.

Improvements to the pathways and existing car park are proposed within Goffett Park.

 

TORONTO FORESHORE UPDATE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All the Councillor contact details are on the CPPA website. 

Toronto Foreshore update May 2022

The Toronto Action Group have been endeavouring to get an update on the Toronto Foreshore progress for a couple of months and through persistence achieved some insights.

Our information from Council is

• It is hoped stage 1 works would be completed by the end of June. Delays have occurred due to weather, covid and supply chain issues. Once complete most of the foreshore will be open to the public. 
• Stage 2 will be the car park area and shared path extension near the amatuer sailing club, due to be completed by the end of October.
• No further works will occur until the 2023-2024 FY. During this period detailed design work will continue and operational budgets provided. 
• There are three more stages envisaged: 

1. The area encompassing Tintos, playground, boat ramp and bit of Goffett Park; 
2. The area just south of the Bath Street site and
3. between just south of the Bath Street site and the amatuer sailing club. 

• Constructions methods to be determined. There is no plan yet for which stage will be done first. Council will be posting a community update in a few weeks.

Here's a few pix of what's been happening on the other side of the fence since October last year.

The Town Green

Many locals were surprised with the rapidity at which the fence was erected on the Toronto foreshore, and many have been frustrated at not knowing what is happening behind the screens, with the QR code on the fence not providing an informative link.

Below is the extract from the Feb 2021 ’Toronto Foreshore Masterplan’.

The Town Green is a generous civic arrival space, celebrating the termination of The Boulevarde at the foreshore.

The current shared Greenway will be extended along the eastern edge of Victory Parade to improve the pedestrian environment and allowing a generous consistent public edge - forming part of the larger shared-way network connecting to Fassifern and in the future, Coal Point.

It is proposed that the existing bus stop is moved slightly south to better integrate the stop and shelter on gentler topography and closer to the Town Green and upgraded crossing points.

More open than other areas of the foreshore, the Town Green links the activity at the Sailing Club with the attractions of the pool, cafe and playground of the Wharf Road Precinct. It is grassed and broad, allowing flexibility for major cultural events, regattas, ball games or simple every-day occupation.

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

Access to the Sailing Club and the quality of the ground plane surrounding it are both enhanced - forming a water square which can accommodate drop off and parking for 12 cars but at key moments can be transformed for markets, performances, or spill-over space for rigging during sailing events.

A more generous and upgraded edge to the water allows clear movement along the foreshore as well as improved relationships between visitors and Sailing Club activities.

The potential expansion of the Sailing Club is considered, with a potential expanded footprint shown dotted.

What’s happening with the foreshore Masterplan?

The Toronto Foreshore Masterplan was discussed and accepted by Council’s Built & Natural Assets Standing Committee on Monday 10 May and was adopted at Council’s Ordinary meeting on 24 May. The plan was only slightly modified following public consultation in March with a detailed report and revised plan being available at https://www.lakemac.com.au/Our-Council/Council-meetings. The 181 submissions had made various issues of concern including:

Traffic and parking issues are essentially dismissed with Council resolving to deal with these in one or two years via other planning strategies. Whilst a paved drop-off parking area will be provided near the Bath Street ramp there will not be dedicated trailer parking. There will be less car parking with this plan than before because of the loss of informal car parking at Bath Street.

There is no certainty whether a cafe will be part of the intended mix of uses for the proposed Bath Street single-storey building since it is stated several times that ‘The commercial venue proposed at Bath Street is not use-specific and can provide a number of end-uses depending on demand. Market testing will be undertaken during the detailed design.’

The rotunda (recently improved and widely used) near Tinto’s cafe will be demolished and a new type of rotunda built where an entry pavilion is planned.

Council has no intention to reclassify the Bath Street site from ‘operational’ to ‘community’ land. Council’s September 2019 resolution stated that it ‘Commences the process of investigating the reclassification of all or part of the Bath Street and Victory Row site to community land….’. To date

Council has not advised the community why it considers this land will not be reclassified, other than some commentary by staff related to ease of commercial leases.

The two remaining Victory Row properties will be demolished. No 5 Victory Row (2 storey house, dating to 1906), has the potential to be heritage listed and could be adapted for community uses.

The community might wonder whether Council is actually serious about public exhibition and comment when it so obviously ignores anything that does not accord with its predetermined position. Why go to such time and expense on the masterplan and then worsen traffic and parking congestion so that it will be more difficult for people to get to the Foreshore and Town.

Image: Toronto Foreshore Masterplan

‘ISN’T IT A PITY’ – Mel Steiner

In the words of George Harrison, ‘isn’t it a pity’ that Lake Macquarie City Council cannot develop - what could and should be a great Toronto Foreshore Park, into something that will attract the community and visitors and therefore – to use their words, ‘activate the foreshore’.

Instead, the current draft plan reduces the amount of parking, eliminates a boat ramp, and includes plans for a council owned revenue earning café / restaurant with its own parking – 8 or so spaces and not nearly enough, which means their customers will also be competing for parking spaces in the area. The one remaining publicly accessible ramp will become unusable because there is no boat trailer parking and combined with reduced car parking and almost negligible public transport, the result will be a deactivated foreshore.

Importantly, it will also have a negative impact on existing Toronto businesses that are already ‘activating’ the foreshore by providing facilities that encourage sizeable numbers of the community and visitors to make use of this fabulous foreshore location. Council should be working with local businesses, not against them.

Your chance to comment on Toronto’s Foreshore Masterplan

This Masterplan has been a very long time in coming, but at its meeting on 22nd February, Council endorsed the draft Masterplan, which is open for public comment until 22nd March.

The plan and associated details can be found on Council’s website. Large-format hard copies are available in the Library and are easier to read. Feedback is through a survey and/or submission to Council. Everyone is urged to give feedback to Council and encourage others to do so. Our Foreshore and Lake are the jewels of Lake Macquarie!

The planners have looked at the potential of every square metre and incorporated new amenities and landscaping that will greatly improve the recreational use of this hitherto rather neglected foreshore strip.

A few minor changes have been made following the public consultation in December/January: shared and walking path locations are now shown, a small shade pavilion replaces the existing rotunda, and there are car drop-off points. The plan incorporates a number of facilities and additions that will allow improved use of the relatively small area for everyone in formalised and natural settings.

However, the proposed small, single-storey building on the Bath Street site is still sketchy, other than ‘potential cafe and bike hub’. Council’s foreshadowed reclassification from ‘operational’ to ‘community’ land for some of the Bath Street site and the remaining Victory Row parcels has yet to occur.

Two other key issues have not yet been adequately dealt with. These are parking and boat access to the Lake. They are discussed below from the perspectives of the TFPG and RMYC Toronto, respectively.

FORESHORE MASTER PLAN FAILS ON PARKING

A good masterplan doesn’t just look good on paper/screen. It also addresses the practicalities. Toronto’s foreshore will only be ‘activated’ if people can get there without too much inconvenience. Access means that traffic and parking must be part of the design, not an after-thought.

As it stands, the masterplan adds ‘facilities’, including a cafe, but takes away quite a lot of parking. Parking spaces are shown on the maps, but no estimate is given of the net impact. Blind Freddy can see that more people and less parking is a recipe for chaos and frustration.

In respect to parking, Lake Macquarie Council has failed the community three times over. First, it did not require in the contract that the planners should calculate the net impact on traffic and parking, including boat trailers (which have been banished). Second, community concerns expressed during the preliminary consultation seem to have been ignored. Third, Council does not have an updated Traffic & Parking strategy to address Toronto’s growing population (which Council is underwriting). Hardly integrated planning.

No-one wants the Foreshore to become a carpark. No-one wants the township to be over-whelmed by traffic and parked cars. But if people can’t get to the Foreshore, they will stay away, which is not ‘activation’.

The Mayor and councillors need to explain how people will be able to get their boats, kayaks, etc. into and out of the Lake, how picnickers will get their gear to/from the Foreshore, how families will manage with strollers and young children, or the elderly/disabled. ‘First in first served’ is not good enough.

There are not many options, but there are some. Angle parking on both sides of Bath Street would help to accommodate patrons to the Yacht Club and café, as would more parking behind the café, which could be moved forward. Victory Parade could be better managed. A loop bus would help to move people around if they have to park further away. And it must all be safe for pedestrians.

The Mayor and Council must ensure that the money spent on consultants is well spent and that the CEO and staff are doing their job to provide a framework to integrate the Masterplan. Ignoring obvious problems is not planning.

The RMYC’s Perspective

The RMYC raised the following points in a letter to Councillors with supporting documentation that can be viewed on the http://tfpg.org.au website.

In our response to the preliminary Toronto Foreshore Master Plan (FMP) released in late 2020, we indicated that the club supports the direction and that it was clearly an improvement on Council’s original proposal. At the same time, our response pointed to deficiencies that were also highlighted in ‘community consultation / pop up sessions. The club is disappointed that those deficiencies have now been replicated in the draft FMP.

The following points summarise our more detailed response:

1. Parking is not addressed in the preliminary or draft FMP. If the FMP intent is to activate the foreshore, it will need sufficient parking along with frequent and accessible public transport.
2. Lake Macquarie is an aquatic playground but this plan barely addresses boating needs.
3. Angle parking could easily be accommodated on the southern side of Bath Street.
4. The northern side of Bath Street might also have some right-angle parking interspaced with trees. The RMYC are keen to discuss leasing the footpath area in Bath Street alongside the club for its long-term parking needs.
5. Removal of the Wharf Street launching ramp will put pressure on the Bath Street ramp, where no trailer boat parking is planned. Whilst the Bath Street ramp is part of the RMYC Toronto Marina’s Permissive Occupancy, it is available to be used – and is used as a free of charge - as a public ramp.

Several other considerations have been overlooked in regard to RMYC Toronto’s position on the Foreshore:

1. Parking on the Bath Street site is not primarily overflow for RMYC. During the peak of the Covid19 pandemic, the RMYC car park was empty but workers in/visitors to Toronto continued to park on Bath Street.
2. The Bath street site is used as overflow parking when there are big community and Lake based recreational activities. These include the Heaven Can Wait Charity Sailing Regatta as held in February 2021 and which – over 15 years, has raised $470,000 in support of Cancer Council and Marine Rescue.
3. Combined with support for recreational boating, club support for community-based events (more than 300 in total), brings many visitors to Toronto, thereby helping to ‘activate’ the Foreshore.
4. The RMYC is a 90-year-old, Not-For-Profit, community-based club, (2,600 members), with no debt and housed in a heritage building (the former Arnott’s holiday home). It deserves to be supported by Council, not penalised.

We understand that council are now undertaking a Lake Activation Study (opened for comments on 10/3/21) and a Toronto Traffic Study. RMYC hopes that these will be brought together in an integrated plan and would welcome such assurance.

Additional community concerns have been raised about the lack of recognition and respect of heritage and historical values highlighted by the proposed removal & replacement of the rotunda which was built in 2002, and which houses 7 plaques recognising significant local events and has strong social ties with the community. Could it be retained and enhanced to both save a community structure and reduce the wastage associated with demolition and rebuilding?

Feedback to Council by 22nd March

https://shape.lakemac.com.au/future-toronto

“Operational” intrigue overides community needs at Bath Street?

Council considered a report at its meeting held Monday 28th September, on the outcome of the token and limited “community consultation” for the proposal to construct a boutique café on the Bath Street site. The report provided the outcomes of the survey along with a recommendation that Council formally proceed with the café proposal.

The café is certainly a far better proposal than the previously mooted six storey apartment building. It appears to be welcomed by the community and the Toronto Foreshore Protection Group (TFPG), with 77% of the 420 survey respondents being either supportive or very supportive of the proposal.

Concerns still exist, however, with this proposal, that things aren’t as good as it may initially appear for the desperately needed community parkland. Some 64 survey respondents picked this up and unprompted by the survey, raised the need to reclassify the land as Community. Following closure of the online survey, four TFPG representatives accepted an invitation from Council officers to attend a meeting.

This meeting was advised of the intention to keep the proposed site as Operational Land, which from a Council perspective, makes it primarily a commercial operation. This also means that at a later date the café could be sold and/or extended both in size and height. The reason given for this unusual approach was supposedly that it gives Council greater freedom in business negotiations, including longer term leases. The report also claims under “Economic Impacts” that it will allow the provision of businesses “not allowable on Community Land.”

Such an approach to management of this important site is questioned, as while the Local Government Act does have some limited controls on businesses conducted on parks to provide for community protection, they are not unduly onerous. The Act steps out the processes that permits long term leases, enabling Council to grant leases for up to 21 years (even 30 years can be granted subject to the consent of the Minister). Proposed leases on Community Land are often advertised in the classified section of newspapers and are common practice throughout the State including Lake Macquarie. Why not at Toronto?

During discussions with Council the comment was made by the Council representatives about the likely small return to Council of this current business proposal, which is starting to ring alarm bells for local residents. Most people don’t object to Council undertaking some property development to increase its revenue base. It is, however, of real concern when property and business development is allowed to predominate over Local Government’s primary responsibilities of providing facilities and services to the community. Council cannot just singularly treat this important waterfront site as a short-term money-making project. It needs to apply good planning to ensure an integrated outcome for Toronto, considering all the community’s needs with attractive urban design and function that encourages visitors and promotes economic development.

While most people would be happy with a modest café on the site there is a great need at the same time to acknowledge the recommendations of both State and Council planning guidelines, suggesting important public owned waterfront land be made community parkland. In September last year Council resolved to investigate the option of reclassification of all or part of the Bath Street site to Community Land and to date (one year later) there has been no formal response to this particular resolution.

Unfortunately, the vague building concept varies in detail from time to time regarding both the building size and actual business operations, with the Mayor referring to it during the meeting as a “restaurant.” Fortunately, Cr Wendy Harrison moved an amendment to establish a maximum size for the development and also requested the site be made Community Land. The motion was successful in firming up the maximum development size but the Community Land proposal did not have sufficient supporting numbers to be successful. There is evidence though that some Councillors are beginning to appreciate the importance of this public waterfront land being reclassified and fully integrated with the long-awaited Foreshore Master Plan for our park.

HOW GOOD IS THE GOOD NEWS ON THE FORESHORE?

The Toronto community has welcomed the recent news that Lake Macquarie City Council will place a modest café on the waterfront at Bath Street site and not a six-storey apartment tower.

On the surface the community’s two-year campaign to preserve the public foreshore for recreational use looks to have been successful, however, community unease still exists that Council is not following up with all of its previous decisions to protect this key piece of public waterfront for future generations.

The concern is that the ‘operational’ land of the proposed café and car park could still be sold off to a developer and, under the current zoning, be built upon at higher density.

Council’s resolution of September 2019 to defer further work on the large commercial development at Bath Street also included the integration of this site into the Toronto Foreshore Masterplan and initiating a process to reclassify the site as ‘community’ land.

Unfortunately, the community is still in the dark over Council’s implementation of the other aspects of last year’s resolution, still waiting almost 12 months later! 

In the past few years Council has reclassified numerous ‘Community land’ holdings around Toronto to ‘Operational land’, allowing the lots to be commercially developed or sold. It would be equitable for the Toronto region to regain some public land by reclassifying the Bath St site to ‘Community land’ for future generations .

TFPG and community leaders want Council to respond to the urgent need to provide more and not less recreational parkland for our rapidly growing population. The COVID crisis has brought even more awareness of the need for open-air public recreation.

TFPG is advocating for the Bath Street and adjacent ‘operational’ land to be reclassified and rezoned as ‘community’ land in perpetuity. Community classification does not preclude a long-term lease of compliant businesses such as café, information centre or equipment hire.

TFPG are encouraging the community to respond to the Council's online survey and include a comment about the importance of permanent protection of all the public foreshore as ‘Community land’.

Council’s very brief online survey https://shape.lakemac.com.au/future-toronto is providing an opportunity for the community to say what features they would like to see included on the Bath Street parkland. The survey is open till Monday 24 August.

Make your comment count.

How would you like your Foreshore/Pool?

“How hard is it for a local council to give the public what it wants?” asked Samantha Hutchinson in her CBD column in the Sydney Morning Herald of 4 June 2020. “Near impossible” was the answer.

No she wasn’t referring to Lake Macquarie City Council but to Georges River Council in southern Sydney which is working through a planning process to upgrade a local pool.

Georges River Council began by shutting down the Kogarah War Memorial Pool before the new pool had even been designed. Then in May 2020 councillors decided to build the new pool at nearby Todd Park.

Yet a planning report obtained by Ms Hutchinson revealed that “almost three-quarters of residents who made submissions asked for it to stay in its original location”.

Nevertheless, the new pool will have a water slide. Residents were asked for their thoughts on a water slide: “How many said yes? Less than 1%”.

Now Georges River is a long way from Lake Macquarie so it may be hard to see the relevance to Toronto.

But, in the ongoing saga of Council’s proposed high-rise building for the Toronto Foreshore, the community has long argued for the Bath Street site to be integrated with the foreshore parkland with improved recreational amenities.

So Council’s recent response to the question of “Why was the community not asked to provide input into which scenarios were chosen for the ‘Sustainability Review” is perplexing:

“SGS Economics are a specialist consultancy firm that were engaged as a sub-consultant… SGS methodology sought to remove as much subjectivity from the process as possible and provide Councillors with an independent analysis of the site with respect to the potential uses. The ideology behind the different potential uses is not to identify specifically what the future use will be, but rather to compare a number of different scales of use, hence why their analysis ranges from a “Do Nothing” approach right through to a “Precinct Plan”.

The scenarios being examined by the consultant are: 

1) do nothing 

2) open space, park 

3) park with cafe 

4) compliant development for community purposes 

5) 4-6 storey residential development with commercial space 

6) as for (5) but with serviced apartments, and 

7) as for (5) and (6) but with a Precinct Plan.

Even after Council had in September 2019 walked away from endorsing a proposed Precinct Plan and unanimously voted to defer further work on the proposed mixed use apartment building, we now have a consultant being paid to examine a Precinct Plan and high-rise residential and serviced apartment buildings as part of a series of ‘scalable options’!

The community has provided many suggestions for the future use of the Bath Street site, but we are not being consulted because that would be ‘subjective’. Meanwhile Council staff and the consultants are happily playing ducks and drakes with several options that the community has already rejected.

In August 2019 Mayor Fraser assured a packed public gallery that she had “listened to the community” and that any decision “will not be without proper consultation with the community and lengthy discussion about what the community wants“. Perhaps Council staff need to be reminded of this?

Westlakes ratepayers know how it feels to be shut out of decision-making that directly affects them.

At least the Georges River community was allowed to comment, even if the comments were then ignored.

The Westlakes community still has not been given any say on the future use of the Bath Street site !

Perhaps it’s time we spoke with Ms Hutchinson and the Sydney Morning Herald. They may better be able to find out what has happened to the Foreshore Master Plan and who is so determined to resurrect the high-rise apartment tower.

TFPG Update March 2020

COUNCIL COMMUNITY CONSULTATION

Wednesday 25 March, 4:30-6:30pm

Toronto Multi-Purpose Centre

Chat to Council Staff and get an update on the Toronto Foreshore project

REGISTER for a session here

Toronto Foreshore Protection Group representatives met recently with Mayor Fraser and three Council staff. Based on our current understanding it appears that commencement of foreshore upgrades as per the Toronto Foreshore Master Plan (TFMP) would not commence until mid to late 2023. So, why is this likely to be the case? There are several reasons for this but they all stem from liberal interpretations of the six September 2019 Council-adopted recommendations. Seemingly unwarranted delays in progress is the outcome. The recommendations pertained to both the Bath Street site and the rest of the foreshore. Even though recommendation D called for the physical area of TFMP to include the Bath Street site, Council is still dealing in fact with the both ‘projects’ separately.

The major reasons claimed for the delays are:

1. Recommendation A (ii): Council has interpreted this as a review of Council’s entire LGA property portfolio, not just those in Toronto, which is what the community had thought. Be that as it may, the two-staged process that Council is employing to do this means a significant time delay in reporting back (at least mid 2020). Why should this be the case you might ask?

2. Recommendation B: Council has indicated that the process to reclassify [non-Bath Street site]from ‘operational’ foreshore land to ‘community will take at least 18 months (late 2021) but more probably not until 2022/23. Why you might ask, when Council only has to advertise for 28 days an intent to change the classification of public land before passing the resolution to change.

3. Recommendation F: Council has interpreted this as the need for a detailed consultancy project which will consider the merits of a suite of options (including ‘do nothing’, ‘parkland’, ‘mixed use development consistent with the LEP’ and ‘6 storey mixed use development’) against the four ‘pillars’ (economic, social, sustainability and governance) of Council’s Sustainability Policy for the Bath Street site. This process will take until at least mid 2020 to complete. Council has stated that such a process is necessary to assess ‘future use and design elements’ as desired by councillors via this recommendation. But why is Council even considering the do nothing and mixed use commercial options when these have already been ruled out by the community and clearly stated, for example in the Phase 3 engagement report, petitions, meetings and media articles?

4. As a consequence of the above, further work on developing the TFMP (recommendation E) is also on hold as Council considers this to be contingent on F.

Therefore, the community is once again poorer for having to wait for several more years before any improvements occur in spite of the approx. $9M of contributions having been available now for a number of years!

Council elections are due in September 2020. It would be disturbing if the delays in process were simply delaying tactics so that a new Council could reassess the situation. Surely this was not the intent of the September 2019 recommendations?

Bath Street Breakthrough - TFPG update November 2019

Attachment 1

At the 23 September 2019 Council meeting the motion from the 26/8/19 was massaged and modified and unanimously accepted. That Council: 
A. Defers any further work on:

• a planning proposal for land outlined in Attachment 1, and
• preparation for a mixed-use development on the Council-owned land at 4 Bath Street and 1B Victory Row, Toronto until a comprehensive review of Council’s property portfolio is undertaken; 

B. Commences the process to reclassify the land identified in Attachment 2 from Operational to Community Land; 

Attachment 2

C. Commences the process of investigating the reclassification of all or part of the Bath Street and Victory Row site to community land and consult with the community on future planning for that site. 
D. Extends the boundary of the Toronto Foreshore Master Plan to include land at 4 Bath Street and 1B Victory Row, Toronto; 
E. Continues to develop the Toronto Foreshore Master Plan (noting extended scope, including further community engagement, conceptual design and detailed design for master planned work on Council’s land at Toronto Foreshore; 
F. As part of the Foreshore Master planning process with current consultant, or as required, undertake assessment of the best future use and design elements for land at 4 Bath Street and 1B Victory Row, Toronto in accordance with Lake Macquarie City Council’s Sustainability Policy; 

So for the time being we sit and heave a sigh of relief hoping that a good community outcome will be delivered. We can now enjoy the excitement of the Foreshore Masterplanning process, awaiting the refined document for public comment, possibly by the end of the year.

 

There is little doubt that over the past 18 months Council failed to understand that its plans were not in the best interest of the Toronto area community nor would it provide the best opportunity to encourage more visitors to the area. 

Council resisted calls to halt progress towards the DA for the Bath Street site over this period, in contempt of community feeling. Such a situation was even more disappointing in that Council was already aware that there had been no community consultation prior to the April 2018 decision and that its plans would likely meet with opposition. 

To add weight to the community’s concerns the consultants’ report on its community engagement on the Toronto Foreshore Masterplan has been released. There were 337 responses.



JOC consultants’s key insight on Mixed-Use Development was “The majority of face to face participants are against the proposed Mixed-Use Development at Bath Street. Many online survey respondents also included their concerns in the comments section of the survey despite there being no Mixed-Use Development question. Across all engagement activities, participants raised concerns relating to the planning, design and use of the proposed Mixed-Use Development. “ 

The feedback on the Mixed-use development was “Overall, participants do not support the Mixed-Use Development (Bath Street). The participants reference the proposed height, massing and anticipated ‘exclusive, private spaces’ of the development as being inconsistent with heritage and character of Toronto and the draft Masterplan principles and design ideas. 

The engagement report further states “The workshops and online survey captures participant’s discomfort with the exclusion of the Bath Street site from the Foreshore Masterplan. Many participants felt it should be acknowledged as it is an essential part of the foreshore that’s currently under investigation.”

 

The face to face data…captured 42 separate objections to the Mixed Used Development (in comparison, the second highest area for comment was in reference to the Railway Station and its revitalisation with 13 comments). Further, objections to Bath Street made up the majority of comments across all questions of the online survey. Participants described the Bath Street development as the ‘10% missing from the Masterplan’” 

There are still more questions being asked, like what’s the timeframe on the actions identified in the 23/9/19 motion and why is council’s development arm driving this process not the recreational planners?

Thank you to all the supporters who voiced concerns, wrote letters , contacted

councillors and engaged with the process. It takes a town talking to make a noise, and it appears we were heard.