November 2023 - Wallacia Progress Association

President's Annual Report November 2023

Thank you for your support of the Progress Association and our village hall. Special thanks to all the committee members, Elizabeth French: Vice President, Graeme Renshaw: Treasurer, Spiro Gouriotis: Secretary and committee members: Shaheen Aumeer-Donovan, Jane Mcluckie: and Rosalyn Faddy. Shaheen and Spiro are attending by phone

This last 12 months have seen some very positive events for us to focus on

We had a dance in the hall and a Christmas raffle in December and a free Creation of the Earth workshop in March. For Anzac Day we got a new flag from Angus Taylor, our Federal MP and held a short ceremony. We are now on the waiting list for the official portrait of King Charles.
As a result of the flooding The Wellness and Resilience grant of $10,000 enabled us to put on the Wallacia Community Festival in April. It was an excellent event with free entertainment, a wide range of emergency services and other information stands, food vans and market stalls as well as the art and photography competition. It was well supported by the community in spite of the continual rain and Wallacia Public School benefitted with funds allocated to improve the school grounds and a new soccer net. The funding paid for the new website, resources that can be used again like these signs and the banner and helped to pay for our insurance.
And just recently Joe and myself were paid $400.00 to be interviewed for the Disaster Capability Project
Mica from Unico Designs here in Wallacia designed the excellent flyers and posters and donated our wonderful new logo designs.
We were awarded a grant for $15,450.00 in the Community Building Partnership 2022 for concreting around the hall and this has been a great safety improvement Thank you to Graeme for organising it and Denes from DJ Concrete for extra time and effort connecting the path to the ramp. The paths have been brushed straight across for a vintage appearance.
We applied to Penrith Council for the footpath from Greendale Road to the front of the hall and this was done very quickly with help from Councillor Sue Day and the photo of Jo struggling over the grass.
The Squatters Daughter movie at Winbourne in June was an excellent event. Thankyou to Spiro and team and Elizabeth for the catering. We made a nice profit of about $1000.00
The Wallacia Wattles Seniors Group is now meeting every second Tuesday morning with support from Nepean Food Services They provide a staff member and a volunteer, to set up, prepare the morning tea and invoice the subsidised cost of $8.00 a session. It is only a small group as the new Silverdale Probus group has provided an alternative for the older community. If you know anyone who might like to come along. transport can be provided
Our Facebook page ‘Wallacia Our Community’ is growing with 1050 followers and the website has been live since March. I send out a monthly newsletter to about 100 people and add it to the website for wider access.
We have purchased a Halo Pet Scanner as a community resource which is kept at Wallacia service station. It has been used numerous times already to check for dog and cat identity chips.
The burst water pipe leading to the toilet block was more complicated than expected but done at cost by Stein’s Plumbing Solutions. Thankyou to Josh Stein for cleaning the gutters as a community service and he will continue with this on an annual basis.
We have $2000.00 Heritage funding from Penrith Council for half the cost of one window repair but we have to contribute the same amount. The quote from the specialist window restorer Michael Bielby for 9 windows to be repaired is $20,000. We have now applied for $1600.00 from the 2023 Community Building Partnership program.
We have started looking at a hall extension for a toilet block with internal access and disabled facilities and have a quote from the company that installed the new unit at Luddenham Hall for $204,907.00. We also need to improve the access through the front door so it is a major project to take on
The hall has been booked for several birthday parties and baby showers and by Landcare and Penrith Council. We have a yoga class here on Thursdays but would love any other activities if anyone has a suggestion.
We also have $1500.00 funding for the Penrith Council’s Community Assistance Program for a Local history project to tie in with Wallacia School reunion next October. If anyone wants to know more about the reunion please talk to Elizabeth or Vicki. Thankyou to Heather Davies for her work on the history project. Is anyone else interested?
The Crossman Reserve Bushcare group meets once a month and is supported by Penrith Council who have funding of $51,000 for a full year with biodiversity offset funds from the Sydney Metro and Airport project.
With the Upper South Creek Water recycling scheme we have been working with the Blaxland Crossing Trust and Sydney Water to reinstate the footpath down to Fowler Reserve and to resurrect the cricket pitch.
There is funding through Penrith Council and the Federal Saving our Species Program to preserve and enhance the habitat of the endangered Camden White Gums. We had an unsuccessful grant proposal through TransGrid but OzFish and Landcare have offered funding to improve Fowler Reserve. We are planning a community project next year for a Learn to Fish day
The proposed cemetery on the Wallacia golf course has been approved but the response from our State MP Tanya Davis is that there is no further information. She is still in opposition to the development and will be following up when parliament resumes next week.
The new proposed cemetery at 276 Park Road through to Greendale Road will eventually contain up to 250,000 burial plots if it is approved. It is a State Significant Development.
Bunnings BBQ fundraiser 18^th We have a good team of people helping and the funds raised will contribute towards our $2000.00 cost of the window restoration
The hall’s 70^th Birthday in 2024 – ideas are welcome.
All these issues and more will continue to be discussed at our monthly General meetings and we hope to see more people coming along.
Thank you in advance to Les Rhodes who is the Returning Officer for tonight’s election

And thank you again for attending this evening. I will hand over to Graeme for the Treasurer’s report

Margaret Stepniewski - President

Upper South Creek Advanced Water Pipeline through Wallacia

The work has already started with the trees along Park Road felled ready for the trenching to start and some tempory work site buildings set up. There will be a revegetating of the road after the work is completed. The site for the boring machine has been set up behind the fence on Park Road near Montelimar Place and the pipe will go underground through Crossman Reserve. The trenching will resume through Wallacia down into Fowlers Reserve where the boring underground will take the pipeline 30 metres under the Nepean River and under Silverdale Road. It will continue along the western side of the river and discharge below the weir.
Sydney Water has been asked for regular updates as the work progresses.

The proposed cemetery at 276 Park Road and 723 & 727 Greendale Road Wallacia
The site runs from Park Road through to Greendale Road. All the details can be seen on the NSW planning portal HERE
The proposal is for a concept development application including detailed stage 1 works for the purposes of a cemetery development. It is envisaged that the masterplan will be constructed over a total of 6 stages. The cemetery includes ceremonial spaces, gatehouse, administration buildings, café, parking, access roads, landscaping, and earthworks. Stage 1 would include approximately 40,000 burial plots with the whole site projected to contain between 220,000 – 250,000 burial plots. The site has access from three roads. There is primary site access from Park Road in the north. There are two access points from Greendale Road, a main gateway entrance to the south west and a secondary entrance in the south. Access is also achieved from Silverwood Avenue in the west for the purposes of a maintenance/emergency access.

Did you see the great news with funding for our Wallacia natural environment?

Crossman Reserve for tree planting and vegetation rehabilitation work
Fowler Reserve Camden White Gum Conservation Project
Fowler Reserve – OzFish and Landcare partnershipall the information was in the October newsletter HERE

Volunteer opportunities in Wallacia

Be a part of the Wallacia community by volunteering with

the management of the Progress Hall
caring for Crossman Reserve and Fowler reserve with Bushcare
the Wallacia School reunion
the local history project
helping with the Wallacia Wattles Seniors group
other community events organisation
information sharing with social media and the website

Crossman Reserve Bushcare group

The Crossman Reserve Bushcare group has been continuing to meet on the third Friday of the month.
The entrance to the reserve is next to 7 Denton Place, Wallacia. The work is usually weeding and sometimes planting. It is exciting to see the progress being made as the native vegetation is allowed to thrive. There is wildlife to see and lots to learn so come along and meet the friendly volunteers and Penrith Council staff.
All equipment, tools, training and morning tea is provided. When attending, please bring water and a hat and wear sturdy shoes, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. In the event of wet weather, a message is via text on the morning.
Further information from Jess, phone 0488 692 153, or email bushcare@penrith.city

Wallacia Wattles, the Friendly Social club for Seniors

Every second Tuesday 10.00am to 12.00pm in the Progress Hall

Only 2 more sessions this year Tuesday 21st November and then 3 weeks later for the Christmas get together on the 12th December. The group will resume at the beginning of February.

Morning tea is provided by Nepean Food Services and transport can be arranged. Conversation, games, craft, occasional speakers or any other suggestions. Bring your ideas and enjoy meeting new people and having fun.
Phone 4773 7200 or 0407 230 499

Wallacia Community - Be Involved

The Wallacia Progress Association (WPA) has been working with the community since 1908. The Progress Hall on Greendale Road was built by volunteers and opened in 1954, and has been used by the community ever since. It is one of the few village halls still owned and managed by volunteers and was registered as being of heritage significance in 2007.
Over the past few years the WPA volunteers have managed and enhanced the hall for the benefit of Wallacia. Upgrades have included emergency lighting and fire safety equipment. A Lions Club Australia grant funded installation of air conditioning and a grant from the State Government funded installation of hand dryers to the toilets, outdoor sensor lights to enhance security and painting to the rear of the hall. The concrete paths to the toilet block is a great improvement and thankyou to Penrith City Council for the footpath from Greendale Road to the front of the hall. There is still plenty more to do and the committee is looking for new members and volunteers.
WPA is involved with caring for our local environment and community. We want to focus on preserving our unique village lifestyle and working towards better facilities for all age groups as well as encouraging more community events. We need your help to do this!

Please let us know what you would like to see in Wallacia.

We need more members to work with the committee but also to just support the association by joining as a member. Membership is only $1, although we appreciate any additional donation to assist financing the Association, which includes the ongoing operation of the hall.
The benefits of WPA membership includes notification of meetings, updates of happenings in and around Wallacia as well as supporting the Progress Hall.
If you are already a member, thank you for your support and if you have been a member in the past and haven't renewed then please do so as we rely on the financial support of our members. Membership to the Association is only $1 a year although donations are welcome!

Please email us at wallaciaprogressassociation@gmail.com for an application form or send us your details and deposit your donation directly to Wallacia Progress Association BSB #062445 Ac. #11146360