Welcome to the November issue of Sustainable Shellharbour. This month we’re thrilled to invite you to the Lake Illawarra Seaside Scavenge at Reddall Reserve. We also have an exciting Nature Talk in the Library featuring ‘Mosquitos- beat the bite’ with Dr Cameron Webb. Read on for other updates on Bushcare and Landcare groups, Tinkerage Workshops, local flora and fauna, and more!

Join the Lake Illawarra Seaside Scavenge!

As part of Luv the Lake, our joint initiative with Wollongong City Council, we’re holding a Seaside Scavenge to help clean up Lake Illawarra!  

A Seaside Scavenge is a large-scale community clean-up where litter is traded for tokens to purchase from our pop-up market of pre-loved clothes, books, toys & more! There will be live music, talks from eco-change makers, environmental education stalls and activities, as well as stalls hosted by local community groups and government agencies.   

This event is brought to you by Shellharbour & Wollongong City Council’s, Take 3 for the Sea, & is funded by the NSW Environment Protection Authority Council Litter Prevention grants program. 

Nature Talks in the Library: Mosquitos - beat the bite!

Join Associate Professor Cameron Webb to discover why mosquitos bite and spread pathogens, and how best to protect yourself and family from their bites. You may even gain a newfound fascination for these pesky bloodsuckers! 

Dr. Webb (NSW Health Pathology and University of Sydney) has spent over 25 years sloshing about in swamps every summer searching for mosquitoes. He provides advice to local, state, and federal agencies on how best to manage the pest and public health risks associated with mosquitoes. He is particularly interested in the role of mosquitoes in the local ecosystem and how improving the health of local wetlands may help reduce the impacts of mosquitoes in the local community. 

Date: Thursday 17 November 
Time: 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm 
Location: Shellharbour Civic Centre - City Library 

The Nature Talks program is coordinated by Shellharbour City Libraries in partnership with Shellharbour City Council’s Environment team. These free monthly events are designed for the community to hear from presenters involved in biodiversity conservation and research, nature photography and wildlife care.

Bushcare and Landcare Groups

Bushcare and Landcare volunteer groups provide an incredible service greening our city and improving the local environment.  

Below are the following dates, times and locations for meet-ups this month. Feel free to contact Mirko, Council’s Acting Natural Areas Supervisor, if you have any questions on 0405 695 935.    

Oakey Creek Bushcare  

The group meets at the Oakey Creek Reserve, located at 1 The Esplanade. For more details, contact Council on 4221 6111. Next Dates:   

• Saturday 12th November (9am – 12pm) 
• Wednesday 23rd November (9am – 12pm)

Warilla Dunes Bushcare 

The group meets in the north side of the surf club on Osborne Parade. Next dates:  

• Saturday 12th November (8am – 10am) 

The Watercourse Bushcare  

The group meets at Campaspe CCT Albion Park. For more details, contact Council on 4221 6111. Next dates:  

• Sunday 20th November (9.30am - 11.30am)

Tullimbar Landcare   

The group meets at Elizabeth Brownlee Reserve (end of Digby Close, Albion Park). For more details, contact Ruth Jenkins on 0402 027 221. Next dates:  

• Saturday 26th November (9am – 11am) 

Koona Bay Bushcare  

The group meets at the reserve gate entrance, located at 29 Bridge Ave. It runs on the first Sunday of each month. For more details, contact Christine on 0439 114 955. Next dates:  

• Sunday 6th November (1pm – 4pm) 
• Sunday 4th December (1pm – 4pm) 

Blackbutt Forest Bushcare  

Meeting points vary each month. For more details, contact Russell (group Co-ordinator) on 0466 977 125. Next dates:  

• Sunday 6th November (9am – 12pm) 
• Sunday 4th December (9am – 12pm) 

Don’t forget to be sun safe! Bring along your hats, sunscreen, water bottles and sunglasses to the working bees.

Reusing Coffee Sacks as Garden Waste Bags 

Blackbutt Bushcare coordinator Russel has been collecting coffee sacks from local cafes to reuse for Bushcare activities. 

It is a great way to recycle and reuse and steer away from plastic garden bags. 

Russell has kindly donated these great hessian sacks and are available to use for weeding, carrying tools and other gardening needs.  

If any local Bushcare groups would like some coffee sacks, please contact Blackbutt Bushcare coordinator Russel on 0466 977 125.

Native Plants Behaving as Weeds

Golden Wreath Wattle (Acacia Saligna)
Acacia Saligna is a Western Australian species which has become naturalised along parts of the NSW coast and southern inland areas and is in flower now.

Problem: 
Although native to Australia, this plant is endemic to Western Australia and poses a problem in our natural areas of NSW. Acacia Saligna is a very adaptable and aggressive species that has become naturalised on coastal sand dunes where in the past it was planted for dune rehabilitation, along major highways where it was included in revegetation plantings, and as a garden escape into open forests, particularly where disturbance has occurred. This species can overtake sand dune communities and prolifically seed in high numbers. The colonies become dense and overtop native plants and bring about complete suppression of all other vegetation.  

Description:  
Acacia Saligna grows in the form of a dense, bushy shrub or small tree 3-9 m high. It has brownish-grey smooth or finely fissured bark, branchlets angled or flattened, usually slightly zigzagged. Like many Acacia species, it has phyllodes rather than true leaves; these can be up to 25 cm long. The flowers appear as large bright golden yellow balls in spring. 

More about native weeds: 
The idea of a 'native weed' may seem like a contradiction, but some native plants can become weeds if they have come from another part of Australia. Regardless of its origin, native weeds can displace locally native species and alter the habitat for our native animals, sometimes drastically. Native plants behaving as weeds can be more dangerous to native vegetation than some exotic species, because they are already adapted to Australia's soils.  

Public Hearing for Community Land Generic Plans of Management 

Generic Community Land Plans of Management (plans) have been prepared and exhibited for lands categorised as ‘Park’, ‘General Community Use’ and ‘Natural Area – Bushland’. The purpose of these plans are to provide Council and the Community with a framework for making decisions regarding multiple parcels of community land with similar characteristics.

The plans have been prepared in accordance with the Local Government Act 1993, this legislation requires a public hearing to be held for proposed plans which have the effect of categorising or altering the categorisation of community land. 

The plans are available to view https://letschatshellharbour.com/community-land  

Public Hearing  

The public hearing will be held on Wednesday 30 November, 5pm at the Civic Centre, located at 76 Cygnet Avenue, Shellharbour City Centre. 

The public hearing will be chaired by an independent, external to Council. It will give the community an opportunity to discuss the plans of management in a public forum. Any person can attend the hearing to speak or observe. Please advise of your attendance by emailing lisa.norwell@shellharbour.nsw.gov.au 

Veggies to Plant in November

With summer coming up, it is a great time to start thinking about these vegetables: 

• Cucumber 
• Pumpkin 
• Squash 
• Zucchini 
• Green bean 
• Capsicum 
• Corn 
• Lettuce

Council’s nursery is located on River Oak Place, Oak Flats, and is currently open to the public Monday to Friday 7.30am to 3.45pm (except public holidays). Contact them on 4221 6191 or at nursery@shellharbour.nsw.gov.au.  

The Tinkerage - Thursday and Friday Sessions on

The Tinkerage is a community-use space for the making, repairing, and re-purposing of things that would otherwise end up in landfill. 

Tinkerage sessions run:
Thursdays: 9:30am - 2:00pm 
Fridays: 10:00am - 3:00pm
Participation by gold coin donation. 

Located behind the Reviva Tip Shop at Dunmore Recycling and Waste Disposal Depot, the Tinkerage is a joint venture between Shellharbour City Council and Resource Recovery Australia. Check out their Instagram page here. 

Bookings are strictly limited to 10 people. To book your spot, please contact Anita on 0416 148 202 or tinkerage@resourcerecovery.org.au

Learn to create Pallet Planters at The Tinkerage

Join us to learn to transform wood pallets to create fun and unique planters for your garden. 

Are you a garden lover or Tinkerer who has always wanted to create for your garden? The Tinkerage Pallet Planter workshop is for you! 

Join us to learn to transform wood pallets to create fun and unique planters for your garden. You will learn to safely and efficiently use the: mitre saw, hole saw, power drill and driver in this fun, hands-on workshop. 

No experience is required with power tools or upcycling.

Date: Saturday 12th November 2022  

Time: 10 am – 3 pm 

BYO: 

• Enclosed shoes 
• Safety glasses [optional] 
• Ear protection [optional] 
• Found objects to add personality to your planter [optional] 

Location: Reviva Dunmore at 44 Buckleys Road, Dunmore NSW 2529 

Registration: Register for your FREE spot here -> Learn to create Pallet Planters at The Tinkerage Tickets, Sat 12/11/2022 at 10:00 am | Eventbrite 

You must wear enclosed shoes. The Tinkerage workshops are hands-on and are available for individuals aged 16 years and over only. The Tinkerage workshops are free for residents of the Shellharbour City Council local government area. A $40 participation fee applies for non-Shellharbour City Council residents, this is payable on the day of the workshop.

In the Neighbourhood

FrogID Week (11-20 Nov)

Join the growing team of citizen scientists this FrogID Week 11-20 November 2022.

FrogID Week is Australia’s Biggest Frog Count, held annually for Australians to help record frog calls through the free FrogID app, as a measurement of frog health and distribution around the nation. 

From croaks and barks, to whistles and bleats, every frog species makes a unique sound. Using the free FrogID app, you can record and upload the frogs calling around you. 

The Australian Museum has a team of frog experts that listens to all recordings submitted through the FrogID app. This team identifies the different frog species heard in the recording and provides feedback to the FrogID participant. 

Recording and uploading these unique calls through the FrogID app informs where frogs are most at risk from threats such as habitat loss, disease, climate change and urbanisation. This data is fuelling scientific research into Australia’s frog populations and identifying which species are at risk, to assist and inform future conservation efforts.

Grow it Local is your local grow community. A celebration of backyard, balcony, community and window-sill farmers across the country. 

If you're a local grower, you can 'Put your patch on the map!' Tell people a little about what you're growing, find other growers near you and connect to share, knowledge, skills & more.

Why get involved? 

GROW: get inspired by seeing who’s growing locally & what's under cultivation 

SHARE: connect with local growers to learn and share knowledge, expertise, produce, recipes and more 

EAT: attend local food experiences that celebrate local produce, growers, chefs & like-minded businesses 

Australian Pollinator Week is about raising awareness of important and unique pollinators and learn about supporting their needs. 

The vast majority of pollinator species are wild, including more than 20,000 species of bees, some flies, butterflies, moths, wasps, beetles, thrips, birds, bats and other vertebrates. 

Unlike animals, plants can’t move around in search of a mate, to reproduce. Therefore, plants need pollinators to transfer the male sex cells (pollen) to the female reproductive parts of flowers. This process is called pollination, and it leads to fertilization. Good fertilisation helps plants develop seeds and fruit that feed countless animals in the world, including us. 

Pollinators drive biodiversity, and globally, nearly 90 percent of wild flowering plant species depend, at least in part, on the transfer of pollen by animals (IPBES, 2016).

Over 75% of the world’s food crops (by type) rely on animal pollinators for yield and/or quality and these crops contribute 35% of global crop volume and represent an estimated market value of AUS$350-$860 billion (IPBES, 2016).