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N O R T H S Y D N E Y C O U N C I L R E P O R T S

Environment Reference Group Report E02 23 November 2015

Attachments: Nil

SUBJECT: Coal Loader Centre for Sustainability Update AUTHOR: Michelle Johnston, Coordinator, Coal Loader Centre for Sustainability ENDORSED BY: Rob Emerson, Director Open Space and Environmental Services EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: This report provides the Environment Reference Group with an update on the Coal Loader Centre for Sustainability’s recent activity and visitor numbers. In just over four years since opening, the Coal Loader has welcomed over 120,000 people to the site through a variety of events and activities. The Coal Loader Café is now open and work on the much-awaited Green Roof on the Coal Loader platform has commenced. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: Nil RECOMMENDATION: 1. THAT the Coal Loader Centre for Sustainability Update report be received.

Report of Johnston, Coordinator, Coal Loader Centre for Sustainability Re: Coal Loader Centre for Sustainability Update

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LINK TO DELIVERY PROGRAM The relationship with the Delivery Program is as follows: Direction: 1. Our Living Environment Outcome: 1.4 Improved environmental footprint an responsible use of natural resources 4.1 Community is connected BACKGROUND The Coal Loader Centre for Sustainability was opened in July 2011 and has attracted over 120,000 visitors to the site during opening hours, since that date. The 2014/15 financial year featured a number of key events such as Earth Hour, Shakespeare on the Green’s performances of ‘Much Ado About Nothing’, four Coal Loader Artisans Markets, Sustainable House Day, the opening of the Coal Loader Café. In addition, the site has been a hub of activity with educational activities and workshops and has seen the commencement of the Coal Loader Green Roof Project. This report provides an update on the success of those events plus a general update about visitation to the Coal Loader. CONSULTATION REQUIREMENTS Community engagement is not required. SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENT The sustainability implications were considered and reported on during the initiation phase of this project. DETAIL Visitor Numbers The Coal Loader was opened in July 2011. Graph 1 below shows the gradual rise in the popularity of the site, with 16,255 visitors in the first year, 22,353 in the second year, 33,474 in the third year and 40,923 during the fourth year. The opening of the Coal Loader café in March 2015 has seen a further spike in numbers, with an increase in casual visitors to the site. As of mid October 2015, a total of 121,296 have visited the site during opening hours (with many more visiting after hours).


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Recent entries in the Coal Loader Comments Book include:

“Absolutely beautiful example of what can be accomplished on such sites. Will be back!” (Paul, Brisbane)

“So fantastic! Well done, North Sydney for your efforts to educate our kids about the value of food, the planet and our indigenous heritage. Adelaide needs more of this. Fantastic!” (Christine, S.A)

“I love everything especially the garden and the bush walk. The garden was so great with the smell of lemon. I love that you put the date of the peas. I want to come here again” (Jessie, 7)

“The Coal Loader is a truly amazing and valuable resource – we locals are so very fortunate to have this beautiful and dynamic place AND Earth Hour at the Coal Loader was superb. We were a group of 10 and each one of us agreed it was a very enjoyable experience – we all plan on returning with more friends and family next year” (Lyn, Wollstonecraft)

The table below and Graph 2 breaks down the total visitor numbers into reasons for visiting the site (casual visitor, attending Council workshop or event, venue booking or education outreach (schools, TAFE, universities and guided tours). Large events such as the Coal Loader Artisans Market and the North Sydney Art Prize boost the numbers of ‘Council workshop or event’ significantly. These events bring people to the site that may not otherwise attend to volunteer, to learn about sustainable living or undertake a guided tour.

2011/201216,255

2012/201322,353

2013/201433,474

2014/201540,923

Graph 1: Coal Loader Total Visitors First 4 Years


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Financial Year

Casual Visitors*

Council Workshops &

Events Bookings

Education Outreach ‐

schools, TAFE, universities, guided tours

Total Visitors

2011/2012 6,182 5,876 3,443 754 16,255

2012/2013 7,540 9,024 4,786 1,003 22,353

2013/2014 8,150 18,502 5,514 1,308 33,474

2014/2015 9,250 24,420 5,542 1,711 40,923

6,182

5,876

3,443

754

7,540

9,024

4,786

1,003

8,150

18,502

5,514

1,308

9,250

24,420

5,542

1,711

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

Casual Visitors* Council Workshops & Events

Bookings Education Outreach ‐schools, TAFE,

universities, guided tours

Graph 2: Coal Loader Visitors by Purpose ‐ First 4 Years

2011/2012

2012/2013

2013/2014

2014/2015


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Highlights of the 2014/15 Financial Year: Coal Loader Features on ABC Gardening Australia The Coal Loader was featured on the ABC’s Gardening Australia television program on 28 March 2015. Filming took place over three days in November 2014 with Council officers David Banbury and Michelle Johnston involved in filming. Costa, a well-known and respected Landscape Architect concluded the episode with the following statement: “It's so inspiring to see local communities transforming historical structures such as this, into places of education and recreation. To me, this project is of international significance and I really look forward to watching its progress.” The episode can be viewed at http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/video/video_index_March2015.htm

Four More Coal Loader Artisans Markets The Artisans Market has grown from strength to strength, becoming well known and recommended amongst the market industry. Each market has been booked out with stallholders keen to secure a stall space. Markets are held quarterly, on the last Sunday of each season. This avoids clashes with other local markets and the premier hand-made market held in Canberra several times a year. Markets regularly attract several thousand visitors and feature around 70 stalls each. Dates for upcoming markets are:

29 November 2015

28 February 2016

29 May 2016

28 August 2016

27 November 2016 The Artisans Markets featured on a Chinese television program promoting interesting locations to visit in Sydney. See http://en.cncnews.cn/Global_Visitor/v_show/49301_9.shtml


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North Sydney Art Prize The biennial North Sydney Art Prize was held at the Coal Loader over 16 days in March 2015. 332 entries were received and 92 works (99 finalists) including works on paper, photography, sculpture, installation, new media and site specific works were exhibited across the grounds of the Coal Loader and in the historic dwellings, including the Caretakers Cottage, Artist Studio, Workshop and Mess Hall. An estimated 8000 people attended the event. Shakespeare on the Green In November 2014, Shakespeare on the Green staged “Much Ado About Nothing” for a three week season at the Coal Loader. The production opened on Friday 7 November and closed Sunday 23 November. A total of nine performances saw 881 people attend the show. Due to the demands of voluntarily organising each season, Shakespeare on the Green have decided to do the production every 2 years and will be applying to use the Coal Loader again in 2016. Earth Hour On 28 March, the Earth Hour Festival at the Coal Loader was MC’d by Costa Georgiadis, host of Gardening Australia. It consisted of a twilight picnic, the screening of the ABC Gardening Australia episode that was filmed at the coal loader late last year, the documentary 'Project Wild Thing', a Bat talk and spotlight tour. During Earth Hour itself, lights were switched off and African drummers and fire dancers entertained the crowd. A free sample cookbook developed by WWF for Earth Hour was also distributed as part of this year’s theme: celebrating and committing to protect our great Aussie food and farmers who are at the frontline of climate change. The event attracted a crowd of more than 400, 75% from the North Sydney LGA, including many who hadn’t been to the Coal Loader before. 50% hadn’t attended a Council run sustainability workshop before and will now receive Council’s sustainability e-newsletter. Education Outreach The Coal Loader is an educational hub for people of all ages and stages. The 2014/15 financial year saw guided educational activities for 3581 people aged 3 to 93. This included 1711 people taking part in 40 guided tours, school excursions, university or TAFE visits and a further 1870 people attending Council’s 54 environmental workshops. Tables 2 and 3 provide further detail.


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Table 2 – Schools, TAFES, Universities and Guided Tours in 2014/15 Financial Year

Date Event Attendees

Jul‐14 Guided Tour ‐ TOFS 26

Guided Tour ‐ First Friday Friends Group 16

Guided Tour ‐ Sydney Women’s Int'l Club 24

Guided Tour ‐ Riverview Jesuit Conference 14

Guided Tour ‐ Macquarie Hospital Henley Unit 12

UNSW Architecture Students second year 128

Aug‐14 UNSW Architecture Students second year 128

Guided Tour ‐ Midweek Walkers 18

School Excursion - St Mary's Primary 60

School Excursion ‐ Puddleducks Kindergarten 19

North Sydney TAFE Early Childhood students 17

Sep‐14 UNSW Architecture Students second year 128

Guided tour ‐ North Sydney Tafe ESL 25

Guided tour ‐ Central Coast caravan group 22

Schools Environment Network Meeting 17

Oct‐14 Guided Tour ‐ Walkers and Talkers 15

ACU Student Research Presentations 48

North Sydney Demonstration School yr 4‐6 60

North Sydney TAFE Early Childhood students 21

Guided Tour ‐ Liverpool Council staff 12

Nov‐14 Outdoor Education Group ‐ MLC Burwood Year 9 120

North Sydney Demonstration School yr K‐2 60

Guided Tour ‐ Spinal Cord Injuries Group 25

SCEGGS Redlands Year 8 120

Outdoor Education Group ‐ Kings School 18

Dec‐14 St Aloysius 40

Guided Tour ‐ Lane Cove Menes Group 20

Feb‐15 Guided Tour ‐ Crows Nest TAFE Early Childhood students 48

Mar‐15 Guided Tour ‐ North Sydney TAFE Early Childhood students 20

Guided Tour ‐ Crows Nest TAFE Early Childhood students 20

Guided Tour ‐ Holroyd Probus group 20

Apr‐15 Field of Mars Enviro Education Centre ‐ Microbat Project Day 90

Macquarie University 20

Shore School Environmental Leaders guided tour 6

May‐15 Loreto Year 10 Geography ‐ self guided excursion 130

Guided Tour ‐ HammondAtHome carers group 14

Guided Tour ‐ DARTS 6

Jun‐15 Guided Tour ‐ HMAS Waterhen 22

Guided Tour ‐ Narrabeen Lakes Garden Club 18

OzGreen Youth Leading the World Congress 3 days 60

MEGT ‐ Early childhood students 24


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Table 3 – Council Workshops held at the Coal Loader during 2014/15 Financial Year

Date Event Attendees

Jul‐14 Workshop ‐ Natural Cleaning 18

Workshop ‐ Natural Skin Care 23

Workshop ‐ Water Tanks in Small Spaces 20

Aug‐14 Workshop ‐ Wormfarms 20

Workshop ‐ Energy 7

Workshop ‐ Wicking Beds 5

Workshop ‐ Crochet with Waste 20

Sep‐14 Workshop ‐ Introduction to Bushcare 5

Workshop ‐ Weaving with Nature 18

Film Night ‐ Forest Lodge Eco House x 2 19

Workshop ‐ Composting 15

Workshop ‐ Balcony Gardening 4

Workshop ‐ Organic Pest and Disease Control 8

Workshop ‐ Under the Sea 36

Workshop ‐ Insektus 43

Workshop ‐ Wildlife Sculptures 21

Workshop ‐ Animal Stencil Making 16

Oct‐14 Workshop ‐ Something Wild 74

Workshop ‐ Mini Beasts in Your Compost 20

Event ‐ Mental Health Awareness Exhibition Launch 120

Event ‐ Mental Health Awareness Exhibition 80

Workshop ‐ Mental Health Awareness 28

Workshop ‐ Worm Farming 15

Workshop ‐ Backyard Chickens 20

Nov‐14 Workshop ‐ Composting 21

Workshop ‐ Wildlife Watch Walk & Talk 6

Workshop ‐ Clothes Swap 70

Workshop ‐ Balcony Gardens 22

Workshop ‐ Weaving with Nature 14

Dec‐14 Workshop ‐ Worm Farming 20

Workshop ‐ Eco Friendly Xmas 12

Jan‐15 Workshop ‐ Scaly Animal Show 69

Workshop ‐ Under the Sea 68

Workshop ‐ Solar Car Making 18

Workshop ‐ Water bug Show 43

Workshop ‐ Children's Theatre waste theme 30

Workshop ‐ musical instruments from waste 37

Workshop ‐ Solar Boat Making 18

Workshop ‐ Ocean Art 22

Feb‐15 Workshop ‐ Worm Farming & Bokashi 20

Mar‐15 Event ‐ Earth Hour 400

Event ‐ Microbat Talk and Walk 40

Workshop ‐ Harvest North Sydney 20

Workshop ‐ Introduction to Bushcare 20

Apr‐15 Workshop ‐ Mynah Trap Building 20

Workshop ‐ No Dig Gardens 20


Workshop ‐ Seed Saving 20

May‐15 Workshop ‐ Edible Gardens 20


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Workshop ‐ Herb Spiral 20

Workshop ‐ Worm Farms 20

Event ‐ Green Apartments Forum 65

Jun‐15 Workshop ‐ Solar Panels 20



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Coal Loader Café The Coal Loader Café officially opened in March 2015, with opening hours 7am to 3pm, Wednesday to Sunday. The café has gradually built up a regular clientele and as of October 2015, estimates it receives approximately 50 customers per day on weekdays and 100 per day on weekends, bringing around 350 extra people to the site each week. Coal Loader Platform Green Roof Tenders have been invited from contractors for the construction of The Coal Loader Platform, Waverton Adaptive Reuse Greenroof Project. This last stage of the redevelopment of the Coal Loader Centre for Sustainability -a major milestone of the Waverton Peninsula Strategic Master Plan - will see the creation of one of Sydney’s largest publicly accessible green roof spaces on the old coal-loading platform. The concrete and sandstone platform structure is one hectare in size (which would fit seven Olympic-sized swimming pools side by side along its length) and when complete will be a multi-purpose recreational space with spectacular views of the harbour. Tender submissions closed on 4 November 2015. More information on the Green Roof Project, including a 3D flyover, can be found at www.northsydney.nsw.gov.au/Waste_Environment/The_Coal_Loader/Coal_Loader_Platform_Green-roof_Project

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