Locals doing local things very locally and CPPA AGM

The Coal Point Progress Association (CPPA) has been around since 1946 and built our community-owned hall in 1951 as a community space. Throughout these 77 years, local volunteer members of the community have been moving and shaking to ensure services are delivered and that our area receives an equitable share of of expenditure on Council rates.

Volunteers have hosted events to create social connection such as Art & Flower Shows, Trash & Treasure Sales, and a Science Week event. Landcarers have been contributing efforts every week to protect the integrity of our unique local environment, home to several threatened species. Members have been maintaining our hall with regular working bees and undertaking sustainability-inspired renovations. All of this to support the cohesion of and maintain character of our bushland community.

On Monday 19th June, 7-8pm, the Annual General Meeting of the CPPA is being held online. The time and format have been chosen to better enable any community members who would like to be involved in the organisation but who have been prevented from participating previously, to attend. If there is interest in the later meeting time the new committee can discuss a suitable time to meet. The AGM Agenda was publicised in the May Chronicle and can be viewed here and below.

The nature of volunteering has changed over the years of the CPPA’s existence. As gender no longer defines work options, and work becomes more flexible people’s interest in volunteering has also changed. The CPPA is keen to enhance opportunities for community members to volunteer.

Whilst the majority of the current committee have expressed interest in renominating, new faces and new ideas would be very welcome. On our committee wish list are people to assist in organising social events that utilise the hall and a hall maintenance coordinator. The latter role has been carried out by Ian Dennison who is standing down from the committee. We’re also on the lookout for a volunteer auditor to review our annual accounts.

To attend the AGM please register via zoom

Agenda of Annual General Meeting of the CPPA

Monday 19th June , 7pm via Zoom

1. Acknowledgement of Country
2. Attendance & Apologies
3. Confirmation of minutes of Annual General Meeting held 26/6/22
4. Review of actions from previous AGM
5. Motion: To amend the Constitution Part 2- Membership, Section 8 to read: 
   A member of the association must pay to the association an annual membership fee. The amount of the fee will be determined by the committee from time to time.
   For existing members, the fee for each financial year is due by 31 March of that year. For new applicants the fee is due on application to join the association, but where an application is approved after 1 October the fee paid will cover the balance of the current year plus the full following year.
6. President’s Report
7. Treasurer’s Report
8. Questions to the Committee/Motions
9. Appointment of Auditor
10. Nomination of Returning Officer
11. Election of Office Bearers and up to 6 other Committee members
12. Confirmation of Public Officer
13. Close of meeting

A nomination form is available for financial members to join the Committee

So what does the Coal Point Progress Association do? 

Here are some excerpts from the annual report which will be formally presented at the AGM.

Thank you to our Members and Volunteers

The Progress Association is indebted to all the volunteers who give their time and skills to undertake community projects and to the members, whose support is vital for the organisation to be able to represent community views.

To all the volunteers who are the backbone of the CPPA thank you for managing hall bookings, undertaking hall maintenance, distributing newsletters, supporting social events, sharing photographs, massaging data, providing local insights, proffering professional expertise and landcaring our biodiverse bushland.

Thank you to the members of the community who have donated dollars to support our various activities; the Toronto Lions for their support of our kitchen repairs, the donors who give regularly to ensure the Chronicle can continue to be more widely distributed, and those that add a few extra dollars with their membership, it is very much appreciated.

Progress Hall

The Hall bookings are coordinated by Cath Fairs who has made the job her own and added promotional flair to the position.

We have had a number of new one-off hires, including a wedding. We have also had some success with the hall being used for workshop-based activities such as Yoga/mindfulness, whole day sessions and a TAFE group.

We have lost two long-term hirers for a variety of reasons. One was due to an increase in business, requiring them to access a larger hall. The positive feedback from the hirer was that the hall is a great location to trial or set up an emerging based group or activity. The other was because the hall did not meet their needs. The hirer felt that a regular cleaning service for the hall is needed, which does not fit within our current budget and is likely to be more expensive than the revenue-generated from hiring.

Minimal advertising for hall hire has occurred during the second half of the financial year, due to repairs being undertaken in the hall, which runs the risk of impacting on the usability of the hall for some hirers. An advertising campaign to promote hall usage will be undertaken once hall renovations have been finalised or plans formalised.

Though our application for a Community Building Partnerships grant to improve storage, renovate the bathrooms to improve accessibility and address the discovery of a rather significant termite infestation was unsuccessful, we were successful in applying for a smaller $8000 donation from the Eraring Site Community Support program using the fully-scoped proposal we had prepared.

Ian Dennison and a trusty band of volunteers, identified the scope of the termite damage in the kitchen and have prepared the area for the professionals to perform their magic.

The landcare team have recently planted the roadside bank in front of the hall with natives -Lomandra, pigface and a prostrate Banksia - to reduce the need for maintenance mowing on steep slopes, next to Skye Point Road.

The CPPA changed energy providers from Powershop (which had been taken over by Shell) to Diamond Energy which has the best ‘green credentials’ and aligns with the CPPA’s sustainability objectives.

Communication & Advocacy

Development Applications

Updates for current development applications were listed on the back page of each edition of the Chronicle. Submissions by the CPPA were lodged for

• DA 2075/2021 44-46 Brighton Avenue
• and DA1651/2022 114-120 Cary St Toronto

Submissions lodged by the CPPA:

• Follow up naming of two unnamed public reserves to ‘Tiirabeynba’ and ‘Nikinba’
• LMCC Dogs in Open Space Strategy
• Gurranba Reserve - ongoing erosion due to informal car movements, seeking a solution and an update on the plans for the reserve
• Nominations for Blue Plaques NSW- submitted and successful.

Advocacy

• Signatory to Open letter to Hon Dr Jim Chalmers on the sale of Vales Point Power station

The Chronicle

There were nine editions (322-330) of The Chronicle produced in the past year. These were hand delivered to 2370 households in Coal Point, Carey Bay, Kilaben Bay and sections of Toronto by21 volunteers. A donation drive has been running to support the expanded distribution with the $1000 raised covering much of the printing costs for the Kilaben Bay -Toronto areas.

Suzanne Pritchard produces the newsletter from articles sourced from members of TASNG, TAG, local groups, and members of the community. It is formatted for print and web along with an e-newsletter version emailed to the CPPA members and network. The social media outlets are the CPPA, TAG and TASNG Facebook pages.

The topics which attracted the most interest according to the website analytics included the new Flight paths over Toronto (23/7/22), the DA at 114-120 Cary Street (23/7/22) and The Toronto Foreshore Town Green update (24/9/23). Regular updates were provided on the activities of TAG, TASNG, Landcare, Neighbours Noticing Nature, Council’s Plans, and their strategies that were open for community comment and DAs In Play.

The website had 4134 users, 4070 of whom were new and 7692 views, providing an opportunity to share local information beyond the reach of the printed newsletter.

The Progress Association’s Facebook page has 604 followers (up from 562 last year) and 538 likes (up from 495 last year). Facebook users are 73% women and 27% men. Most of the posts are articles posted from the Chronicle website, it is another avenue to connect with the community when immediacy and reach is required.

A sample of posts from the past three months saw the early morning ANZAC day post reach 912 people, the ‘hall all dressed up for a wedding’ reaching 384 people, Landcare posts proving popular and reaching 150+ people, and posts with links to the bushland gardening resources (184) along our local wildlife carer’s details (247) also demonstrated interest among the community for our local environmental pursuits.

The sponsorship spaces were well subscribed throughout the year with only one space in the eight additions not being sponsored and complimentarily filled by Catherine Wroe, our local wildlife carer.

Sincere thanks to our enduring and regular Chronicle sponsors: Matthew Cook Plumbing, Ross McGrath Electrical, Westlakes Trophies & Engraving, Carey Bay Cellars, RA Mackay Yacht Brokerage, The Jetty Man, Triggs Motors, Shields Auto Repairs, Burrell’s Landscape Supplies, Altitude Real Estate, Toronto Electrical Contractors, Ozone Sails & Rails, Shane’s Seafood, The Boulevarde Denture Clinic, Kevin Edden Building, Latina body by Julz, Carey Bay Servo, Anne Davies, The Goods Café, Carey Bay Laundry & Ironing and Carey Bay Servo.

Thanks are also given to the Chronicle Crew. Tony and Barbara Dynon, Harvey Mitchell and Nico Marcar for coordinating the delivery and the deliverers, Robyn & John Gill, Nicole Haigh, Dianne Onslow, Jenell & Noel Heslop, Heather McRae, Tony & Bernie Lowther, Ian Dennison, Nico & Chris Marcar, Sue Burrough, Lois Simpson, Steve Dewar, Rod Mellor, Howard Dick, Robyn & Roy Garrett, Andrea Gill, Jennifer Wood, Maryanne & Lindsay Cartwright and Bob & Linda Ireland.

Activities of the Association

Toronto Area Sustainable Group (TASNG)

The CPPA’s collaborative relationship with the TASNG continues by supporting and promoting our shared values via the Chronicle, collaborating on funding applications and projects and extending the Chronicle distribution to cover the TASNG boundaries.

A major collaboration this past year was the Community Car Boot sale which saw 40 car boot sellers set up in October on the first sunny weekend for a while. The numbers of community members present were fewer than anticipated, possibly due to a clash on the weekend with the Coal Point School fete. The concept was seen as a good one and the logistics and site capacity proved to be suitable for such an event in the future.

Toronto Action Group

The CPPA continues to be an active member of the Toronto Action Group, a coalition of local community groups and residents that emerged to champion a community-focussed outcome for the Toronto foreshore.

There have not been regular meetings this past year as the Toronto Foreshore masterplan rolls out.

Landcare

The Landcare crew of 4-8 regulars gathered every Thursday when it wasn’t raining, 8am-noon, to enjoy the company of like-minded locals, engage in physical activity, and regenerate our biodiverse bushland.

The committed landcare crew consists of Lois Simpson, Rod Mellor, Wendy Davidson, Harvey Mitchell, Kath Gall, Nico Marcar, Roslyn Cornish, Nicole Haigh, Suzanne Pritchard, Craig Dewick, Jenny Rome, with several other semi-regular visitors.

Several of our team were recognised for their efforts at the Lake Macquarie Landcare Environmental Excellence in Landcare Awards.

Local Legend Awards for a Landcarer who has made a regular and colossal contribution for more than two years were bestowed upon Rod Mellor and Nico Marcar.

Wendy Davidson was honoured with the Carl Fulton Memorial Community Education Award for spreading the Landcare ethic within the community.

Our local landcare leader, the amazing Lois Simpson, was awarded with the John Hughson ‘Soaring with the Eagles’ Award for a Landcarer who has made a regionally significant contribution but also is a local champion, educator and has been around for 20 years.

During the 2022 calendar year, only 250 plants were planted, a tribute to the natural resilience of many of the sites where once the weed threats are removed the natives re-emerge.

During 2022, despite a lot of rain, 42 landcaring sessions garnered 935 hours (859 hours last year) of on-ground endeavours by the dedicated team.

Our Landcare Team cares for 10 local reserves with ‘a guardian’ allocated to plan and coordinate the activities for the landcare session, and generally keep an eye of the reserve.

The approximate percentage of time spent at each reserve during 2022 was

• 2% at Ambrose St
• 16% at Burnage Reserve
• 25% at Puntei Creek Reserve
• 15% at Gurranba Reserve
• 14% at Hampton St Link
• 5% Kilibinbin- (Laycock St South)
• 9% at Stansfield Reserve
• 2% at Threlkeld Reserve
• 8% at the West Ridges
• 2% at Yarul Reserve

Treasurer's Report

The Financial report will be presented at the AGM and the complete Annual Report is available to download.

AGM Outcomes

On the 26th June our Hall looked amazing with vibrant artwork on display, conversations-a-plenty and locals dropping by to become members of the CPPA and TASNG. The Annual General Meeting was held and a full Committee was elected effortlessly.

Welcome to the new committee members Helen English and Cath Fairs and thanks for the enduring commitment of Tony Dynon (21 years), Ian Dennison (10 years), Harvey Mitchell (5 years), Suzanne Pritchard (27 years), Prue Bedford, Selma Barry and Nico Marcar, who keep the Coal Point Progress Association moving forward.

The Annual Report is available to read online and has been circulated to members. Some of the highlights from the past year include:

The Members

The Progress Association is indebted to all the volunteers who give their time and skills to undertake community projects and the 141 members whose support is vital for the organisation to be able to represent community views.

Sincere thanks to all the volunteers who are the backbone of the CPPA, managing hall bookings, undertaking hall maintenance, distributing newsletters, supporting social events, sharing photographs, analysing data, providing local insights, proffering professional expertise, auditing our accounts and land caring our biodiverse bushland.
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The Committee

The Progress Association Committee met every two months (six times) between July 2021 and June 2022, in a mix of face to face and video conferencing. The expanded Committee benefited from additional voices in discussions and new perspectives. A mission statement was agreed on: “Sustaining our environment, connecting community”.

Progress Hall

The Hall bookings have surged as we’ve emerged from COVID. Our long-term hall users include The Coal Point Art Collective, Trash Bags, Tai chi- Sword and Yoga Circle. New users include Zumba-Latina Body by Jules and Pilates. The Coal Point Jammers gathered for several months but COVID and group capacity eventually led them to shut up shop.

The CPPA also applied for a grant to improve storage, renovate the bathrooms to improve accessibility and address the discovery of a rather significant termite infestation.

Development Applications & Submissions

Updates of current development applications were listed on the back page of each edition of the Chronicle and included Kilaben Bay and Toronto, east of Carey Street, in an effort to better represent the expanded distribution of the Chronicle.

Five submissions were lodged to LMCC on various plans and strategies. Comments were lodged on two DA Applications.

The Chronicle

There were eight editions of The Chronicle produced in the past year (Issues 314-321) which 28 volunteers hand delivered to 2370 residences in the Coal Point, Carey Bay, Kilaben Bay and Toronto.

The Progress Association’s Facebook page has 562 followers (up from 432 last year) and 495 likes (up from 381 last year). The majority of the posts are articles posted from the Chronicle website, making it is another avenue to connect with the community when immediacy and reach is required. The most popular posts throughout the year reflected the community’s interests in wildlife, the Toronto foreshore, local developments and the CPPA, with the most popular post being the sighting of a spotted quoll which reached almost 5000 people.

Sincere thanks to our long term and new Chronicle sponsors who provide support to the CPPA and enable the Chronicle to be produced.

Activities of the Association

Landcare

The Landcare crew numbered 5 to 10 every Thursday and gathered between 8am and noon when it wasn’t COVID-prohibited or raining, to enjoy the company of like-minded locals, engage in physical activity, and regenerate our biodiverse bushland.

During 2021, in spite of COVID, over 38 landcaring sessions with 859 hours (1367hr last year) of on-ground endeavours were provided by the dedicated team of 19 volunteers.

Toronto Area Sustainable Group (TASNG)

The CPPA’s collaborative relationship with the TASNG continues by supporting and promoting our shared values via the Chronicle, collaborating on funding applications and projects and extending the Chronicle distribution to cover most of the TASNG boundaries. A major collaboration will be the Community Car Boot sale event at the end of October.

Toronto Action Group

The CPPA continues to be an active member of the Toronto Action Group (formerly Toronto Foreshore Protection Group), a coalition of local community groups that emerged to champion a community-focussed outcome for the Toronto foreshore.

CPPA’s contribution to the group includes attending regular meetings, provision of Zoom, sharing the group’s activities via the Chronicle, overseeing the Facebook page, assisting with media releases and providing a facility for receiving donations via Give Now’s portal, with the 2022 fundraising campaign contributing $648 towards the expanded Chronicle distribution. The TAG Facebook page has 307 followers and 275 likes and a reach of thousands.

Events

The Local Government Councillors Forum (23/11/21): There were five Councillors and 111 community attendees at the online event and 184 views of the recording.

General feedback was “Thank you TAG for hosting this Forum”. The community was greatly appreciative of having the opportunity to view these potential councillors and hear their views on local issues.

National Tree Day: We did manage to celebrate coming out of COVID with a National Tree Day planting and BBQ at Gurranba Reserve, attended by the Mayor Kay Fraser and 22 locals. A path border planting of Lomandra was created to protect the native foreshore vegetation from exotic grasses spread by mowers.

Financial Report

The CPPA is extremely fortunate to own Progress Hall which greatly enhances the Balance Sheet, but also requires a level of financial and project management to ensure the property is maintained and optimised for community use.

The CPPA is very grateful to have Ian Dennison’s expertise in project and financial management on hand as an active committee member. Ian has clocked up 10 years of service to the CPPA, including five years as Treasurer. Ian has coordinated several grants which have seen both the sustainability and comfort levels of Progress Hall greatly enhanced. He was nominated for Life Membership this year and has accepted.

Hall hire income has bounced back from the COVID slump of $1015 to $3418 in 2021, exceeding 2019 (pre-COVID) hall hire of $2774.

Sponsor’s income has also significantly increased, almost doubling from last year, a result of a full suite of sponsors for each addition of the Chronicle and the ceasing of the COVID subsidies. The production of only 8 of 11 editions however has meant that the full potential of sponsorship income was not realised.

An expanded Committee for the CPPA

The CPPA Annual General Meeting was a resounding success with three new brains - Selma Barry, Nico Marcar and Prue Bedford - joining the governance board of the Association. Along with the returning stalwarts, Harvey Mitchell, Ian Dennison, Tony Dynon and Suzanne Pritchard, this collection of committed community enthusiasts will endeavour to determine a positive direction for the CPPA, ensure best use of its assets and implement its objectives.

The CPPA committee meets every odd month, 3:30-5:30pm at the hall. Interested members are always welcome to join us.

An annual report was compiled for the AGM and circulated to members prior to the AGM. The complete report is available online for your perusal.

President’s Thoughts-Suzanne Pritchard

The 2020-21 Progress year certainly created food for thought. The constraints and opportunities that COVID created have moved the goal posts for what a community requires to be connected, sustainable, nurturing and caring.

It was a time to really appreciate the open spaces we have in our bigger backyard. So many people got the opportunity to explore our bushland tracks. The Coal Point School Naturespace project is now providing access off the West Ridge (Tirrabenbah), guaranteeing increased usage and therefore appreciation of some picture-perfect bushland. The well attended Walk Safely to School Day provided locals with access knowledge of the bushland track and will hopefully be an ongoing option for students to travel to school in the future.

The Bush Blocks project kicked off after the last AGM and provided lots of opportunities to consider what collaborative housing could look like in our community. The Bush Blocks Collaborative Housing project is an exciting opportunity to create the community we want, providing options to value-add on bushland blocks with creative, smart and sustainable housing that connects and unites the residents with the surrounding community while protecting and enhancing biodiversity for future generations. “Collaborative living is about building stronger communities by emphasising social connection and looking for beneficial ways to share resources and pool skills. The sharing economy is one example of collaborative living, collaborative housing is another”. https://www.collaborativehousing.org.au/

Interestingly LMCC is looking to expand the concept of a Circular Economy to include Circular Communities. The aspirations of the Bush Blocks project align tightly with circular economy principles, and it is hoped that the CPPA will be able to seize an opportunity to facilitate the reshaping of the Carey Bay shopping precinct as a circular community precinct.

Communicating with the community on the Toronto Foreshore Masterplan also dominated the past year with an expanded Chronicle distribution to counter the collapse of local newspapers and the limited regard Council and Councillors show for community concerns. Ultimately the masterplan was adopted on 24 May with significant issues remaining unattended to, such as boating access, parking, and the rezoning of the land to ‘community’.

Thank you to our Members and Volunteers

The Progress Association is indebted to all the volunteers who give their time and skills to undertake community projects and the members whose support is vital for the organisation to be able to represent community views.

Sincere thanks to all the volunteers who are the backbone of the CPPA, managing hall bookings, undertaking hall maintenance, distributing newsletters, supporting social events, sharing photographs, massaging data, providing local insights, proffering professional expertise, auditing our accounts and landcaring our biodiverse bushland.

Treasurer’s Report- Ian Dennison

Overall, CPPA financial position remains very healthy.

CPPA membership consists of 10 life members plus 124 financial members (i.e. expiring 31/12/2021)

Hall hire income reduced due to Covid restrictions, which led to reduced hall usage, and further reduction due to CPPA halving hirers' bills for a period, to help their businesses recover.

Sponsor income down year on year, mainly due to:

• introduction of multi-month payment options, under which several sponsors paid all or most of 2020 sponsorship in the 2019 year (making 2019 abnormally high, and 2020 abnormally low)
• reduced number of Chronicles in 2020 (8 for the year)?
• Membership subs and donations income down markedly year on year, mainly due to introduction of multi-year payment option, under which many members pre-paid their 2020 subs (plus 2021,22 and 23) in the 2019 year (making 2019 abnormally high, and 2020 abnormally low)
• The CPPA continues to support the Toronto Foreshore Protection Group and Toronto Area Sustainable Neighbourhood Group by facilitating membership and a wider Chronicle distribution, which will be reviewed to determine if the membership grows in these expanded distribution areas.

Sincere thanks are once again given to Veronica Lund who reviews our accounts each year with efficiency and enthusiasm.

Annual Report

President’s Report- Suzanne Pritchard 

2013 saw the finalization of the 2010 Hunter Water grant and the Threatened Species Last Stand on the Coal Point peninsula project run for a full year. The on ground outcomes have been amazing thanks to the concerted efforts of the landcare team enthusiastically and competently led by Robyn Gill. The annual TSLS project provides details of the outcomes to date.

The Toronto Area Sustainable Neighbourhood Group (TASNG) has been working tirelessly implementing waste and landcare projects which have made community contributions beyond the Progress boundaries. The CPPA has supported the TASNG by sharing post office box and offering a membership drive via the CPPA renewal process. Congratulations to the TASNG for an amazingly productive year.

The governance of the association has been strong with a stable committee overseeing operations and considering the long term viability of the organisation. To this end Ian Dennison has conscientiously undertaken the process of reviewing the constitution and charitable status. The process has begun and will be finalised in the upcoming year along with consideration of selling a portion of the CPPA owned land to LMCC to expand the reserve. These important issues will be taken to the membership at a Special General Meeting in 2014.

Hall use has increased over the past year with regular bookings in place from yoga groups and art enthusiasts. Sincere thanks to Margret Vero for overseeing the hall use and coordinating the use. Tony Dynon and his band of willing workers have effortlessly attended to the maintenance of the hall. The interior and exterior remain in great condition and this adds to the ability for the hall to continue to provide a significant community space.

Financially the CPPA ended the year with a financial surplus. For the first time in many years the membership fees were reviewed and increased. Renewals for 2014 stand at 103 memberships including 38 family. The membership renewal process also provided a 63 membership boost for the TASNG thus strengthening community connectedness and active citizenship. The accuracy and integrity of the accounts are a credit to Treasurer John Gill.

Seven editions of 'The Chronicle' were published in 2013 providing $2085 of income for association. The Carey Bay shopping village approached the association to run a block of sponsorships in 2014 which will provide additional income in to the future. The Chronicle continues to provide a community communication vehicle to inform and increase awareness of local activities. An Item that generated considerable community response with 80 submissions to LMCC was the proposed 26 Dwelling development on Laycock St at Carey Bay. The online presence of the CPPA continues to develop via the blog. The coordination and distribution of the Chronicle has occurred seamlessly thanks to Barbara Lawrenson’s efficient and affable efforts.

Community advocacy was provided in the areas of

• Commenting on the Toronto Masterplan and the street trees
• Providing information and comment options on the proposed 26 multiple dwellings at 20 Laycock St
• Proposed changes to the state planning laws 

It is with sincere thanks once again that the Committee is acknowledged for its contributions in working for the betterment of the local community.

It is with pleasure that Robyn Gill and Barbara Lawrenson have life membership to the Association bestowed upon them.

Since 2006 Robyn Gill has been a tireless champion for local landcaring implementing an extensive landcare program that has ensured the full complement of public land along the peninsula receives regular attention. The coordination of landcaring efforts at Gurranba, Wippi, Burnage, Hampton St, South Laycock St, West Ridge and Carey Bay Wetlands have ensured that the landcare gains continue to be made. Robyn’s extensive knowledge and expertise is an asset to the community and the Association. Sincere thanks for giving so generously of your time and talents.

 

Barbara Lawrenson & Robyn Gill-Life members

It is with enormous thanks that the efforts of Barbara Lawrenson are acknowledged as she stands down from the Committee. In 1999 Barbara commenced her Committee internship as Treasurer and over the past 15 years has been the Secretary, Vice President and convenor or the  Arts & Craft and Social Subcommittees. The Progress Association has been very fortunate to have been the recipient of Barbara’s enthusiasm, energy, attention to detail, planning prowess and culinary expertise.

Coal Point Landcare Annual Report 2013- Robyn Gill

2013 has been a very productive year for Coal Point Landcare Group. More help in various forms provided by the TSLS Project Grant has enabled the small local team to work more efficiently.

Over the year 885 hours were devoted by local volunteers to the special, amazingly biodiverse, environment that we value so much.

In addition further hours were contributed to the planting on National Tree Day by local volunteers which resulted, after preparation work in advance, in 500 plants being installed at Carey Bay Wetlands. These were cared for by follow up watering and weeding so that they are surviving well to enjoy the recent rain.

In addition to the NTD planting over the year we managed to clear enough formerly weedy places to put in a further 552 plants of locally occurring species selected for each reserve. Often during this work we admired the growth of earlier plantings which are doing the job of reducing weeds as well as complementing what nature provides which continues to amaze us.

Lake Macquarie Landcare Resource Centre provided by our very supportive city council continues to give great help through plants, materials, mulch, tools, advice, Green Team labour and stimulating workshops as well as accessing, on behalf of volunteers, support of government and non-government groups. All of this reaps a huge volunteer effort for our Lake Macquarie environment.

Local Landcarer Dianne and Duke of Edinburgh participant Robert

Threatened Species Update

The first full year of the Threatened Species project will be completed on March 31 with the submission of an Annual report. The project will continue for another 4 years, providing lots of opportunities to support local landholders restore and regenerate the wildlife corridor that spans the Coal Point Peninsula.

Since the project commenced there has been

• 5680 hours of volunteer time provided of which 3432 hour was landcaring
• 66 training sessions in landcaring techniques for 26 people
• 15 local organisations have been involved, including Coal Point Public and St Josephs Primary schools and Carey Bay Preschool.
• 1376 plants have made it in the ground with 90% survival rate
• 10.5ha of public bushland has been regenerated
• 6.6ha has been weeded
• 17 awareness raising events held interacting with 830 people
• 42 educational products produced including flora and fauna reports, 11 Chronicles, 39 updates on the blog, 2 maps, a movie, a banner, a brochure and planting guides

The Threatened Species project is providing the opportunity to garner and gather information about the local environment in one spot. Since the last Chronicle there has been new information uploaded for sharing far and wide including some static pages holding information about

• The plants in our Bigger Backyard containing a local plant list collated from surveys and planting recommendations for replacing weeds
• The animals in our Bigger Backyard holds the bird surveys, a map and a movie about habitat hollows
• A helping hand for the last stand shares programs you can get involved with
• The Changes in our Bigger Backyard contains the photopoint monitoring for the project

Annual Report 2013

There was no coup at the recent AGM, just a handful of Committee folk keen to keep progress happening around Coal Point and beyond.  The new Committee looks very similar to the old Committee only wiser, their contact details are on the back of the Chronicle.

At the outset of this report I would like to acknowledge the tremendous work that The Committee has done over the past year and encourage any community minded folk to get involved in your passion project. The Progress Association can be a vehicle to both give to the community and gain from the experience, there is a lot of evidence that supports community mindedness being a key to happiness.

The AGM provides an opportunity to reflect on the past 12 months and some of the shimmer from these reflections is below. 2012 proved to be an eventful and exciting year for the Progress Association and the community in general. Special mention goes out to Treasurer John Gill and auditor Allan Fletcher for their financial tenacity in maintaining a beautiful set of balanced books.

Formation of the Toronto Area Sustainable Neighbourhood (TASNG) group was a significant highlight for the year which brought interested locals under a well structured, LMCC supported, umbrella, ‘The Alliance’ and a plethora of opportunities for working towards sustainability emerged across the Toronto community in the form of the Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Plan.

The benefits of the TASNG include

• Providing clear project objectives to work towards
• Good council contacts
• Governance support 

The working groups that sit under the TASNG are working on

• Community Garden activities
• Pedestrian /access ways with safety issues being identified and community feedback sought
• Increased Landcaring opportunities
• Waste reduction issues

Congratulations to John Gill and Nico Marcar and the TASNG team realising the formation of the group.

Obtaining and delivering grants was another highlight in 2012.

Receipt of the six year Environmental Trust funded Threatened Species Last Stand on the Coal Point Peninsula (TSLS) project aims for a weed free environment that supports the ongoing survival of the local threatened species. The project will provide opportunities a plenty to

• Get on top of the weeds
• Learn about and love the local wildlife
• Secure succession of CPPA
• Provide a social events program

Completion of the recently delivered LMCC sponsored brochure tied in well with the TSLS project in providing local information to locals about the local community. The compilation of the content of the brochure highlighted pedestrian access points that need further work to get officially recognised by LMCC and a process to get them publicised for the community. Thanks go to Robyn Gill for her support in compiling the content for the brochure.

The CPPA owned Hall continues to be well utilised providing a community space for yoga, painting and parties. The Hall hire rates were reviewed based upon CPI and new fees set with discounts available at the discretion of the Committee. The fees for 2013 are

•       Commercial uses =$14/hr
•       Incorporated Community groups=$12.50/hr
•       Social groups=$8/hr
•       Small Parties (upto 30ppl)=$75
•       Large parties =$150
•       Party bond $350

Renovations are afoot to tile the toilets and provide onsite secure storage. If you know of a business or organisation that would like to assist please pass on the details.

Sincere thanks to Margaret Vero for her ongoing generosity in coordinating the bookings for Progress Hall and to Tony Dynon for keeping a watchful eye on maintenance issues.

The Fundraising highlight of the year was the Art & Craft show. The funds raised have ensured the running costs for the Hall can be met for another year. Thanks to Barbara Lawrenson and the Art & Craft Committee for doing a great job and contributing over 1000 voluntary hours towards the event. The Art & Craft show showcases the local talent and provides a wonderful opportunity for local artists to collaborate.

The Chronicle was distributed eight times this year and with the support of the sponsored spaces generated funds to almost cover the Association’s insurance needs. The Chronicles are produced by Suzanne Pritchard and letterboxed by 12 locals. This year 204 hours of volunteer time made it happen. Content and suggestions for what you’d like in the Chronicle are always appreciated.

Community assets were the topic for discussion towards the latter stages of the year and will generate the undercurrent for Progress activities in 2013.

• Removal of public toilets will be questioned
• Sale of public land 93-95 Skye Point Rd will be investigated
• The sale of Progress owned land adjoining the Stansfield Reserves will be investigated
• Support for work on public and private land will be provided through the TSLS grant

The local landcare team continued to work wonders and a full report is provided by Robyn Gill our local Landcare Coordinator   

As we work over 10 reserves… Coal Point Landcarers are a keen bunch… even after the excitement of realizing that we would soon be seeing paid professional bush regenerators working with us as part of the Threatened Species project, we didn’t put down our tools.

We enjoy our reserves so much that (with the help of a skilled spread sheet manager) we are able to report that in 2012 we worked a total of 858.5 hours OR  21.4 weeks of 40 hours (morning tea time only allowed).

During those hours we planted and cared for (especially in the dry time) 650 seedlings. The Landcare group varies between 3 and 6 workers weekly and our aim is to spend as much time as possible replacing the problematic plants that enjoy the conditions as much as we do. Left alone these often take over from native plants that, given a chance, do a great job of maintaining the balance of the environment and are quietly beautiful. 

We try to spread our work as well as possible through the reserves but can see that last year Gurranba and Burnage had a lot of attention because of special projects we were working on.  At Gurranba we removed a large amount of Asparagus Fern and Mother of Millions replacing them with a variety of Westringia, Dianella, Tuckeroos, Wattles, Allocasuarinas and Casuarinas and especially Kangaroo Grass which does very well in some quite harsh conditions on the point. At Burnage we had a “breakthrough” in a gradual process of removing Lantana while replacing it with Wattles and other lowish plants that quickly provide some canopy to suppress weeds.

We are always mindful of not taking too much bird and animal shelter and sometimes they prefer weed cover to nothing. We enjoyed the sight of a rapidly shivering and curving pathway of Trad. (often known as Wandering Jew) as a Rail ran among it totally invisible except for leaf movement. The area where that happened is rapidly becoming fern covered – even more shelter.  At Carey Bay Wetlands a Red-browed Finch has nested in a Melaleuca with spiky leaves specially planted for small bird shelter on National Tree Day about 5 years ago and a Regent Bower Bird’s brilliant blue bower has definitely been noticed by a female lately. Sightings like these help to make the work a joy.

To now have the pleasure of working, as part of “the big project”, with professionals who encourage us, share and hugely enlarge what is achieved is definitely the “icing on the cake” for us. Many thanks go to Suzanne Pritchard who pulled off this dream project design with a huge, complex and unrefuseable grant application and is now coordinating the groups involved to the benefit of our environment and community.  

AGM Outcomes

The AGM came and went with a keen crew signing up for another eventful Progress Year.
Thanks were given to all present and absent Committee members and time was taken to reflect on the achievements of year that’s been. The highlights included

• Mr Sqib - The Tuesday night Trivia team arrived to provide some social glue for the committee.
• The Hall got painted and looks picture perfect
• Sustainable Neighbourhoods started up
• Movement on pedestrian options and cycling issues
• Movement on a local community garden
• Lots of regular Landcaring throughout the community
• A $250,000 six year  Environmental Trust grant was written for a weed free Coal Point
• Ascertained that the Chronicle does get read through the feedback received over accessways
• A few monthly chronicles less than normal  impacted on the bottom line, but generally fully subscribed with space sponsors
• Some great social/fundraisers
• The Premiers Flood Appeal supported Queenslanders in January 2011
• Songs of Henry Lawson and Banjo Paterson brought locals together socially

Financially a breakeven year which was pretty good considering the painting of the Hall was a major expense.
Many thanks to the ongoing sponsorship of space by local businesses in the Chronicle which generates enough funds to keep the wolf from the door and the necessary insurances in place.
Special thanks to long term sponsors Ross McGrath, Stylish Abodes, Avery’s Real Estate who no longer are in need of the space.
The year ahead looks pretty good too

• There will be a brochure about our community distributed
• The Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Plan will be launched, providing a foundation for ongoing community projects
• If the Environmental Trust grant gets up there’ll be lots of landcaring along the peninsula
• The Art & Craft Show is on again

The Committee remained relatively stable with Warren Sinclair not restanding and Annette Minnards putting up her hand. Many thanks to the stalwarts for ongoing community contributions Robyn Gill, Ian Dennison,  Barbara Lawrenson, John Gill, Jean Austen, Suzanne Pritchard,  Tony Dynon and John Greenhalgh

Landcare Report for 2011 -Robyn Gill

In 2011 the Coal Point Landcare Group planted 670 plants in 6 reserves while carrying out maintenance weeding at 4 others. All plants went into places where weeds were flourishing  so it is a challenge to prepare for planting and then to protect the new plantings from weeds as they grow to occupy the space. Our white tipped stakes make it possible for us to find them and help them along until they become a largely self supporting patch of appropriate vegetation and habitat.
The plantings in WIPPI Reserve have now reached the stage where minimal maintenance is needed ( and a wedding took place among them last year ).

Annual Report for 2010

The Annual General Meeting in March is always a good time to reflect on the year that was and as usual another eventful year with enough happening to keep the committee and active members well and truly engaged. 

Grants were successfully gained from LMCC to produce a brochure and assist with film nights and  Hunter Water Landcare Assistance Fund to undertake special plantings at Stansfield Close and Yural reserve. 

Both of these projects are still in progress. 

The Art and Craft Subcommittee ran a very successful Art & Craft Show fundraiser, gathering $3402 towards painting the exterior of the Hall. Opening night was a wonderful social event and the weekend showcased the amazing local talent within the community and surrounds. Sincerest thanks to the sponsors of the prizes.

The Chronicle featured the history of the Hall for several months which was a great lead up to the fundraiser.The Chronicle was produced every month this year with 1265 copies distributed. The  sponsorship spaces were fully subscribed with some minor turnover. The format was changed in September. The Chronicle was also posted to the web most months.

Footpathing united the Committee around the table but unfortunately the community did not come out in numbers to advance the cause. A wish list is still awaiting actioning.

LMCC requests

1. A successful outcome was achieved to relocate the leash free area from Birriban to Gurranba reserve.

2. A table was installed at Yural Reserve

3. Processes for requesting lighting, footpath and curb and guttering were determined

4. A rate rebate for the hall was being pursued.

The Constitution was reviewed for consistency with the Model Rules under changes to the  Incorporation Acts. CPPA's Constitution met all the necessary criteria. The process has to be completed with lodging of the reviewed document. 

Networking meetings attended included the Eraring Energy Environmental Strategy workshop which was insightful, Eraring Energy Community forum and Toronto Chamber of Commerce meetings were attended when possible

The Transition Town project had an eventful year. A film festival ran over several months attracting small numbers, averaging 5/session, with the aim or recruiting interest. An end of year gathering saw a working group form  in November to build local food resilience. 

The VegeTTable group supporting backyard vegetable growers ran 3 workshop sessions in February 2011 attracting on average 11 people/session. The group is aiming to determine if there is support for a community garden at the  Pony Club and further support local growers.

Also in February a meeting was held with LMCC's Sustainable Neighbourhood Coordinator and the Transition sub committee endorsed progressing with this local initiative as it is well resourced and highly compatible with the Transition Town aims.

Sincerest thanks to everyone who has given their time, energy and expertise throughout 2010, especially to the Committee members who kept things moving in a forward direction and the general membership who continue to support the organisation, the Chronicle walkers and Margaret Vero for looking after the Hall bookings. Also thanks goes to our Chronicle sponsors who through their monthly contributions help make ends meet.