A cuppa for a Chronicle?

“A big thank you for The Chronicle each month, we moved from Fishing Point to Toronto last year have really enjoyed reading The Chronicle each month keeping us informed of what is happening in our area. Like knowing the DAs that have been submitted and all the other news.” - Carol

The first edition of the ‘Coal Point Chronicle’ was published in January 1980 as a means of keeping the community in touch with the issues of the day. Back then the headlines were ‘Lake Pollution’ resulting from sewage effluent, ‘Preserving the Coal Point Ridge Green Belt’ to prevent it being developed and denuded of trees, a ‘Family Fun day at Gurranba Reserve’ and the ‘Future of the Laycock Street Quarry’ which Council said at the time “will ultimately be developed as a park. The rumoured sporting area (to be) sited on the present day pony club”

Forty-two years later: (i) the Lake is a lot cleaner without leaky septic systems, (ii) Council continues to acquire parcels of land along the ridge with part of 11 Skye Point Rd currently being assessed for acquisition, (iii) ‘the Laycock St park’ became the Anglican Aged Care facility and (iv) the pony club did become the ‘sporting area’, Puntei Park, the leash free dog area and site for the upcoming Car boot Catch-up, our version of a family fun day with face painting, drumming, car boots full of tempting recyclable-useable items, a Lions BBQ and community groups showcasing their projects.

Since its inception The Chronicle has been produced and delivered by volunteers as a service to our members in the area, and over the years whilst the distribution has expanded beyond the initial Laycock/Ambrose Streets boundary to now include Coal Point, Carey Bay, Kilaben Bay and Toronto households east of Cary Street. Alas the financial membership does not reflect the distribution of the local newsletter.

For almost a year now the Chronicle has been letterboxed to Kilaben Bay, but only one new member from Kilaben Bay has joined, similarly the number of new members west of Laycock street towards Toronto are few.

The Chronicle expansion came about as there were community issues which needed to be shared: development applications, Council’s plans and strategies, protecting and caring for our unique bushland setting and the trees and Lake that frame our community, and the Toronto Foreshore we all enjoy.

Justifying the cost of extended Chronicle distribution is becoming a hot topic at local community meetings with an additional $133.67 having to be found each month.

Whilst one-off donations are appreciated, an annual or regular monthly donation from a group of dedicated supporters would result in tangible benefits from the donations. https://www.givenow.com.au/toronto-foreshore-protection

Of course having more members from Toronto and Kilaben Bay allows us to keep servicing those members with the distribution of the Chronicle.

All the membership information for CPPA and TASNG can be found on this website.

The Chronicle Distribution Dilemma

The feedback is always overwhelmingly positive, the community perspective it provides is a community service, the content is locally relevant and informative, and it is all done by volunteers. This is truly our Chronicle. The writing, collating, editing and distribution to 2300 households along the Coal Point peninsula, (including Toronto, Kilaben Bay and Carey Bay) is all done by over 20 volunteers, 11 months of the year.

Printing is, however, a financial cost and with the start of a new ‘Chronicle’ year we are seeking community support to cover this increasing cost.

Over the past two years the distribution of The Chronicle was gradually expanded by 800 households to include additional areas within the boundaries of the Toronto Area Sustainable Neighbourhood Group (TASNG), including Kilaben Bay and Toronto, to share the issues generated by the Bath St mixed-use development proposal and the Toronto Foreshore Master Planning process. The additional printing costs (and volunteer distribution) have to date been borne by TASNG and the Toronto Action Group (TAG).

The three organisations now involved in the production & distribution of The Chronicle (CPPA, TAG and TASNG), are reviewing the capacity to continue the expanded distribution in 2022 and are seeking your support to cover a cost of $50/month ($550 a year), an outlay that is hard for the CPPA alone to justify without a membership base in these areas. All funds raised will go towards the printing of the Chronicle.

Will you support the continued community communication via The Chronicle?

There are a couple of options.

• You can join the CPPA or TASNG. More members especially in Toronto and Kilaben Bay means The Chronicle is providing a service to our members.
• You can donate directly towards the cost of printing via our donation page 

Help Save Our Limited Foreshore Parkland

The Toronto Foreshore Protection Group is working hard to keep building our campaign to save the foreshore from a multi-story development on the Bath St site.

We need as many of the community as possible to engage with this campaign in practical ways.

Our ongoing strategy will involve:

• Doubling the distribution of The Chronicle 
• Printing flyers, post cards, posters, banners, documents 
• Hiring venues for public meetings and letter writing sessions 
• Newspaper ads 
• Fees for such things as document searches and freedom of information requests 

All of these things require funds. We rely solely on the generosity and goodwill of the people of Western Lake Macquarie.

You can help by donating on our website www.tfpg.org.au