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Issue 20: August 2009 Welcome to the August edition of Catchment News, the newsletter of the Hunter-Central Rivers Catchment Management Authority (CMA). Previous editions of this newsletter are available on the CMA website. To subscribe to Catchment News or make changes to your subscription details please send an email to hcr@cma.nsw.gov.au. Click here to view large text format | Click here for print-friendly version What's happening around the catchments?
After 41 years of public service, including 5 years with the CMA and 10 years with the Hunter Catchment Management Trust before that, CMA General Manager Glenn Evans has announced his retirement. The management and staff of the CMA paid tribute to Glenn at his send off barbeque, which was held at the Tocal CMA office on Thursday 30 July. They thanked him for his leadership and commitment and acknowledged the significant contribution he's made to sustainable natural resource management in the Hunter-Central Rivers region, in particular to the rehabilitation of Hexham Swamp and Kooragang Wetlands, the Lower Hunter Flood Mitigation Scheme and flood education program. Glenn's last day as GM of the CMA was Monday 3 August. Business Manager Investment Fiona Marshall and Program Manager Hunter Dean Chapman will act in the role until a new General Manager is appointed. Congratulations Glenn on a successful career and all the best for a long and leisurely retirement. We hope that you can now enjoy a well-deserved break.
A CMA Small Grant enabled Beverley Pinnock of Matcham to continue the work she and her late husband John started more than a decade ago. Together they had been weeding and planting natives along their section of Maddens Creek, a tributary of Erina Creek. Beverley confesses she didn't know much about weeds or the local native species when she and John first moved to the property, but they became inspired after meeting local enthusiast Ena Middleton who is well-known for her tireless conservation work in Matcham and neighbouring Holgate. No longer able to scramble up and down the steep creek banks by herself, Beverley was able, with the money from the small grant, to employ a bush regeneration team to continue the job. Arum lilies, lantana and crofton weed are just some of the weeds the bush regeneration team have removed along the creek, while a small number of native trees and shrubs have been planted to supplement the ones Beverley has planted over the years. Beverley says she would dearly love to see her neighbours become more involved in caring for their section of the creek. The CMA currently has funding available for projects like this one. For more information visit the CMA's website at www.hcr.cma.nsw.gov.au or contact your nearest CMA office.
Over the past two weeks members of the Awabakal community have planted an impressive three thousand trees around the south west edge of Hexham Swamp on the edge of a new housing development at Fletcher. The planting marks the beginning of a new era in the management of Hexham Swamp. Over the past 12 months people from Awabakal and Worimi country have worked together on documenting the important cultural heritage of sites in the Hunter River estuary as part of a management plan for these areas. The plan, which has been developed in partnership with the CMA, incorporates oral histories and memories of Awabakal and Worimi elders, many of which have never been documented before. It also provides opportunities for greater involvement and input from both communities in the future of these areas Cheryl Kitchener, CEO of the Awabakal Local Aboriginal Land Council, says developing the management plan has been a really important step forward in recognising the contribution of knowledge and understanding that local Aboriginal people can bring to these areas. 'A lot of work has been done over the years, by the CMA and other groups in the community, on rehabilitating Hexham Swamp and Kooragang Wetlands. The CMA has come to us now with a genuine invitation for our communities to be part of the future of these areas and we're excited about the possibilities ahead of us.' On a practical level, the tree planting provides an opportunity for participants to get a taste of bush regeneration with expert supervision and guidance from Trees In Newcastle. If they decide to take their experience further, they can apply for support to complete a Certificate Two in Conservation and Land Management through Hunter TAFE and become part of the Awabakal Aboriginal Land Management Team, and perhaps find themselves working on country just about anywhere in our region.
Bill and Di Mansfield fell in love with the Gloucester region on a holiday ten years ago, and when a serious health scare put their hectic Sydney lifestyle in perspective, they made the decision to sell up and move to the area permanently. A 1200 acre property in Waukivory, 25 km south east of Gloucester, is the place they now call home. In 2008 the Mansfields applied for an incentive Property Vegetation Plan (PVP) with the CMA to ensure that important rainforest areas on their property are managed for conservation into the future. What makes conservation of these areas even more important is that the property connects with a significant climate change retreat corridor, stretching south of the Barrington Tops through Craven and out to Smiths Lake. As climate change impacts worsen, habitat areas for certain plants and animals may undergo significant changes and become unsuitable for their needs. If they are to survive these changes, it is essential that they are able to retreat to other areas. Private landholders are increasingly recognising the benefits of an incentive PVP, which provides a way for them to set aside areas of bushland on their property in return for cash incentives that can be used to improve farm practices through fencing, weed management, pasture improvement, and water reticulation. For more information on Property Vegetation Plans contact your nearest CMA office.
The town of Murrurundi will be receiving a few visitors this month as work progresses on the rehabilitation of the Upper Pages River. A Department of Lands' Riverworks crew is continuing with the removal of invasive weeds, including giant reed and privet, from several sites along the river and will be replanting treated areas with a variety of native species. The works are part of a three-year management plan for the Upper Pages River upstream of Cameron's Gorge, being coordinated by the CMA in consultation with the local community through the Upper Pages River Working Group, including representatives from Murrurundi Landcare, Murrurundi Development Association, the Upper Hunter Shire Council, and local residents. The Department of Lands crew will also be preparing a site on the river for a team of volunteers from Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA), who will arrive in Murrurundi later in the month to plant around 500 native trees, shrubs and rushes. Residents of Murrurundi are being invited to come along and say g'day to the CVA volunteers during the week of 24-28 August and get their hands dirty by putting a few plants in the ground. If you'd like to give the volunteers a hand, contact Linda Russell at the CMA's Muswellbrook Office on 6542 4423.
Last week Hunter-Central Rivers CMA Waterwatch - combining the three regions of Central Coast, Hunter-Central Rivers & Manning-Great Lakes - sent out their 2008-09 Annual report to local groups, schools and stakeholders. Between the 3 regions, the Waterwatch program were personally in contact with over 10,600 individuals in the 2008-09 financial year, and that's not counting all the members of groups out there monitoring in their communities! The 2008-09 NSW Waterwatch Yearbook was also distributed to over 200 contacts, summarising Waterwatch activities occurring in all CMAs across NSW. Both documents are available on the CMA website. The Hunter-Central Rivers Waterwatch team is here to help anyone in the community who would like to get involved in improving the health of their catchment, particularly through activities relating to improving water quality and the health of our rivers and streams. Please contact the Waterwatch team on 4930 1030 for information on activities and programs you can be part of. Redressing the balance for our native wildlife Over the past three months the Mid Coast Livestock Health and Pest Authority (LHPA) has undertaken an extensive aerial control and ground baiting program to treat animal pests on 212,000 hectares on the edges of Upper Hunter National Parks and reserves. Many native fauna species in the Hunter region are threatened by feral pests either directly through predation and competition for food or shelter, or indirectly through the changes they cause to their habitat. The control of feral predators such as foxes and wild dogs is a high priority for the recovery of the Broad-toothed Rat and Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby, which occur in and around the Barrington Tops National Park and State Conservation Area. The CMA is committed, through the Hunter-Central Rivers Catchment Action Plan, to work with partners to treat animal pests to help conserve biodiversity in our region. The CMA has teamed up with NPWS and Mid Coast LHPA to put a serious dent in the number of feral pests threatening wildlife in priority reserve areas. The partnership, which was funded by the Australian and New South Wales Governments, has been a huge success with 2,350 feral pigs, goats, foxes, wild dogs, feral cats and hares being culled. Over one hundred landholders also took part in workshops, provided through the program, to find out what they can do to control feral animals on their properties.
Five years ago, Koompahtoo Local Aboriginal Land Council, with the help of Eraring Energy, established a nursery near the Eraring Power Station on the shores of Lake Macquarie. With support and advice from the CMA and Lake Macquarie Landcare, staff learned how to collect seed in a way that would protect the genetic integrity of plant species indigenous to the area. Since that time, K2 Bush Enterprises has transformed the landscape around the nursery site, planting an amazing 100,000 plants, all propagated and planted by the K2 team under contract to Eraring Energy. The team has extended their efforts to other parts of Lake Macquarie, removing rubbish from the western foreshore through the Clean up the Lake project, and offering their services to local schools to enhance and rehabilitate their school grounds and gardens. K2 offers an important avenue for local Aboriginal people to reconnect traditional bonds with country, while gaining new skills and employment. Over the past five years they've trained a number of local people in bush regeneration, weed control and fencing, providing a quality work force for natural resource projects around the region. As a CMA-preferred supplier of provenance native tubestock, K2 provide native plants at discounted rates to CMA partners, including landholders, community groups and local government, for on-ground revegetation projects funded through CMA programs. For more information on K2 Bush Enterprises contact Site Supervisor Jamie McLennan on 0401 012 903 or email jamie.mclennan@optusnet.com.au. Photo courtesy of K2 Bush Enterprises.
Students from St Columbans and Islington Primary Schools in Newcastle have been doing their homework on what can be done to improve the health of nearby Throsby and Styx Creeks. As part of a joint environmental project between the two schools, the students have identified a number of key issues with the health of the creeks. They found that water quality is a major issue and they had concerns about high levels of pollution, including oil, chemicals, litter, and grass clippings in the creek. They also felt that there was not enough community awareness or appreciation of this important natural resource. After determining what the problems were, the students put their heads together and drew up a list of the positive things they could do to bring about change. Some of the suggestions were: raising awareness through posters, brochures, and articles in the school newsletter, presenting information at assembly and talking to friends and family, sending letters to council about providing more bins and putting signs up near the creek, and planting trees. The students have also contributed some amazing artworks that illustrate some of the reasons why we should value the creek and look after it. In the coming weeks a selection of these are being converted into signs that will be installed by Newcastle City Council on the Throsby Creek boardwalk through the mangroves. Photo courtesy of Islington and St Columbans Primary Schools.
Spring Creek Reserve is around five hectares of bushland on the western edge of a new subdivision on the Central Coast, and provides a positive example of how the often competing priorities of the environment and development can be addressed. Although there is evidence of some disturbance in the area, much of the site is covered with good condition native bushland, including the vulnerable Melaleuca biconvexa, and swamp mahogany (Eucalyptus robusta), an important food source for the endangered swift parrot. The reserve contains a wetland area, as well as high-quality riparian vegetation along the banks of Spring Creek- a tributary of Lake Budgewoi that forms part of the Tuggerah Lakes system, identified as a priority area in the CMA's Catchment Action Plan. Through a partnership project with the CMA, Wyong Shire Council are regenerating the bushland by removing blackberry infestations and supplementing plantings of native species to increase canopy cover and species diversity, particularly in the wetland area where the reed cumbungi is dominating. In addition to the bush regeneration, council are encouraging people to the site by installing facilities such as picnic areas, play equipment and walking tracks. With the addition of community artworks, and the formation of a local Landcare group to help maintain the site, there'll be no excuse for residents staying indoors.
With its thick matt of dense woody roots the cool climate weed blue periwinkle has been thriving in the wet shady conditions along the Upper Bowman River near Gloucester, but a proactive partnership between the Mid North Coast Weeds Advisory Committee and the CMA is tackling the problem head on. Blue periwinkle is native to Europe and northern Africa, and was introduced to Australia as an ornamental plant and medicinal herb. It spreads easily, with new infestations established from plant fragments, being transported in dumped garden waste, and soil, or on flood waters. With the weed being relatively new to the area, the Mid North Coast Weeds Advisory Committee conducted some trials to find the best method of removing it. They found the best approach was spraying with a dual salt form of Glyphosate, planting pasture grass once the weed was removed. Infestations have now been removed from over 8 km of riverbanks, just over 90 per cent of the Upper Bowman River infestation. The work targeting blue periwinkle in the Gloucester area is part of a larger CMA partnership project with local councils aimed at controlling riparian weeds in the Manning, Great Lakes and Gloucester catchments in 2008-09.
Former Chairman of the Hunter Catchment Management Trust, Mr Harold Sternbeck AM, was recently bestowed with the honour of Freeman of the City of Cessnock, the highest acclamation a city can confer upon one of its citizens. Harold was the longest-serving Trustee of the Hunter Catchment Management Trust. He was appointed to the Trust as a local government representative in 1968, elected Deputy Chairman in 1972 and served as Chairman from 1990 until 2004 when the CMA was established. Harold served as a councillor on Cessnock City Council for 25 years and was involved in the Floodplain Management Authorities of NSW for over 30 years, serving as Chairman from 1991- 1999 and elected Deputy Chairman in 2003. Harold was honoured for his service to conservation and local government in 1995 when he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia. The CMA congratulates Mr Sternbeck on receiving the honour of Freeman of the City of Cessnock. Photo courtesy of Cessnock City Council. Dates for the calendar5-6 August - Annual Grassland Society Conference This conference is being hosted by NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) and the Mid Coast Dairy Advancement Group, with support from the CMA. It will explore the advantages of coastal dairy and beef production pastures, and the implications of climate change on pasture systems, livestock and personal health. For more information contact Ray Johnston or Tracey Jacobs at NSW DPI Taree office on 6552 7299. 15-23 August - National Science Week National Science Week is a week of events dedicated to science. With scientific displays, theatrical events, debates and a myriad of science shows, there's something for everyone. Find Science Week events near you at: www.scienceweek.gov.au 16 August - Kooragang Wetlands Planting Day Join the Koora Gang volunteers for their regular planting at 9.30 am on Ash Island. This month they'll be planting along Cobban's Track. Lunch will be provided. Contact Tiffany on 4964 9308. 19-21 August - Healthy Abundance, in answer to climate change and the recession Permaculture Hunter's 'Sustaining Our Suburbs', and TransitionNewcastle.com.au are sponsoring a series of workshops by Geoff and Nadia Lawton that show how urban and rural communities around the world are improving their local environment and boosting their local food economy through permaculture practices. Workshops will be held at Cardiff, Mayfield and Morisset. Contact Tom Toogood on 4920 7763 or ecoed@dodo.com.au for more information. 21 August - Applications close for the CMA's 2009-10 Incentives Program $1.4 million is available through the CMA's Incentives Program for 2009-10 to assist landholders and land managers in the Hunter-Central Rivers region to address natural resource management (NRM) priorities on private and public lands. Full details under Support available for natural resource management activities. 23 August - Walk & Talk flood tour of Maitland Join local historian Peter Bogan for his fascinating history tour of Horseshoe Bend. Additional tours have been arranged in response to the strong demand for the first tour, conducted in June to commemorate the historic floods of 1889 and 1949. The cost is $10 per participant and includes morning tea. Only a few places remain so book early to avoid disappointment. Tours are from 9-11 am and 1-3 pm. Contact the CMA's Flood Education Officer Amanda Hyde on 4938 4958 no later than 14 August to secure your place. 5 September - Touring threatened species habitat in the Lower Hunter Celebrate Threatened Species Day and Biodiversity Month by joining a self-drive tour of the Lower Hunter. Stopping at a number of sites between Kurri Kurri and Branxton, this tour, hosted by the Department of Environment and Climate Change, will give you the chance to learn about threatened plants, endangered ecological communities and threatened animals of the Lower Hunter. To register contact Tricia Hogbin or Mick Roderick on 4908 6828 or email: tricia.hogbin@environment.nsw.gov.au or mick.roderick@environment.nsw.gov.au. 7 September - Our Landscapes, Our Future Commissioner of the NSW Natural Resources Commission, Scientific Advisor to the Board of Landcare Australia, and past Chief of CSIRO Land and Water, Dr John Williams will deliver an evening lecture at Newcastle City Hall as part of the Hunter Valley Research Foundation's Lecture Series 2009: Democracy and a Civil Society. Bookings are essential, free tickets are available by calling 4969 4566, online at www.stickytickets.com.au/2015 or at www.hvrf.com.au. 9-11 September - 2009 NSW Landcare Catchment Management Forum The 2009 NSW Landcare Catchment Management Forum is being held this year at The Glasshouse in Port Macquarie. The Forum will be held in conjunction with the 2009 NSW State Landcare Awards gala dinner, recognising outstanding contributions to Landcare and land management across NSW. This year's Forum will also acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of the past 20 years of Landcare. For information on the forum and the awards go to: http://www.hastings.nsw.gov.au/www/html/2587-event-details.asp?intEvent ID=4655 25 September - Fireweed and Pasture Management Field Day The Department of Primary Industries - Agriculture have been conducting some trials on the management of fireweed. They're holding a field day at the Tocal Agricultural College to pass on what they've learnt to local landholders. For further information phone DPI Advisory Office on 4939 8940. Support available for natural resource management activitiesCMA Funding Programs 2009-10 Applications for the CMA's Partnerships Program have now closed and assessment will begin shortly to determine which projects will be delivered in 2009-10. The CMA is still seeking funding applications for $1.4 million through the Incentives Program for 2009-10 to assist landholders and land managers in the Hunter-Central Rivers region address natural resource management (NRM) priorities on private and public lands. The key targets for this program are vegetation and biodiversity, soils and salinity, aquatic health and sustainable farming. Applications will be accepted until 21 August 2009. Go to www.hcr.cma.nsw.gov.au or contact the CMA on 4930 1030 for full details on guidelines and funding priorities for these programs. New South Wales Regional Achievement and Community Awards If you know of an individual, group or organisation who deserves to be rewarded for all their hard work, why not nominate them for the New South Wales Regional Achievement and Community Awards? It is free to nominate and every nominee will receive a certificate of recognition and the chance to win $5,000 Commonwealth Bank AwardSaver Account or Television exposure on PRIME. Nominations close Friday 21 August 2009, go to http://www.awardsaustralia.com.au/RACA_nsw.html for more information. 2009 Habitat Action Grants now open Grants of up to $30,000 are available for projects that will improve fish habitat in NSW and enhance recreational fishing. Projects from, involving or supported by recreational fishers will receive preference. Criteria and application forms are available on the DPI website at: http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/recreational/inf o/habitat-action-grants-funding-up-to-$30,000 Applications close on 16 October 2009. The Hunter-Central Rivers Catchment Management Authority
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Glenn Evans
retires as General Manager of the CMA
A true
labour of love
Awabakal
Land Management Team breaking new ground
A new life
on the land
Team
effort for the Upper Pages River
Waterwatching
in 2008-09
Growing
together for the future of our region
Cleaning
up Throsby and Styx Creeks
Getting off
the couch and into nature
Ridding
our rivers of weeds
Honouring
Harold Sternbeck