We are truly fortunate to have so many wonderful public spaces within our community, and even though they may not be perfect, there are some people who are trying their hardest to make them that way, giving the local wildlife a helping hand.
The Stansfield Close reserves have numerous secret treasures like several different kinds on Lomandra, the endangered Tetratheca juncea (TJ to those in the know) numerous habitat trees that house a variety of birds and mammals, that feast on the berry bountiful bushes.
At the other end of the spectrum, the not-so-helpful end, there are things that people do that quite quickly can undo years of work.
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| surveying for the track |
This reserve had several thousand dollars of public money spent creating a track to help people move about.
Some people wanted to move quickly and so set about creating there very own bike track with total disregard for the work previously undertaken and the impacts they were creating, chopping trees and excavating deep holes for mounds.
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| bike riders damage |
This part of the story has a happy ending though, upon reporting to LMCC, within a fortnight the track was regraded to remove the mounds and fill the hazardous holes.
Unfortunately there is another more insidious danger that threatens the viability of this reserve, and most of our other local spaces, backyard escapes.
The Stansfield Close reserves are a classic example of the devastation that can be wrought upon the local biodiversity by throwing garden waste, or heaven forbid planting invasive exotics where they can spread unchecked into the reserve.
Asparagus Fern, African Olive and Privet are all rampant in this reserve, a product of their fruit being easily dispersed.
The Progress Association has recently received some funding to address the weed issues at the entrance to this reserve from the Hunter Water Landcare Assistance Fund.
