Dates For doing Feb Update

 

 Visit the calendar for updates

https://coalpointprogress.blogspot.com/p/calendar.html

CPPA Monthly Meeting 
Monday 9 Feb, 9 March 

3-4:30 pm Progress Hall, 197 Skye Pt Rd, Coal Point
contact cppasecretary@gmail.com

TASNG Meeting
Wednesday 11 Feb, 11 March 

5-6:30 The Hub,
97 The Boulevarde, Toronto

Progress Hall Open Day
Saturday 14 March

• Grow Me Instead weed display
• Native plants for sale
• Meet the members, join up
• Community conversations
• Cafe-style beverages and bites

Locals Landcaring -
Every Thursday 8am-11ish 

Check the Calendar for locations

Tools & training provided
Morning tea is always at 10am

• 29/1 Burnage
• 5/2 Gurranba
• 12/2 Stansfield- neet behind the hall
• 19/2 Puntei Creek 
• 26/2 Threlkeld
• 5/3 Kilibinbin
• 12/3 Hampton St link- Jabiru Street end
• 19/3 West Ridge
• 26/3 Burnage
• 2/4 Gurranba

Crocodile Point (TASNG)
1st &3rd Wed
8:30-10am. Meet under the Fennel Bay bridge

Want to join Us?
Receive weekly emails about landcaring and what we will be doing, send a request to Ros cppalandcare@gmail.com

Celebrating Our Backyard Biodiversity

September is Biodiversity Month, a time to celebrate the richness of life around us. Here along the Coal Point peninsula, we don’t need to travel far to be reminded of just how lucky we are, our reserves, link tracks and lake foreshore are buzzing with life.

There’s so much to love about our beautiful and biodiverse bigger backyard. Every Thursday the Landcare crew revels in the joys of Mother Nature. And every Tuesday we get a wonderfully-crafted reminder of where we’ve been, what we’ve done and where we’re going from Ros, our Landcare coordinator.

Over the past month the team gathered at sites like Hampton Street Link, Gurranba Reserve and Puntei Creek. We tackled invasive plants that threaten to smother the bush. We’ve been pulling out swathes of Mother of Millions (Bryophyllum delagoense), hacking back Black-eyed Susan (Thunbergia alata), and keeping an eye on the surprise arrival of Australian Umbrella Tree (Heptapleurum actinophyllum) seedlings, a native species but not from this part of the country.

Clearing weeds may sound unglamorous, but every thistle uprooted or tangle of Morning Glory (Ipomoea indica) removed gives native plants room to breathe. It means Basket Grass (Oplismenus aemulus), Scurvy Weed (Commelina cyanea) and young Grevillea sericea can flourish. It means flowers return to the bush, and with them the bees, birds and lizards.

And what a cast of creatures still call our peninsula home. In recent weeks, landcarers have encountered a resident blue-tongue lizard, a secretive Blackish Blind Snake (Anilios nigrescens), and the usual chorus of birdlife. Just last month, Pandorea pandorana and Clematis glycinoides were in bloom, adding to the colour of spring.

These small weekly efforts add up. Together, they keep the bush in balance and remind us that biodiversity isn’t an abstract idea, it’s the living world right at our back door. The resilience of our native plants and animals is something to be celebrated, and it depends on community care.

This Biodiversity Month, take a walk through your local reserve, pause to notice the small flowers pushing through the leaf litter, or the rustle of skinks underfoot. Every sighting is a reminder: we are fortunate indeed to live among such abundance.

And if you’d like to lend a hand, the Landcare team meets every Thursday morning. Come for the weeding, stay for the cuppa and company, and help keep our backyard brimming with life. Visit the CPPA calendar to see where we will be. 

Stansfield Reserve Project Underway

On Thursday 14 August, the much-anticipated Origin Energy–funded bush regeneration project at Stansfield Reserve got underway, bringing together professional bush regenerators and local volunteers.

The day began early with Suzanne Pritchard taking Sally Alldis from the Bushland and Rainforest Restoration & Consulting (BARRC) team on a tour of the reserve. This walk provided an overview of the site’s potential and challenges, including the effects of a past burn, neighbour concerns and the extent of weed invasion.

By 8am, ten local landcarers gathered at Progress Hall with project leader Sally and her colleague Jenni to discuss the strategy. Maps in hand, the group soon moved into the reserve, forming a line across the ridge and working upwards; gravity has an impact on seed dispersal. Targets included Ground Asparagus (Asparagus aethiopicus), Bitou Bush (Chrysanthemoides monilifera) and Corky Passionfruit (Passiflora suberosa).

Sally and Jenni shared tips on best practice removal, including “rafting” weeds into nearby shrubs to decompose naturally. Even the stubborn asparagus crowns were managed by stripping their water vesicles to prevent regrowth and once hung in a tree was easy to keep track of who had been where.

Morning tea back at the hall offered cakes, biscuits and plenty of conversation before work resumed. With further days planned this year and follow-up next year, the project marks a strong start in restoring this important reserve right behind our community hall.

BARRC in the bush days: 25 Sept, 20 Nov at Stansfield Reserve.Meet behind the Hall, 197 Skye Pt Rd.

TAFE students survey two Coal Point Reserves

During the first half of the year a class of TAFE students, under the guidance of Trisha Barker conducted biological surveys at two local reserves, West Ridge- Tiirabeynba and Stansfield- Nikinba

A student report from Jacqueline Brown is available to read in its entirety online and some of the findings and recommendations from her report follow, providing a glimpse of the local biodiversity and steps we can take to retain and enhance it.

4.4 Threatened animal species at West Ridge Reserve

Our animal surveys and observations at West Ridge confirmed the likely and potential presence of two threatened animal species.

Our second spotlighting survey recorded the sighting of one squirrel glider. This validated the two squirrel glider sightings recorded for this location in BIONET Atlas NSW.

The discovery of a regurgitated pellet (with small mammal skeleton inside) at Stansfield Reserve suggested the potential presence of a Powerful Owl hunting at this locality. BIONET Atlas NSW species sightings records and visual sightings from members of CPPA confirmed Powerful owl sightings at West Ridge.

Our spotlighting surveys also recorded the presence of numerous ringtail possums which are a common food source for the Powerful owl.

Section 5- Survey recommendations

Based on our site survey findings and conclusions, suggested remedial actions and recommendations are as follows:

REMEDIAL ACTION 1

Enhance nesting sites for squirrel gliders.

CPPA as part of the Threatened Species – Last Stand on Coal Point Peninsula Project designed and completed a mass installation of nesting boxes for squirrel gliders across the Coal Point bushland reserves. Squirrel gliders are hollow-dependent and require natural tree hollows or nesting boxes to survive.

It was evident during our site surveys that some of these nesting boxes are being occupied by rainbow lorikeets, which are numerous in number across Stansfield and West Ridge reserves.

REMEDIAL ACTION 2

Address the ‘edge effect‘ issues at Stansfield Reserve

Stansfield Reserve is particularly subject to the ’edge effect’ due to the following factors:

Small, fragmented core of native bushland with extended, disturbed edges,

Asset Protection Zone on north-western edge exposes reserve to weeds and garden escapees,

Walking tracks dissect the reserve creating additional ’edges’ and encourage spread of weeds especially weed grasses and

Residential development on edges of reserve is encouraging erosion, stormwater run-off, and the spread of exotic and invasive species.

RECOMMENDATION 1

Conduct a survey of squirrel gliders at Stansfield and West Ridge Reserve including their use of tree hollows and nesting boxes.

Consider modifying existing nesting boxes and hollows to enhance use by squirrel gliders and to discourage use by other species.

This may require augmentation of hollows using Hollow Hog designs and adaptations https://www.hollowhog.com.au/

RECOMMENDATION 2

Expand Stansfield Reserve with native species planting and connection of bushland corridors

The planting of endemic native species on the residential edges of the reserve will assist in providing a buffer to the exposed edges and protect habitat and remnant vegetation. The planting of native tree, shrub and groundcover species by private property owners should be encouraged along with targeted planting of understorey species in adjacent streets and public areas.

The aim should be to connect existing reserves to create an extended vegetation corridor to enhance wildlife movement and minimise edge effects.

Locals landcaring in August

Where we are landcaring this month?

Tools & techniques provided. A very social morning tea at 10am. Feel free to pop by and have a chat.

• 3/8 Gurranba
• 10/8 Stansfield- Nikinba
• 17/8 Puntei Creek Reserve
• 24/8 Stansfield- Nikinba
• 31/8 Puntei Creek Reserve
• 7/9 Hampton Steet Link

Crocodile Point

1st &3rd Wednesday of the month
8:30-10am. Meet under the Fennel Bay bridge

Want to join Us?
If you would like to receive weekly emails about where we are landcaring and what we will be doing? email cppalandcare@gmail.com

More information about the local landcare sites and the action plans are here

Spanish Moss, a weed in the winds

La Nina has been wonderful for our lawns and gardens over the last year or so. Sadly it has also boosted weed growth in both gardens and bushland. In particular, there has been an enormous growth of Tillandsia usneoides, commonly known as Spanish Moss or Old Man’s Beard.

This air plant has been introduced here from the Americas. It has been decoratively draped over fences, trees and shrubs in many local properties. Unfortunately, it has increased to the point where the host plant is so smothered that it is difficult to identify. Then comes the threat to our beautiful native bushland.

Spanish Moss is carried by the wind and by birds and has been observed in our reserves. It has the potential to form dense blankets smothering native vegetation, altering habitats and threatening whole eco-systems. Once established in the bush, it is almost impossible to get rid of as it can be so high in the tree-tops.

It is hoped that it is not too late to protect our bushland, by removing, containing and controlling the growth of this exotic plant in our neighbourhood. Garden escapes can be disposed of in our green bins.

Let’s work together to keep our local, unique eco-systems healthy, safe and strong.

Be inspired, be empowered, be a Landcarer.

Celebrate Landcare Week with us!

• Tuesday 8 August - Bus Trip

• Thursday 10 August - Landcare Info Session

Our annual bus trip will stop at Dora Creek Boat Ramp Landcare, Lakeview Road Morisset Park Landcare, and Wyee Point Reserve 2022 Landcare sites. Morning tea and lunch will be provided. Learn more and book your spot here by Friday 4 August.

We’ve also teamed up with Council’s Over 55’s Program to showcase all things Landcare. This includes a presentation by Landcarer Lois Simpson, a Q&A panel, and a ‘Create your own habitat garden’ activity. Please email lro@lakemac.nsw.gov.au if you would like to be a part of this day.

Progress Patter

Sale of Progress bushland to commence.

LMCC has made an offer to buy the bushland behind the hall to expand the reserve. At the 2015 AGM this process was endorsed if the price was right…and it is.

Hall HooHa

Your community hall is in need of a maintenance working bee which has been set for Saturday 8th July 9:30am-12:30. The aim is to ensure everything is in tip top shape for the upcoming Science Week Extravaganza. All welcome, contact Tony for details of jobs.

The Fern & the Burn...The Movie

On April 6th 2016 a patch of bushland off Stansfield Close went up in smoke. The Hazard Reduction Burn was conducted to protect property and generate environmental outcomes, particularly trying to reduce the Asparagus Fern, Privets and Olives that had escaped from gardens and been running rampant over the local natives for some time.

A six minute movie has been made to share the transformation of the reserve since The Burn. If you haven’t been for a walk through Stansfield Reserve in the past year the movie shows what you’ve missed out on. 

The video was made possible with funding from Hunter Local Land Services from the Australian Government's National Landcare program

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International Day of Forests 21/3/17

This year’s IDF theme of Forests and Energy is a reminder of how our urban forests impact upon our energy consumption. Do you remember the heat of summer? Strategically placed trees can cool the air between 2 to 8 degrees.

As we turn the seasonal tide autumn preparations to keep warm in winter and the energy efficiency of wood heaters are worth considering. Dry wood has double the energy value of wet wood, which holds up to 50% moisture, it takes a year of storage to dry wood. A clean flue aids combustion and reduces harmful gas build up, flues should be cleaned annually, and if you don’t want all the heat to go up in smoke insulate everything, walls, floors, ceilings and windows.

Buying ethically sourced wood is a way of protecting our local forests too. Please help protect our community’s public forest assets and leave the local wood in the reserves where it falls, it creates habitat and recycles valuable nutrients.

Our local Open Spotted Gum Forests provide another kind of energy too, a sense of well being that flows from fresh air, abundant birdlife, serenity and beauty. 

Have you been for a stroll along the West Ridge recently?

There’s a track off Whitelocke Street and you can experience some of the best Open Forest around here. If you’re partial to water tanks you might like to take a happy snap of the old water tank, which is set to be decommissioned and taken away this financial year.

Another eye-opening local forest walk is in the reserve off Stansfield Close. Recently a U3A group were guided along the Garden Path to see the difference a fire makes. To the south the impacts of garden escapes such as Asparagus fern, to the north a diversity of plants not seen in a very long while rising like a phoenix from the ashes.

Our public reserves, our local forests, are continually being expanded by LMCC acquiring land. The CPPA has recently followed up on the 2016 AGM resolution to sell a portion of its land to LMCC to expand Stansfield Reserve. 

Are you going to celebrate World Forests Day?

Why not plant a tree and support the long distance pollinators in our area or attend one of the workshops LMCC libraries are hosting. RSVP to library.lakemac.com.au. or ring the host library.

Planting for pollinators: Build your knowledge on local species to attract birds, bees and butterflies to enhance your habitat and vegetable gardens. Mon 20 March - 5.30-7.30pm Cardiff Library p:4954 8575

Birdscaping your garden : Build your knowledge on local native species to plant in your garden to attract nectar eating birds.
Tues 21 Mar - 10am-12. Swansea Library p:4921 0780

Gardening with local native plants: Discover plants that are local to our area and where they will thrive to recreate native habitat including bush tucker species.
Wed 22 Mar - 1.30-3.30pm Belmont Library p:4945 4329

Your native garden, encouraging frogs and dragonflies: Build your knowledge on key components required to maximise opportunities for frogs, dragonflies and other beneficial critters.
Tues 4 April - 6-8pm: Charlestown Library p:4943 5555
Wed 5 April - 10am-noon: Morisset Library p:4973 1248

It’s not too late to celebrate.

With the east coast low filling the water tank, the garden finally getting a good soaking after prolonged warm weather and the release of the Climate Council’s seasonal update ‘Abnormal Autumn 2016’, World Environment Day (WED) 2016 is more than a passing thought it’s a reminder to take action. The United Nations summed it up pretty succinctly…

When we see or experience the negative effects of climate change, environmental degradation or resource depletion it is easy to blame others - governments for not prioritising environmental policy; industry for raising greenhouse gas emissions; NGOs for not lobbying strongly enough; and individuals for not taking action. WED however is a day we put aside our differences and instead celebrate the achievements we’ve made towards protecting the environment.

By celebrating WED, we remind ourselves and others of the importance of caring for our environment. Remember that every action counts, so join us: every year, everywhere, everyone!

This year’s theme for WED – Go Wild for Life – encourages us to celebrate all those species under threat and take our own actions to help safeguard them for future generations. This can be about animals or plants that are threatened within your local area as well as at the national or global level - many local extinctions will eventually add up to a global extinction!

Habitat enhancement with Fire & Steel

Here along the Coal Point Peninsula we have got quite a lot to celebrate. We live alongside three Endangered Ecological Communities, two endangered populations and five at risk species whose survival depends upon what we do.

Local animals such as Squirrel Gliders and Powerful Owls need hollow bearing trees for homes, plants such as Tetratheca juncea (Black-eyed Susan) and Macrozamia flexuosa, a local cycad, need weed-free areas to flourish.

On Saturday 18th June, 9:30am-2:30pm at Progress Hall there’ll be a fantastic field day, Habitat Enhancement with Fire & Steel , a one-stop shop full of ideas, answers and actions on what you can do in your own backyard to make a difference for our local wildlife and threatened species.

There will be

• an expert arborist, Jarrah Hume-Cook, creating habitat with a chainsaw, demonstrating a variety of techniques for insitu hollow log homes and discussing options for tree retention that improve tree safety whilst retaining habitat potential. 
• A guided walk through the recently burnt Stansfield Reserve will highlight the impact of garden escapes and the resilience of the Australian bushland and how we can look after it. 
• Local native plants and nest boxes will be for sale so you can enhance your own backyard habitat along with expert advice from Ann Loughran, author of Native Plant or Weed Pick the difference, courtesy of Trees In Newcastle. 
• Displays from Lake Macquarie Landcare, Backyard Habitat for Wildlife, Toronto Area Sustainable Neighbourhood Group and the Progress Association will give you the opportunity to join in or catch up and find out a little bit more about what actions are being taken locally. 

Bookings can be made online through Eventbrite. https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/habitat-enhancement-with-fire-and-steel-tickets-25415795328 or by calling/sms Suzanne on 0438596741. Please RSVP for catering purposes.

There is a program and more information on last month's post 

This workshop has been made possible through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program and is supported by Hunter Region Landcare Network and Hunter Local Land Services.

A pyric epic …Come on baby light my fire

The Doors mightn’t have been thinking about asset protection when they wrote their very famous song but somehow it seems very relevant to the Hazard Reduction Burn planned for the reserve off Stansfield Close.

The time to hesitate is through…

The long awaited burn may happen in the next month, possibly even next week depending on the rain.

No time to wallow in the mire….
We’ve been trying to dry out the moist weed infested gullies so that optimum burn temperatures can be reached for ignition. The large woody weeds have been treated and felled.

Try now we can only lose…
Additional hands from LMCC’s Landcare Bush Regenerators & the Fire Mitigation team as well as Trees In Newcastle’s bush regenerators and volunteers have been helping Coal Point landcarers prepare the burn area by cutting a containment line, refreshing the Asset Protection Zone and treating weeds to make sure we do all we can for a good environmental burn.

And our love become a funeral pyre…
Our much loved bushland will arise from a seedbank that needs heat to geminate whilst the asparagus fern will burn and hopefully be pyrically thwarted.

Come on baby light my fire…

The RFS and Fire & Rescue advise there are a few things that you might want to do if you start smelling smoke in the air.

As the prescribed burn will generate smoke, hot embers and heat, it is important that you consider undertaking the following actions:

• Keep doors and windows closed to prevent smoke entering buildings
• Cover outdoor furniture to prevent ember damage
• Retract plastic or synthetic pool covers to prevent ember damage
• Remove washing from clothes lines
• Ensure any outdoor pets have a sheltered area
• If you have asthma or a lung condition, reduce outdoor activities
• If smoke levels are high and if shortness of breath or coughing develops, take your reliever medicine or seek medical advice
• If you are driving a vehicle, slow down, keep windows up and turn headlights on

It is normal for smoke to be visible up to 24 hours after the prescribed burn

For your safety, neighbours adjoining the area are requested to remain away from, and not enter the burnt ground to aid post-fire restoration.

Fire & Restoration : working with fire for healthy lands

The Nature Conservation Council's biennial 2-day Fire and Restoration conference was a fantastic opportunity to hear practitioners, scientists and agencies share their findings and the latest research on using fire to assist with restoration projects. With a Hazard Reduction Burn for the protection of community assets in preparation for one of our landcare sites at Coal Point, the conference was very relevant.

The Stansfield Reserve is a 5.5ha parcel that is bounded by residences, including land owned by the Progress Association. It has been overrun by a variety of weeds ranging from ground Asparagus fern to Olive and Privet. Manual removal and chemical treatment has been attempted in the past but the resources required to transition the vegetation back to a weed-free system were beyond the capacity of the landcare group. The Asset Protection burn has provided a unique opportunity to gain some environmental outcomes in a reserve that really was in the 'too hard basket'

How Stansfield Reserve got to the state it is in became clearer when one of the speakers Andy Barker, a Vegetation Ecologist, described the transition process of vegetation communities, from treeless ecosystems to forest and open forest to rainforest. He explained how different burning intervals determine what type of vegetation community is retained or changed. For example, a grassland with regular burning will remain a grassland, if burning doesn't happen taller tree species will enter the system. There is then a window where another burn will kill these 'new' species and retain the grassland, if a burn doesn't happen then these new arrivals will be big enough to survive a burn, continue to grow and reproduce, this is the fire resistance threshold. By excluding fire in the landscape this threshold is regularly passed and so we see a transition as new plants, often weeds start to dominate.

More food for thought when Tein McDonald, from the Australian Association of Bush Regenerators, described the impacts of 'mesic weed shift' upon native bushland. When fire exclusion is coupled with long term weed presence a degraded bushland state occurs because native seed and bud banks are depleted. Weeds such as Olives and Privets, because of their fleshy (mesic) leaves, increase the humidity and shade making bushland areas become incombustible and increasing the rate of decomposition which destroys the seed bank. Tein emphasised the aim of bush regeneration should be to reverse the 'mesic shift'. This altered species composition is common in areas that have not been burnt for a long time, at Stansfield Reserve, this means the Spotted Gum Open Forest plant community that should be flourishing is not.

The process of being able to use fire as a tool in the restoration tookbox is a very complicated one. Talks on the operational and planning logistics were enlightening. One exercise to conduct three hazard reduction burns and research on about 3ha at North Head, Sydney, to assist the recovery of the Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub, an Endangered Ecological Community required 18 months of extensive planning and multi agency collaboration. Agencies involved were NPWS, Police, Rural Fire Service, and included shutting down the whole North Head reserve for a day, having a ferry on hand in case evacuation of a school group at the Quarantine station was needed, planning in case the harbour had to be shut down for smoke or the nearby biogas facility exploded or smoke entered ventilation tunnels. The exercise cost $250,000. At the other end of the spectrum Hornsby Council's 1st ecological burn in a 3ha reserve bounded by residents cost $5000 plus the support of Rural Fire Service and took eight years of planning.

Why would you go through such protracted and extensive processes to attempt a burn? Because the outcomes are proving to be outstanding. At Hornsby the species have doubled and the risk to adjacent property diminished. The ongoing maintenance of the reserve will be possible by the very small bushcare group.

Other speakers talked of the process to maximise the gains from a burn. The importance of pre-burn preparation and post-burn followup was repeatedly emphasised.

The Hornsby scenario provided lots of ideas to incorporate into the local action at Coal Point. Their site had been undergoing a mesic shift as well so in preparation for the burn they undertook some weed control prior to the event to manipulate the fuel load on the site. A statement repeated at the conference was that pyro-diversity leads to biodiversity. Different plants respond differently to varying fire intensity.

The pattern of vegetation recovery after a fire was discussed with various categories of ‘responders’ now identified. There will be some species that decline, some will increase, some will be lost, new species may emerge, some will be seeding laggards, others resprouting laggards and some plants will be multitaskers. Identifying how different plants respond is important for assisting the recovery of the ecosystem after the fire as targeted weeding strategies can be put in place.

LMCC's Bushfire Management Officer, Craig Holland, has issued the Bush Fire Hazard Reduction Certificate for 2.56ha of land off Stansfield Close, it is valid till March 2018. Although the burn was muted to go ahead last year, and this year, the delay has provided an opportunity to undertake more preparation in order optimize the environmental benefits from the process and assist in the long term environmental recovery of 5.5ha of bushland assets.

The Progress Association is in the fortunate situation of having bush regeneration resources available through the Threatened Species project to undertake preparation activities such as treating the woody weeds before the fire and following up after the burn.

Asset Protection Burn possibly this Winter

And thinking about things that burn… The Asset Protection Burn for Stansfield Reserve is being proposed for August this year. This will be an exciting opportunity to see 1st hand the impacts of fire on the local bushland and the recovery of native species. It will also provide an opportunity to attempt to gain the ascendency on the Asparagus Fern.

Controlled burn on the horizon

Many moons ago mention was made about how to manage The Asparagus Fern carpet in the reserves off Stansfield Close. One thought that was touted was to burn it all. Many moons on and permissions are being acquired by LMCC to undertake a controlled burn with Fire and Rescue NSW.
The issue was discussed at the last Progress meeting and LMCC’s Craig Holland who is facilitating the process provided the following response to concerns raised about the impacts on the wildlife and smoke.
There are only positive effects on animals as the hazard reduction burn creates regeneration, which creates more food sources and reduces the monoculture that weeds create. With more food sources (particularly with isolated patches of bushland like Coal Point) more animals are attracted to the area and the food chain is then reinforced. This is very positive. As we are intentionally only burning half of the bushland area, the half not being burnt provides a refuge for the animals. The fire authority don't just throw a match in to the area and walk away. The usual prescribed low intensity burn is usually done in segments. The ones I have seen, they burn a 10m x 5 segment usually downhill (‘cause it burns slower and is more controlled) and wait for that to burn until they move on to the next segment. Very controlled and slow. This gives the animals an opportunity to move.
In terms of smoke, Fire and Rescue NSW will conduct a burn plan for Coal Point, which addresses such issues as wind direction and smoke mainly because of vehicular traffic. Fire and Rescue NSW will give residents notice (at least 7 days) of when the burn is likely, warning residents to close windows, don't wash their clothes and put them out on the line, retract pool covers and move out of the area for the day if someone suffers asthma or a lung condition.
If you’d like more information contact Craig Holland 

| Natural Areas Officer (Bush Fire Mitigation)
Lake Macquarie City Council | P: (02) 49 210 288 | M: 0419483349 | F: (02) 49210351

Local Landcaring

 A new Landcare site in our area on the corner of  Hampton and Jabiru Streets, will have it's first Green Team day on 18/4/11. This beautiful little remnant is a reminder of the variety which can exist right at our backdoor.

On  May 16th Yural reserve at the northern end of Laycock Street will be getting a makeover, with the support of the Green Team and thanks to funding from the Hunter Water Landcare Assistance Fund. A mulched garden bed will be created and a BBQ lunch will be provided.

Jason Harvey as been appointed as the new Landcare Coordinator for LMCC commencing 2 May 2011. Jason has strong local connections and we wish him well in his new role.

LMCC’s Community Ecosystem Monitoring program involves Council staff, and volunteers, surveying bushland areas (owned by Council,) across the City to provide a measure of the health of different bushland vegetation communities.

Community Ecosystem Monitoring
The reserve at end of Stansfield Close, Coal Point, is one of the 50 sites that will be surveyed on Wednesday 20 April from 9am-12noon.

The survey records both native and exotic species within the plot, medium and large trees, regeneration of canopy species, hollow bearing trees canopy cover and evidence of wildlife. 

Contact Robyn Gill for more details if you would like to participate on any of the days.

Reserve Snapshot Stansfield Close

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.

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.

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. 

Locals Landcaring

Landcaring continues around the reserves with a keen and committed crew getting together every Thursday to learn a bit more about the local bushland, what has been growing and what needs knowing.

There is a focus reserve every month and once a month bush-regenerators from Lake Mac Landcare Network (LMLN)come out and lend a hand.

• In March the Carey Bay Wetlands will be the focus. 
• April is Gurranba’s turn on the foreshore( 8th LMLN)
• May the energy will turn to Burnage (6th LMLN) – the Excelsior Parade side aka Giant Reed area, 
• in June the joy will be shed at Threlkeld (3rd LMLN), 
• July sees Laycock St South get a go-(1st  LMLN) and
• in August the Stansfield Reserves will have some energy spent on them.

If you’re interested in finding out a little more about what is involved in local Landcaring give Robyn a ring 4959 1507.

What’s On In November

• Monday  2nd 7-9pm : Monthly meeting of the Progress Association Progress Hall All Welcome
• Saturday Nov 7th Coal Point School Fete
• Saturday  7th 7pm-In Transition the Movie at Progress Hall
• Sat 7-Sun 8th Smart Energy Expo- Newcastle Town Hall
• Landcare reserve this month  Gurranba (foreshore) *5th with Green Team
• Lake Macquarie Landcare Inc. Annual General Meeting Tuesday 10th November 2009 4.30pm to 6.30pm at the new Landcare Resource Centre, Toronto Road, Teralba. Nomination forms and enquiries, ph 4921 0392
• Transition Town Steering Group meets 3rd Monday of the month 16th Nov 4-6pm
• Saturday 21st  7-9.30pm Historical Film Night at Progress Hall-All welcome
• Artists creative and social gathering every Thursday at Progress Hall, 1pm Contact Judy Cummings for more information on 49504680
• Toronto & District Garden Club meets at 3rd Thursday of the month. 19th November is a ramble through a member’s garden at Arcadia Vale, Bring a plate of food to share for Xmas, a mug and a chair if you can. Trading table and raffle. Contact Jan Hissey 49591382 or Kim Weller 4950 5707 for more location details
• December Landcare-Stansfield Reserves –*3rd  with Green Team volunteers at  the end of Stansfield Close

Toronto Tidy Towns

Toronto Tidy Towns has again entered into the 2009/2010 Keep Australia Beautiful Sustainable Communities Awards with Coal Point projects making a significant contribution in the application. The categories that were entered were:

• Wildlife Corridors & Habitats Conservation Award
• Coal Point Biodiversity Boosting, Sediment Stabilisation & Seagrass Monitoring Project – Stansfield Close and Carey Bay Wetlands projects.
• Schools Environment Award
• Coal Point Primary School
• Cultural Heritage Award           
• Lake Macquarie Light Rail, Onslow Road, Toronto
• Waste Management & Litter Reduction Award
• ‘Turning Toronto Green” – reducing the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags
• in Toronto.
• and Overall Tidy Town

Earlier this year Henry Wellsmore, came up with the idea of promoting Toronto through a campaign to promote the use of green bags and minimise the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags. The bags are similar to the familiar ‘Green Bags’ but they’re white, have no plastic gusset, retains their shape even after washing and are made  from recycled plastic bottles.

The Toronto Tidy Towns Turning Toronto Green campaign will be jointly launched by Ian Kiernan and Greg Piper MP at 11.00am on Thursday 27 August in Toronto Town Square. At 10.00am a main Street walk will occur to visit businesses and hand out the bags