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.
It doesnt take long for National Tree Day to roll around again. Fortunately this year we have had lots of rain showers and the long dry is over. The dry caused us to lose about 75% of the trees planted in the last National Tree Day. It was decided that we would try and replace the trees lost by a public planting to celebrate Planet Earth's National Tree Day.
Around 25 of members and the public came for the plantings. A total of 100 trees were put in the ground. Thankyou to all who assisted in this event with digging holes, carrying trees and planting. The area planted was very steep and being a mountain goat would have had its advantages. Nonetheless; the holes were dug and trees planted. Well done yorlye
Mid June we were upset to find out that persons unknown had had a bonfire at Cockpit (which incidentally is not permitted in Reserves) and that this fire had obviously spread and had scorched and partially burnt the memorial seat of Janelle Patons put there in her honour and also destroyed the pallet box and whitewood tree that was also planted in her honour. I sent an enraged letter to the Norfolk Island Police and the Conservator. Coincidentally; the Police were about to go on radio for their regular weekly chat and so mentioned the incident and how disappointed we all were and asked for information from the public.
To his credit a young man came forward who had been at the bonfire. He told us that he had left before the bonfire was out and thought that all the others had as well. The bonfire unattended had spread and got to the seat and tree. He was horrified that the damage had occured and wanted to right the damage. Despite ribbing from his mates; he did turn up at the next meeting and assisted in constructing a new pallet protection box and planting a new whitewood tree. We are proud of him for doing so. The seat was not badly damaged but was taken away by Cascade Joinery and repaired at no cost. It has been reinstated at the site. Thankyou to these people for righting this accidental damage.
Late in May 2010 it was decided to have a cleanup of Harpers Road which is the other road used by the buses for cruise ship shuttles. Harpers Road had never been done on the Roadside Cleanup before probably because there are few houses along it and so it was heavily infested with woody weeds.
Only a handful of people turned up and worked but they did accomplish quite a stretch of road considering. It was a great job done and the people assisted should be proud. Again it was great to see the Island pride and community spirit on show.
It was felt that the rest of the road needed to be done by the Administration on their motorbike sprayer if it was to be completed.
The Woody Weed Roadside Cleanup fizzled a bit this year; maybe it was my doing as over time there have been some changes. Some of the roads which had been 1km in length ended up being the entire road as it became harder to find people willing to organise a section. Also this year I did not organise a draw for a winning team - mostly because the economic situation is so bad just now I didnt have the heart to ask for donations of food and grog from establishments that are struggling.
We had support from some road teams who got completed in the month of May but some promised to get to it later in the year and some were not interested at all. It was disappointing but we are thankful for those people who were able to participate this year. As always their efforts beautify our roadsides and make it a more beautiful place for our visitors to see and for us to live. Thanks Yorlye
In the weeks preceding the arrival of the frist cruise ship in March 2010; we decided to organise a cleanup of the last section of Cascade Road which leads down to the Cascade Pier. This is a high bank alongside the road which had a lot of woody weed on it. An appeal was made to the public and we had about 25 people attend - some members and some members of the public.
Everyone worked fantastically and the job was soon done. Finished with a cuppa afterwards. This was another great display of the Island pride and community spirit which makes Norfolk great.
2010 saw the stealthy removal by the Administration workers of several mature but young pines from the grassy area opposite the Customs/Post Office building and the Liquor Bond. There was no public advice that this was to happen and they were taken at first light to avoid traffic (and any opposition presumably). As the business community came to life they were outraged to find stumps where before majestic trees had stood. There were notes written and left on the stumps, there was flowers left and the Conservator and Ministers of Government copped flak verbally from many members of the public. I too joined the throng in condemning the taking of these trees and voiced Landcares disapproval. We called for a long term plan for the replacement of trees years prior to trees being removed. The conservator did his best to quell the publics outrage and did agreed with our comments about tree planning. As yet to our knowledge no such policy has been introduced or exists.
Kavha also planned to remove trees but did publically state this in their weekly column in the local paper. It was planned that 3 trees would be removed from the region of the Queen Elizabeth Lookout. Again a letter of protest from Landcare was penned. The Manager of Kavha called to discuss the letter with me. After some discussion; we agreed to the removal of only 1 tree - that closest the lookout which was a pine which had been topped sometime in the past.
True to their word only this one tree was removed.
Kavha did however remove several pines near to the roadway that runs behind the beach. I dont remember reading that this was going to happen but no doubt their proximity to the road sealed their fate and our protests would have been futile.
In Feb 2010 I heard of the proposed removal of one of the two pines which stand behind the Westpac bank and Maxes Duty Free store. Again a letter of protest was penned. The land on which the pine stood is part of a family estate who all live off Island. I was contacted by the family member who managed the estates affairs and invited to a meeting with him, the Conservator and the shop owner who proposed the trees removal. The meeting duly took place with the shop owner complaining that the tree shaded his PV cells atop the roof and dropped pine needles there. He brought with him a local electrical contractor to push this argument. I stated why I thought the tree should stay - it was still quite young ... I estimated 40-45 years based on the similar size of pines at Kingston which had been planted for my great-grandmothers 100 birthday in 1971. It provided a beautiful behind vista to town etc etc
The conservator felt it was in the best interests that the tree come down. I lost... The tree was removed!
