Banksia Bulletin autumn 2011 by Banksia Bulletin

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issue number 040 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; autumn 2011

2011 Contact List FRIENDS Bayside Environment Friends Network Coordinator: Barbara Jakob Mobile: 0408 032 963 Email: baysidefriends@gmail.com Friends of Balcombe Park Coordinator: Joan Couzoff 26 Balcombe Park Lane, Beaumaris 3193 Phone: (03) 9589 1060 Friends of Bay Road Reserve Coordinator: Michael Norris (Southern Ward Councillor) 5 Deakin Street, Hampton 3188 Phone: (03) 9521 0804 Email: menorris@ozemail.com.au Friends of Brighton Dunes Coconvenors: Elizabeth McQuire 34 Normanby Street, Brighton 3186 Phone: (03) 9592 6474 and Jenny Talbot 71 Champion Street, Brighton 3186 Phone: (03) 9592 2109 Friends of Cheltenham Park Coordinator: Valerie Tyers Phone: (03) 9588 0107 Email: valerietyers@hotmail.com Friends of Donald MacDonald Reserve Coordinator: Kim Croker Phone: (03) 9589 2443 Friends of George Street Reserve Coordinators: Val Tarrant 47 Bayview Crescent, Black Rock 3193 Phone: (03) 9598 0554 Email: vtarrant@ozemail.com.au and Pauline Reynolds 9 Reno Road, Sandringham 3191 Phone: (03) 9598 6368 Friends of Long Hollow Heathland/ Friends of Table Rock/ Friends of Gramatan Avenue Heathland Sanctuary Coordinator: Ken Rendell 55A Clonmore Street, Beaumaris 3193 Phone: (03) 9589 4452 Friends of Merindah Park and the Urban Forest Coordinator: David Cockburn 72 Spring Street, Sandringham 3191 Phone: (03) 9598 6148

Printed on 100% recycled paper

Friends of Native Wildlife Coordinator: Michael Norris (Southern Ward Councillor) 5 Deakin Street, Hampton 3188 Phone: (03) 9521 0804 Email: menorris@ozemail.com.au Friends of Ricketts Point Landside Coordinator: Sue Raverty 5 Rosemary Road, Beaumaris 3193 Phone: (03) 9589 2103 Email: sraverty@westnet.com.au Friends of Watkins Bay Coordinator: Moira Longden 73 Dalgetty Road, Beaumaris 3193 Phone: (03) 9589 2725 Bayside Community Nursery 319 Reserve Road, Cheltenham 3192 Phone: (03) 9583 8408 Open Thurs and Sat 10am - 12pm

ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS Beaumaris Conservation Society President: Chris Sutton PO Box 7016, Beaumaris 3193 Email: ggd@netspace.net.au BRASCA Coordinator: Janet Ablitt 4A Fairleigh Avenue, Beaumaris 3193 Phone: (03) 9589 6646 Cheltenham Primary School Sanctuary Charman Road, Cheltenham 3192 Phone: (03) 9583 1614 Enviro Kids Enquiries to Barbara Jakob Phone: 0408 032 963 Marine Care Ricketts Point Inc President: Ray Lewis ray.lewis@greypath.com Mobile: 0408 308 768 NED (New Environment Directions) at Elsternwick Park Coordinator: Neil Blake Port Phillip EcoCentre, Blessington St, St Kilda 3182 Phone: (03) 9534 0413 Email: neilblake.ecocentre@iinet.net.au St. Leonards College Conservation Group Contact: Luisa Ingram 163 South Road, Brighton East 3187 Phone: (03) 9909 9300 Email: Luisa.Ingram@stleonards.vic.edu.au

banksia bulletin — autumn 2011

In this ISSUE Editorial Policy The purpose of publishing the Banksia Bulletin is to circulate information, report on events, and to profile relevant environmental issues important to our community. The Bulletin is also published to support the network of people involved in enjoying and protecting our local environment. Bayside City Council encourages people from our local community groups to submit articles of interest, share experiences and news about any upcoming events. All articles are reviewed prior to publication and Council reserves the right to omit or edit submissions. Acknowledgements Thank you to all the people who have contributed to this issue of Banksia Bulletin. Disclaimer The views expressed in the Banksia Bulletin are not necessarily those of Bayside City Council or its representatives. Editor Stephen Thorpe, Manager Environmental Sustainability and Open Space. Photography Pauline Reynolds Copy deadlines 2011 Copy deadlines are set for the first Friday of the month of release: Winter 2011 Friday 3 June for release end June Spring 2011 Friday 2 September for release end September. Banksia Bulletin is published quarterly by Bayside City Council to service people interested in enjoying and protecting the local environment. If you would like to be added to the Banksia Bulletin mailing list, please contact Bayside City Council on 9599 4444 or email: banksia@bayside.vic.gov.au. Please indicate whether you would prefer to receive your Banksia Bulletin by post or via email. Corporate Centre PO Box 27 Royal Avenue SANDRINGHAM VIC 3191 Telephone: 9599 4444 www.bayside.vic.gov.au enquiries@bayside.vic.gov.au Hours of business 8.30am – 5pm Monday – Friday (except public holidays)

From the Mayor

The Enviro Kids Tom Walsh

Bayside Environment Friends Network Barbara Jakob

The Brighton Dunes Jenny Talbot

Work on the Foreshore Jim Richardson and Pat Salkin

Bushland team member update Daniel Noonani

Eastern Banjo Frog Pauline Reynolds

Friends of George Street Reserve Valerie Tarrant and Pauline Reynolds

Clean up Australia Day Sue Raverly

Highett Grassy Woodlands Valerie Tarrant

Friends of Donald McDonald Reserve Kim Croker

BEFN is now on Facebook Sue Raverty

Gramatan Avenue Heathland Sanctuary Ecological Burn

Sea Country Ray Lewis

Open Space Sustainable Water Management Strategy John Edwards

A View From Long Hollow Rob Saunders

Draft Bayside Open Space Strategy out for Comment Matt Kelleher

Public Working Bee At Watkins Bay

Working Bees

As part of the Australia Day awards ceremony held back in January this year, the Councillors and I presented the inaugural Bayside Council Australia Day Environment awards. Once again I am humbled by the work of volunteers such as individual category winner Moira Longden. Moira tirelessly leads the Friends of Watkins Bay group at Ricketts Point. They have transformed parts of the foreshore into a beautiful habitat for birds, which is less affected by the harsh elements of this exposed section of coast.

scouting for cans and queing up to make their deposits for the chance of a prize.

The Environment Community Group Award went to Hampton Community Centre who have made a significant contribution toward reducing the City of Bayside’s ‘carbon footprint’ by introducing a range of environmental initiatives and altering its routine day-to-day work practices.

Cr Alex del Porto

Children are often our greatest environmentalists as demonstrated by their fantastic involvement in the Clean Up Australia Day ‘Enviro Kids’ activity day. Twenty groups including Scouts, schools, businesses, Friends groups and our local MP participated by running their own Clean up Australia Day working bees across the City of Bayside.

Mayor Bayside City Council

In early February Bayside experienced its own extreme weather event. Many residents and businesses were flooded to varying degrees and I was concerned by the impact of this ‘one in one hundred’ year downpour of rain on our drainage system. Council is developing a Climate Change Strategy to address potential impacts of extreme weather events such as flooding, storm surge / foreshore damage and excessive demands on our drainage system. Beyond the popular food and wine demonstrations, the BRIGHT N SANDY Festival held on a stunning autumn day in early March, showcased a well received innovation in recycling. ‘Envirobank’ rewarded people for correctly recycling items such as drink bottles, by issuing random spot prizes such as movie tickets. Envirobank is a reverse vending machine that aims to revolutionise public place recycling through education and incentives. It was the first time Envirobank has been used by a local Council in Victoria. It was amusing to watch children

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Children queue to make their deposits in the ‘Envirobank’

Enviro Kids Working Bee Dates Enviro Kids Bayside always 9.30am – 11.30am • 13 May, 2011 Plant, protect and water! Balcombe Park • 10 June, 2011 World Environment Day, Bay Road

Enviro Kids Bayside’s youngest litter conscious residents from the Enviro Kids playgroup recently joined an all singing and dancing stingray and shark to help clean up Hampton Beach. Sheree Marris – a high profile environmentalist and aquatic scientist – also spoke to the kids on the importance of keeping our beaches clean with the aid of a variety of ‘litter critters’. “Our coast is too lovely to litter” was the message kids (and mums and dads) were taught throughout the event. The special Enviro Kids event was organised with the help of Bayside’s environmental education officers as part of the Victoria’s Coast Too Lovely to Litter state-wide campaign.

Spanning almost the entire 2000km stretch of Victoria’s beautiful coastline, the campaign aims to reduce litter by at least 30 percent between December and April. The Victoria’s Coast Too Lovely to Litter campaign is primarily funded by EPA Victoria and the Australian Packaging Covenant with funding from five regional waste management groups. In addition, funding has come from 20 councils situated along the coast from the South Australian to the New South Wales borders. For more information about Too Lovely to Litter visit: www. toolovelytolitter.com.au Tom Walsh Environment Education Office Bayside City Council

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Meeting dates for the next few months

BEFN is proud to display our new logo. Thanks to Joan Couzoff her design encompasses wattle leaves and flowers with a skink crawling into the future. Together these images symbolise indigenous plants, local wildlife and our mission at Bayside. BEFN are grateful to Joan for this inspired design. Bayside Environment Friends Network monthly meet at Hampton Community Centre, 14 Willis Street, Hampton, 4pm – 6pm • 2 May, 2011

• 30 May, 2011

• 27 June, 2011

Barbara Jakob Coordinator Bayside Environment Friends Network

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The Brighton Dunes We have had an historic summer – the wettest on record. What a relief to all of us who care about plants. So perhaps it would be a good idea to explore a little history of our Reserve. The Brighton dunes (Dr. Jim Willis Reserve) are named after Dr. Jim Willis, the most famous botanist in Australia in his day. He helped us in the fight to save the kilometre long area of indigenous bush in the last year of his life (1994). Back then, the Council overturned a decision to run a bike path through it. Dunes are held by wind-blown sand being caught by vegetation – destroy the vegetation and dunes will collapse. The area has the longest (1 kilometre) continuous midden in Port Phillip Bay. With a beach that dates back at least 3000 years.

We have at least eight species of skinks, witchetty grubs, Blue (Superb Fairy-wrens), Silvereyes, and Willy Wagtails in the Reserve, and many more birds which pass over or are at sea. Each autumn there are at least a dozen Black Swans in the water to feast off the seagrass. I have seen Hoary-headed Grebes, Pelicans, Gannets, Silver Gulls, Pacific Gulls (regularly), Flame Robins, Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, Galahs, Magpies, Wattlebirds, Owls, and Crested Pigeons. Dolphins are also regularly sighted in the water.

The bushland has a number of plant communities, with the Tea Tree (Leptospermum laevigatum) and Boobialla (Myoporum insulare) being the climax community. The road abuts the dunes at the north end of the Reserve, but at the South end is a reasonably high escarpment where the sand gives way to a light sandy soil. Along the escarpment is a remnant of the She-oak (Allocasuarina verticillata) and Black Wattle (Acacia mearnsii) community that once went right around Port Phillip Bay. There are grasses (four species of Danthonia and Weeping Grass), and also Lomandra filiformis and Lomandra longifolia and Dianella revoluta and Dianella brevicaulis. On the primary dune are Spinifex, Atriplex and Actites, and a small community of Distiehlis/Carex pumila. On the secondary dune are Disphyma clavellatum, Ficinia, Dichondra repens, Carpobrotus rossii, Tea Tree, Boobialla, Coast Wattle (Acacia sophorae), Bower Spinach (Tetragonia implexicoma), Rhagodia candolleana, Pomaderris paniculosa, and various species of fungi and lichens including the Brown Puffball.

There are large reefs at either end of the beach. In the early 1990s Chrissie Materia (marine biologist) found a new species of Mollusc on the North reef. In discussion with Lisa Carty at the formation of the Friends group I told her I would not work using intrusive methods and poisons. She told me about the Bradley method of natural bush regeneration and Elizabeth McQuire, my Co-convenor, was happy to go along with this method. The Bradley sisters, 50 years ago, regenerated a weed-infested city park in Sydney by careful hand-weeding. Their book is called Bringing Back the Bush. By the Bradley method you tread lightly, disturb the soil as little as possible, focus on good remnant vegetation and remove the weeds from them so they can flourish (if you focus on trying to get the weeds out you stand a good chance of killing everything else). Do not remove any plant you can not identify. Mulch the weeds. In our area we only carry off-site permicious creepers like Madeira Vine and Smilax. No poisons should be used because they destroy the microfauma and microflora in the soil and often have unforeseen effects (such as the death of frogs which occurred in W.A. with Round-Up).

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We call our method the “modified” Bradley method because we do not rely solely on natural regeneration, though we have quite a lot of it. About 20 Boobialla have come up in a section which we fenced-off to stop the mowing. We seed-collect from our genetic pool and plant at certain peripheries of the Reserve where it is virtually impossible for natural bush regeneration to occur. Jim Willis said the Boobiallas contain a natural fire retardant, and fire has never been part of the ecology there. The only fires I have seen over the past 40 years have been deliberately lit by vandals. We have only one substantial natural area left in Brighton where indigenous plant communities can still be seen. The area is scientifically important, historically important, and aesthetically important. It is irreplaceable and it is a miracle that it still exists. Jenny Talbot Coordinator Friends of the Brighton Dunes

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Work on the Foreshore BRASCA The Black Rock and Sandringham Conservation Association (BRASCA) was founded in 1969 with Keith and Val Tarrant as the first President and Secretary respectively. The current incumbents are Janet Ablitt and Bob Whiteway. For more than 30 years, members of BRASCA have met regularly at various sites along the Sandringham and Black Rock foreshore for the regeneration work of weeding, planting and watering. Exogenous plants such as Boneseed, Boxthorn, Smilax, Pampas Lily and Cape Ivy have been removed over large areas. In their place, a great variety of indigenous plants, obtained from the Bayside Community Nursery, have been introduced. These include Acacia, Casuarina, Boobialla, Bursaria and Goodenia, altogether representing around 30 species. For the past

eight or nine years it has been necessary to water the new plants over the hot summer months. However, this was not needed over the summer of 2010/11 with its record breaking rainfall. On Tuesday morning, 15 March 2011, a group of eight BRASCA members, plus an employee of Citywide, Bayside City Council’s open space contractors, met at the carpark which overlooks Black Rock pier and the Cerberus. We worked to remove weeds such as Pampas Lily, Smilax, Panic Veldt Grass and Boxthorn. This revegetation area is nearby to a memorial seat dedicated to Keith Tarrant, a visionary conservationist as mentioned above. The type of work required is quite tedious and demands much patience. Over the years, considerable

progress has been made as the photographs indicate. More workers are always needed. Contact BRASCA President Janet Ablitt on 9589 6646 if you would like to contribute to the restoration of our beautiful foreshore. Jim Richardson + Pat Salkin Members BRASCA

Daniel Noonan

It is near that time of year and the Bayside Community Nursery has worked hard to propagate yet another successful 20,000 plants for our bushland reserves and foreshore areas. Katrina and I have been spending a lot of time getting our planting sites ready for not only us to plant, but also for the Friends groups. As we have all seen within the last few months, the vegetation has been flourishing and growing at a rate we have struggled to keep up with. Last year’s plantings have doubled in size, if not more, and nearly all coastal tracks have required pruning which doesn’t normally occur this time of year. In some areas of the foreshore they barely look recognisable with the amount of growth. Unfortunately as the indigenous plants flourish, so do the weeds, especially the dreadful Cape Ivy (Delairea odorata). There are a few sites on the foreshore where only manual control can have any affect on eradicating this invasive vine. 1&2. Working Bee on the foreshore Photographs by: Bob Whiteway

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Bushland team member update

As the battle continues, the foreshore crew will be working hard with the help of Conservation Volunteers Australia to plant out as much of the Brighton slopes as possible. The Brighton slopes run from the Brighton Lifesaving Club through to the Brighton Baths. Last year the volunteers helped the foreshore crew manually remove all weeds along these slopes with the removal of plants such as Ice Plant (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum) and Galenia (Galenia pubescens) being the most invasive weeds along the slopes. With great team work and an endless amount of effort, all weeds have been removed and controlled so that this planting season the foreshore crew and Conservation Volunteers Australia will be able to plant as many plants as possible. We will be expecting great results as this site has not yet been planted before and with these humid conditions the plants will no doubt thrive and once again dominate the Brighton slopes. Daniel Noonan Citywide Bushland Team Member

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Friends of the George Street Reserve Late February saw George Street looking remarkably different from its usual late summer appearance. Thick masses of Dichondra repens covered a section of the bank inside the Tulip Street fence, and vegetation grew thick and strong within the heathlands.

Long Hollow Heathland March 2006

Eastern Banjo Frog

Masses of Sand Hill or Sword Sedge (Lepidosperma concavum) and a few plants of Pithy or Common Sword Sedge (Lepidosperma longitudinale) have made a remarkable showing with their brownish spikelets, lightly dusted with golden pollen, standing out amongst the green of surrounding heathland foliage. Jo Hurse, of Citywide, stated that she had never seen these sedges flowering so profusely.

The authors of Indigenous Plants of the Sandbelt* comment on the value of the Sword Sedge in revegetation projects, including those on home gardens and public areas. Gardeners interested in following this suggestion could enjoy a visit to the Reserve and the discovery of the attractions of this species.

is a strong contrast between this time and the spring with its wonderful displays of wildflowers.

Wallaby grasses (Austrodanthonia caespitosa) have also flourished and are growing particularly well along the pathways.

Valerie Tarrant and Pauline Reynolds

In late summer and early autumn, the dominant colours are greens and browns with an occasional glimpse of yellow Hibbertia flower or the young fruit of Kangaroo Apple (Solanum lacianatum), so there

However, whatever the season, there is fascination in discovering the changes in nature, especially after the high rainfall and humidity of the summer of 2010-2011.

Joint Coordinators Friends of George Street Reserve *(Rob Scott et.al., Indigenous Plants of the Sandbelt: A Gardening Guide for Southeastern Melbourne, Earthcare, Melbourne, 2002, p.98).

Eastern Banjo Frog Photographed in my backyard!. It’s habitat includes Kangaroo Grass, Knobby Club Sedge. (cover photo)

After the storm on the 4 February 2011, I’m told that a number of frogs appeared in unlikely places, or at least where they hadn’t been seen (or heard) for many years. One was found in my neighbour’s pool the next morning and disappeared quickly after being fished out. Then last week another neighbour came with this Eastern Banjo Frog in his hand wondering what to do with it. Of course we don’t know whether it was the same frog, but it is definitely the same species.

I’m also told, not knowing much about frogs myself, that Banjo Frogs live in the undergrowth or in the soil. So having put it in a box we took it to a bushy spot nearby and let it go in it’s new home. It was gone in an instant. Frogs are very beautiful creatures. Luckily I got this picture before it escaped.

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Pauline Reynolds Coordinator Friends of George Street

Large Kangaroo Apple (Solanum lacianatum)

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Highett Grassy Woodlands The Highett Grassy Woodland has a special character as the site of the last mature group of six Yellow Box (Eucalyptus melliodora) remaining in the Gippsland Plains bioregion west of Sale. River Red Gums (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) thought to be 200 years old, are also thriving, and local grasses and wildflowers are amongst the ground covers. It was largely intact when T S Hart described it as a ‘Lost Vegetation’ [Victorian Naturalist, May, 1939]. Bayside Community Nursery staff collect seed from the area and have successfully raised a number of Yellow Box. These young trees are important in themselves but are also valuable in ensuring the survival of the species.

Clean up Australia Day

Clean Up Australia Day Clean Up Australia Day at Ricketts Point Landside. The first Sunday in March has been Clean Up Australia Day at Ricketts Point Landside for the past 13 years. This year we were very fortunate to have a stunningly beautiful day for our event. As usual the eager volunteers can’t wait to get started. Once they have signed on and bags and gloves have been handed out they are ready to disappear into the undergrowth. They reappear at the end of the session laden with bags full of interesting rubbish and tales of where they have been to get it. The turnout this year was a fantastic 15 volunteers. They were so keen that their only complaint was that there wasn’t enough rubbish to clean up. I have a different point of view.

I was quite surprised and pleased that the frequent strong winds haven’t deposited more rubbish in our reserve. We don’t tend to have much rubbish dropped by visitors to the reserve as most of it blows in from across the road or is dumped building material. This year the volunteers collected seven bags of ordinary rubbish and one bag of recyclable rubbish.

year in volunteer numbers and an average year for rubbish collected. No matter how many volunteers we have on the day, they do a fantastic job of cleaning up the site and they seem to really enjoy it. Some come every year and some are first time helpers. Thanks to you all for a successful Clean Up Day. See you again next year.

It will be hard to beat the volunteer turnout in 2006 when 39 people turned up. Interestingly that year they only collected 11 bags of rubbish on the day. Over the last five years the average number of volunteers is ten and average number of rubbish bags collected is eight. So, we had an above average

Sue Raverty

banksia bulletin — autumn 2011

The Grassy Woodland has belonged to the CSIRO since the mid-1940s. Over the years it was impacted by CSIRO’s expansion but in recent years, following a community campaign in 2003-2004, the CSIRO has ensured that some of the area has been managed with care. A specialist environmental consultant and landscape gardener were engaged to ensure that the pockets of remnant woodland and grassland would be protected and conserved. Currently the CSIRO is planning to dispose of its Highett facility. Now more than ever it is important that good plans are made for the future of this unique natural heritage. Within the City of Bayside there is considerable interest in the area. An enthusiastic Friends’ group – Friends of the Highett Grassy Woodland –was formed several years ago, following a community campaign. Friends would like to see the preservation of this important site so that its biodiversity may be maintained and public open space made available to residents, especially those of Highett, who have less of this resource than people in other parts of the City. For more on HGW visit our Facebook site.

River Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis)

Valerie Tarrant

Coordinator Friends of Ricketts Point Landside

Coordinator Friends Of the Highett Grassy Woodland

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Friends of Donald MacDonald Originally known as Eden Park, Donald MacDonald Reserve is an area of six hectares that has been appreciated by Melbourne botanists and naturalists from as early as 1885. It became a Reserve in 1935. The Friends group, formed in 1992, is a recent addition.

Why use Facebook rather than email? The BEFN Facebook Page can be viewed by everyone all over the world just by entering our name in a computer search engine. It is a public forum where everyone can see information about us, view upcoming events, comment on issues or view our photos. Facebook is a social network which allows people to communicate with their friends and find new friends with similar interests. Our Facebook Page works by connecting with the friends of the people who are connected to the BEFN Page and then by connecting to their friends and so on. It is like the old fashioned chain letter only very fast, efficient and friendly.

Bayside Environment Friends Network

Look at our Wall not over it To open our Facebook Page type “Bayside Environment Friends Network Facebook” into your browser’s search engine and click on the Facebook link.

While I may be the new coordinator for the Friends of Donald MacDonald Reserve, I am definitely not new to the area. I grew up using the Reserve as my backyard and playground and perhaps where I learnt to love the diversity of plants and animals in the area. I often lament the days of climbing trees, scrutinising the bugs in the grass, watching out for the monsters in the ubiquitous Tea Tree or making daisy chains and catching butterflies. We could debate relentlessly what is the original state and the effects of fire, drought, or even the recent flooding on the remnant bush in Bayside. But as I walk around Don Mac I remember the old and admire the current. There are three areas that have been subjected to fire. Whilst some may mourn the loss of the trees and plants that formed their youth, I am fascinated by how different each of the areas is and how they have formed their own unique look. The most recent wildfire area, perhaps with the help of the inundation of summer rain has inspired the largest stand of Wallaby Grass (Austrodanthonia caespitosa) in the Melbourne metropolitan area.

The Bayside Environment Friends Network is now on Facebook

Be cautious not scared of Facebook You may have heard bad things about Facebook in the media. You should be cautious but not scared of Facebook and take the precaution of understanding how the account and privacy settings can protect you from unwanted exposure. Our Page is there to keep you informed as well as entertained. Don’t be afraid to explore the Page to see how it works. Read the posts on the page to see what interests you. Now is your opportunity to tell everyone what you think When you are ready you can start a topic by writing in the “What’s on your mind?” section at the top of the Page and sharing it. Have you done something interesting? Have you enjoyed an event? Do you need some help at a working bee? Have you seen an unusual bird or animal? Write something interesting here to help keep the Page exciting and up to date. The other day I was removing some unwanted ivy in an area close to Haydens Road and was told by a passer-by “You’re not allowed to do that…..!” I thanked them for their interest in preserving the flora and asked them to come to our next working bee (first Sunday of the month 10am – noon … morning tea provided!). They not so politely declined, saying “Not my job, I’m busy!”

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I will ask them again when I see them. Volunteering is a great way to help care for our local environment, learn about local flora and fauna and make new friends – I know I have!

Another way to help promote our Page is to tell all your friends about the BEFN Page and ask them to log on and”Like”it. The more people who “Like” it, the wider our audience will be.

Kim Croker

Above all have fun with our Page and watch out, if you get bitten by the Facebook bug it can be very addictive. I should know!

Coordinator Friends of Donald MacDonald Pictured above: Monument to Donald Macdonald, Friend of the Creatures of the Wild, who chose this District in which to live and end his days.

We encourage you to visit our Page regularly to see what’s new. You can do this even if you have decided that joining Facebook is not for you.

Sue Raverty Member Bayside Environment Friends Network

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Gramatan Avenue Heathland Sanctuary Ecological Burn Controlled Ecological Burn at Gramatan Avenue Heathland Sanctuary On Tuesday 5 April 2011 Bayside City Council and Citywide Open Space conducted a successful controlled ecological burn at Gramatan Avenue Heathland Sanctuary. The purpose of the burn was to stimulate the germination of indigenous species and help control weeds that are fire sensitive, with the aim to return the area back to a highly diverse ‘Sandringham Heathland’ type vegetation. Burning was also a great opportunity to control weeds that particularly threaten the reserve including two local species of Dodder-laurel; Cassytha pubescens and Cassytha glabella. The burn will be followed by extensive weed control and post–burn maintenance, which will involve some ‘scorching’ of emerging weed seedlings. The above approach in managing this reserve is taken, because the vegetation type present naturally at Gramatan Avenue - Sand Heathland (EVC 6 - Port Phillip) has the vegetative attributes that specifically recommend it for burning. The reserve was overdue for a burn in terms of desirable ‘frequency of fire’. The southern half of Gramatan Avenue Heathland Sanctuary (April burn site) has not been burnt since 1996 and the northern half since 1998.

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Over the next few years regeneration of the Heathland will be closely observed with the expectation that these ideal germination conditions will pave the way for abundant growth of many favoured species.

Ecological Burn and Post-burn Bushland Management Policy Update: During the public exhibition period for Council’s proposed Ecological Burn and Post-burn Bushland Management Policy, several submissions raised concerns about potential impacts from smoke resulting from burns. These were investigated with the Department of Health and the precautions taken in preparing for the Gramatan Avenue burn were considered adequate and in accordance with the public health bushfire information advice. During the burn, measurements of particulate matter in the smoke were taken to ensure that our precautions were adequate. The final policy is planned to be reported to Council in May 2011.

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Open Space Sustainable Water Management Strategy

Photographs by Ray Lewis

Sea Country

The Boonwurring word for Port Phillip Bay is Nairm. The local Boonewrung people and other tribes who lived around the Bay described the lost land under what is now known as Port Phillip Bay, as their Sea Country. Those of us who are fortunate enough to dive the Bay, know exactly what they mean. Our local underwater world is a botanic garden of great beauty and diversity. Sea Country is a valuable and evocative term that we at Marine Care Ricketts Point would wish to see in wider community use. If we all envisage our Sea Country as another park, it will help bring to it the same beneficial community focus, that our other Bayside public spaces get.

There is a great Aboriginal Creation Story about the time the Bay was inundated that we sometimes tell children who visit the Marine Education Centre, and that we may write up for a future edition of The Banksia Bulletin. Prior to the inundation, the Yarra flowed out over a grand 100 metre plus waterfall at the entrance to the Bay before continuing on its way to Tasmania, along the land bridge that joined us at that time. Ray Lewis President Marine Care Ricketts Point Inc

Many people will know that the Bay was, in earlier times, a vast grassy plain and that it was only finally inundated when the last ice age ended around 8000 or so years ago.

banksia bulletin — autumn 2011

Council has completed an Open Space Sustainable Water Management Strategy (OSSWMS) that sets targets, strategies and actions for sustainable water management of its open space network. Seventy Four percent of Council’s water use is for outdoor irrigation. The remaining 26 percent is mainly used for buildings. Via its Sustainable Buildings Policy, Council is systematically implementing water use in its buildings. Council has a significant commitment to improving the quality of water that enters Port Phillip. This includes requiring planning permit applications to include measures for improving storm water quality and a commitment to implement storm water quality projects in its own operations. The OSSWMS strengthens this commitment. Since 2000-01 Council has reduced its water use by over 60 percent. Water restrictions achieved a significant component of this reduction however the restrictions have also detrimentally impacted on trees, parks and playing fields. The OSSWMS identifies a sustainable level of water use that meets the social, economic and environmental needs of the community. All possible sources of water were considered. The Council has used the Water Sensitive Cities framework to develop the Strategy. A flexible target for alternative water sources, which ranges from 55-85 percent of Council’s total annual potable water use, is proposed to address variability associated with open space irrigation. The intended outcome of this approach is achieving a diverse portfolio of water supply options to ensure that it is prepared for a range of eventualities, including uncertainties associated with climate change. It will also further Council’s commitment to improving the water quality of Port Phillip Bay, while meeting the needs of the community for irrigation of open space.

Council will continue implementing water efficiency measures such as planting warm season grasses and more efficient irrigation infrastructure. The Open Space Sustainable Water Management Strategy identifies storm water capture and treatment as the primary means of reducing Council’s reliance on potable water for open space irrigation via alternative water sources. Council is already developing and implementing around 20 projects that will achieve an annual reduction of around 40,000 kilolitres which is around 10 per cent of Council’s typical annual water use. Over the next two years Council will implement major storm water capture and treatment projects at Elsternwick Park and Sandringham Golf Course. The OSSWM identifies further projects that will be implemented as part of planned schedule of projects that have been included in Council’s longterm financial plan. Council has successfully obtained financial contributions from government grants and will continue accessing external funding opportunities to implement projects. Council will also continue working with community groups and users of Council’s assets to implement projects and communicate about its sustainable water management efforts. Many of Council’s assets are leased to a wide range of community groups and commercial enterprises. In many cases Council does not manage these facilities on a day-to-day basis however it owns these facilities. As part of its efforts for reporting and communication with users and the community, Council is collecting data about water use so that it can measure and report about all of its assets. John Edwards Environmental Strategy Manager Bayside City Council

banksia bulletin — autumn 2011

Draft Bayside Open Space Strategy out for Comment

A View From Long Hollow A view from Long Hollow was a scout master, Sam (‘Skip’) Richards, who first sparked my interest in local plants. He explained how it was the plants that fed the insects which brought the birds and other animals. ‘Skip’ was very particular about where plants came from and Sandringham, as he said many times, “has its own”. It wasn’t until years later that I recognised the term ‘the Sandringham Flora’, in the writings of Dr Sutton in The Victorian Naturalist. The article was Dr Sutton’s account of a typical Sunday stroll between the railway stations of Sandringham and Cheltenham in 1910. It was a description of a botanists’ paradise – a heathland full of wildflowers. So much has happened in the 100 or so years since Dr Sutton’s stroll, it’s amazing that any of the heathland remains. One small step taken just over 50 years ago, occurred when Winifred Waddell (author of Wildflower Diary) set up and fenced the first wildflower reserve at Long Hollow to keep the rabbits out. The concrete posts remain, but these days fencing at Long Hollow is only used to protect regenerating burn sites and a system of paths and a boardwalk allow visitors to appreciate the area without damaging it. Reflecting on these time spans recently got me thinking – how much more will things change in the next 50 or 100 years? Will anything be left of the Sandringham Flora in 2060 or 2110? We have about 10 hectares of indigenous heathland left in Bayside about one percent of what was protecting about one quarter of the original species. These are tiny islands just holding on against the odds. While the obvious and dramatic impacts of the past century have been caused by subdivision and development there have been other less visible, but more insidious, impacts. Roads and storm water drains intercept natural soaks like the Long Hollow gully, which was once fed by a spring in Balcombe Park.

I know when I step inside a reserve like Long Hollow I feel a deep connection to the environment

The frequency of fires has also been reduced and when planned burns are lit to regenerate the heath, they are understandably timed for community safety. But most insidious of all are the weeds:- “one season’s seeds make seven season’s weeds.” While we have virtually eliminated some major weeds from Long Hollow (Boneseed comes to mind) others have also increased (e.g. Couch grass and Ehrharta). This year is, I think, the 30th anniversary of the impromptu meeting of a group of Friends who went on to become the Friends of Long Hollow. Amazingly, the Friends (and the Council) saved Long Hollow from being sold for development by the Education Department in the 1980s, and eventually had it reserved under the Crown Land Reserves Act. Like other Friends groups, we meet once a month and continue to learn about the area as we look after it. One of the Friends even stopped a bulldozer when the driver misread the plans for a fence around the Special Education Unit and blundered to within a metre of what was possibly the last Spider Orchid in Bayside. Since then, encouragingly, more Spider Orchids have regenerated nearby.

Bayside’s draft Open Space Strategy was prepared and endorsed by Council on 8 March 2011 for community comment and feedback. The draft Strategy is a long term plan to guide the planning, management and development of Bayside’s open spaces for the next 10 years. Council wants to know your views on the draft Bayside Open Space Strategy and is seeking comments to be submitted by Friday, 13 May 2011. The draft Strategy is the product of an extensive community engagement program that has included a range of forums, surveys and opportunities to enable the Bayside community to participate in the planning process. It has also been informed by an assessment of the current distribution of open space in Bayside, population analysis and Local and State planning influences. The draft Strategy establishes a future vision for open space in Bayside, a classification system and inventory for open spaces, planning principles to help guide Council’s decision making for open spaces and strategic directions, including recommendations and actions necessary to ensure Bayside’s open spaces are protected and enhanced into the future.

The release of the draft Bayside Open Space Strategy forms part of Council’s ‘Bayside Our City’s Future’ community engagement program that considers the broader issues of how Council will manage change into the future. Other topics that are currently out for comment include the draft Bayside Housing Strategy and the Preliminary Bayside Planning Scheme Review. If you would like further information about the draft Bayside Open Space Strategy or Bayside Our City’s Future, please visit www.bayside.vic.gov.au/shapebayside, speak with the Urban Strategy team on (03) 9599 4444 or visit Council’s Corporate Centre at 76 Royal Avenue, Sandringham or Bayside’s libraries to view hard copies of the documents. Matt Kelleher Manager Urban Strategy Bayside City Council

Despite the odds, these remnants of the original Bayside continue. For many of us, the vegetation and wildlife of the area are part of its character and part of our own identity. I know when I step inside a reserve like Long Hollow I feel a deep connection to the environment, despite the increasing pace of change and development all around us. Why not join the Friends and develop your sense of connection? Rob Saunders Member Friends of Long Hollow

banksia bulletin — autumn 2011

Public Working Bee At Watkins Bay To be revisited again in May 2011 With the help of a grant from the Department of Sustainability and Environment, in May 2010 Friends of Watkins Bay held a very successful public working bee. We planted over 300 saltbush plants on a narrow strip of beach near the white wooden triangle at Ricketts Point. This area had suffered erosion due to the pounding rough seas surging over the rock platform.

Working bee times for May to July 2011

Time/Day

What an amazing couple of growing seasons we have had. The drenching spring and summer rain has sped up our revegetation works at Watkins Bay and across the City magnificently. For more information on this working bee contact Maria Longden on 9589 2725.

As some of our readers would be aware, four staff members within the Environmental and Open Space Department at Bayside City Council are currently pregnant and due in April, May, June and July respectively. Being one of the four, I will be leaving Bayside temporarily to take 12 months maternity leave from mid-April, as Craig and I are expecting our second child in mid-May. It has been a brief sojourn back into the workforce since my return to work mid last year after the birth of our first child Tristan in April 2009. As most of our Friends will know, growing up in Beaumaris, I have always maintained a committed interest in the Bayside environment, in particular the bushland and coastal areas. I will again miss being part of Bayside City Council temporarily, but I will be keeping a keen eye on all things open space and environment from

afar - in between nappy changes and feeding that is. One part of my role that I have thoroughly enjoyed is being a part of the Banksia Bulletin editorial team again. I am continually awed by the fantastic photographs and articles we receive for each edition which showcase the amazing array of flora and fauna found within Bayside. I hope these serve to interest and educate others in the community that may not be aware of why we strive to manage and protect our important environmental areas in the ways that we do. I look forward to reading the Banksia Bulletin over the next 12 months or so and keeping in touch. Amy Hough Open Space and Biodiversity Officer Bayside City Council

banksia bulletin — autumn 2011

June

July

Last Sunday 10am – noon

Bay Rd

2nd Saturday 10am – noon

2,30

4pm – 6pm

Bayside Community Nursery

Every Thursday & Saturday 10am – noon

BRASCA

Contact coordinator Janet Ablitt ph: 9589 6646

Brighton Dunes

Tuesdays 8am – 10am

3,10,17,24,31

7,14,21,28

5,12,19,26

Cheltenham Park

1st Sunday 10am – noon

Cheltenham Primary

9.30 - 12.30 Contact school 9583 1614

Donald MacDonald

1st Sunday 10am – noon

9.30am – 11.30am

George St

3rd Sunday 10am – noon

Gramatan

1st Sunday 1pm – 3pm

Long Hollow

Last Sunday 1pm – 3pm

Merindah Park and Urban Forest

2nd Sunday 10am – 2pm

Friends of Native Wildlife

1st Saturday 9.30am

Ricketts Point Landside

3rd Tuesday 12.30pm – 2.30pm

Table Rock

Last Tuesday 12.30pm – 2.30pm

Watkins Bay

Last Wednesday 1pm – 3pm

Enviro Kids

There must be something in the water...

May

Balcombe Park

Bayside Environmental Friends Network

On Wednesday 25 May 2011. From 1pm to 3pm we will meet to revisit the planting site a year later and celebrate the results.

Friends of Bayside

banksia bulletin — autumn 2011