BANDICOOT times
Number 46
Spring 2012
Newsletter of the Hobart Bushcare Groups
COORDINATOR’s REPORT
Well, where to begin? Having been in the role of
Bushcare Coordinator for less than a month, I
don’t have too much to report yet, so I’ll use this
as an opportunity to introduce myself.
I am very grateful and excited to have the
opportunity to work in this role and to be able to
call Hobart home.
My family are originally from Tasmania so I’ve got a connection and
a real appreciation of how special this place is. My Dad grew up
in Launceston and he has shared many stories with me from his
Tasmanian childhood. One of my Mum’s early memories is from the
little town of Lorinna where they lived for a short time as a result of
my grandfather’s employment as a geologist with the (then) HEC.
I however, was born in Brisbane, and this is where I have spent
most of my life and professional career. For the past six years I
have worked with Brisbane City Council, as a Creek Ranger and
as a Habitat Brisbane Officer. Prior to this I worked at the Wildlife
Preservation Society of Queensland as manager of their Wildlife
Protector fundraising program. I have a Bachelor of Science degree
from the University of Queensland (majoring in ecology) and honours
degree in applied zoology. For my honours thesis I studied the
population dynamics of urban ringtail possums.
Whilst at Brisbane City Council I worked closely with both catchment
and bushcare groups on a range of activities. These included:
bush regeneration, community-based, ecological monitoring,
educational activities with schools, universities and various interest
groups, developing projects and grant applications, strategic and
organisational planning, volunteer recruitment and training, events
management, and marketing. As a Creek Ranger I worked closely
with the Northern Catchments Network and, more recently, the
Moggill Creek Catchment Group. As one of four Habitat Brisbane
Officers I worked with approximately 20 bushcare groups in the
city’s northern suburbs (there are approximately 125 groups across
Brisbane).
I have also worked as a volunteer including seven years on the
management committee of the Wildlife Preservation Society of
Queensland and four years as a wildlife carer. Whilst in Tasmania
I have volunteered briefly with Environment Tasmania and
Conservation Volunteers Australia.
I’m really looking forward to getting out and meeting all the wonderful
people involved in Bushcare. From what I have seen so far I am
very impressed by the standard, enthusiasm, skills and knowledge of
Hobart’s Bushcarers.
See you soon!
Anna Greig
Bushcare Coordinator
Lansdowne Crescent Primary School students celebrating their fine efforts in
assisting Friends of Knocklofty Bushcare and HCC staff to plant over 200 seedlings
at the entrance to the Poets Road quarry in July 2012.
Two Caterpillar Club members (part of the Bush Adventures Program) enjoying a
warm drink after playing in the snow on Mt Wellington.
IN THIS ISSUE
Orienteering
Cherry laurel
Mountain Bike Master Plan
Short finned eels
AROUND THE OFFICE
New Fire Management Plan
for Bicentennial Park
Work is beginning on a new fire management plan for Bicentennial
Park. The plan will cover Lambert Gully, Bicentennial Park, Porter Hill
and the Olinda Grove reserves. The plan will include consideration of
prescribed burning, trail management, reduced fuel buffers around
neighbouring properties and the fire ecology of the vegetation
communities found in the park.
The new plan will be the first developed for a Hobart City Council
bushland reserve since the Victorian Fires of 2009. It will reflect the
changes to policy and legislation that have come about in response
to that event.
The project will take around 18 months to complete, and will include
consultation with the Bushcare groups in the area and the wider
Sandy Bay and Mount Nelson communities.
For further information please contact
Stephen Bresnehan on(03) 62382139 or email
[email protected]
Stephen Bresnehan
HCC Bushland Fire Officer
This Eastern Quoll was skilfully drawn by 13 year old Cherish Valentine during ‘The
art of animal characters with Jane Burrell ’ workshop held as part of Council’s winter
Bush Adventures program.
As always, the holiday activities for Bush Kids were very well attended with many sessions booked out. The Caterpillar Club playgroup
went on several special winter escapades and thoroughly enjoyed
their visit to the Woodbridge Marine Discovery Centre. There were
also lots of big smiles on the faces of those who braved the cold to
drink hot milo and play in the snow on Mt Wellington!
As we head towards spring we have some really exciting activities
coming up. Denis Abbot and Don Knowler team up as a dynamic duo
to take us birding in the Waterworks Reserve. This is an event not to
be missed as these two talented bird men share their knowledge and
humour with us at an easy pace. Peter Fehre returns to take us on an
orchid wander and Dr Karyl Michaels shares her intimate knowledge
of our local frogs. Ursula Taylor from the Derwent Estuary Program
delivers a special free program designed for our Bushcarers on how
we can all help care for the river environment and Adam Muyt will talk
about the good, bad and ugly side of weeds!
HCC Management Burn Crew at work in Bicentennial Park. Photo: Adam Muyt.
Come and join us on a Bush Adventure soon!
Anna Bluck
Bushland Interpretation Office
WINTERY ADVENTURES
What a wild winter of Bush Adventures we’ve had this year! On World
Environment Day (June 5), children and adults gathered together
to mass-produce fabric joey pouches in support of our local wildlife
carers and the animals that are regularly injured on our roads. Each
participant had the opportunity to ‘drive’ the sewing machines using the
very exciting ‘accelerator pedal’ with prolific results. The impressive
collection of pouches will be distributed to carers by Bonorong’s FOC
(Friends of Carers, Friends of Critters, Free of Charge) Program.
Other winter highlights included the intriguing presentation on
Tasmania’s ancient plants delivered by Dr Greg Jordan from UTAS
which got our audience thinking and talking as they enjoyed their
complimentary nibbles and glass of wine! The artwork created by the
kids who attended the ‘Go Wild! Go Solo!’ program led by talented
artist and illustrator, Jane Burrell, was truly inspiring.
Number 46 Spring 2012
Caterpillar Club Members and snowy friends on Mt Wellington
BUSH NEWS
Orienteering - Just
running is not enough!
Have you ever puzzled over finding an orange and white flag on a
metal stand in your local reserve? Or stepped off a track while a
runner hurried past, glancing at a map? The answer is that these
were probably part of an orienteering event.
Such events take place periodically at Knocklofty, Waterworks and
the Domain. Over a hundred orienteering events are held every year
in Tasmania in a variety of public parks, forestry reserves, schools,
colleges and on private land. Orienteers rely on the generosity and
good will of dozens of landowners, including Hobart City Council, for
ongoing permission to use their land for events. Great importance is
placed by orienteers on respecting the wishes of the landowners and
acting responsibly at all times.
Orienteering is a healthy, family-friendly sport involving use of a map
and compass to navigate between a number of control locations. It
is unique in exercising both the body and mind simultaneously. For
some, it is a self guided family bushwalk, exploring new sights and
learning navigation skills. For others it is an elite level competitive
sport. At every event, there are courses to cater for varying levels of
skill and fitness. Age classes at competitive state level events range
from 10 to over 80 years.
Orienteering is now a high tech sport for volunteer organisers.
Computer chips have replaced the punch cards that orienteers use to
record reaching a control. Results are loaded onto the Orienteering
Tasmania web site the same evening. Orienteers can also plot
their routes on an internet map after a major event. Was it faster to
go over the hill or around? Tasmanians have always done well in
orienteering. Last year the Tasmanian Schools Team beat all the
other states and territories at the National Championships.
If you want your family to try orienteering, look for an introductory
session in the next Bush Adventures program. Most regular
orienteering events are held on Sunday mornings and you are most
welcome to come along. School and Corporate Challenge events are
held on Wednesdays. The next series starts on 10 October. There
are permanent courses at the Domain and Waterworks that you can
try anytime. For more information on any of these aspects visit the
Orienteering Tasmania web site: http://tasorienteering.asn.au/cms/
Martin Bicevskis
President, Orienteering Tasmania
From:
To:
Subject:
Date:
Gabrielle Balon
Sutherland, Alex
BT - orienteering pics (2)
Friday, 6 July 2012 11:21:09 AM
Naturally Inspired Grant
successes
Congratulations to Wellington Park, Mount Nelson and Fern Tree
Bushcare Groups on their recent successes with their Naturally Inspired Grant applications. NRM South granted $1000 to the Mount
Nelson Bushcare Group for the purchase of tools and equipment,
$4320 to the Wellington Park Bushcare Group for removal of gorse
and blackberry and $3680 to the Fern Tree Bushcare Group for
blackberry removal at Browns Road and the re-printing of the Fern
Tree weeds brochure.
Urban Incentives Program
On May 27 NRM South hosted a BBQ at the Fern Tree Community
Centre to celebrate the Urban Incentives Program, a partnership between NRM South, Hobart City Council and Kingborough Council.
Hobart City Council provided replacement native plants to residents
of Fern Tree, West Hobart, Ridgeway and Sandy Bay who had been
successful in receiving NRM funding to engage contractors in removing environmental weeds from their properties.
An Urban Incentives Program participant choosing replacement plants at the Fern Tree
celebration.
Remembrance Day
Family Concert
Sun 11 Nov, 1.30-3.30pm
This Remembrance Day, following the official
Orienteering is a family friendly event. Photo: Kim Nankervis
Number 46 Spring 2012
ceremony, the Australian Army Band perform live
on Soldiers Memorial Avenue in a Big Band concert for all. Bring your
family, friends, a blanket and a picnic and relax on the grass for an afternoon
of genre bending musical fun to celebrate the planting of 9 new trees on the
Soldiers Memorial Avenue and the strong local community spirit which built
this very personal memorial in 1918.
There will a free sausage sizzle and mini tours celebrating the significance
of the Soldiers Memorial Avenue to the story of Hobart.
For more information see the Bush Adventures brochure, phone Anna Bluck
on 6238 2140 or visit hobartcity.com.au/bushadventures.
AROUND THE GROUPS
Mt Nelson
We continue to have a strong turn-out for our Sunday working bees
- the bulk of the group are regulars with the remainder made up of
those who come along when other commitments allow. We have
smaller numbers at our Thursday events but what we lack in numbers we make up for with enthusiasm! Three of our very dedicated
(or crazy?) team members have taken it upon themselves to tackle a
sizeable patch of gorse and have already spent more than 220 work
hours at this site.
Our group have also been successful in securing a small NRM South
Grant to boost our reserves of equipment and supplies.
Happy bushcaring.
Greg Kidd Ph 6224 0465 (H)
Meet: mornings - second Sunday of the month
McAulay Reserve
The McAulay Reserve Bushcare Group is now in its second year
of operation. In the first half of this year we began by concentrating
our efforts on removing weeds from some of the patches of remnant
native grassland in our reserve area. We were fortunate that, in
our very first working bee for the year, we were helped by a dozen
new overseas students just starting their studies at the University of
Tasmania. They were extremely interested in observing our local
bush features.
More recently we have returned to the southern boundary of our
reserve to revisit areas we attacked last year, and have removed
more gorse and cotoneaster from these locations. We have also
spent some time in general rubbish removal along the verges of
the access road that passes through the reserve, which will be an
ongoing task.
Bob Watson Ph 0421 002 075
Meet: afternoons - second Sunday of the month
Ridgeway
We have had a quiet first half of the year with lower numbers at
working bees plus our May event was cancelled due to rain. In the
meantime, the seedling germination after the moist summer season
has been prolific. Consequently we are intent on increasing our
‘willing worker’ numbers to help us tackle these challenges.
Our current plan is to have a botanical expert join our spring working
bee and to promote this via a local letter-box drop. With the HCC
afternoon tea as an additional draw card we hope to get more
volunteers involved. If you have any other suggestions that you have
found successful in increasing your ‘willing worker’ numbers we
would appreciate hearing from you.
Sue Drake Ph 62391468 (H)
(who diligently sent her report in from Broome, WA!)
Meet: afternoons - second Sunday alternate months
South Hobart
Our focus for the first half of the year has been mainly follow-up
weeding. It has been very encouraging to see the local plants reestablish themselves naturally in the older areas of our site where we
have been working for a number of years.
Unfortunately, the gorse, which was sprayed and partly removed
by contractors for our Naturally Inspired Grant last year, is shooting
again from the base where it was sprayed but not removed. We will
soldier on with its removal!
Our group has also supported the idea of a Community Garden and
Orchard by the local Sustainable Living Group.
Janet Stone Ph 6223 8132 (H)
Meet: mornings - third Sunday of the month
Friends of Soldiers Memorial AVe
During autumn and winter our focus has been on maintenance
along the Avenue and preparing for the year ahead. We also ran a
successful display at the Gunpowder Magazine on Anzac Day and
donated books to Albuera St Primary School. This school has had a
long involvement with the Avenue through visits, school presentations
and an honour board listing a dozen men commemorated by trees.
In conjunction with Hobart City Council and Ten Days on the Island
festival we are commissioning a playwright, Alana Valentine, to
write a theatrical piece about the Avenue to be performed on-site.
Hopefully other funding will become available and it will be performed
as part of Ten Days on the Island in 2013.
International students, Leo and Dahlia, from the University of Tasmania helping
care for McAulay Reserve.
Number 46 Spring 2012
The redevelopment of the Oval is now proceeding and the next stage
will include provision for up to 10 trees to be planted in August with
plaques to be dedicated in November.
Adrian Howard Ph 0439 583 293
Meet: monthly - phone for details
AROUND THE GROUPS
Friends of Truganini
Let it not be said that there is a monotony of terrain in this reserve.
One month we are high up on the Porter Hill slopes tracking down
boneseed, in bush so thick we lose each other within minutes of starting our task.
The next month finds us fending off a plethora of escapee garden
weeds in Cartwright Creek 100 metres from the Derwent River, where
by contrast, two of us spend our morning within a mere 10 metre radius. We are surrounded at this second location by our tree plantings
of previous years, now an open forest of towering eucalypts. They
prompt us to contemplate whether some should be culled to encourage more understorey growth and potentially, maintain view corridors
at the road level above.
Grant Hayward Ph 6227 9245 (H)
Meet: mornings - fourth Sunday of the month
Cornelian Bay
During the last two months Cornelian Bay bushcarers have been
working on the sections of bushland between the bike track and
Domain Highway. In May we concentrated on the section immediately
above the bike track. We cleared boneseed, cotoneaster and a
patch containing many Acacia pycnantha plants. The month before
we found these same weeds, but to a lesser extent, in the section
adjoining Domain Highway. As we were working next to busy roads
during both of these sessions one major task was removal of rubbish,
which was quite substantial.
In June we plan to continue our blitz on boneseed and Acacia
pycnantha and then in July work on the area adjoining the Cemetery.
We also hope to do some more work at the site of the old baths/
marina that was burnt down several years ago.
Susan Gillespie Ph 6228 5857 (H)
Meet: mornings - fourth Sunday of the month
CONTACT DETAILS
(For groups not featured this season)
Keen and happy rubbish collectors, Lilith and Beowulf, at McAulay
Reserve. The children’s mother, Cat, says: ‘The children have
enjoyed helping Bob (Watson, McAulay Reserve Bushcare Group
Coordinator) to keep the rivulet free from rubbish. The challenge of
dislodging hard to reach debris from along the bank with sticks and
ferrying it downstream to the rocks where they can capture it, is more
like play than work. The number of plastic bottles and bags that
collect in such a small area in a month is quite unbelievable! They
also loved searching for invertebrates last year. That lesson of how
the rivulet is connected within the ecosystem has made the children
more determined to do what they can to keep the water clean.
Number 46 Spring 2012
TAS LAND CONSERVANCY Contact: Denna Kingdom Ph 6225 1399 (W)
Meet: mornings - first Tuesday of the month
WATERWORKS VALLEY
Contact: Rob Rands Ph 6223 1116 (H)
Meet: mornings - first Sunday of the month
WELLINGTON PARK
Contact: Peter Franklin Ph 6228 4889 (H)
Meet: mornings - first Tuesday of the month
KANGAROO VALLEY
Contact: Garry Witzerman Ph 6278 2153(H)
Meet: afternoons - first Sunday of the month
FERN TREE
Contact: Rob & Murielle Ph 6239 1991 (H)
Meet: mornings - second Sunday of the month
FRIENDS OF KNOCKLOFTY
Contact: Astrid Wright Ph 6234 1580 (H)
Meet: mornings - first & third Thursday of the month
afternoons - third Sunday of the month
LAMBERT GULLY
Contact: Ingrid Colman Ph 6225 4153 (H)
Meet: afternoons - fourth Sunday of the month
VALLEY STREET
Contact: Vicki Martin Ph 6228 3228 (H)
Meet: afternoons - fourth Sunday of the month
TAS COLLEGE OF ENGLISH
Contact: Rachel Wasilejko Ph 6231 9911 (W)
Meet: afternoons - alternate Thursdays
BUSHCARE PROFILE
MICHAELA NOLAN
A new member of the Mt Nelson Bushcare Group
Q: How did you first become
involved in Bushcare?
I grew up in Mt Nelson and have
just returned ‘home’ after working
as an environmental officer on
the Tiwi Islands in the Northern
Territory for the last four years. It
is great to be back closer to family
and whilst I thought I missed cold
weather, on returning to Tassie I
quickly discovered that I didn’t!
I was aware of Bushcare whilst
growing up and at the moment I
have the time to actually become
involved which is great.
Q: What are the best aspects of being involved in Bushcare?
I notice weeds in the surrounding bushland when I am out walking
our dog and through Bushcare it is good to actually be able to do
something about them. I enjoy the sense of making a difference and
also meeting people within the area.
Q: What else do you enjoy doing apart from Bushcare?
I am currently studying Environmental Planning at the University
of Tasmania and also looking for work in the natural resource
management area. I enjoy painting, both watercolour and acrylic and
also photography.
Q: What is your least favourite weed?
That would have to be blackberries. They are delicious to eat but a
pain (literally!) to control or walk through.
Q: What sorts of weeds did you encounter on the Tiwi Islands?
Two of the most common weeds were mission grass and gamba
grass, both introduced from Africa as stock feed. Gamba grass can
grow up to two metres high, thereby increasing fuel loads which
in turn means hotter burns during wild fires. This changes the fire
regime and impacts upon the native vegetation.
Q: What are some of your memories of life on the Tiwis?
Where to begin…..the enormous, stretchy webs of golden orb
spiders, the need to be wary around water, even quite small soaks
or creeks, because of saltwater crocodiles. (I find I still automatically
check for crocodiles when I am near water here in Tassie!) Snakes
(carpet pythons and death adders) in camps and when working and
driving in the bush. The snakes have a habit of climbing up and
around your car tyres if you stop near them on the road. Vine thickets
so dense that you can’t walk through them and everything being so
wet, alive, green and growing.
ANIMAL OF THE SEASON
SHORT FINNED EELS
Short finned eels (Anguilla australis) are one of the wonders of the
aquatic world, being one of the few fish that can live in both fresh and
salt water. A recent conversation with a Bushcarer led me to wonder
how many people are aware of the presence of these incredible
fish in Hobart’s reserves. Eels have been sighted in the waterways
running through Lenah Valley, McAulays and Cartwright Reserves.
Waterworks Dam is also a haven for eels.
Short finned eels are golden olive green in colour. Slime glands in
their skin help protect them from disease and also make it hard for a
predator (intent on eel for a meal!) to grasp them. These carnivorous
creatures possess an excellent sense of smell which is very useful
for hunting. Prey species are held firmly in the eel’s mouth by a row
of backward pointing teeth. They can travel overland for up to 48
hours to reach new habitat by reducing their oxygen requirements
and extracting oxygen from the water on their skin.
The most amazing feature of this creature is its ability to control the
internal balance of salt and water (osmoregulation); this enables it to
switch between fresh and salt water environments at different stages
of its lifecycle.
Although they spend most of their lives in fresh water they start and
finish their lives in the ocean. It is believed that short finned eels
spawn somewhere in the depths of the Coral Sea. The larvae look
like tiny see-through willow leaves and their life is dictated by ocean
currents, since at this stage they cannot actually swim. They drift
until they lose their leaf shape, becoming tiny transparent creatures
known as glass eels.
Swimming is now possible and in winter the glass eels head for the
coast, seeking fresh water sources that will lead them upriver. Soon
after locating freshwater they develop a digestive gut and assume
dark colouring, transforming into elvers. In spring the elvers start
to migrate upstream, heading for rivers, lakes, dams and estuaries
where they dwell for up to 20 years.
When they reach sexual maturity their fins grow larger, they lose the
ability to eat, their eyes almost double in size and they head back to
the ocean. After spawning the eels die, leaving the long journey back
to freshwater up to the next generation.
Bushcarers can play an important role in assisting the survival of
the short finned eel by helping to maintain healthy waterways and
reporting water pollution in Hobart’s reserves.
Sue Rae
Bushcare Operations Officer
A short finned eel moving overland. Photo Inland Fisheries
Number 46 Spring 2012
PLANT OF THE SEASON
Tetratheca
– pink bells or black-eyed Susan
Tetratheca is a genus of heathland plants endemic to Australia.
There are about 50 species distributed on sandy and gravelly
soils in south-western WA, and widely throughout the east from
southern Queensland to Tasmania and across to South Australia
and Kangaroo Island. Tasmania is home to five species – Tetratheca
ciliata, T. labillardierei, T. pilosa, and T. procumbens which also
occur in other eastern States, and Tetratheca gunnii, a critically
endangered species found only in Tasmania.
The pendulous flowers
of Tetratheca are pink
with a distinctive black
centre formed by four
black anthers. The name
is derived from the Greek
words tetra, meaning four
and theke meaning cases.
The cases refer to the
Tetratheca flowers showing the distinctive black anthers that hold the pollen.
centre. Photo: Dr Hannah McPherson
A particular and somewhat
peculiar feature of Tetratheca flowers are these anthers which have
a small pore at their end through which pollen is released. Although
the flowers hang down, gravity alone is not enough to release pollen
from such a small pore. Tetratheca reproduction therefore relies on
‘buzz pollination’ – requiring the sound vibrations from the buzzing of
native wasps that visit the flowers to dislodge pollen.
Most Tetratheca in eastern Australia have almost identical flowers
so species are identified by leaf shape and/or the different types
of hairs on the stems and leaves. In the bush the plants are small,
unremarkable and easily overlooked for much of the year but during
spring and summer the flush of pink flowers can be absolutely
spectacular. There are two distinctive species that grow in Tasmania:
Tetratheca labillardierei with large black glandular hairs all over it,
and T. procumbens which grows in tiny mats along the ground.
DNA studies have uncovered
an unexpected relationship
between Tetratheca and
the family Elaeocarpaceae,
comprising mostly large
rainforest
trees
and
shrubs. Tetratheca had
previously been thought to
be part of a different family
altogether. The rainforest T.procumbens at Ida Bay. Photo: Dr Hannah
Elaeocarpaceae probably McPherson
first evolved about 100-120
million years ago. Using DNA analyses it is estimated that Tetratheca
started to evolve into a host of new species about 20 million years
ago when Australia was rapidly drying out. In this age of great
concern about climate change, Tetratheca and its rainforest relatives
are being used to study how Australia’s plants have responded to
past climate change and how we can better manage our environment
into the future.
Dr Hannah McPherson
Number 46 Spring 2012
WEED OF THE SEASON
CHERRY LAUREL
Prunus species are deciduous shrubs and small trees that are widely
grown for their ornamental appeal and edible fruits such as plums,
apricots and nectarines. However, a particular species to avoid is the
invasive and poisonous cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus).
Cherry laurel is an evergreen shrub or small tree, originating from
eastern Europe and western Asia. It has been widely cultivated and
used in gardens, hedgerows and screenings. It is now a weed in the
UK, northern Europe, USA, NZ and parts of south-east Australia,
including Tasmania. It is known in gardens in the Fern Tree area
and has escaped into local bushland. The Fern Tree Bushcare
group have spent many years controlling primary and secondary
populations at Bower Reserve.
Cherry laurel is often referred to as common laurel as the leaves
are similar to that of the unrelated bay laurel (Laurus nobilis), which
are used in cooking. Cherry laurel grows to around seven metres in
height with grey-brown smooth bark.
The leaves are 9-18cm
long, glossy dark green
on the upper surface and
paler below. They are said
to have an almond smell
when crushed. Slender
clusters of small (3mm)
white flowers are produced
in spring. The dark glossy
purplish-black fruits are
about 12mm wide and oval
in shape.
Cherry laurel. Photo: John Sawbridge
The leaves, fruits and seeds of cherry laurel are poisonous,
containing cyanogenetic glycosides, that may result in cyanide
poisoning if eaten. Berries may be mistaken for other fruits, and stock
and pets should be kept away from any cuttings.
Cherry laurel is a hardy plant that will tolerate a range of conditions.
It grows quickly and inhabits wet forest, riparian areas and mountain
forests. It forms a thick cover that prevents sun light penetrating and
prohibits growth of more desirable trees, outcompeting natives with
shade tolerant seedlings. It is also tolerant of drought conditions.
Cherry laurel can be effectively controlled by herbicides. Glyphosate
can be applied to freshly cut stems and stumps. Ensure that all
suckering plants are treated. Follow up treatment may be required
if plants reshoot. Seedlings can be pulled out. Remember to take
care when handling plants. Wear gloves and wash thoroughly after
contact and remove and dispose of any plant material away from
children, pets or stock.
When considering plants for your garden, please don’t chose cherry
laurel, instead see your local nursery for alternatives.
Karen Stewart
Regional Weed Management Officer (South)
Invasive Species Branch DPIPWE Phone: 6233 3650
Email: [email protected]
TRAILPIECE
Sharing the Track - Implementing the Greater Hobart Mountain Bike Master Plan
Over the past decade, mountain biking has established itself as a
significant outdoor recreation activity, experiencing high growth
across Australia and the world. Hobart has seen especially high
levels of growth given the proximity to bushland areas, network of
tracks and established culture of outdoor recreation.
During 2011-12, The Greater Hobart Mountain Bike Master Plan
(The Master Plan) was developed as a collaborative approach
between Cycling South, the Wellington Park Management Trust and
the Clarence, Glenorchy, Hobart and Kingborough Councils. The
Master Plan was supported by the State Government through Sport
and Recreation Tasmania’s Trails and Bikeways Program.
At the start of the planning process a Working Group was established,
comprising key stakeholders such as land and track managers,
representatives from local bike riding and walking clubs as well as
individual riders. A broader Consultative Group was also formed
comprising a greater number of local bike riders and representatives
of stakeholders such as Bushcare groups, private operators, bike
shop representatives and horse riding groups. Additional consultation
also occurred with representatives of the walking fraternity and key
private landholders, along with the formal public exhibition period
during October 2011.
Both the Master Plan, and the broader Tasmanian Mountain Bike
Plan, recognise South Hobart and Wellington Park as amongst
the most popular riding destinations in the State. As a result, the
Master Plan places considerable emphasis on the management
and development of tracks in the Hobart Municipal area. The
recommendations include greater ‘shared use’ of existing tracks.
Generally, shared use tracks cater for family, entry level and cross
country mountain biking rather than the more specialist ‘down hill’
style of mountain biking. It is these same family and cross country
mountain biking opportunities that have been provided through the
existing shared use designations for the Pipeline Track (above Fern
Tree) and North South Track.
This trend is underpinned by a number of potential benefits, including:
• A greater empathy for reserved land arising from a broader community of tracks users and visitors.
• Reduced demand for new tracks due to greater use of the existing track network.
•
Lesser environmental impact and disturbance due to fewer tracks being necessary to cater for all users.
•
More efficient resource use as a broader range of track users can be accommodated on the same track network.
Council has not endorsed a policy whereby all tracks are to become
shared use. Rather, subject to the completion of risk management
works, and the development of a monitoring and evaluation program,
Council resolved to trial shared use on 4 tracks where bicycles are
currently prohibited, these being:
• Pipeline Track - McDermotts Saddle to Fern Tree.
• Huon Rd to Waterworks Link.
• Mount Stuart Track/Summit Loop, Knocklofty Reserve.
• Joggers Loop Link Track, Queens Domain.
Consistent with Council’s resolution, work is progressing to trial the
shared use of these tracks. Separate to these initiatives, Council
will also be working with the Wellington Park Management Trust to
pursue a number of other recommendations within the Master Plan
regarding shared use of tracks within Wellington Park. The Pipeline
Track was identified as a key family or ‘entry level’ mountain bike
opportunity, as well as providing a critical connection between the
Waterworks, Ridgeway Reserve and Fern Tree. Consistent with the
existing shared use designation of the Pipeline Track above Fern
Tree, work in preparation for the trial of shared use of the Pipeline
Track between McDermotts Saddle and Fern Tree is underway.
Many of the Council-managed tracks outside of Wellington Park have
no formal use designation. However, there is often a perception that
they are walking tracks – simply because many predate the sport of
mountain biking.
The ‘single use’ of tracks has been used as a blanket tool to manage
potential user conflict, and single use designations are likely to
remain where appropriate. This may include where:
• a more secluded walking experience is to be provided;
• specific high speed downhill trails are to be provided; and/or
• a track is physically unsuitable for shared use.
Number 46 Spring 2012
Any trial of shared use will require new signage, along with monitoring
of the usage, experience and potential impacts upon the Track. The
trial will be evaluated and subsequent recommendations made
to Council on whether shared use should become permanent, or
adopted more broadly. By undertaking
and evaluating a dedicated trial, Council
will be in a more informed position to
respond to future proposals for shared
use tracks.
For further information please contact
Matt Lindus on (03) 6238 2448 or email
[email protected]
Matt Lindus
HCC Park Planner