What plans for the rest of 2010 in Norfolk's environment work?

Landcare has plenty to keep us busy for the rest of 2010. Providing the showers of rain continue and we don't get a prolonged dry patch; the next 3-4 meets will be taken up with further tree planting at Cockpit in the C1 region. For ease of identification; some time back we named the different areas C1 is the closest section to Harpers Road and the two bridges along to the ridge. C2 is from this area around to the bank above the creek. C3 is the stretch on the other side of the ridge down to the next creek corner and C4 is the section around this corner to where the fence ends on the slopes above Cockpit waterfall. R1 is Rubys Glen. There is plenty of maintenance of needed in all sections of Cockpit so as it drys off we will get into that.







The Conservator Peter Davidson has kindly agreed to add the Headstone Monument area (which we rehabilitated in partnership with Westpac ) to the rest of the Headstone Reserve and from now on it will be mown by the Forestry Dept when they do the rest of the area. Thankyou Peter and the Forestry team for taking this over.






Sometime down the track we have agreed to assist in planting within the Ball Bay Reserve. This is unlikely to be this year as there is plenty of fencing and clearing to get done beforehand. We are very happy that work will eventually be done in this reserve. Around 2007 we put a proposal to the Government for the rehabilitation of the coastal end of this reserve. In discussions with the Boral representative who has bulk tanks in the area; a suggestion was made that a cattlestop with gates should be put adjacent to the end of the fuel depot tanks and fencing done to the boundaries either side. It was suggested that eventually Norfolk will be made to comply with Australian regulations for safe discharge of fuels and that we may need to provide a closed port when fuel or gas was being discharged from the carrier ships. It would also allow us to block cattle from the very badly eroded slopes and to do some beautification planting. We proposed planting a line of pines down the seaward side edge of te old road. The steep slope from the old road to the new one below and the new road to the base of the hill would be planted with flax and with pandanus (which used to be found there years ago). Random trees would be planted elsewhere at agreeable locations. The Gas Centre was also agreeable to assist in funding an improved viewing platform. We had some adjoining land owners willing to do work on their land sections at the same time to compliment the work we were going to do.






The new Conservator/Planning Officer (at that time a combined position) stated that he and the Environment Minister felt that our organisation already had enough on and they didnt think we would be able to adequately continue the maintenance it would require. The changes proposed were low maintenance - their reasons never rang true at all. They would not give us permission to do the project requested and it went nowhere. The area today is still in the same state - industrial look around the foreshore; inadequate and unsafe viewing platform and hillsides in a terrible state of erosion.


Hopefully this will change when the whole reserve is fenced and work commences.