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Issue 83
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Welcome to Sustainable Wollongong September Issue


Spring has sprung! Birds chirping, bees buzzing and the sweet scent of flowers wafting through the air, all indicating that we are heading towards the warmer months.

This month's newsletter includes the following articles:

  • Grow Local - Sowing for Spring

  • Global Climate Change Week

  • Luv the Lake - Litter Prevention and Reduction Program
  • National Biodiversity Month

  • Getting Ready to Picnic with your Friends and Family this Spring?

  • How to Avoid the FOGO Liner Split

  • Give Feedback on FOGO to Win!

  • Game On Recycling

  • Guided Tours Return to the Botanic Garden

  • International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies

  • Did You Know?

  • Threatened Species Profile - Dugong


Feel free to forward this newsletter on to interested friends and family.

If you would like to make any comments or suggestions please contact us at sustainability@wollongong.nsw.gov.au

What's On Sustainable Wollongong - activities from backyard chook keeping workshops to cooking classes, bushwalks and education activities

Click here for Calendar of Events

Grow Local


Spring has sprung! As we begin to experience warmer and sunnier days in amongst the rain, now is the best time to get outside and fill your garden with life with a range of veggies, fruit and beautiful flowers.

Gardening Australia has some great videos and factsheets on starting your veggie garden and tips for spring garden maintenance: Sowing for SpringSpring Fruit and Veg, and Spring Bloomers.

For more information on growing edible and native plants, read our Grow Local Illawarra Edible Garden Guide and Grow Local Illawarra Native Garden Guide.

Harvest
FRUIT: Avocado, Babaco, Banana, Black Sapote, Cherimoya, Cherry of Rio Grande, Custard Apple, Grapefruit, Lemon, Macadamia, Mulberry, Orange, Paw Paw, Peach/Nectarine, Atherton Raspberry, Blueberry, Coffee, Strawberry.

VEGETABLES: Shallots, Parsnip, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Chinese Greens, Kale, Kohlrabi, Radish, Rocket, Broad Bean, Pea, Tomato, Asparagus, Lettuce.

HERBS: Parsley, Chives, Ginger, Mint, Lemongrass, Oregano, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme.
 
Plant
VEGETABLES: Garlic, Leek, Shallots, Beetroot, Silverbeet, Spinach, Carrot, Celery, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Chinese Greens, Kale, Kohlrabi, Radish, Rocket, Cucumber, Pumpkin, Squash, Zucchini, Green Bean, Potato, Tomato, Asparagus, Corn, Lettuce, Warrigal Greens.

HERBS: Basil, Coriander, Dill, Parsley, Chives, Mint, Oregano, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme.
 
Fertilise
FRUIT: Apricot, Apple, Avocado, Babaco, Banana, Black Sapote, Carambola, Cherimoya, Cherry of Rio Grande, Custard Apple, Davidson’s Plum, Feijoa, Gif, Grapefruit, Lemon, Longan, Lychee, Macadamia, Mandarin, Mango, Olive, Orange, Panama Berry, Paw Paw, Peach/Nectarine, Pear, Pecan, Persimmon, Plum, Sapodilla, Small-leaf Tamarind, Wampee, White Sapote, Acerola Cherry, Atherton Raspberry, Blueberry, Brazilian Cherry, Coffee, Finger Lime, Grumichama, Guava,
Jaboticaba, Raspberry, Strawberry, Watermelon, Dragon Fruit, Kiwifruit, Passionfruit, Grape.

Global Climate Change Week

12th - 18th October 2022

Global Climate Change Week (GCCW) is coming up on the 12th-18th October, and we're partnering with the University of Wollongong to present a series of events and activities for the week.

GCCW aims to encourage academic communities – including academics, students, and professional staff at universities – to engage in climate change actions and solutions and get their local communities involved. There is an urgent need to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases much more quickly than currently projected and there is also an urgent need to adapt to the global warming that can’t now be prevented.

The first GCCW was held in October 2015. Held annually in October, GCCW provides an open-ended framework for voluntary activities aimed at raising awareness, inspiring behaviour change and driving political transformation in relation to climate policy.

Keep up to date with what events we are running here and visit our website to learn more about climate change. You can also visit the UOW website to find more local events, activities and resources for GCCW. 

For more information on Global Climate Change Week, visit the website.

Luv the Lake - Litter Prevention and Reduction Program


Wollongong City Council is committed to litter prevention and will be targeting litter around Lake Illawarra through a new program called Luv the Lake. This 12-month program is funded through the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and provides Wollongong and Shellharbour City Councils $75,000 each.

Lake Illawarra is a significant natural resource within the region, and is immensely valuable from an ecological, social, cultural and economic perspective. Litter has been identified as a high-level threat to the lake and the Luv the Lake initiative aims to address this.  

The program will implement effective litter prevention across Lake Illawarra through community education and events; enforcement and regulation; monitoring and evaluation; and infrastructure improvement. It has been designed to increase community pride, respect and ownership of the lake and its surroundings. 
Although the campaign will cover the entire Lake Illawarra Foreshore, three hotspot sites have been identified within the Wollongong LGA:
  • Kully Bay and surrounding parkland
  • Kanahooka Beach and surrounding parkland
  • Hooka Park/Fred Finch Park

National Biodiversity Month


September is National Biodiversity Month, celebrating the rich array of plants, animals and ecosystems that call Australia home. This month aims to promote the importance of protecting, conserving and improving biodiversity both within Australia and across the world, and the importance of connecting with and caring for nature in all its diversity.

Australia is home to a diverse range of species, and many of these species are endemic, meaning that they are found nowhere else. 
 
What is Biodiversity?
Biodiversity is the web of life, the variety of living things, the different plants, animals and micro-organisms, their genes and the ecosystems in which they are a part of. Biodiversity encompasses every living thing that exists on our planet and the environment in which they live. 

Why is Biodiversity Important?
Humans depend on biodiversity for sustenance, health, well-being and enjoyment of life. We derive food, many medicines and industrial products from the wild and domesticated components of biological diversity, and it is a basis for much of our recreation and tourism. It also includes ecosystems which provide us with many services such as clean water and air, food and shelter, and supports our health and wellbeing and our economy.

How can you help?
  • Create natural habitat in your backyard
  • Take action on weeds
  • Be a responsible pet owner
  • Reduce, reuse, and recycle
  • Start a compost bin or worm farm
  • Be careful about what you put down your drains
  • Be an informed seafood eater
  • Understand what you can and can’t take with you when you travel
  • When sailing don’t get too close to whales and dolphins
For more information, visit the Australian Government's Biodiversity Month website.

Getting Ready to Picnic with your Friends and Family this Spring? 


Here are 10 simple things you can do to reduce waste and make your day out more eco-friendly. 
  1. Confirm numbers to avoid over catering and learn dietary requirements to avoid wasting food items. 

  1. Try doing a vegetarian picnic. Meat has a much higher carbon footprint than veggie foods! 

  1. Let everyone know they need to BYO cup for drinks, and a plate + cutlery for food to avoid using disposables. Make a batch of punch or flavoured water for guests to refill on rather than bringing single use soft drink cans or bottled water or remind everyone to bring their own drink bottle. 

  1. Stock up on plastic-free nibblies from your local co-op or bulk food store. Avoid single serve, plastic wrapped snacks. 

  1. If it is a potluck picnic, encourage bringing a plastic free contribution – something homemade in a reusable container or covered with a beeswax wrap rather than cling film. Tell guests to bring only as much food as they themselves would eat. For example, if it is a family of one adult and two children bringing a plate, they will only bring enough food for that many people. 

  1. Try getting everyone to ride their bikes to the picnic. Since you are avoiding over catering, and everyone is bringing their own plate, you might not need the car to carry lots of single use items!  

  1. Picnics in shady areas during the day are already great for avoiding using lights and air conditioning.  

  1. Locate the nearby bins in your park of choice and take recyclables and FOGO waste home to dispose of. 

  1. Put leftovers away as the day progresses to keep them food safe.  

  1. Encourage everyone to take leftover food home with them (BYO container!)

How to Avoid the FOGO Liner Split


Have you experienced the 'oh no' moment when you have carried your FOGO liner to the green lidded FOGO bin, to find the liner has split open and its contents strewn across the floor? Or your liner splits when you try to place it in your caddy? If so, here are some tips to ensure this does not happen to you. 

Warm the liner in your hands before opening. Gently stretch the liner on to the top of caddy. Align the liner handles with the caddy handles for a comfortable fit.  

If your roll of FOGO bags is over 6 months old, start to double bag the caddy with liners. This is because the liners are compostable in nature and they will inevitably start to breakdown after the 6-month mark, especially if they are stored in a warm and/or damp place. 

To extend the life of your FOGO bag liners store them in a dark, dry environment that is not near temperature extremes.  

Another good tip is to place an old piece of bread in the bottom of the FOGO caddy inside the liner bag. This will help to soak up any moisture or condensation. 

If you have room, you may prefer to store the lined caddy in the fridge. This will help prevent bags from breaking down as the food waste stays fresher, reducing liquid build up within the caddy. 

When the bag is full, tie off your FOGO bag prior to emptying into the FOGO bin. Simply dispose of the filled liner by emptying the caddy over your bin. 

If you need a new roll of FOGO bag liners, pop down and visit the customer service team on the ground floor to collect a new role. Keep in mind these were purchased a while back and you will still need to be cautious of time frames for bags breaking down. 

Thank you to all the FOGO champions out there! Keep on FOGO-ing weekly. 

Give Feedback on FOGO to Win!


Are you a FOGO-convert or are you FOGO-hesitant? We want to know what you think about Council’s food and organic waste collection service, whether you use the service or not. The survey takes five minutes to complete and you can go in the draw to win a Google Nest Hub Max. Complete the survey by the 30th September.
https://surveys.wollongong.nsw.gov.au/index.php/617645?lang=en 

Game On Recycling

Looking for an alternative to throwing punctured, old, and broken sporting equipment in the waste bin? Game On Recycling is designing a nation-wide recycling scheme for sporting equipment waste to divert material from landfill. 

They are looking for sporting club associations and facility participation in this free pilot program.  

Items that are accepted include: 

BALLS – AFL, Basketball, Gridiron, Netball, Rugby, Shuttlecocks, Soccer, Squash, Tennis, Volleyball and Water Polo. 

RACKETS – Badminton, Squash, Tennis. Table tennis. 

SNOW SPORT EQUIPMENT – skis, ski poles, snowboards, toboggans, snow sport helmets, visors, and boots. 

Collection Instructions for Clubs and Facilities –  

  1. Locate a cardboard box and collect end-of-life sports balls and rackets; 

  1. Deflate balls so more items can fit in the box. Max weight 22kg, max box size 0.25m3. 

  1. Once the cardboard box is full, email coral.east@anzrp.com.au to notify that your box is ready for shipping. A reply-paid PDF will be created and emailed back. 

  1. Print the reply-paid PDF and secure to the top of the cardboard box.  

  1. Take the box to your nearest Australia Post Office. They will scan the barcode and the box will be on its way to being recycled! 

The items will be delivered to a Melbourne recycler to be sorted for reuse or recycling. Reusable equipment will be distributed to community programs and charities. Items set for recycling will be granulated and used in the manufacturing of new products. 

Further information can be located at: 

Website: https://gameonrecycling.com.au/  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gameonrecycling/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gameonrecycling 

Guided Tours Return to the Botanic Garden

Join a Garden Discovery Tour around the Garden! Discover the beauty, diversity of plants and history of the Garden with the knowledgeable Friends Volunteer Guides.

  • Buggy Tours run every Wednesday 
  • Walking Tours run the first Sunday of the month 

Tours run for 45 mins and a gold coin donation goes towards future garden projects.

Visit our website for more information.

International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies

The 7th September was International Clean Air Day for Blue Skies, with this years’ theme “The Air We Share”. This day brings awareness to the health and environmental impacts of air pollution and emphasises the need to make further efforts to improve air quality.

Air pollution is the single greatest environmental risk to human health and is one of the leading causes of several health issues and diseases such as stroke, chronic respiratory disease, lung cancer, heart attack and asthma. Women, children and the elderly are disproportionately affected by air pollution, particularly in developing countries, as they are often exposed to high levels of ambient air pollution and indoor air pollution from cooking and heating with wood fuel and kerosene. It also impacts on crops and food security, work productivity, healthcare costs and tourism, and contributes to near-term warming of the planet.
 
Air pollution is a global problem, with far-reaching impacts on human health and the environment. In 2016, across the world there were an estimated 6.5 million premature deaths caused by air pollution. The number of premature deaths caused by ambient air pollution  is estimated to increase by more than 50% by 2050, without serious intervention.

So how can you help?
There are many simple things we can do in our everyday lives that will help to minimise our contribution to air pollution, such as walking or cycling rather than using personal vehicles, reducing how much waste you produce, not idling in your car, avoiding single-use plastics, turning off lights and electronics when not in use, planting a tree in your garden and many others.

For more information, visit the Clean Air Blue Skies website and the UN Clean Air Day website.

Did You Know?


Wollongong is home to many amazing animals, ranging from mammals, birds, amphibians, through to insects. We have a number of brochures that detail native animals and plants in the Illawarra region which are accessible on our website. Keep an eye out for some of our local creatures, critters and plants featured in our brochures!
These identification guides provide information on different species that can be found in the Illawarra, their habitats, life-cycles, facts, and how you can help to protect these species.

Threatened Species Profile

Common Name: Dugong
Scientific Name: Dugong dugon

The Dugong is listed as Endangered in NSW. It is a large grey animal that is known as a Sirenian, along with its close relative, the manatee. It has a fusiform shape, meaning that it tapers at both ends, and can grow up to three metres in length. It has a whale-like flattened fluke tail and its flippers are paddle shaped.

They can look brown in colour from above and have no dorsal fin or hind limbs. They have a distinct head with small eyes and a broad flat muzzle that covers their mouth. Mature males and some old females may have tusks on either side of their head.
 
The Dugong is the only Sirenian that is found in Australian waters, and its distribution extends south from warmer coastal and island waters of the Indo-West Pacific to northern NSW, where its known from incidental records only. It prefers to hang out in wide shallow protected bays, wide shallow mangrove channels and in the lee of large inshore islands, but will also occupy deeper waters if their sea grass food is available. Vagrant animals will occasionally appear as far south as southern NSW and near Perth in WA.

This species is a herbivore, feeding exclusively on seagrasses. Using its broad flat muzzle and mouth, which are angled down to make grazing on the seabed easier, it crops the leaves and roots. They tend to occur in herds, and their movement is characterised by sand plume disturbances to the sea floor.

Dugongs have a low reproductive rate, with one young born after a gestation period of 12 to 14 months. Young continue to suckle from the mother for around 18 months and remain with the female for a number of years. Mothers will not have young again for 2.5 to 7 years. Shallow waters such as tidal sandbanks and estuaries have been reported as sites for calving.

Dugongs face several threats, such as:
  • The loss, destruction or pollution of sea grass habitats
  • Injury or death from collision with marine traffic
  • Accidental entanglement in nets, traps, longline and other fishing gear
  • Their low reproductive rate makes populations vulnerable to severe decline from the impact of human activities
For more information on the Dugong, visit the NSW Government’s profile and the Australian Museum’s profile.

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