A Commendable & committed Committee
The Progress Association Committee met 11 times throughout
the year to discuss the business of the association and progress projects.
The committee is
- Suzanne Pritchard - President-Secretary, Public Officer
- John Gill - Treasurer
- Robyn Gill- Committee - Landcare
- Tony Dynon- Committee - Hall
- Ian Dennison- Committee
Awesome Achievements
On 11/10/15 the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits
Commission officially registered the CPPA as a charity for advancing the
natural environment and purposes beneficial to the general public and analogous
to other charitable purpose. This milestone has reinstated the charitable
status of the Association that had lapsed. Charitable status will enable the
CPPA to pursue additional avenues for funding the association’s activities.
Several grant applications were written to undertake
projects at Progress Hall, a community owned asset. The CPPA successfully
secured $19,993 funding from the Community Building Partnership Program for the
project ‘Safe & Sustainable solutions to ensure Progress Hall’s survival’.
Solar panels, rainwater tanks, roof renewal and WHS friendly chairs and
trolleys will refurbish Progress Hall and minimise the costs associated with maintaining
the hall.
The CPPA entered the NSW Regional Achievement &
Community Awards under the
Peabody Energy Environment & Landcare category
and won the award. The recognition of the local landcare effort was celebrated
in the same week as the 20 years of local’s landcaring was commemorated. The
award provided $2500 towards the Association’s activities.
The Progress Association made formal submissions on The Lake
Macquarie Squirrel Glider Planning and Management Guidelines and The Draft
Hunter Regional Plan.
Correspondence with LMCC focussed on seeking clarification
on the recreational uses on the Pony Club-Hampton Street Reserve and the
removal of trees under the 10/50 code.
Community communication
There were eight editions of the Coal Point Chronicle produced
in the past year distributed to 1500 local residences and emailed to a distribution
list of 219 members, supporters, media, local councillors, State and Federal
representatives. The Chronicle continues to be well received and makes a
significant contribution to sharing local events and maintaining community
connectedness. The monthly summary of development applications, DA’s in Play,
provides a valuable community service in alerting locals to changes in the community
that they can comment upon.
The Progress Association’s Facebook page has 49 likes, up
from 30 at this time last year. A dedicated social media strategy and regular
postings of local activities will be needed if this communication channel is to
be a success.
The Chronicle also makes a significant contribution to the
Associations’ finances through the sponsorship of spaces promoting local
businesses. Sincere thanks are given to our long term sponsors, many who have
been supporters for over 10 years: Just Jude Hair Salon, Matthew Cook Plumbing,
Ross McGrath Electrical, Westlakes Trophies, Framing & Engraving, Carey Bay
Cellars, Lake Mac Print, RA Mackay Yacht Brokerage and The Jetty Man. Over the
past few years regular sponsorship has been appreciated from Triggs Motors,
Toronto Dry Cleaners, Harris Wheeler Lawyers, Shields Auto Repairs and Burrells
Landscape supplies. Sincere thanks are also given to those sponsors who have short-term
spaces that provide them with a vehicle to promote their services in the local
community.
This year over 202 hours went in to the production and
distribution of the Chronicle through the considerable volunteer efforts of
many. Many thanks to the Chronicle Crew, Chris Marcar, Clare Whittaker, Dianne
Onslow, Heather McRae, Hetty Fedley, Ian Dennison, Jenell Heslop, John Gill, John
Johnson, John Smith, John Whittaker, Lois Simpson, Nico Marcar, Nicole Haigh,
Pamela Amos, Robyn Gill, Robyn Steiner, Roly James, Steve Dewar, Sue Burrough,
Suzanne Pritchard, Tony Dynon and Wendy Cheek.
Activities of the Association
The past year has provided multiple opportunities to support
local interest in the community and share the Progress Association’s
achievements. Following is a summary of the activities undertaken
- 17/4/16 - National Tree Day community planting at Carey Bay Wetlands
saw 260 Dianella planted by 9 people.
- 6/4/16 - Asset protection burn at Stansfield Close Reserve
undertaken by Fire & Rescue NSW and the RFS. CPPA support in monitoring the
effects of the burn will provide useful data on the impact of medium-high
intensity burns.
- April 2016 - Support provided to the Residents for
Responsible Lakeside Development to advocate for a more appropriate development
than that proposed by DA410/2016 at 2 Brighton Av to 131-133 Excelsior Pd.
- 20/11/15 - The 20 Years On Trivia Tournament attracted 50
people and $1500 of prizes from sponsors.A great social community event.
- 12/11/15 - BBQ to celebrate 20th Anniversary of locals
landcaring in the community. A well deserved commemoration of years of
perspiration.
- November - 2015- Community input sought for a name for the
Pony club/Hampton St Reserve at Carey Bay
- 14/11/15 - Award Ceremony NSW Regional Achievement and
Community Awards-
Dubbo
- Stalls were staffed at local community events and
presentation given to interested groups:
- 19/9/15 Toronto Garden club-1hr presentation about the
project
- 17/10/15 Greater Toronto Spring Fair-Display stall shared by
Toronto Area Sustainable Neighbourhood Group- Hairy Clairy
sales
- 7/11/15- Coal Point Public School fete- display stall including
plants for sale
- 9/2/16 - Hollows for Habitat Forum- 20 minute presentation
on nestbox installation
- 5/3/16- Presentation to Central Coast landcare-Bushcare
forum on the Progress Association’s landcare efforts of the past 20 years.
- 26/3/16 - The Lake Mac Heritage Festival –display and native
plants for sale shared by Toronto Area Sustainable Neighbourhood Group
The
Threatened Species Last Stand on the Coal Point Peninsula project also provided
multiple opportunities for locals to be active. These are reported on
separately in the project report.
The CPPA
continues to develop a strong partnership with the Toronto Area Sustainable
Group (TASNG) through supporting and promoting their activities and assisting
with membership renewals and collaborating on funding applications such as the
Tossers Can Be Binners and Community Building Partnerships Pedestrian Paving
options projects.
Thankyou to
our Members and Volunteers
The Progress
Association is indebted to all the volunteers who give their time and talents
for the greater community welfare and the members whose support is vital for
the organisation to be able to represent community views.
Sincere
thanks to all the volunteers who provide support for the Association in managing
hall bookings, hall maintenance, newsletter distribution, social events,
catering, photography, excel spread sheet mastery, data collection and
collation, providing local insights, professional expertise and landcaring.
A special
vote of thanks goes to Robyn Gill for her sterling effort in coordinating the
landcare program and maintaining the reserve folders over the past decade and
enabling the transition to the role being shared.
This workshop has been made possible through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program and is supported by Hunter Region Landcare Network and Hunter Local land Services.
