|
|
|
|
|
Welcome to the July issue of Sustainable Shellharbour. This month we have a Nature Talk in the Library about cicadas, Threatened Species Children's Art Competition workshops, a National Tree Day event at Blackbutt Forest and a creative mending workshop at The Tinkerage. We also have the exciting details about the Wild About Shellharbour Nature Photography Competition winners! Keep on reading for details.
|
|
Nature Talk in the Library - From where the cicada calls
|
|
Join Dr Nathan Emery, author of A Photo Guide to common cicadas of the Greater Sydney Region, for some fascinating insights into the world of cicadas with wild names such as Razor Grinders, Beach Squeakers and Floury Bakers on Thursday 25 July from 6pm at City Library.
|
|
|
|
Green Grocer cicada – image by Neil Skene
|
|
Our free Nature Talks in the Library are designed for adults and older children (8 years+) to hear firsthand from engaging experts working in biodiversity conservation, wildlife care and nature photography. This month our Nature Talks in the Library program celebrates it’s first birthday! We will be reflecting on the fantastic success of this program over the last 12 months in the introduction to this session.
Bookings essential through Eventbrite or by calling City Library on 4221 6222. Copies of the book A Photo Guide to common cicadas of the Greater Sydney Region will be available for $15 (cash sales only).
|
|
Join in National Tree Day at Blackbutt Forest
Blackbutt Bushcare and Council’s Bush Regeneration team would like to invite you to be part of National Tree Day at Blackbutt Forest Reserve on Sunday July 21 from 9am to 12 noon.
We have 300+ native plants to go into prepared ground, which has been sitting under thick mulch for the last 18 months or so.
Bring gloves and a hand trowel, plus the recommended hat, sun block, water and strong shoes. Long pants and sleeves are helpful but not compulsory.
|
|
|
Plants from National Tree Day 2018 growing well.
|
|
To access the planting site, please enter Blackbutt Forest on the southern side at the roundabout at Wattle and Brundaree Roads. Walk north, up the grassy hill, and volunteers will be planting away at the top of the rise.
Come for one hour or come for three, whatever suits. And while you are there one of the volunteers will give you a briefing on the forest reserve. Bookings not required. For enquiries please contact Tony Hepworth on 4297 6490.
|
|
Free trees for schools
Did you know that Council supports the Schools National Tree Day by offering 25 free native plants to schools? This is in addition to an annual gift of 25 plants per school to help green our local environment. If you are a teacher and would like to register your school for free trees, please contact Shellharbour City Council's Plant Nursery on 4221 6191 or email nursery@shellharbour.nsw.gov.au
|
|
|
|
Council staff volunteered to plant 160 trees, shrubs and grasses at the Shellharbour Civic Centre on 28 June, to celebrate Shellharbour City Councils 160th anniversary and the upcoming National Tree Day.
|
|
Wild About Shellharbour Nature Photography Competition Winners
Thank you to everyone who attended our Wild About Shellharbour Nature Photography Competition Awards Night on 6 June in celebration of World Environment Day. It was a fantastic night celebrating images of our local native wildlife, landscapes & native plants, and beaches & waterways. We received over 200 entries for the competition, and the quality of the entries was exceptionally high.
Congratulations to all the winners! You can view the amazing winning images here. There is also a write up about the awards night by the Illawarra Merucy here.
|
|
|
|
Award recipients with Shellharbour City Council's General Manager Carey McIntyre and Cr Kellie Marsh, Richard Davis, and sponsors Kath Freeman from Kramer Photography and Christine Bernasconi from click, walk, learn.
|
|
|
Thank you to our sponsors PhotoMart, Kramer Photography, and click walk learn photography for contributing fantastic prizes.
|
|
Threatened Species Children's Art Competition workshops
Shellharbour City Council’s Environment and Libraries teams are supporting local primary school aged children to enter the NSW, ACT and Victoria Threatened Species Children’s Art Competition by offering two fun, creative workshops on Thursday 4 July from 4pm – 5:30pm at City Library and Thursday 11 July from 11am – 12:30pm at Warilla Library.
Children aged 5 – 12 are invited to come along and hear about local threatened species, get creative and make a painting of a threatened animal or plant on canvas that can be displayed at the library and entered into the competition. Free art materials provided.
Bookings essential, call the City Library on 4221 6222 or visit libraries.shellharbour.nsw.gov.au.
|
|
Shellharbour City Council joins Accelerated LED Lighting Upgrade program
Shellharbour City Council has been awarded grant funding under OEH’s Accelerated Lighting Upgrade Program to replace 2,279 existing inefficient streetlights with energy efficient LED lights.
These lighting upgrades will reduce Council’s annual corporate emissions of greenhouse gases by over 19,460 tonnes, helping Shellharbour tackle climate change. The replacements are set to kick off over the coming months.
|
|
Joint Mayoral Statement for action on climate change
Shellharbour City Council’s Mayor Marianne Saliba has signed a joint mayoral statement to stand with 15 other local councils in demanding national action on climate change.
The statement calls upon the Federal Government to establish a strong climate policy that aims to increase the transition into 100% clean energy, decrease fossil fuel subsidies and provide long-term financial support for clean energy and sustainable transport.
|
|
Household Chemical Clean Out
|
|
|
The Tinkerage is a community-use space for the making, repairing, and re-purposing of things that would otherwise end up in landfill. Come and join our creative, can-do, tinkering community behind the Revolve shop at Dunmore Recycling and Waste Disposal Depot. The Tinkerage is a joint venture between Shellharbour City Council and Resource Recovery Australia.
Open for drop-in tinkering every Friday between 10am to 3pm by a gold coin donation.
Email: tinkerage@resourcerecovery.org.au
Instagram: @the_tinkerage
|
|
Creative mending workshop at The Tinkerage
Join Michele Elliot for this creative mending workshop on Saturday 27 July from 10am – 3pm and be guided through some creative stitching to repair tears and holes in worn and loved clothing. Using the Kantha technique of hand stitch combined with patching, you can recycle clothing as well as fabric scraps. Breathe new life into your garments - join the creative mending revolution!
|
|
|
This workshop is free for residents living in the Shellharbour council area. A $40 fee applies for non-Shellharbour residents. Please wear enclosed protective shoes and BYO clothes to repair, cotton embroidery thread - stranded, fabric for patching if you like, scissors and embroidery needles. Feel free to bring along lunch/drink too. To register contact Shellharbour City Council Waste Services on 4221 6111 or waste.admin@shellharbour.nsw.gov.au. Participants must be over 16 years old.
|
|
Plant in the veggie garden now
Winter is here, but in our mild coastal climate you can still add things to your veggie patch. It’s a great time to think about planting:
- Snow peas
- Snap peas
- Lettuce
- Radish
- Rocket
If you're keen to add veggies and herbs to your garden, head on into Council's Nursery on River Oak Place, Oak Flats, or contact them on 4221 6191 or at nursery@shellharbour.nsw.gov.au. They're open Monday to Friday 7.30am to 3.45pm (except public holidays), with special Saturday openings throughout the year. Everyone is welcome — not just Shellharbour City Council ratepayers. Staff are happy to help you with advice on what to plant when, what’s easy to grow, what can be grown in a pot and how to prepare your soil for the next crop.
|
|
BushCare and LandCare
Volunteers at Shellharbour Council's BushCare and LandCare groups provide an incredible service greening our city and improving the local environment.
Why not join in a working bee and see what it's all about?
- Oakey Creek BushCare usually meets in Oak Flats fortnightly on Wednesdays, all are welcome to come along and help out The group will be meeting on Wednesday 3rd, 17th and 31st July from 9am – 12pm. Contact Council on 4221 6111 for details.
- Tullimbah LandCare will meet on Saturday July 27th at 9am at Elizabeth Brownlee Reserve (end of Digby Close, Albion Park). Contact Ruth Jenkins for details on 0402027221.
- Currambene Reserve BushCare meets fortnightly on Saturdays in Flinders. Contact Council on 4221 6111 for details.
- Blackbutt BushCare has scheduled the third Sunday of each month for regular working bees in Blackbutt Reserve. The next working bee on Sunday 21 July from 9am - 12 noon will be in celebration of National Tree Day. Please ring Tony Hepworth on 4297 6490 to be advised of future meeting places and times.
- The Watercourse BushCare at Albion Park normally meets on the second Sunday of each month from 9.30am until 12:30pm on Campaspe CCT Albion Park, they are scheduled to meet again on Sunday July 14th. For more details, please contact Council on 4221 6111.
- Koona Bay BushCare meets on the first Sunday of each month. They will be meeting on Sunday 7th July from 1-4pm. For details about further working bees please contact Council on 4221 6111.
- Warilla Dunes BushCare group meets adjacent to the surf club along Osborne Parade. The next scheduled working bee is on Saturday July 13th from 8-10am. Contact Council on 4221 6111 for further details.
If you are keen to start a BushCare group to help look after your local patch, we'd love to hear from you. Please call Council's Bush Regeneration team on 4221 6111.
|
|
Planning for our future
Council is developing a 20 year planning vision for Shellharbour City which will be included in our new Local Strategic Planning Statement. We want future development to be in keeping with our lifestyle, environment, local character and changing needs. We need your help to identify and prioritise planning related matters for Shellharbour City over the next 20 years. Head to Let’s Chat to find our more and to provide your feedback https://letschatshellharbour.com/planning-future
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
