Earthcare News
January 2001
Seagrass
Seastar Seajelly
Seahorse Seaweed
Nudibranch
Discover the Hidden
Treasures
of
St Kilda Harbour
Sunday 18th February
12noon 4pm
Presented
by Earthcare St Kilda and Coast Action/Coastcare.
Report on
Seagrass in the St Kilda Harbour,
Distribution
of information booklet about the flora and fauna of the harbour
Display of
many underwater photographs
Paintings
of fish by Peter Baird
Coast
Action/Coastcare display and organised childrens activities
contact
Zoe at zoemh@bigpond.com or 0402 164 482
Parks Victorias new address
Level 10, 535 Bourke
Street
Melbourne, Victoria
3000
Ph: 131963 Fax 9629 5563
Water Quality Testing,
Sometime On
Sunday 4th
February
Ph 9885 2310 for exact time
Cowderoy Creek, West
Beach, St Kilda
corner Beaconsfield Parade
and Pier Road
YOUR MEMBERSHIP IS DUE
Pay up today, or else
Many Earthcare people no longer have
current memberships and soon will no longer
be
able to receive the many benefits associated with being a member.
It couldn't be easier, just fill out the
form on the back of the newsletter, and post it to
Earthcare, PO Box 287 Elwood, 3184.
Or come to the next Earthcare meeting and
pay in person to any Committee member
Just $30.00 family or $20.00 dollars
individual
Help us to help the environment
Please make cheques payable to Earthcare,
Got
those post Christmas Blues?
Weed them out at West
Beach
Friday January 19th
10.30am - 12noon
Come down and join Jo and
Zo, Friday mornings for
The Juncus Eradication Programme.
Cheaper and more rewarding
than any gym, and fun too.
Bring digging tools, long
sleeves, hat and sunscreen.
Have a swim after if the
weather suits.
Whats On
January
19th, Juncus Eradiction Programme, West Beach. 10.30-12noon
January
20th, Friends of Port Melbourne Foreshore working bee. Sandridge
Beach Port Melbourne, 9.30am till 12pm
Details Janet Bolitho 9645 2269
January
21st, Penguin Research, Start St Kilda Pier, 9pm. Details Angela
9527 8334
January
21st, Friends of Sandy Railway, Watering. Riddell Pde Footbridge
10am
January
21st, Friends of Westgate Park, Working bee 4-8pm Details Naomie
9387 9041
January
25th, Earthcare meeting, Catch up. 7.30pm The EcoCentre in gardens
February
4th, Water Quality Testing. Cowderoy Creek, West Beach, St Kilda.
9885 2310
February
4th, Penguin Research, Start St Kilda Pier, 9pm Details Angela 9527
8334
February
18th, Friends of Sandy Railway, Watering. Riddell Pde Footbridge
10am
Febuary
18th Launch Seagrass Report,
12noon-4pm The EcoCentre Contact Zoe 0402 164 482
February
18th Friends of Westgate
Park, Working bee 4-8pm Details Naomie 9387 9041
February
18th, Friends of Port Melbourne Foreshore working bee. Sandridge
Beach, Port Melbourne. 9.30am - 12.00pm
Details Janet Bolitho 9645 2269
February
22nd, Earthcare meeting, adventures of Seagrass Research group and
their future. The EcoCentre, 7.30pm
Earthcare Ph:0500 832 784
Postal PO Box 287 Elwood, 3184
The
EcoCentre Ph 9209 6491 Corner of Blessington and Herbert St, St Kilda
Natural Resource Management meeting with Josie Dujmovic and Melissa Francis.
On
November 30th 2000, Earthcare hosted an important discussion with
Josie Dujmovic and Melissa Francis from City of Port Phillip council.
Josie
began by describing how council manages natural resource areas.
Performance
is assessed against specifications, a hierarchy of sites of significance e.g.
St Kilda Botanic Gardens first. The community expects clean healthy and safe
sites. Further down the scale of performance are weeds, holes in the ground,
irrigation, mulch etc.
Josie
would like more community input to find out what we are thinking. There is an
annual audit of larger parks but the more ephemeral things are forgotten.
The
meeting was then opened to all, and got a little heated.
How
can Earthcare impress upon council the urgency of the situation in poorly
maintained indigenous sites?
Josie; there was a boom in planting indigenous sites in the last 10
years, can it be sustained?
Does
council want a lose its10 years work, and community time? Is monitoring
working, is it frequent enough?
The
continual problem of balance between the council's corporate goals and cost of
its environmental priorities was raised with the suggestion that more lobbing
of councilors could help.
The
excel management practices was questioned - There are resource problems. Since
amalgamation of councils, plus contracting, staff levels has been decreased
from 120 to 40 to 35 to 8. The record keeping system has been abolished due to
overwork so nothing can be analyzed. Excel just makes a site look nice
remove
the rubbish, pull out the big weeds, and moves on.
Josie
and Melissa do continuous monitoring but Excel just employs casuals for a week
to try and catch up when things get out of hand and moves on. Spot fires but
no management.
We need a yearly monitoring plan.
Excel
workers should match community work.
The
contractor must have a plan and know what they are doing.
Earthcare
and other friends groups must work with the council
Council
must go to sites with friends groups and find out what needs to be done.
Report
back to Josie and Melissa on a formalised regular basis.
Have
some say in gang jobs at the end of each month
We need an agenda for future vegetation in CoPP
A Revue of habitat areas, and an analysis of where we want to go.
Commission an independent group to do this and get input from community groups.
Create plans, cost them and acquire grants.
A verbal agreement was made for one or two Earthcare members to accompany council staff on a tour of sites.
Since
this meeting, Earthcare members have been meeting with Josie and Melissa, and
it has been found that the Excel contract has been poorly written, and will not
allow an enforcement of their obligations. It has been decided to organize
several days during the year with Australian Trust for Conservation Volunteers
to alleviate any immediate problems before they get beyond control.
Want a say in Earthcare's Future?
Earthcare's
annual General meeting is in March (shifted from February)
With
it is the election of the committee. All positions will be up for grabs.
To
nominate, speak to an existing committee member, the sooner the better.
President:
Alison Rowe alisonr@dolphinonline.com.au
Vice-President
:Josephine Samuel-King Josephine_sk@hotmail.com
Secretary:
Alison Strachan kingcasey@one.net.au
Earthcare
Earthcare is a practical, local environment group. We work
closely with specialists and the Council to improve the environment in the City
of Port Phillip.
Our main projects are to increase the diversity and extent of native
vegetation, the fortnightly penguin and rakali study groups, litter and water
quality monitoring, underwater studies of the St Kilda Harbour, the nest box
project and sustainable housing.
Membership includes the monthly newsletter, admission to
talks by guest speakers, access to specialist project groups, and participation
in local plantings.
Its a great way to study local ecologies, with or without
formal qualifications while giving something to our community.
Tel. 05 008 32784 http://www.vicnet.net.au/~earthcare
Membership or Renewal Form
Membership of Earthcare St. Kilda Inc. is per
calendar year, February to January.
Membership includes a monthly newsletter and
information about coming events.
I wish to join Earthcare St. Kilda Inc.
$20 individual
$30 family I wish to make a
donation $
Please return completed form to PO Box 287 Elwood
3184
Name
..New Renewal
Address
..
Suburb/City
..P/Code
Phone Number
email
.
My special interest is
..
How did you hear about us?