Tuesday 9 October 2012

Dates for the Diary

  • Local Landcaring every Thursday around Coal Point
    Ring Robyn for details  4959 1507 
  • 5th-7th October @ Honeysuckle
Bikefest- Celebrating cycling for fun fitness and smart transport
  • Saturday 6th October 1.30pm @Toronto Senior Citizens Hall-97 The Boulevard
Community Garden 1st planting 
  • Wednesday October 10th 7-8.30pm @ Progress Hall
Ultra-Low Carbon Housing & Sustainable Living with John Sheil
  • Saturday 13th October 8.30am-4pm @ Kilaben Bay Community Hall, Kilaben Bay Park
Breast Cancer Awareness fundraiser, stalls,BBQ & face painting
  • Saturday 20th October 1-3pm@LMCC Chambers
Make your own Backyard Habitat
  • Sunday 21st October 11am-1pm@ Landcare Centre
Sustainable Neighbourhood Alliance show & Tell, BBQ, AGM
  • Saturday 3rd November 10-3pm @ Rathmines Park
Catalina Festival-Seaplanes &more
  • Wednesday 14th November 12-6pm @ Toronto Library
Community conversations about LMCC Planning Instruments
  • 16,17,18 November @ 
Progress Hall
Biennial Art & Craft Show. 
    For entries or volunteering
 contact Barbara 4959 1259


Talks, tours and actions

This edition of the Chronicle has a raft of riveting recreational activities for enjoyment and education of all. Talks, tours and actions are all available within our community.
The successful launch of the Toronto Area Sustainable Neighbourhood group means that efforts towards implementing the Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Plan are now in progress, there are also plenty of Progress activities underway.


For those interested in community gardening, there is a garden in the making at the Senior Citizens Hall, if low carbon living is your dream there is a talk on offer that could move you towards reality, if you’re interested  in Art & Craft the biennial Art & Craft show preparations are underway.


Additionally Landcarers continue to connect with the local environment and in the process keep active and raise awareness of the beautiful area in which we live, bikefest beckons and a local fundraiser for Breast Cancer Awareness month is on.

Ultra-Low Carbon Housing & Sustainable Living

Wednesday 10 October 7.00-8.30 pm @ Progress Hall
 

Is it really possible to have a high standard of living whilst dramatically reducing our carbon emissions?

John Shiel, a PhD researcher at the University of Newcastle's Centre for Energy, will present the results of sustainable research into issues that are urgent and important, and that should concern all of us. 

The talk will include recent evidence of rapid global warming; common myths; global trends and efforts; practical ideas from a housing development workshop held at Eraring Power Station a few years ago; features of impressive 9 and 10 star Australian houses; and local suggestions from attendees of a Lake Macquarie University of the 3rd Age course, run earlier this year. John will follow-up questions if they cannot be addressed on the night.


Contact  Toronto Area SNG:  tasngsecretary@gmail.com. 
For more info contact jafshiel@gmail.com or on 4952 5209. Some of the slides from the talk are available at  http://www.envirosustain.com.au/page21.php.

Toronto Area Community Garden

Saturday 6th October 1.30pm @ Toronto Senior Citizens Hall, 97 The Boulevarde, Toronto.
 

Time to get your hands dirty! Bring your shovels, gardening gloves and afternoon tea. We’ll be planting beans and peas for a summer feast along the wall of the car park. There will be a load of compost to shift onto the beds, so be prepared for a workout! Children welcome. 

Bring your friends and family and afternoon tea to share.

The Toronto Area Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Plan

The SNAP launch on 8/9/12 was a great success with many locals showing interest in the various projects the working groups are working on. Following are the goals of the Sustainable Neighbourhood group relating to  PROTECTING THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

Objective 4:  Protect and enhance natural bushland in reserves and increase awareness of Landcare principles and practice
  • Plan and carry out bush regeneration in reserves 
  • Increase community awareness, interest and participation through distribution of information including Council and Community publications (e.g. 'Living on the Edge' and 'The Marvel of Mulch'), and articles in local newsletters (e.g. Coal Point Progress Association) and media
  • Increase appropriate signage to identify reserves, their assets and threats
  • Prepare a brochure listing reserves and showing an appropriate walking path connecting all of them 
  • Engage with Council for grant application to undertake and support bush regeneration activities within the community

Objective 5:  Protect the health of the natural environment enhance biodiversity values
  • Promote sustainable management of foreshore reserves by supporting any appropriate Council program for management of dinghies left on reserves
  • Audit and evaluate Neighbourhood Risk Management Plans for fire, storm and tsunami. Initiate neighbourhood preparedness education and awareness meetings
  • Plan and initiate native plant planting days
  • Hold habitat for native wildlife workshops with nest box building (birds, microbats, gliders)
  • Establish health status for Stoney Creek and Puntei Creek and increase awareness of adjoining property owners
  • Hold workshops on garden escapees and weed control
  • Lobby for control of feral animals like foxes, feral cats and Indian mynas

When was the last time a bushfire was on the Coal Point peninsula?

The Progress Association is keen to gather some details about the local fire history. Some members recall a fire in the 1950’s, and then perhaps two since 1960. Can anyone fill in some detail? Contact a Committee member or coalpointprogress@gmail.com

Planning for Lake Macs future

It seems like only yesterday our City’s Strategic plan Lifestyle 2020 emerged from lengthy community consultation, a decade later Lifestyle 2030 has been released for discussion along with the planning instruments to guide future development. 

They are available for viewing at Toronto Library and online 

http://www.lakemac.com.au/development/planning-2012
 

The new planning instruments include:             
  • a new draft Lake Macquarie Local Environmental Plan (LMLEP)
  • an updated strategic plan- Lifestyle 2030 (LS2030) Strategy,
  • a new draft Lake Macquarie Development Control Plan (LMDCP) to complement the new LEP.
  • and the draft Flora and Fauna Survey Guidelines.

Landcare Report - Robyn Gill

Our Landcare hours in August and September have been taken up with our usual spring game of “hunt the planting” among the weeds where the white tipped stakes are a great help. The growth of the plantings has been very encouraging and we’re now hurrying to make room for some more replacing of weeds before it is too hot and dry. 

Our other major blitz is on the Formosa Lily that is spreading like wildfire in the whole lake area carrying a formidable amount of seed per head (there can be 14 of these heads on one stalk) that fly off in the breeze. We have set up test areas to try to find the best ways of dealing with the plant as they are a fairly recent challenge. We are following up on our last year’s approach, which seems promising but not yet proven. http://sydneyweeds.org.au/weed/formosa-lily/
 

Ecosystem Site Monitoring was carried out for the second time at Stansfield Reserve as part of a council programme with a professional leader and a group of experienced and knowledgeable volunteers. It is a careful way of checking on the state of our natural areas by returning at regular intervals to a measured and recorded small area to count the number and variety of trees and plants, both native and exotic, fallen logs, tree hollows and any evidence of insects, birds, fauna etc. 

We saw a tiny possum in the same tree hollow where it was photographed last year but this year it had more sense than to be inquisitive and show itself in the opening. Perhaps it had had a big night and was too sleepy.


We also watched a Kookaburra moving in and out of its nest inside a large termite’s nest high up in tree.


Asparagus Fern is marching on at a frightening pace but native plants continue to resist its advance until it is too thick. It has this year been declared a Weed Of National Significance that will hopefully result in some more assistance with its control.
 

Landcaring often brings up surprises. Last year kangaroo poo at Stansfield Close reserves, more recently a nest of eggs at Burnage Reserve. They look like hen’s eggs, they seem fresh.  Investigations are underway to see if a local native bird may be involved. Have you lost a chook or heard the happy cackling?

Walking Wisely - Peter Boules

In today's society and workplaces where safety is paramount, as it should be, it astounds me that so little, if at all, high visibility gear is worn by people walking at night or in the morning during winter months.

On many occasions I see walkers wearing dark track suits making them impossible to see and if there's been any rain or even dew on the windscreen, together with a street light it's a recipe for disaster.


Let's face it, the chances of getting footpaths in our lifetime aren’t real promising so let's make it safer with what we've been given on this lovely peninsula of land.


Toronto Dry Cleaners have gladly donated 15 high-visibility vests for local walkers.


If you would like a high-vis vest answer the following question and either email coalpointprogress@gmail.com or drop your response to 4/21 Excelsior Pde:
 

Where is the most dangerous spot for walking around the Coal Point peninsula?


15 respondents will be randomly drawn and provided with a high visibility vest courtesy of Toronto Dry Cleaners.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

On Saturday 13th October a fundraiser to support women and men with breast cancer is being held at Kilaben Bay Community Hall from 8:30am-4pm.

Proceeds from the event go towards providing services for adults being treated for breast cancer and their families in the Hunter Region.


The family focused day will have an array of high quality market stalls including arts/crafts, candles, beading, wool n ribbons. There is also children’s face painting a sausage sizzle and lucky door prizes. 


If you would like a stall on the day contact Peg Hargraves 0n 4959 5336

MYSTERY MEDAL AT JUST JUDES

Jude McDonald owner operator of Just Jude’s Hairdressing Carey Bay has been a collector of old clothing, sewing machines, laces, jewellery etc for many years.  Her clients have given her beautiful items one dated from 1887 being a Treadle Singer Sewing machine. 
 

Jude was going through the jewellery donated, she found a medal that was given to the women of Australia who had family serving in the Second World War. 
The medal, pictured, has a bar attached and the stars attached to the bar represent the number of family members serving. 
 

Jude believes this medal should be with the family it was given to, she did a search and found the medal was awarded to the wife of Lieutenant J A Riley of 31 Sackville Street Fairfield. 
 

Now the story becomes more interesting, Jude’s husband James McDonald grew up in Sackville Street Fairfield and the Riley family were neighbours of McDonald family.
They are JACK & INA RILEY who had 4 children.
 

 If you are one of the above or a relative of the Riley family please contact Jude at her salon on 49592926 so she may be able to return the medal to its owners.

Art & Craft afoot

Planning is well underway for the biennial Arts and Craft Show. The artistically orientated fundraiser is the foundation for securing the necessary dollars to maintain the upkeep and insurances for the community owned Progress Hall.

The Art & Craft show is also a celebration of the local talent and a fun night out full of community camaraderie.


As with all community events enough volunteers are the key to success and support is sought to help out on the event. Mature volunteers, Duke of Edinburgh candidates, High School students undertaking community service projects are all welcome to lend a hand.
Are you interested in volunteering for any of the roles below contact Barbara on 49591259 or email artandcraftcppa@gmail.com

  • Staffing the kitchen - Friday night, Saturday or Sunday. Even if only for a couple of hours. 
  • Taking entrance fees and selling raffle tickets over the 3 days at Hall.
  • Assisting with sales
  • Being the MC for the opening night
  • Being an Auctioneer for opening night.


The 2012 Art & Craft show raffle

This year the raffle has been generously supported by
  • Harvey World Travel- $100 gift voucher, lightweight suitcase and traveller's gift pack
  • Bunnings Glendale- 4 burner Jumbuck BBQ
  • Toronto Bay Bistro RMYC - $60 voucher
Raffle tickets can be purchased from .

Barbara Lawrenson ph 4959 1259
Tony Dynon
 ph 4959 4533
John Gill  
 
ph 4959 1507

Sincere thanks for your support in keeping Progress Hall a community asset.