Spring 2014 Newsletter - Granite Borders Landcare Inc...Seb’s Bobcat & Tipper Hire 5 tonne...

Granite Borders Landcare Newsletter—Issue 87—Spring 2014

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Spring 2014

Newsletter

Tenterfield Preschool visit the Community Gardens for National Tree Day. Details on page 11.

Mariette van den Berg

returns to Tenterfield. Details on page 4.

Spring Wildflower Walks

are on again. Details are on page 10.

The beautifully crafted new sign for Tenterfield Park. Details on page 6.

Jerry Coleby-Williams will be visiting the Granite Belt in early December.

Details on page 2.

Michael Sommerlad entertains his audience at a recent BLOG event.

Details on page 5.

WildDog Scan workshop at the Landcare office in July. Detail on page 9.

Blue Finger Orchid .


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Mole Station Native Nursery

Frost Hardy Farm Trees

“We provide trees and shrubs for

revegetation, shelter belts and farm forestry.

Seed is collected locally whenever possible”

Mole Station Tenterfield NSW 2372

Sarah & David Caldwell

Ph. 02 6737 5429 Fax 02 6737 5443

Email [email protected]

Jerry Coleby-Williams

visits the Granite Belt

Granite Borders Landcare is pleased to

announce that renowned horticulturalist and

Gardening Australia presenter, Jerry Coleby

-Williams, will be visiting Tenterfield and

Stanthorpe in December. A number of

events are planned for Friday 5th

December and Saturday 6th December,

including a special dinner presentation at

the Queensland College of Wine Tourism in

Stanthorpe on the Saturday evening.

Jerry is an inspiration speaker and advocate

of sustainable living, and his property ’Bellis’

in Wynnum, Brisbane, is evidence of what we

can all achieve on an average suburban block.

The details for this series of events is still

being finalised but it will be an entertaining

weekend and definitely not one to miss!

More information on Jerry can be found at

http://jerry-coleby-williams.net/

Available from Granite

Borders Landcare office,

Martin St Tenterfield

Latest edition available now from the Landcare office

New Eucalypt publication by Rare Wildflower Consortium


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MELLING MECHANICAL Proprietors: Geoff & Elizabeth

Melling

For all your professional car, motorbike and truck repairs.

Registration checks, Tyre Supply; fitment & alignment, Air-conditioning,

Servicing and Repairs. On all makes & models

444 Rouse Street P (02) 6736 3555 Tenterfield NSW 2372 F (02) 6736 4451

E [email protected]

In this issue…

GBLC launches new website

Horse Property Planning Workshop

BLOG Activity Guide

Tenterfield Naturalists update

Welcome to the Stanthorpe

Permaculture Group

Tenterfield Preschool visits the

Tenterfield Community Gardens

Jerry Coleby-Williams visits the

Granite Belt in December

GBLC & NTLLS Project update

Spring Wildflower Walks

WildDog Scan introduction

MynaScan coming to Tenterfield

Editors note

Welcome to the spring edition of the

Granite Borders Landcare newsletter. This

edition features Landcare group updates,

project information, interesting events to

attend and an update on the collaborative

pilot project between GBLC and the

Northern Tablelands Local Land Services.

The new website for Granite Borders

Landcare is finally up and running. It is a

more user-friendly site for the community

to access the latest NRM information.

Details can be found on page 4.

GBLC welcomes our newest Landcare group,

Stanthorpe Permaculture, under our

umbrella. A range of events have already

been held and more details are on page 7.

GBLC is hosting Mariette van den Berg for

a workshop on horse property planning and

nutrition for horses. It is being held on

Saturday 13th September at the Landcare

office and will involve detailed property

planning for participants. Details on page 4.

There is also information on WildDogScan

and MynaScan for those of you interested

in monitoring feral animal movements and

how GBLC is using this facility to keep the

community informed and actively involved.

And finally, the children from Tenterfield

Preschool celebrated National Tree Day

with a visit to the Tenterfield Community

Gardens to plant a variety of fruit trees.

It was a great day and a summary is

included on page 11.

Remember to keep the articles coming in

and happy reading!

Granite Borders Landcare

Staff Contact Details

Elizabeth Melling Office Manager

(02) 6736 3500

[email protected]

Amanda Craig Project Manager

0438 894 556

[email protected]

Mark Thomas Schools & Urban Landcare

0404 892 696

[email protected]


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GBLC Launches New Website!

It’s been a while in the making but Granite

Borders Landcare now have a new website up and

running. With a more user-friendly interface the

website provides information on GBLC history,

events, funding, Landcare groups, staff contacts,

membership details and relevant publications,

including past newsletters.

It also provides links to interesting NRM

websites, including Landcare Australia, Northern

Tablelands LLS and other Landcare networks on

the Tablelands. The website is still in its infancy

and will continue to evolve in the coming months

to reflect the needs of our community. To view

the new website please go to

www.graniteborderslandcare.com.au and see

what you think.

Your feedback is important to the staff and

committee at GBLC so if you have any comments

on how to improve the website, or if there is an

event coming up that you would like us to

promote please use the Contact Us tab and leave

a message.

Equine Property Planning &

Nutrition Workshop

Equine expert, Mariette van den Berg, is

returning to Tenterfield to host another equine

workshop, focusing on property planning and

equine nutrition. This workshop is being held at

the Landcare office to facilitate the mapping

component of this workshop. Each participant

will receive a map of their property with

‘layering’ and suggestions on improved property

management.

It is important to RSVP by Friday 5th

September to ensure staff have enough time to

create a map of your property prior to the

workshop. You will need to provide your Lot & DP

number for an A3 map to be generated.

This will be an exciting and educational

workshop for anyone with horses on their

property or interested in horse management.

Contact the Landcare office to reserve your

spot or for more information.


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Border Landcare Organic Group

Activities start with Morning Tea at 10am EST or 11am Daylight Saving Time unless otherwise

advised. 10.30 – 11am BLOG business, ‘housekeeping’ etc. Talk starts at 11am sharp with lunch about

12.30pm. Remember to bring a hat, a chair and a plate to share (either morning tea or lunch) as well

as a cup, plate & cutlery.

September 27 (Saturday)

Shane Gregg invites us to his place at Maryland to look at organic cabbages, his solar farm and

discuss the “Soil Energy” work that Dr Patrick MacManaway has done there.

October 10/11 (Friday/Saturday)

Gardenfest at Stanthorpe Civic Centre. BLOG will have a stall. We are looking for plants/seeds to

sell and volunteers to work the stall.

October 18 (Saturday)

Graeme Sait, a popular international speaker on health, soil and nutrition and many other things will

be our guest. Venue to be confirmed.

November 22 (Saturday)

An Introduction to Cold Climate Permaculture The Gilmour’s will explain how they set up and maintain

their permaculture garden. Their garden was started 16 years ago and now is providing a large

variety of native and introduced fruit and nuts, as well as herbs and spices. 528 Donnelly’s Castle

Road.

Contacts

Rex Maddocks 02 6736 4259 Douglas Fox 07 4685 3130 John & Julie Lindsay 07 4681 2729

Anne & Kevin Jones 07 4685 3379 Mary Baillie & Glen French 07 4681 4662

For further information visit www.granitenet.com.au/groups/environment/blog

Poultry guru Michael Sommerlad ran a well-attended

question and answer session at the Tenterfield Uniting

Church Hall on Saturday 31st May. Fifty people turned up to

hear the answers to their questions which ranged from

“How do you get rid of scaly leg and red mites?” and “How

do you introduce new chickens to an existing flock?” not to

mention “Why do cattle like to eat emu droppings?”

More information on Michael Sommerlad is available on his

website http://www.poultryworks.com.au/

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Yard & Site Clean-up - House & Shed site preparation

Posthole Digging - Irrigation Trenching - Rock Breaker & Ripper

Gravel & Roadbase - Mushroom Compost

Seb Puglisi - PO Box 418 Tenterfield NSW 2372

Mob. 0409 200 625 - Ph. 02 6736 3260

Email. [email protected]


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Tenterfield Naturalists Update

Tired after walking the dog? Just want to sit a while and listen

to birds? Or looking for somewhere peaceful but close to home

for a picnic? Tenterfield Park has a lovely new picnic table

sitting in dappled eucalypt shade near the Derby Street

entrance. A friend of the park thought a picnic table would be a

useful and attractive feature in the lower park. Deciding action

was better than words our kind donor commissioned the

outdoor furniture, which has been crafted from local

stringybark by Tenterfield’s Michael Wish. From the table you

can explore several kilometres of paths, maintained by the

Tenterfield Naturalists Club, within through the grassy

woodlands.

Pictured left: Helen Moriarty, Harold Charles, Neil Fordyce,

John Donnelly, Janet White, Bridget Beagle enjoying lunch at

the new table.

Curry’s Gap Walk - Saturday 16th August

Tenterfield Naturalists celebrated the first showers for many weeks with a ramble through

Curry’s Gap State Conservation Area. Little was blooming but there were cheery yellow

splashes of Fern-leaved wattle Acacia filicifolia and scattered Acacia pruinosa, A. venulosa and A. floribunda. A nectar-laden Urn heath Melichrus urceolatus provided a welcome feed

for a pair of Silvereyes and a Yellow-faced Honeyeater. In the railway cutting some purple

Hardenbergia violacea tumbled over the steep slab sides. We marvelled at the many shapes,

colours and habitats of the lichens; flat, crusty or feathery on rock, earth and timber and

all plumped up from the rain. Despite a long dry spell the insectivorous sundew, Drosera burmanni, was common. On what has it been surviving? A pleasant surprise, given the history

of disturbance, was the scarcity of woody weeds - just a few individuals of privet,

Pyracantha and Berberis were seen. The flora highlight was the blue finger orchid Caladenia caerulea (Below centre). Anyone know what creature excavated this burrow (below right)?

Our next excursion is on Saturday 27th & Sunday 28th September to Red Rocks,

between Grafton and Coffs Harbour, to see the wildflowers. Contact the Landcare

office for more information.


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Stanthorpe Permaculture Group

As the youngest group under the umbrella of Granite Borders Landcare we welcome the

Stanthorpe Permaculture Group (SPG) to our network. Under the guidance of SPG’s leader,

Dylan Graves, a range of interesting activities have already been held. Below is a taste of

what has been achieved so far.

Since starting our group in February this year, we have had monthly gatherings. These take

place at different properties so that we can all learn about what works well, get ideas, and

be inspired. Often there is a hands-on demonstration and practise of something useful such

as creating garden beds, making a portable hoop structure, pruning grape vines, and so on.

Good chat and shared lunch follows.

After meeting many people interested in learning more about Permaculture we decided to

organise a Permaculture Design Certificate Course which started on 13th of July. Fourteen

students have enrolled and attend 2 or 3 Sundays a month until late November. Students

are enthusiastic and working well together. Practical activities add further development to

the amazing community garden.

For more information visit http://www.sugarloafpermaculture.net/permaculture-group

Clockwise from right:

Completed veggie

garden at permablitz,

pruning grapes at

workshop, lasagne

garden in progress,

portable multi-

function hoop

structure in progress

and lighting rocket


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Collaborative Pilot Project

between NTLLS & GBLC

The Northern Tablelands Local Land Services and Granite Borders Landcare are embarking on a joint

project addressing strategic River and Stream Restoration and Rehabilitation for High Priority

Sub-catchments in the ‘Granite Country’.

This project will deliver new and improved knowledge on high priority areas for river and stream

restoration and rehabilitation through conducting an extensive audit of areas of concern – based on

methodologies used to determine priority areas initially. This will result in updated spatial data on

river and stream priority areas for the ‘Granite Country’ and consolidate the implementation

structure that supports the delivery of this project in meeting CAP targets and build a platform for

future projects.

This project will establish organised & enthusiastic sub catchment Groups, actively engaged in

protective management and building resilience for their riparian zones where river and stream health

and function will be improved. The project will also increase public awareness and build community

capacity of knowledge and understanding of the riparian ecosystem’s contributions toward

maintaining and improving landscape health. On ground works in priority areas for river & stream

restoration, rehabilitation and protection will also be conducted.

This project will engage landholders, that have very high or high priority river and stream

restoration and rehabilitation areas as deemed through both the NR CMA and BRG CMA CAP’s, in a

planning process to define issues and assist in on ground works that will lead to improved management

of the riparian areas. The project will be implemented at a sub catchment level to ensure the

investment is of public benefit in that the project contributes to the condition and value of the

waterways in terms of improved channel stability and water quality, enhanced biodiversity and

in-stream ecological systems.

From CAP priority area maps, landholders in three sub catchments will be engaged in stream and

river restoration and rehabilitation. Granite Borders Landcare in partnership with NT LLS will

undertake ground-truthing of areas, to include factors such as works carried out since original

mapping, where the assessment of the areas can then allow for site specific recommendations &

costing’s to be generated. A landholder Expression of Interest process will be undertaken followed

by an assessment panel prioritising where financial investment will be undertaken. Assistance to

landholders will include property planning education, fencing materials, alternative watering points

and seedlings for revegetation. Public awareness on the activities and outcomes of the project will be

through media releases, newsletters, website and radio. Community engagement events will also be

held and evaluated by participants.

This project will involve 100 landholders engaged in planning process., 3 sub-catchment plans will be

developed (8 sub-groups) covering 400 Ha ( 101.75Km) classified as Very High Priority Restoration / Rehabilitation and 439 Ha ( 44.56Km) classified as High Priority Restoration / Rehabilitation. There

will also be 3 extension activities conducted by GBLC.

This Project is supported by the Australian Government under the current Caring for our Country

Program (to be changed to National Landcare Program) and from the NSW Government Catchment

Action Program.


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WildDog Scan Development

Workshop in Tenterfield

Granite Borders Landcare held a two day

WildDog Scan Development Workshop on July 15

& 16 in Stanthorpe and Tenterfield as part of an

existing Landcare project, Coordinated

Strategic Cross-border Wild Dog Control

Implementation.

WildDog Scan project leader, Peter West,

developed the capacity for groups, such as the

Tenterfield Wild Dog Control Group (TWDCG) to

input data into the system and allow landholders

to be aware of wild dog movements. This

workshop involved landholders and government

employees involved in wild dog control within

both NSW and QLD.

For further information on the project and how

you can get involved, please contact Mandy Craig

on (02) 6736 3500 or call in to the Landcare

office in Martin St, Tenterfield.

MynaScan in Tenterfield

The success of GBLC’s Indian Myna project is

being taken to the next level, with data

collected being loaded on to the national

MynaScan website. A Tenterfield Group is being

created so that the community can observe the

occurrence of Indian Mynas in the district and

get involved in controlling this invasive species.

To date the Indian Myna project has euthanized

over 600 birds, benefiting the local natural

environment and our native birds. For more

information contact the Landcare office on

(02) 6736 3500.


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WFI: Community & the Environment WFI (previously Wesfarmers Federation Insurance) recognises it’s corporate responsibility towards both the environment and the community in it’s various roles as insurer, investor, employer and consumer.

Importantly WFI contribute 7% of the value of every insurance policy held by a local Landcare member to Granite Borders Landcare Committee! Please support your local Landcare Network by supporting your local WFI and be sure to tell them you are a Landcare member!

Contact David de Ferranti for more information – Phone 0267 221 755 Mobile 0412 328 911 [email protected]

Good People to know.

Tree Planting with Tenterfield Preschool

Children from Tenterfield Preschool ventured to the Tenterfield Community Gardens to help plant a

variety of fruit trees in celebration of National Tree Day. Kids were taught the importance of trees

in our daily lives, from providing us food and shelter to supporting habitat for animals, as well as

giving us somewhere to play and build treehouses!

Everyone was involved in planting, feeding and watering the trees, including apple, pear, apricot, plum,

nectarine and almond trees. The children then had a chance to look around the Gardens to see what

else grows through the winter in Tenterfield. It is immensely satisfying to see the joy and interest

that these events generate in our youngest members of our community, and hopefully it creates a

lifelong passion for the world around them.

mailto:[email protected]


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Disclaimer – The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter do not necessarily represent those of GBLC or its employees. While every effort is made to publish accurate information, GBLC and its employees do not accept responsibility for statements made or opinions expressed in this newsletter

Newsletter of the Granite Borders Landcare Committee Incorporated

Supported by

Upcoming Events

Sunday 31st August: Wildflower Walk, Passchendaele State Forest, Southern Section

Monday 1st to Sunday 7th September: Landcare Week celebrations

Friday 12th September: GBLC General Committee Meeting, Lyra’s View Café, QLD

Saturday 13th September: Equine Property Planning & Nutrition workshop with Mariette van

den Berg, Tenterfield

Wednesday 17th—Friday 19th September: National Landcare Conference, Melbourne

Sunday 21st September: Wildflower Walk, Passendaele State Forest, Northern Section

Saturday 27th September: BLOG field day, Shane Gregg’s property, Maryland

Saturday 27th & Sunday 28th September: Tenterfield Naturalists Field Trip, Red Rocks

Friday 10th & Saturday 11th October: Gardenfest, Stanthorpe Civic Centre

Saturday 18th October: BLOG field day, Graeme Sait presentation

Sunday 26th October: Wildflower Walk, Girraween National Park, The Junction Track

Saturday 22nd November: BLOG field day, Gilmour’s property, 528 Donnelly’s Castle Rd

Friday 5th—Sunday 7th December: Jerry Coleby-Williams, Tenterfield & Stanthorpe

Granite Borders Landcare Committee

PO Box 400

Tenterfield NSW 2372

www.graniteborderslandcare.com.au

Landcare Week 1st - 7th September 2014

Spring 2014 Newsletter - Granite Borders Landcare Inc...Seb’s Bobcat & Tipper Hire 5 tonne...

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