|
The drought we had to have?
|
The continuing drought has lead to the imposition of an unprecedented level of water restrictions, not just in South Australia, but elsewhere as well.
It has also lead to a vigorous community debate over the sustainable use of water resources and the likely impacts of future climate change.
While the State Government has for several years been actively promoting policy change through its Waterproofing Adelaide strategy, the present drought conditions provide a good opportunity to undertake bold new policy initiatives and actions.
When conditions are more benign, there is more public complacency; now that the situation has become more drastic, the public is more likely to support policy-makers in tackling necessary and difficult issues, such as retaining the Cheltenham Racecourse site for urban stormwater harvesting.
| POTENTIAL: A view of part of the Cheltenham Racecourse site.
Andrew Winkler
The plantings on National Tree Day this year have received a lot of follow-up work - all the plants have been protected by tree-guards and, because of the very dry conditions, have been watered three times so far.
The survival rate up till now has been quite good and more work will be undertaken over the summer to ensure that this continues.
There have been some problems with the perimeter fence of the site being cut in several places, but the CVA team has undertaken the necessary repair work. It is likely that there will be some additional funding from the AMLR NRM Board which will help to pay for more CVA work at the site next year.
The final report of the Remnant Patawalonga Creek Fauna Survey carried out by Nick Crouch and Mel Rees in 2003-04 has recently been published and it is available on CD-ROM in PDF format.
| SAVED: This bearded dragon was handed over the fence by a man walking his dogs, who wanted it protected from his "feral pets".
Michael Wilson has been restoring AAL's nursery, which will be used to propagate around 1000 seedlings for next year's National Tree Day plantings.
The Patawalonga Creek Management Plan is under review and Laura Fearnley is currently conducting a survey of our opinions regarding past and future works at the site. She would like responses back by 10 November - if you would like to be included, please contact Laura on 8308 9213 or at lfearnley@aal.com.au for a copy of the survey form if you haven't received one so far.
Renae Eden of Delta Environmental Consulting has put together a Google Calendar for events at Patawalonga Creek. This Google Calendar can also be accessed via the FoPC Activities webpage.
Recent discussions have tended towards a consensus that FoPC should become a sub-group within the Friends of Gulf St Vincent group.
The notion of establishing an Environment Resource Centre in the west has not drawn a very strong response so far. We have had the offer of the use of a room at the Grange Community Centre and some volunteer interest.
The situation may change with the setting up of the new Port of Adelaide Branch of the National Trust over the past few months. This branch has already attracted nearly 60 members, making it the largest branch in the State; it aims to work with existing groups and to concentrate on playing an advocacy role.
The National Trust's interests span natural and indigenous as well as built heritage; and since the recent inclusion of the Pat Creek paperbarks on the Trust's Register of Significant Trees, we have been establishing greater connections. It may even be possible to ultimately set up shared offices.
|
Curry Nights' increasing popularity
|
Attendance figures at our Curry Nights keep on rising - over 70 people came to our August event to listen to Dr Douglas Bardsley speak on the impacts of climate change.
The next Curry Night will be on November 11th, with Prof. Chris Daniels speaking on urban biodiversity in Adelaide. Dr Daniels is the lead author of the award-winning Adelaide: Nature of a City, which was published at the end of last year. The book contains articles from over 80 contributors (including FoGStV's Pat Harbison) and copies will be available for purchase after his talk.
Dr Daniels is an excellent speaker and the talk is sure to draw a good crowd - because of the increasing numbers we do need more volunteers to assist with catering.
If you can spare even an hour or two to help, please call Andrew on 8234 1420 (after 7 pm, and please leave a message if I'm not home) or 8408 1277 on the actual day.
|
Friends of Gulf St Vincent
|
www.chariot.net.au/~littoral/fogsv/index.htm
The next FOGStV Community Forum (to be followed by the AGM) will be held at the Maslins Beach Community Hall on Saturday November 25th, from 10am - 4pm. The forum is being sponsored by the Coast Protection Branch of SA Department of Environment & Heritage and supported by several active local groups. The program, which includes lunch, is still being finalised.
Our President, Pat Harbison, is still in hospital following an accident last month in which she broke her leg. She is making a good recovery and hopes to be able to come to the forum and AGM.
The events held during South Australian Living Arts Week in August were well attended - about 150 people came to the launch of the Sea Eagle sculpture and the Sea of Flags at Grange. There has been a lot of interest by people in purchasing the FoGStV flag to fly on their boats - there is an order form in the latest issue of Blue Swimmer, which can be downloaded from the FoGStV website. There was also a very good turnout at the launch of the Fishing boxes and Jetty Culture display at the Henley Community Centre.
| LIFE=LIKE: The eagle's eyes were made by renowned Kangaroo Island glass artist Bernard Stonor.
FoGStV also put in a submission to the LMC's public consultation regarding the proposed sale of the Cheltenham Racecourse. Our position is that the site offers one of the last remaining opportunities in the western metro area for treating substantial quantities of stormwater runoff for aquifer storage and recovery - on the order of 500 megalitres per year.
With the drought conditions we are currently experiencing and the widespread media and political debate over the future impacts of climate change, it may be that the strong community opposition to the sale of the land for residential housing does have a chance of success.
Saturday 11 November: Curry & Casserole Night
Fundraiser for FoPC & the Western Adelaide Environment Resource Centre.
6:30pm Meal:Cost: $15 ($10 Friends, S/P/U)
8:00pm Guest speaker: Professor Christopher B. Daniels
(Zoology, Urban Ecology & Evolutionary Physiology)
Discipline of Environmental Biology,
School of Earth and Environmental Sciences,
University of Adelaide
Topic: Adelaide: Nature of a City
(attendance at talk only is welcome Free)
To be announced: (We are still looking for a new home.)
The purpose of the meetings is generally to discuss the work program for the coming workday and other on-going projects.
Workdays:
Pat Creek:
Sunday 5 November, from 10 am. Regular workday
Meet at the busstop (18B) on West Beach Road (west of Tapleys Hill Road,
opposite Atlantic Avenue and adjacent to the Creek and the silt ponds).
Henley & Grange Dunecare have workdays on the second Sunday of each month at the nursery in Atkin Street, Henley Beach, at 10 am.
CREATED BY:
|
LINKED TO:
| |
|
 Ground Truth:
towards an
environmental history
of South Australia
|
|
