Phillip Island Conservation Society

The Penguin

Newsletter of Phillip Island Conservation Society - First Quarter,
March 2006

Dates for your Diary

Sat 18 March, PICS General Meeting, "Trees In, Weeds Out", slide talk with Mike Cleeland on running an Environment Business, followed by Meeting. 8.00 p.m. Meeting Room, Heritage Centre, Cowes.

Sat 19 March, Working Bee, Five Ways: weed removal and rubbish collection. 10 a.m., then the KCC after.

Sat March 25, PI Urban Landcare Practical Sustainability Seminar Series. "Indigenous Garden Design". Feel free to BYO plans for analysis and advice + bus tour. Base for the day will be Newhaven College Yr 9 Environment Centre. Enquiries and RSVP phone Lisa Wangman 5951 3318 ASAP.

Sat 1 April, Children's Environment Morning

Sat Apr 8, National Trust G.M. Kilcunda Hall, 3.30 p.m. for a 4.00 p.m. start

Sat 6 May, Children's Environment Morning (Final for 05-06 season)

Sat 20 May, Seasonal Walk, 2 p.m., Mangrove Walk, Rhyll walking trail. Come and learn about the fascinating world of the mangroves at mid-tide. Meet at Conservation Hill car park, 2 p.m.

Sat 24 June, PICS General Meeting

Sun 25 June, Working Bee, Red Rocks Coast Action Tree planting

Sat 19 August, Seasonal Walk

Sat 23 September, PICS General Meeting

Sun 24 September, Working Bee, Red Rocks Coast Action Tree planting

Sat 18 November, Seasonal Walk

Sat 13 January 2007, PICS AGM

Friends of Koalas (FOK)Habitat Days: First Sat of every month at 10 am. Contact Patsy Hunt ph 5952 2407

Koala Count at the Koala Conservation Centre, second Thursday of every month at 10 am. Contact Patsy Hunt ph 5952 2407

Biosphere - Bass Coast Round Table meets at San Remo on the third Friday of every month at 8 pm. Contact Neil Beddoe, ph 5952 1575.

Friends of Churchill Island (FOCIS): General Meetings: 28.1.06; 25.3.06; 27.5.06. 1 p.m., Conference Room, Visitors' Centre. Phone Sec Jill Fitzroy-Kelly: 5672 5235, or email: jillflk@dcsi.net.au

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Dear Members,

Our year has begun racing along at full title - the so-called "Holiday Season" at Phillip Island has been anything but that! A great many happy visitors - seemingly more than usual - and it's great to see so many happy people enjoying the natural delights of Phillip Island. After the Red Rocks Working Bee we had a small celebration to mark the completion of the upper part of the Penguin Rocks access boardwalk and stairway. If you happen to not be feeling energetic, just sit on the platform seat at the top of the stairs and enjoy the view of Western Port.

If you ARE feeling energetic, you will find lots of interesting walks in the book which was launched at Churchill Island recently. "Come for a Walk. Exploring Phillip Island" should be on every bookshelf on Phillip Island; it's full of interesting information and you can choose walks to match your level of fitness.

I was unable to attend the February Seasonal Walk, but the people who did greatly enjoyed Patsy Hunt's guided tour of the Oswin Roberts Reserve. Thank you Patsy for leading the walk, and thank you for the splendid photographic record which is kept by "Friends of Koalas".

We now have a TREASURER! So many thanks to Christine Grayden for volunteering for the job, and thanks to Gillian Collins who did the job before her. Christine is showing early signs of being a very good treasurer, as she keeps telling me I must not spend any money!

It's a very short first school term, so our next General Meeting comes on Saturday March 18th. Our Working Bee will be at Fiveways on Sunday 19th at 10 a.m. - usual thing: rubbish and weeds, then we will go to the KCC and have a look at the proposed site and early plans of the extended Visitor Centre.

With best wishes,

Margaret Hancock, President.

ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2005

Margaret Hancock, President:

It is my pleasure and my privilege to share in presenting the thirty seventh Annual Report of the Phillip Island Conservation Society Inc for the year ending 31/12/2005. Perhaps we could call it the "Year of the Fridge Magnet" as we've been continually "alert and alarmed"! And we have been BUSY.

The Committee has met regularly, PICS has been represented in various different groups, we've held the usual General Meetings and Working Bees, and, as 'light relief' the four Seasonal Walks - and what a joy they are! If you haven't already done it, make the third Saturday in February, May, August and November for a pleasant afternoon out - and NO WORK INVOLVED!

ENVIRONMENT GROUPS GET TOGETHER
A special "thank you" is due to Christine Grayden and Penny Manning for their splendid work in setting up the "Bass Coast Shire Council's Environment Groups Forum" at the Newhaven Hall in August. What a night that was! And how heartening as we heard speakers from many different environment groups in the Bass Coast Shire report on their particular areas of interest. We all share many frustrations, but PROGRESS IS BEING MADE in caring for our natural environment. Hopefully one of the mainland groups will host a similar function in 2006.

NATIONAL TRUST
Out of that evening has come the Bass Coast Branch of the National Trust. Some time ago, PICS was asked by the National Trust for assistance in updating their Landscape Classification data. The upshot is two-fold: first the establishment of the local branch of the National Trust and second the opportunity to be trained in Landscape Classification so that we can do the ground work, and the experts can come in at the end and formalize any recommendations which meet their criteria. The first training course will be held in February along the foreshore near Saltwater Creek!

COAST ACTION AT RED ROCKS
Tomorrow at the Working Bee at Red Rocks we will celebrate the completion of the upper section of the Beach Access stairway at Penguin Point. Then it's one more Grant Application to complete the lower section and we will be finished with actual building works at Red Rocks. It's very gratifying now to look at the results of our labours in this area - not many weeds, success with planting, and the increase in natural regeneration - so it's onwards in a westward direction and the mouth of Saltwater Creek is coming into view. We are particularly grateful to Bass Coasts' Derek Hibbert who organizes so much of the Coast Action work.

FIVEWAYS
Our other works project, "Fiveways", is now almost at the maintenance stage - yes, there's weeding to be done, and the interminable rubbish collection. But the planting is complete, except for the establishment of the heath which I'm hoping will be propagated at the Bush Bank this year. So let's hear about the Barb Martin Bush Bank:

BARB MARTIN BUSH BANK. Anne Davie - not available at time of printing. See next edition for update.

Of course we can't think of the Bush Bank without thinking about TREES - and trees lead to koalas, so here's news of the koalas and ancillary to koalas, FOK is also actively involved in "Clean Up Australia Day"

FRIENDS OF THE KOALAS. Patsy Hunt.
Our regular Habitat Days (1st Sat of each month) and Koala Counts (2nd Tues each month at KCC) continued in 2005. Habitat Days saw us working in Oswin Roberts Reserve weeding and removing guards, at the Bush Bank propagating and at the KCC treeplanting. We have good attendances at our Koala Counts but need more help with Habitat Days. FOK membership numbers remain strong. Koalas at the KCC are doing well while those on the 'outside' continue to struggle. We still get reports of koalas in Rhyll, Ventnor and occasionally, Cowes, but the continued pressure of development is having an adverse effect. FOK has commented on many development proposals that threaten habitat for koalas and other wildlife. We have also commented on proposed changes by Bass Coast Council to vegetation overlays which we see as a real threat to the area's remaining indigenous vegetation. We have had several meetings with VICROADS in an endeavour to lower speed limits and achieve better management of roadside vegetation. Our quarterly newsletter gives fuller details of our work.

One of the 'positives' of 2005 has been the Children's Environment Mornings run by Christine Grayden and John Eddy.

CHILDREN'S ENVIRONMENT MORNING, Christine Grayden, co-ordinator

The gap left by Gillian Armstrong as my helper has been filled for the time being by my husband John Eddy. However, since we both have heavy carer commitments, we would greatly appreciate someone else hopping in to help instead of John. I believe CEM is one of the most important things PICS does, as it is vital to give children a love of their environment when they are small. It is essential that we foster children to become the conservationists of the future. Of course the program also reaches their parents, and we haven't had a single negative comment from any who have attended.

Because the room hire is sponsored this season by Coastcare, we are having many 'watery' themes. We are extremely fortunate in having excellent speakers for the sessions, and the Meeting Room is an ideal venue. We continue to have good attendances - between 8 and 28 children plus adults. We would like to thank the Advertiser, the Phillip Island Library and Sun, Surf and Sand for publicity. We would also like to thank our speakers for 2005: Mike Cleeland (dinosaurs, and rocks and crystals), John Eddy (insects and pond life), Roaul Humbert (building materials), Robyn Stewart (Lizards - session run by Bruce Howe), Peter Dann (penguins), Jack Austin (shells), Mat Coburn (what scuba divers see).

THE PENGUIN NEWSLETTER Christine Grayden, Editor (with John Eddy)

John and I have had another fascinating year writing up and editing The Penguin, continuing our emphasis on local stories and PICS' activities, making it more of a record of our achievements as well as an organ for advertising upcoming events. My thanks to John for writing up notes at PICS events so that I have good material to work with when writing Penguin articles. Thanks also to the many people who have taken the trouble to email, phone or stop me in the street to say how much they enjoy each edition. Even so, we are always open to suggestions. I would personally like more members to opt to receive their Penguin by email, to cut down paper, printing and postage costs; though I know not all committee members agree with me. If anyone has skills in publisher programs and has suggestions on making The Penguin physically smaller with a different format, I'd like to hear from them. Thanks also to Margaret Hancock and anyone else who has contributed articles during the year. All contributions on local issues and events are welcome. Please note that we rarely have room for anything off-island.

Another 'Once-Off' in 2005 was our filing weekend in the Parish Hall in June. We probably need to have another this year to complete the job - yes, we DO have a lot of records - AND WE NEED THEM.

PICS HISTORY, Margaret Hancock
2008 comes closer by the minute - PICS 40th Anniversary Year, and, I hope, the publishing of THE HISTORY. Book publishing is no easy task. It takes hard work plus money. Christine Grayden has done and is doing a great deal of work in collecting and collating information, and, for the past ten years or so I have endeavoured to use the Annual Report as a 'snapshot' of the year's activities (YES, that is why the Annual Report is always SO LONG). Now we've reached the point where decisions have to be made. In what form is the History to be published? Where's the money coming from? YES: it's time for a COMMITTEE. Whether you are actually listening to this report at the AGM or reading it in The Penguin, please consider three things: is book writing/editing/production one of your skills? Or could you give FINANCIAL SUPPORT? It's heartening that the Public Fund is established and is beginning to grow. This is one possible use for it. OR are you skilled in chasing up GRANTS? All sorts of funding is available provided one knows where to look.

PLANNING, Margaret Hancock
In 1968 "Save Wildlife Today for Tomorrow" was chosen as the PICS motto, which sounds pleasantly 'warm and fuzzy'. But of course, if we are to save wildlife for today -let alone tomorrow - we have to have somewhere for it to live. And to have somewhere for the wildlife to live we have to protect and enhance habitat in perpetuity. If we haven't got the land and marine protection right we can say "Goodbye" to the wildlife. So 'Save Wildlife Today for tomorrow' comes down to basic hard slog - GET THE PLANNING RIGHT, and the rest will follow.

PICS took an active part in the three day Amendment hearing for the Isle of Wight. Of course it wasn't just for the hotel but for the Cowes Foreshore as well. We are grateful to PICS member TERRY NOTT for appearing as an Expert Witness.

In accordance with the recommendations of the Design Framework Amendment C43 was proposed to re-zone the Rural Land opposite the Cowes Golf Club and adjacent to the Industrial Estate to "Residential". The Phillip Island Nature Park, WESBOC & PICS all contributed to the discussion at this Hearing, and we hope for a good result for the land in question and for the RHYLL INLET. The decision should be received some time in March.

A long ongoing area of dispute which has serious implications for the Rhyll Inlet is THE TIP. (When the PICS history is published, one of the contentious issues which will appear early in the piece is the tip). Well, the TIP has now come under the control of the Phillip Island Nature Park (acting on behalf of DSE). It is to be closed, rehabilitated, and then become integrated into the Nature Park. What a great project that will be. Meantime BCSC is considering the location of a TRANSFER STATION and separate area to handle GREEN WASTE: something PICS has been suggesting for years!

The Design Framework has been adopted by BCSC and slowly - far too slowly - the Amendments are beginning to come forward for its incorporation into the Planning Scheme. The first of these, relating to Cowes, will soon be on PUBLIC EXHIBITION - please have your say.

The Vegetation Protection Overlay also is under review: something which causes alarm bells to ring! The Shire's Planning Department appears to be of the opinion that the only vegetation worthy of protection will be VERY BIG INDIGENOUS TREES - so, watch for the Public Notice Advertisements about the Vegetation Protection Overlays.

FOK & PICS are contesting the Boomerang 'Supermarket' proposal as it involves the removal of numerous valuable trees. Hopefully we can work with the proponent to save the valuable eucalypts on the Hollydene Church St boundary without having recourse to VCAT. During the meeting this evening we will discuss the Linfox Golf Course/Resort Development proposed for the South Coast - subdivision by stealth which flies in the face of the Design Framework and the Victorian Coastal Strategy.

PHILLIP ISLAND NATURE PARK, Margaret Hancock
PICS is represented at meetings of the Interest Group with PINP Management. We also have reps on the Community Advisory Committee, and the Environment Committee. As you are well aware the present State Government's decision that the SRVA building at Point Grant shall be repaired and handed to the PINP to manage has not solved the basic problem that the building should JUST NOT BE THERE. So - what to do with it? This is one of the issues to be tackled when the new PINP Management Plan comes up for discussion. This is something which will happen very soon - so, PLEASE HAVE YOUR SAY…

COMMITTEE, Margaret Hancock
Now, as I come to the end of this Report, it is time to say 'thank you' to two people who have done sterling work for PICS.

First, Bruce Howe, who has been such a meticulous "keeper of the Minutes" - probably the least glamorous and the most important job in any Committee. I once heard it said that "Minutes are letters to an unknown judge" - how true that is, and how grateful I am personally, and we are as an organisation, to Bruce for his diligence. We look forward to his participation in other PICS activities, if not the Committee.

And then Gillian Collins, a splendid Treasurer, Red Rocks Coast Action Co-ordinator, representative on the Port of Hastings Committee - and one of those people with seemingly bundles of energy who is all ready to 'have a go' - thank you Gillian.

I am always grateful for the wisdom which Marg & Greg Johnson have to share with us, and it is VERY HELPFUL to have a Secretary who lives in Melbourne and can deal with so many matters on the spot. And of course we congratulate Greg on his re-election as Mayor of Nillumbik - how fortunate that municipality is to have a Mayor so well versed in planning processes!

So we come to the end of a very busy year, and already are launched into a busier one. AND we are going to make sure that we do "Save Wildlife Today for Tomorrow".

Margaret Hancock, President, 14.1.2006.

NATIONAL TRUST LANDSCAPE ASSESSMENT TRAINING

On February 11th Dr Juliet Bird conducted a training workshop at the Cowes Civic Centre on the methodology of preparing submissions for National Trust Landscape Classification.

The workshop was attended by Greg Johnson and Ross Lloyd of PICS, members of the newly formed Bass Coast branch of the National Trust, and other interested members of the local community.

Dr Bird explained that until recently the emphasis of The Trust was in Classification and protection of pristine natural landscapes with minimum evidence of modification by human activity. It is now becoming increasingly important to consider the value of "Cultural Landscapes" or human modified landscapes.
This is because:

.Natural Landscapes are often only accessible to fit young and adventurous members of the community.
· Natural Landscapes are often in remote locations and travel results in excessive use of fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions.
· Natural Landscapes are often in danger of being degraded by excessive numbers of visitors i.e. Wilson's Promontory, so alternatives are required to reduce the pressure of over use.
· Cultural Landscapes are often also of high aesthetic value and great natural beauty.
· Cultural Landscapes are like books and provide a record of history and human activity in that area.
· Cultural Landscapes generally provide recreational opportunities closer to home.
· As the population ages and has more leisure time a greater number of recreational locations will be required and more new Cultural Landscapes will assist in meeting this need.
· Cultural Landscapes can be more user-friendly to older less fit members of the community.
· Rural Landscapes provide a range of ecosystem benefits ranging from wildlife conservation to clean water.

With these issues in mind the National Trust has formulated a standard method of landscape assessment that considers:

The Type of Landscape that is defined as being Cultural, Linear, Natural or Regional.
The Aesthetic, Historic, Social, Spiritual, and Scientific value of aspects of the landscape.

It is then possible to determine its significance as being either "International" "National" "State" "Regional" or "Local".

Dr Bird explained the format of this procedure with the aid of examples of Trust landscape assessments for areas such as Bells Beach and Tower Hill.

Because of staff and time constraints The National Trust has limited resources to adequately conduct landscape classification so Dr Bird encouraged the Bass Coast Branch of The Trust and any other members of the local community to prepare and submit Landscape Assessments to the executive of the National Trust for consideration and possible Trust Classification.

Ross Lloyd.

PICS HISTORY UPDATE

With 2008 looming as PICS 40th birthday, and therefore designated as the publishing year for the PICS history, I have kick-started the research and writing from where I left off some eight years ago. Seeing a need to fit events on Phillip Island into a national and chronological context, I have been researching the history of the environment movement in Australia, including some detailed research on colonial era practices, known as 'imperial ecology'.

Whilst doing this I unearthed the unusual origin of Phillip Island's foreshore reserve, which does not originate with a Land Act as I had suspected, but with the ambitions of the Acclimatisation Society which, in 1863 had approval given for a half mile strip to be reserved around the whole edge of the island, thus acting as a 'buffer' zone against interlopers who might interfere with the birds and animals released here during McHaffies' occupation. Their wish to have the island permanently reserved for acclimatization purposes failed, but in September 1878 what was left of the reserve was permanently reserved for 'recreation' and 'public purposes', although the original designation for acclimatization purposes had not been revoked by the time Wright did his research on this topic in 1980.

My next step is to read through the minutes from where I left off in 1998 and type up extracts around the four themes I have already chosen and written about to draft form: Wildlife and Habitat, Foreshores, Planning and Public Participation. I have lots of source material, including excellent minutes and correspondence, the cuttings file, and scores of files, which are now far better sorted thanks to the many people who helped on the 'Sorting and Filing' Queen's Birthday weekend last year. Another similar weekend needs to occur to sort the rest. In fact, the enormous amount of source material is what makes the job so challenging, and I may in fact end up limiting my use of it to certain categories.

Anyone with an interest in the history of the conservation movement on Phillip Island, and who may wish to help - searching files or interviewing people, for example - are welcome to contact me. Christine Grayden, ph 5956 8501. cgrayden@waterfront.net.au

SPRING SEASONAL WALK
With Patsy Hunt through the Oswin Roberts Reserve, 18.2.06

This most enjoyable walk was conducted on a perfect afternoon and shared by five participants. We headed down the main track on the eastern side, past the first Friends of Koalas plantings in 1990, now well covered with substantial trees. Understorey is dominated by Hop Goodenia in this first stage of the walk and we mused as to whether it is advisable to plant any more given the plant's colonizing ability. A little further along, habitat planting by the Cowes 1st Scout Group in 1994 is clearly marked , and we were impressed by the size of blue gums. Later, Patsy pointed out fenced-off areas that had been planted out in 1994 and 1998. Fencing was done to exclude wallabies to prevent them grazing the young trees. The growth of planted trees and natural regrowth has been so successful, fencing could now be removed, and since 2000, planting has ceased for the time being.

The woodland consists mainly of Manna Gums, Blue Gums, Black Wattles, Blackwoods, with Bracken or Goodenia dominating the understorey and Lomandra and Lepidosperma also present. Further north, grasses like Wallaby Grass, Tussocky Poa and Weeping Grass provide groundcover. In some areas, Wonga Vine clings to the trees, and the parasitic Mistletoe and Dodder are evident. Swamp Paperbark becomes dominant in low-lying areas, and there are patches of Sweet Bursaria, and Leucopogon along the way.

Mattock-wielding Maurice grubbed gorse and thistles as we went. Weed control has been very effective in recent years, due to the persistent work of volunteers removing Pittosporum, gorse, thistles and ragwort. Bridal creeper has been controlled by spraying in the south portion of the reserve.

A diverse range of fauna can be seen in the Reserve, despite koalas now being rare. We saw not a one, but among our bird list were pardalotes, grey fantails, blue wrens, grey thrush, wattlebirds, swamp harrier and several honeyeater species. Many wallabies bounded off as we approached, but often stopped a safe distance away allowing us a good look at them. The highlight (at least for some of us!) was sighting two large copperhead snakes on the track at close range. Our progress was often accompanied by dragonflies darting, brown butterflies floating by and grasshoppers leaping away. The number of ants' nests in and around the track was also commented on, and a colony of spiny spiders drew our attention, poised in the middle of their webs. Patsy enthused about the recent sightings of a Powerful Owl in the Reserve. Regrettably, foxes still need controlling (recently a den with two young cubs was discovered) and patches of white sand with coloured ribbons on nearby branches mark the location of recent fox bait traps.

We were grateful for the seats placed at several spots along the track. At one of these rest stops, some relevant memoirs of long-time conservationist and PICS life member Keith Grayden were read out. They mentioned the regular fires deliberately lit in the area that is now the reserve in the 1940s and 50s, and the way public opinion was mobilized to produce a real cultural shift in the attitudes to "burning off" on Phillip Island. Some remnants of old tree stumps seen throughout the Reserve are undoubtedly relics of those days.

We returned to the car park via the track on the western side of the Reserve, past the area where pines were removed about 20 years ago. Further along the track winds through a swampy area dominated by Swamp Paperbark, making a nice contrast with the previous woodland. Our experience of this fascinating walk were soured a little by the discovery of garden rubbish dumped in the car park area.

However, overall this was a most enjoyable and invigorating walk, and we are grateful to Mrs Oswin Roberts for the donation of much of this Reserve, and for the paid workers and volunteers who have improved and maintained it over the years.

John Eddy

PLANNING ISSUES

VCAT HEARINGS
Friday 10th March 2.15 p.m. at Cowes Cultural Centre, Bass Coast Shire, PICS and members Ross LLOYD and Marcus TARRANT will be supporting the Shire Council's decision to refuse a three level house in Penguin Ave.

Monday 10th April and Tuesday 11th April at 10 a.m. at 55 King St Melbourne. PICS, FOK, with others will be objecting to the proposed supermarket on the Boomerang Caravan Park site as the proposal includes extensive removal of mature indigenous vegetation.

OTHER PLANNING ISSUES
1. Supermarket on the "Hollydene" site: PICS is fighting to save the two large indigenous eucalypts on the Church St frontage.

2. Gullaren: sub-division at corner of Smiths Beach & Back Beach Rds. PICS contested this subdivision at VCAT, and the Tribunal directed at mediation that a Whole Farm Plan should be prepared and carried out before the subdivision could proceed. Landcare has prepared the plans, but the owner has yet to carry them out, so we await developments.

3. Linfox: proposed golf course with associated housing development: PICS has lodged an objection as this proposal is against the Design Framework and various Victorian Coastal Policies.

WATCH OUT: Various Planning Scheme Amendments will be advertised in coming weeks. PLEASE MAKE YOUR COMMENT.

SITUATIONS VACANT

1. RED ROCKS COAST ACTION CO-ORDINATOR: With back-up from Derek Hibbert from Bass Coast Shire, you will meet with him several times per year to determine funding needs (Landcare writes the submissions), advertise working bees, collect trees, tools, bags, etc, from Derek prior to working bees and summon the volunteers. With so much excellent work done by 3 previous co-ordinators, your job will be a breeze; but necessary nevertheless. Living near Red Rocks is not necessary.

2. MINUTES SECRETARY: Our M.S. of many years, Bruce Howe, must retire, so we need someone who is able to attend General, AGM and Committee Meetings to take our minutes and distribute them as needed. Could be job-shared by 2 people. Meetings are quite orderly, so the task is not so difficult.

Anyone who thinks they would like to tackle any of these positions is asked to contact Margaret Hancock ph/fax 5052 2557, or Christine Grayden ph 5956 8501; email: cgrayden@waterfront.net.au as soon as possible.

MEMBERSHIP NOTES

Welcome to our new members and thanks to all of those members who have renewed and to those who have donated, either to our general fund or to our Public Fund. All of this helps to keep the wheels turning. If you have recently paid your subscriptions, which are due at the AGM in January, your receipt will be enclosed with the posted newsletter.

Download the Membership Renewal Form and send it in today if you have not renewed your subscription, or if you want to become a new member.The Public Fund donation form can be downloaded for your contribution to this fund. Feel free to share these with a friend or neighbour. Donors to the Public Fund will soon also receive a Tax Receipt which can be used for claiming purposes for the 2005-06 financial year. PICS 'books' have now been audited by John Batty, and a copy of the auditor's statement is attached to the hardcopy of the newsletter, available in the Cowes Library.

Any enquiries to: Christine Grayden, Treasurer, ph 5956 8501, or email me on cgrayden@waterfront.net.au

RED ROCKS NEWS

Bass Coast Shire's Coastcare Co-ordinator, Derek Hibbert informs us that the Shire is prepared to fund a mail-out to all Red Rocks residents, asking directly for their support for the Red Rocks Coastcare project. Red Rocks is the only one of the many Coastcare projects now running which does not have local support, so this move is certainly timely! The mail-out will occur later in autumn, prior to the winter and spring working bees, which will be planting days, as some 500 plants have been ordered for Red Rocks area. PICS members are, of course, most welcome to attend!

PICS CONTACTS

President: Margaret Hancock ph/fax 5952 2557

Newsletter editors: Christine Grayden & John Eddy ph 5956 8501; Email: cgrayden@waterfront.net.au

Previous online issues of The Penguin are: