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Issue 7: July 2008 Welcome to the July 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. Click here to view large text format | Click here for print-friendly version What's happening around the catchments? Native fish, such as the Australian bass now have improved access to over 300 km of quality upstream habitat on the Barrington and Gloucester rivers, thanks to some fish-friendly modifications to two causeways. Rock-ramp ‘fishways’ at Rocky Crossing on the Barrington River and Higgins Crossing on the Gloucester River have been constructed to mimic natural stream conditions, providing a series of pools that allow fish to gradually swim up and over barriers. Native fish rely on a variety of habitat types to complete their life cycle, with more than two-thirds of coastal fish species including Australian bass, freshwater mullet, and short-finned eels undertaking large-scale migrations along rivers and streams, and between estuaries. The collaborative effort between Gloucester Shire Council, NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) and Streamline River Restoration, is part of a larger regional commitment from DPI and the CMA to promote upstream migration of native fishing stocks by incorporating fish-friendly designs into priority barriers in the region, including weirs, road crossings, and floodgates. Funding for the project was provided by the Australian Government through the Hunter-Central Rivers Catchment Management Authority’s Breaking Down the Barriers program and Gloucester Shire Council. Additional funding was also provided by the NSW Recreational Fishing Trust.
North Rothbury Persoonia (Persoonia pauciflora) is a critically endangered shrub which only occurs in a very small area near Cessnock in the Hunter Valley. The small number of plants remaining, and its limited distribution mean that this species is particularly vulnerable to impacts that other more common and widespread species are able to tolerate. Grazing, slashing, burning and clearing of native vegetation for agriculture or residential development are activities occurring in this area that destroy plants and move it closer to extinction. The CMA has been working with the Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC) and the Department of Lands to improve management of an important area of public land where the plant occurs. Gates have been installed to limit motor vehicle traffic, while still allowing pedestrian access to the area so that this important remnant can be enjoyed. The gates aim to reduce the risk of damage to the remnant from erosion, trampling, illegal firewood collecting, and arson. Signs are also being installed on roadsides in the area to alert road and utility maintenance crews to its presence. For more information about this project please contact CMA Threatened Species Officer Shawn Capararo on 4938 4950.
A recent field day in Wingham on managing dairy effluent, which was attended by up to 60 local farmers, turned out to be quite a treat for CMA Catchment Officer Geoff LeMessurier. The field day was coordinated by Mid Coast Dairy Advancement Group, Nick Bullock and Associates, and NSW DPI to demonstrate the Probiotic Low Energy Aeration (PLEA) system, which has been implemented at two properties in the Wingham area, with funds from the Australian Government's Natural Heritage Trust through the CMA, Mid Coast Water and Dairy Australia. The system controls sludge and odours in effluent ponds, which are dosed with improved Probiotic bacteria and aerated with a sub-surface aeration system. The highlight for Geoff LeMessurier though was hearing from four local farmers who gave presentations on the innovative changes they've made to their dairy farms as a result of their participation in the CMA's Farmers Targets for Change program, with grant funding from the CMA's Sustainable Agriculture Grants program. One example was a farmer who found that a combination of changes including: building a concrete bridge over a crossing for $6700 (for his 70 cows to cross on four times a day), effluent spray, installation of water troughs and improved laneways, had led to time savings in teat wash down and cell counts, reduced mastitis and easier mustering. A great result for both the business and the environment. For more information on sustainable agriculture on the Lower North Coast contact Geoff LeMessurier at the CMA office in Taree on 6551 8994.
The greatest contact that most people have with marine life is on rock platforms. These habitats are the most accessible marine environments to humans and they provide us with an enjoyable opportunity for recreation, science and education. The Rocky Shores Resource Kit was developed by Newcastle City Council as part of an education program funded through the CMA's Education Grants program in 2006-07. The resources were developed and used with groups who were taken on tours of the rock platforms around Newcastle beaches over the summer and proved to be a great success. The kit has now been made available on the CMA website as a free resource for educators to download and use. The beautifully presented and easy to use kit covers Aboriginal uses of rock platforms, birds, shore crabs, intertidal animals, shells and pebbles and the geology of rock platforms and is a great resource for a range of curriculum units.
The Port Stephens community has benefited from another successful Project Aware on the Rocks course with up to 20 participants taking part. Project Aware on the Rocks is a unique community education model which can be adapted to a range of different marine environments. It involves participants learning about and helping to conserve precious rock platform and seagrass areas in their local area and then passing on what they have learnt by designing and delivering education projects for their own networks and communities. The course was funded by the Australian Government's Natural Heritage Trust through the CMA's Education Grants 2007-08 and supported by Port Stephens Council and the Marine Parks Authority. Dedicated marine conservationist and educator Jeannie Lawson from Ocean & Coastal Care Initiatives conducted the comprehensive three week course, which was held in April, and was impressed by the enthusiasm and abilities of the members of the group.
The CMA, Greater Taree City Council, Department of Environment and Climate Change, and the Department of Lands are collaborating to assist the long-term survival of the critically endangered Yellow Donkey Orchid found only near Wingham. They have formed a management group to help manage and improve the existing habitat of this rare plant - allowing it to flower, seed, and spread into the surrounding forest. Seed has been collected and contributed to the Millennium Seedbank Project, which is storing seeds as insurance against species becoming extinct in the wild, while other seed is being used to cultivate plants and seedlings for introduction to the wild. Recently the CMA and DECC funded some Lantana control work in forest surrounding where the plants are found, to improve the habitat of the forest and make it suitable for the orchid to spread from where it is currently found. Monitoring of the population is ongoing and will determine if the work has been successful in increasing the size of the current population, which is currently under 300 plants. Photo Copyright Andrew Paget.
The team at the Australian Museum have put together a suite of resources to assist volunteer groups, schools and others in the community to assist in measuring environmental change. Among the resources now available on the BugWise website is a ‘web-test’, which is a photographic guide to identifying webs and spiders. A number of groups from the Hunter have been involved in the BugWise program already and have posted their findings and experiences on the forum page on the BugWise website. These groups have all received training in the use of the Web2Spider method, which involves identifying and counting different spiders that are present in particular areas as a measure of biodiversity health. BugWise is a partnership project between the Australian Museum and Rio Tinto and is supported by the Coal & Allied Community Trust. The BugWise program has been designed to enable schools, Landcare Groups and land managers to get involved in ecological research, while also providing an opportunity to test new methods of habitat assessment to develop a community focused habitat monitoring tool kit. For more information contact John Gollan John.Gollan@austmus.gov.au. Photo courtesy of Elisabeth Burton.
A diverse cross section of the rural community attended two recent water conservation planning workshops, held at Mount Olive and Mitchells Flat near Singleton. Bio-dynamic farmers, traditional horse and cattle breeders, large and small property owners and managers were all shown practical ways to improve water quality and increase production on their properties. Nearly all who attended left the course with plans for improvements ranging from installing trough systems, to fencing out part or all of their creek or river frontages. Some larger projects are proposed in stages over the next few years. Most participants indicated that they would be applying for financial assistance from the CMA to put their ideas into practice. Courses have also been conducted recently on the Central Coast, for more information on future workshops, contact the CMA on 4930 1030.
Charlestown East Public School is the latest Waterwatch group to join the large network of Waterwatch schools and volunteers in the Hunter-Central Rivers region. The school joined the network in June and have undergone training to monitor their site at Flaggy Creek adjacent to a Lake Macquarie Landcare revegetation and weed clearing project. In their assessment of impacts on the creek, students noted man-made constructions including retaining walls and bridges, land clearing, pollution from litter, fertiliser and sewage as being detrimental to the health of the stream in this location. The students certainly have their work cut out for them with unfortunate evidence of dumped garden waste, litter and even household goods near the stream, and even worse than that were the two bike jumps that had been constructed through the centre of the Landcare site where approximately six square metres of vegetation had been flattened. When asked what they would change about the training day, one student responded that she 'would change myself by not littering so I can protect the creeks.' A comment from another student was: 'I enjoyed the time and I’ll do the same with the creek near my house.'
There is some great news for the communities of Wyong, Lake Macquarie, Cessnock and Maitland this month with the extension of community support contracts in both the Wyong and Lake Macquarie areas and a new Community Support Officer being employed for the Maitland and Cessnock areas. The programs in Lake Macquarie and Wyong have proved to be extremely successful as partnerships between the CMA and the councils of Lake Macquarie and Wyong and the achievements of the past years will be built upon in 2008. Meanwhile a new Community Support Officer, Graham Price (pictured), has been employed three days a week to provide support to the communities of Maitland and Cessnock in accessing technical support, funding and assistance from the CMA and other agencies for the implementation of natural resource management activities. Mountains to the Dunes Forum The popular Mountains to the Dunes Landcare Forum again attracted a diverse group of landholders and volunteers from the Central Coast, Wyong and Lake Macquarie to share their achievements and ideas for the future. Guest speakers Chris Scott and Andrew Martin shared their vision of the future of Landcare, while Les Robinson provided some insight into how groups can attract more volunteers to become involved in achieving behaviour change. The CMA's Catchment Coordinator for the Central Coast, Dean Chapman, spoke on behalf of the CMA about regional priorities for natural resource management and the role of the CMA in supporting the local community in engaging in NRM activities. Tumbi Wetlands looking better than ever In 2007 Tumbi Wetlands Bushcare were successful in obtaining around $7000 from the CMA to help reduce the coverage of Crofton Weed by 70% in an area of more than 15,000 m2 adjacent to the Bushcare site. A bush regeneration company was contracted to carry out the removal of all seed-producing mature plants and plants capable of producing seed in the next few years. The work was complemented by Tumbi Bushcare volunteers who removed the weed from an area of 2,500 m2. Additional project funding was provided by Wyong Shire Council and the Australian Government Envirofund. The group have their own website which shows the group's activities and has an excellent page called ‘Whats flowering this month’. To date, the group coordinator Ian Robb has found, identified, photographed and posted over 100 native plants. An Environmental Trust grant has also been secured to carry out further bush regeneration activities over a three year period. This will compliment the excellent work already carried out by the Bushcare group and CMA funded contractors. For more information on Tumbi Wetlands contact Rebecca Dugan at Wyong Council on 4350 5444 or email Rebecca.Dugan@wyong.nsw.gov.au. Dates for the calendar20 July - Kooragang planting day Join the regular Koora Gang volunteers with their regeneration efforts to help extend the remnants of rainforest and riparian vegetation that once flourished on non-tidal areas of Kooragang Wetlands. When the work is done, enjoy a BBQ lunch while reflecting on a good morning's work with fellow volunteers and staff. To register your interest contact Peg, Rob or Sue at the Kooragang Wetlands Office on 4964 9308. Go to the Kooragang website to learn more about the work that is being done through the CMA's Kooragang Wetland Rehabilitation Project. 25 July - Close date for applications for Community Coastcare grants 26 July - Backyard Biodiversity - Frog Ponds Learn how to build a frog friendly garden at this practical workshop, which will cover frog biology, pond requirements, frogscaping and plant selection. The workshop will be held 1.30 – 4.00 pm at Medowie. Contact Melinda Anderson to register your attendance by phoning: 49 800 251 or email: melinda.anderson@portstephens.nsw.gov.au. 27 July - National Tree Day National Tree Day is Australia's biggest community tree-planting event. Since it started in 1996, more than 1.5 million volunteers have planted over 11.5 million native trees and shrubs. For more information go to the National Tree Day website. 29-31 July - NSW Farmers Association 2008 Annual Conference The NSW Farmers’ Association this year celebrates 30 years of voicing the concerns of farmers in NSW, which is reflected in the theme for the event: 30 Years – One Voice. The conference will be held in Sydney, for more Information go to the NSW Farmers Association website. 2 August - Backyard Biodiversity - Port Stephens Council Find out how you can make your garden more bird-friendly at this practical workshop. You'll learn about local birds, their nesting and eating habits and how to build nesting boxes. The workshop will be held at 1.30 – 4.00 pm Tanilba Bay. Bookings are essential. Phone: 49 800 251 or email: melinda.anderson@portstephens.nsw.gov.au. 23 August - Save Money and Energy - Home Energy Audits Visit a household on a mission to reduce energy use and combat climate change and find out how you can reduce your energy and water use at your home, and save money at the same time. 10.00 am – 12.00 pm at Nelson Bay, phone: 49 800 251 or email: melinda.anderson@portstephens.nsw.gov.au to book your place. 29 August - close date for applications for funding under the CMA's 2008-09 Incentives Program See details below under Support available for natural resource management activities. 16-24 August - National Science Week 2008 National Science Week is a week of events dedicated to science. Feature art exhibitions, film competitions, drama productions, rock concerts, parties, panels, forums and fairs will be among the events, and they won't just be limited to capital cities. Check out the Science Week website for information on events happening near you. 18-22 August - Coast to Coast Conference 2008 Australia's biennial national coastal conference will be held in Darwin, NT and will focus debate, discussion and learning across the full range of coastal and marine issues - at the international, national, state, regional and local levels. More information is available at www.coast2coast.org.au. 25-31 August - Keep Australia Beautiful Week 2008 Keep Australia Beautiful Week is a week full of opportunities to learn more about keeping our environment clean and healthy. There are some great ideas for participating schools and community groups on the Keep Australia Beautiful website, where you can also find free educational resources, environmental tips, and media release templates for councils and schools. Support available for natural resource management activitiesCMA Incentives Program 2008-09 The CMA is seeking partnerships with organisations, community groups and individuals to implement on ground works, educational and capacity building activities that will contribute to strategic targets that have been identified in our region’s Catchment Action Plan (CAP). If you'd like to apply for funding through the CMA, the closing date for the assessment of funding applications for 2008-09 is 29 August 2008. If you would like to submit an application for funding for a project you plan to complete before June 2009 you must first submit a Registration of Interest form, which can be accessed from the CMA website or by calling your local CMA office (see details below). A CMA officer will then contact you to discuss your project and assist you with your application. In addition to the financial assistance offered through the CMA's incentives program, there are a number of other ways the CMA can provide assistance and support to private landholders and groups in the community for engaging in natural resource management activities. CMA officers have technical expertise in a range of areas and can provide advice and support to groups and individuals working on natural resource issues in local catchments. These include: riparian (or river) management; vegetation and grazing management and the development of Property Vegetation Plans (PVPs); identifying and managing salinity; improving soil health and reducing and managing erosion; and rehabilitating and protecting coast, estuarine and marine areas. Support is also available to individuals and groups through a range of educational and skills development activities delivered through the CMA’s Community Support Program. Current information on subsidised training, field days, and demonstrations will be published in future editions of Catchment News. Community Coastcare Grants The Community Coastcare grants program, part of the Australian Government's $2.25 billion Caring for our Country, has now opened. Small grants of up to $50,000 and larger-scale grants up to $250,000 are available to community groups, schools, councils, clubs and individuals. State Governments can apply for the larger grants. Projects suitable for funding under this program include protection and restoration of coastal habitats; improved water quality and restoration of coastal waterways; prevention and control of invasive weeds and pests; dune restoration and prevention of coastal erosion; improved resilience of ecosystems and biodiversity to climate change; and improved skills, knowledge and engagement of volunteers and communities, including Indigenous Australians, to protect and restore coastal environments and increase community participation. Go to the Caring for our Country website for an application form or call the Caring for our Country toll free number on 1800 552 008. Applications close on Friday 25 July 2008. The Hunter-Central Rivers Catchment Management Authority
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Breaking down the barriers
Protecting the precious Persoonia
Dairy farmers doing it for themselves (and the environment!)
Rocky Shores education materials now online
Port Stephens Aware
Collaboration
for critically endangered orchid
The webs of life
Managing
water for the long term
New
champions for Flaggy Creek
A boost for the CMA's community support program