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ISSUE 03: JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2014
The Wingecarribee Web is produced by the Environment & Sustainability team at Wingecarribee Shire Council. If you are interested in protecting and enhancing the unique & beautiful environment of the Southern Highlands, or keen to explore ways in which we may all live more sustainably, then this e-newsletter is for you!
Header photo of the Grotto at Fitzroy Falls by Dee Kramer
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Shire Koalas hit by fires
It is estimated October’s Hall Road bush fire will have ramifications across the Shire’s northern villages for years to come, but for the Shire's hidden koala population, the impact was immediately devastating.
“Within weeks of the fire and throughout January, Council and WIRES started receiving reports from Yerrinbool down to Mittagong from people who’d witnessed koalas encroaching onto residential properties,†said Council Environmental Projects Officer, Joe Stammers. “The recent hot spell has only exacerbated the effects of the fires, with other wildlife such as wallabies, possums and kangaroos now venturing further afield in search of water."
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The Office of Environment and Heritage reports that the Shire's northern koala population, whilst not well known, is an important koala breeding ground with the population thought to be one of only four remaining koala colonies in the greater Sydney area.
In fact, up until the October fires, the population had been steadily increasing for the last 20 years,†Mr Stammers said.
“Sadly, the fires have decimated the majority of the colony’s core habitat,†he added. “Which means that the surviving animals have to either make do in areas with little food or are forced to search outside of their usual home.â€
“However there are a few things people can do to help out should they find a distressed koala,†Mr Stammers said.
Injured koalas or other wildlife can be reported to WIRES Wingecarribee on phone (02) 4862 1788 or 13 000 WIRES (1300 094 737).
“Even if residents spot a healthy koala, they can help out by leaving it alone, and taking down some details, which will help us re-build a database of the Shire’s northern village koala population.â€
Koala sightings can be reported directly to the Office of Environment and Heritage’s regional operations at ro.illawarra@environment.nsw.gov.au.
Existing private landowners can also assist by dedicating corridors of bush land as part of Council’s Land for Wildlife program, to assist in native wildlife movements. For more information visit: www.wsc.nsw.gov.au/services/environment/land-for-wildlife.
Listed as an iconic species under the Office of Environment and Heritage’s new threatened species program Saving our Species, the koala is highly valued by the community and it is important we work together and do what we can to secure koala populations in the wild. For more information on the Saving our Species program visit www.environment.nsw.gov.au/savingourspecies
(Pic: K.Madden NPWS)
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Mittagong Creek tributary - 18 months on
Just 18 months ago, the Mittagong Creek tributary alongside Centennial Park in Bowral was infested with weeds including thick stands of white poplar, privet and blackberry. After the removal of the weeds, the area looked like a moonscape. But with the help of our wonderful volunteers, and funding from the Environment Levy and other council funds, the place has literally been transformed into a haven for local birds and wildlife.
A big thankyou to all involved in making this another success story for our local environment!
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Upgrade - Cecil Hoskins Nature Reserve
As part of a community partnership with Wingecarribee Shire Council and others, the National Parks and Wildlife Service has recently developed new visitor facilities at Cecil Hoskins Nature Reseve, one of the most beautiful wetlands in the Southern Highlands. The new facilities were unveiled at the end of last year and include a new lookout, interpretive signage, walkway extensions and native plantings. A big thank you to all involved in the development and opening:
- NPWS & the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife
- The Hoskins Family
- Wingecarribee Shire Council - Environment Levy
- Hawkesbury Nepean CMA
- TAFE Illawarra – Moss Vale Campus
- Moyengully NRM Group
- BirdLife Australia – Southern Highlands Branch
- Moss Vale Public School
And if you have never been to Cecil Hoskins Nature Reserve before, it's well worth a visit - you will find the entrance located just off Moss Vale Road between Bowral and Moss Vale opposite Bong Bong Common. And don't forget to bring your binoculars... you might get lucky and spot one of our resident platypuses, not to mention the maginificant birdlife!
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Solar power in the highlands
Some quick facts our Sustainability team recently compiled about solar power installations on homes in the Southern Highlands:
- There were 23736 private dwellings in the Wingecarribee Shire LGA (2011 census).
- Approximately 2193 or 9% of homes in the Southern Highlands have installed solar power.
- The Australia-wide average for private dwellings is 13%.
(Note: Solar water systems are not included in this data)
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Annual Report - Environment
Council's Annual Report explains the role and work of Wingecarribee Shire Council over the last year. The Environment section of the report can be downloaded here: 2012-13 Environment Report (2.5Mb)
Some of the highlights of the report include:
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BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION
- 20km of weed control on high ecological value East Kangaloon roadsides, in partnership with Local Government NSW
- Production of a new Environmental Weeds Brochure and engagement with local landholders to assist with the control of these weeds
- Restoration of 12,354 sqm of the Endangered Ecological Community (EEC) on Mt Gibraltar, in association with the Mt Gibraltar Landcare and Bushcare Group and the NSW Environmental Trust.
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SUSTAINABILITY
- Development of the REFund – Revolving Energy Fund. This fund finances energy reduction projects for Council facilities and assets, operating in such a way that the savings in energy which result from a project are converted into financial savings and subsequently reinvested back into the fund. These funds are then used for future energy reduction projects such as the lighting upgrade at Bowral Library saving 10,288 kWh and $2,352 per year.
- Council facilities monitored and reviewed to look for opportunities to reduce energy use. Key sites reviewed in the 2012-13 financial year included: Resource Recovery Centre Energy and Water Use, Cattle Saleyard Energy & Water Use, Civic Centre, and Bowral Library.
- Community building sustainability audits conducted at several Council facilities with the aim of improving their sustainability. Facilities audited include: Hill Top Recreational Centre, Aboriginal Community Centre Mittagong, KU Donkin St Kindergarten, Mittagong Memorial Hall, Mittagong Seniors Centre, Stafford Cottage, Robertson Community Centre, Robertson Big Smiles Kindergarten.
- Ongoing support for Moss Vale & Bundanoon Community Gardens in on-the-ground works and grant applications. Steps taken for development of community garden at Wingello, East Bowral and Mittagong.
- Almost 400 people signed-on during Council's promotion of the Home Power Savings Program.
- Ongoing support for events such as Clean Up Australia Day & the EPA's Chemical Clean-Up.
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COMMUNITY CAPACITY & COMMITMENT
- Continued resourcing of Council’s dedicated team of professional bushland regenerators, resulting in the delivery of best practice ecological restoration, on-the-ground works and direct support for the Shire’s 15 Community Bushcare Groups.
- Support for the delivery of high quality community workshops and training forums, such as the three year program of workshops and assistance for voluntary Land For Wildlife private properties.
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- Council's Schools Environment Day, attracting over 650 primary students from across the Shire each year to participate in a fun, educational and exciting day of environmental activities.
- World Environment Day activities celebrated over a week involving numerous community organisations throughout the Shire.
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RIVER HEALTH & WETLANDS
- Development and exhibition of the Mittagong Creek Riparian Management Plan. This plan will guide rehabilitation works over the next five to ten years.
- Over 500m of creek line restoration work completed as part of the Upper Mittagong Creek Restoration Project, incorporating large-scale weed control, replanting and creek line restoration around Centennial Park in Bowral. This project was a partnership between the Environment Levy, Council, the community and the Hawkesbury-Nepean Catchment Management Authority.
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Survey - Bushfire & Emergency Services
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
The Greater Southern Highlands Community Emergency Resilience Survey is being conducted to establish local needs in regards to natural hazard awareness, preparedness, planning, response and recovery in the Greater Southern Highlands. The information you provide will assist in establishing how we can best engage and involve you in being more aware and better prepared in the event of an emergency.
CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY ONLINE
We thank you in advance for taking the time to assist us in this way.
Emergency Expo - Sat 17 May
The Southern Highlands Emergency Expo will be held on Saturday 17 May at the Moss Vale Show Ground. The expo will involve all emergency services, local and state government agencies and community services. The focus will be on community education, awareness and preparedness in the event of an emergency such as a bushfire, flood or storm. There will be lots of information, displays, fire trucks, exciting scenarios, talks and plenty of expert advice and assistance on hand to help you in preparing an emergency plan. We look forward to seeing you there!
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Clean Up Australia Day - Sunday 2 March 2014
Clean Up Australia Day is a community-driven event providing an opportunity for individuals and groups to give a little back to the environment in which they live.
Last year, Wingecarribee residents rallied together to participate in the cleanup of 24 sites throughout the shire. Clean up teams were championed by primary schools, high schools, village committees and scouts, with the lucky being rewarded with a social BBQ or community gathering after the clean up event.
Site registrants receive a site cleanup package including volunteer participation information, site registration sheets and garbage bags. To ensure that site coordinators receive a site cleanup package from CUA, registration is required at least 2 weeks in advance.
So lend a hand on Sunday 2nd March and help clean up the Southern Highlands!
To be involved: register your own Clean Up Site or volunteer at a site near you. Simply visit the Clean Up Australia Day website at www.cleanupaustraliaday.org.au
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Land for Wildlife Workshop
A free 'Focus on Fauna' workshop will be held on Thursday 13 March 2014 with Gary Daly, fauna ecologist at Colo Vale Community Hall from 9 am to 3 pm. This workshop follows the successful workshop held last year that focused on weed control and rainforest species.
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Places are limited so Land for Wildlife registered landholders will be given first preference to attend, however others interested in this topic are welcome to put their name down.
Workshop: Focus on Fauna
Date: Thurs 13 March 2014
Time: 9am to 3pm
Cost: FREE (places limited, must RSVP)
Location: Colo Vale Community Hall
All interested participants are required to RSVP to the Bushland Projects Officer on 4868 0819 or email karen.guymer@wsc.nsw.gov.au
These workshops are proudly supported by the Environment Levy and the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife.
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Do you own a sustainable house or have a great native garden?
Our Environment & Sustainability team would love to hear from locals doing great things for the environment in their own homes & backyards, and perhaps might like to share their story and inspire others to do the same.
You may have a native garden, or grow your own veggies, or have some innovative approaches to reducing water & energy use, or maybe your school or business are doing fantastic work... whatever it is we would love to hear from you!
Simply send an email to joe.stammers@wsc.nsw.gov.au
or kimberly.elliott@wsc.nsw.gov.au
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Agapanthus choppin' time!
A native plant of southern Africa, agapanthus have rapidly become one of the Highlands’ most widespread garden plants, enjoyed by many residents for their pretty purple flowers and year round green leaves.
However, if gardeners fail to remove and dispose of the seed head when the flowers die back, the plant can spread beyond the neighbourhood garden and threaten the Shire’s diverse bushland, wetlands and other natural areas.
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“Agapanthus are OK as long as you remove the flower heads before they release their seeds,†said Council’s Bushcare Officer, Jen Slattery (pictured). “It’s really important that gardeners remember to cut off the seed heads once the agapanthus flowers die back towards the end of Summer.â€
Once the seed heads are removed, Ms Slattery recommends that all the pods be placed in the regular rubbish bin and not in the compost, as often the heat generated within a home compost is not high enough to kill the seeds. If gardeners choose to remove an entire agapanthus plant, it is recommended that only the leaves be used for composting.
“Agapanthus are a tough species, and can grow a new plant from just a tiny section of an underground
rhizome, so if you do want to get rid of the plant then it’s important not to throw the whole lot into
your home compost,†Ms Slattery said.
NOXIOUS WEEDS
A reminder from Council's Noxious Weeds Ranger Martin Filipczyk, that we are coming up to Fireweed season and if you see any infestations to report them to Council on 4868 0888.
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Grow.Cook. Eat Festival - Bundanoon
Sunday 9 March 2014
Get ready for the Grow.Cook.Eat Festival to be held on Sunday 9th March at Bundanoon Community Garden - a celebration of the best of the Highlands' harvest, with a focus on seasonal, sustainably grown local food and all that it offers in terms of culinary delight, food security, health and wellbeing.
- Market stalls – meet local growers and providores
- Live, local music
- Panel discussion with Rosemary Stanton & Hugh Mackay
- Workshop program – including heritage apples, beekeeping etc.
- Best wood fired pizza with topped with produce from the garden
- Kids activities, funky vegie art
The Community Garden, for whom this event is the annual fundraiser, will have a range of food plant seedlings for sale and will be serving the very best Wood-fired Pizza freshly cooked with toppings from the garden ... all accompanied by a great live music program from local artists.
Date: Sunday 9th March 2014
Time: 10am - 4pm
Location: Bundanoon Community Garden, Quest for Life Centre, Ellsmore Rd, Bundanoon
Website: Bundanoon Community Garden
General Festival enquiries:
Sandra Menteith
Mob: 0403 790 777 Email: menteith@bigpond.net.au
Stall enquiries:
Elizabeth Ellis
Mob: 0411 032 712 Email: elizabethellis@ozemail.com.au
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International Year of
Family Farming 2014
Did you know that family farmers produce more than 50% of the world's food? 2014 has been declared by the United Nations as the International Year of Family Farming with a theme of 'Feeding the World, Caring for the Earth'.
This worldwide celebration, aims to become a tool to stimulate active discussion and policy for the sustainable development of farmer families and co-ops, and for rural development based on respect for the environment and biodiversity.
We are very lucky in the Southern Highlands to have many family farms, and we encourage everyone to show your support by looking to buy and source your food locally.
For more information visit:
www.familyfarmingcampaign.net
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Bushcare Profile:
Lyndal Breen
What Bushcare group are you involved with?
Moss Vale Bushcare Landcare
When did you start volunteering with the group?
Moss Vale Landcare Group had its inaugural meeting in 1999, which I attended and found myself the Secretary. The initial purpose of the Landcare group was to work with Golf Club members on private land owned by Moss Vale Golf Course, through which Whites Creek runs.
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At this time the Golf Course’s natural areas were over-run with a lot of weeds. At the same time, it was proposed to have a project on the adjacent Mack Street Reserve, to provide greater opportunities for the general community to participate in a further stage of the rehabilitation of the creek.
What changes have you noticed?
The vast majority of areas we have rehabilitated were overgrown with thick stands of environmental weeds such as willows and large thickets of hawthorn, privet etc. This means that every project we have undertaken in Moss Vale has required the total removal of existing vegetation, often by contractors paid with grants.
When the exotic weeds are first removed, the site looks extremely ugly with churned up soil and no greenery. We do not do large areas, but try to proceed by removing a patch of exotics and getting our young trees, shrubs and grasses in within the same year. The area is mulched and maintained conscientiously. It takes about five years for the site to become established enough so as to not need constant weeding.
Over the last fourteen years, Moss Vale Landcare Group has progressed along the creek through the town area, mainly working alongside the Council Bush Regeneration Team. At the moment we are pushing downstream of Cosgrove Park towards the end of Gibbons Road. Ultimately we will move onto private property to work with landholder downstream of Moss Vale and aiming to completely rehabilitate Whites Creek all the way to where it flows into Medway Rivulet.
Sites such as the one at Mack Street are now well established,and any visitor to the reserve would probably be impressed by the tall eucalypts, and the flowering shrubs.
The Golf Club has continued to work on its part of the creek, and now boasts a beautiful natural setting. At Cosgrove Park, the majority of our plantings are well grown and diverse. A wide range of bird species are regularly seen, and we appear to have a resident White-Faced heron, as well as a group of ducks and many small brown birds flittering about.
We are proud that Cosgrove Park has become a particularly well-used park with people able to walk all the way along the creek on both sides – which was impossible only ten years ago. Downstream from Cosgrove Park, our new projects are coming along, with some 4000 + trees, shrubs and grasses planted last spring through National Tree Day and with the help of students.
What are the best things about volunteering?
I have found volunteering with Moss Vale Landcare Group to be one of the most satisfying things I have done in my life. I benefit in many ways. I have a huge sense of achievement every time I pass by any of the plantings the group has done, knowing that I have been part of such important projects, which have beautified the town, and improved the locality by providing a place where people can enjoy a touch of Australian nature.
Personally, I have made great friends through Landcare and also built my skills and knowledge. Through the activities organised by Council and the Catchment Management Authority (Local Land Services), I have had opportunities to visit places of great interest and beauty in the local area and beyond, which I would not have otherwise known about. Training has been provided and encouraged through enjoyable workshops and I have even attained qualifications such as my First Aid Certificate. Through involvement at the Council’s Bushcare nursery, where we propagate most of the plants we use on our sites, I have also been able to learn horticulture practices.
Although I am not particularly strong or fit, I have always found the tasks we carry out at working-bees are well-paced and not beyond my physical abilities. There are a range of things to be done, and one can choose how much to do, for how long, and how quickly to work. This gentle exercise helps me to remain physically active.
We have many Bushcare groups throughout the Shire. If you would like to get involved, please contact Council's Natural Resource Officer Community Support on (02) 4868 0772 or email: paul.marshall@nsw.gov.au
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Endangered Giant Dragonfly (Petalura gigantea) photographed at Stingray Swamp by Martin Filipczyk.
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Upcoming Events 2014
Sun 2 March Clean Up Australia Day more info
Sun 9 March Grow.Cook.Eat Festival Bundanoon more info
Thur 13 March Focus on Fauna Workshop
Sat 29 March Earth Hour more info
Sat 12 April Household Chemical Clean-Out more info
Sat 17 May Southern Highlands Emergency Services Expo
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Interesting stuff from the web
Here are a few things we have come across that you may find interesting:
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Wingecarribee Shire Council
Elizabeth Street, Moss Vale NSW 2577
Phone: (02) 4868 0888
Email: wscmail@wsc.nsw.gov.au
www.wsc.nsw.gov.au
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