News No. 6

Bingi Babbler

Binginwarri Landcare Group Newsletter No. 6 Tuesday 16th March 2011

Newsletter No. 1
Newsletter No. 2
Newsletter No. 3
Newsletter No. 4
Newsletter No. 5

Finally here is your first newsletter for 2011. For those of you who wondered, my apologies – I have been caught up in an unenviable health cycle…or rather the lack of health. However all the bad health is coming to an end shortly and I hope to be back on deck soon and firing with all cylinders!

Unfortunately, this sixth edition will be small (I promise more to come soon) and just give you some important dates that are cutting fine to the close-by dates SO IF YOU ACT QUICKLY, YOU’LL STILL GET IN, by the skin of your teeth!

YARRAM LANDCARE BI-ANNUAL AWARD NOMINATIONS:
URGENT

Most of you will have heard through other sources, and received nomination forms, hopefully, of the awards taking place later next month in April. Nominations are easy, you can even nominate yourself - but it must be done by THIS FRIDAY 18th March. If you know of someone making great efforts on their land in revegetation, or weeding, or protection and enhancement of natural bush areas, or educating others, or a primary producer showing care for their land, or a group doing good work in the environment, then please nominate them. Let us all celebrate and reward those who care the most.

Nomination forms and details of information needed and who to put your nominations in to are attached.

YARRAM LANDCARE BI-ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER:
Is to be held on Friday April 29th at The Club Hotel in Yarram for a cost of $20 per head for a 2-course meal. Bookings must be made so contact the Landcare Office on 5182 5073 or Werner Lange on 5681 6336.

YYLN ANNUAL BBQ
Is to be held in the Binginwarri Hall with its newly – refurbished kitchen on Sunday March 27th. More details will follow but put this date in your diary now. There are promises of music and plenty for the kids to do this time round, so all should have a good time.

HELP NEEDED QUICKLY
Are you a good organiser, or helper to those who are? Trevor Colvin (0417 307 098) would love to hear from you if you can help to organise the YYLN Awards Dinner – many hands make…umm…er…well, all sorts of things (or something like that?)

People in our group have asked to be informed of what Landcare work is being undertaken in the Binginwarri area so Kevin Heggen has kindly written the article below to give you an idea of what one contractor has organised….good work, and thanks Kevin.

BLACKBERRIES BE GONE!
The JARR blackberry suppression project is nearing completion for this year. So far, in excess of 3200 hectares of land have been covered - incorporating 38 different landowners in the catchment area around Binginwarri. Each site has a photo reference point that has a GPS waypoint allocated to it so that follow-up reporting and evaluation can be carried out with consistency. For anyone not aware JARR stands for --- Jack & Albert River Restoration.

If you are into numbers, so far 543 litres of Grazon Extra have been used which equates to 108,600 litres of chemical applied to blackberries in our area this season, with still approximately another 28,000 litres to be applied in the near future.

There is no guarantee that funding will be able to be secured to help next year, but we will be trying to secure some nonetheless. Will let you know if we manage to.

What a great opportunity this has been to seriously reduce the seedbank of blackberry in our area. It is hoped that we will all take up the challenge now as individuals to eradicate blackberry from the JARR catchment in the Binginwarri area.
Also there is /was 7000 tubestock available for plantings within the project area over the last 2 years. 3500 are already accounted for so anyone wanting to plant out or enhance a previously planted area can give Samantha Monks or Dan Garlic or myself a call to arrange something with the 3500 still available, planting assistance is available by contractors

Another project under way is the Wellington Shire / Landcare ‘Weeds For Trees’ program

So far weeds have been sprayed on roadsides where people have applied for assistance under the program to do so, before they plant trees supplied by the Wellington Shire to help shade out future infestation. Approximately 5000 trees are to be planted along 3 different sites along the Hedley Range Road.

Due to the low uptake of landowners with this project it is unsure at this stage whether it will be available again next year, but let’s hope so

There has also been a lot of work done on roadside weeds in the Wonyip area under the same program within the Wellington Shire boundary

Also Greening Australia and the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority have funds available for people to fence off remnant vegetation (the Bush) so if anyone is interested, these bodies are looking for projects at the moment in our area, so give me a call and I will pass on details of who to contact.

Kevin Heggen: 5185 1322 or 0428 565 530

AND AT LAST, TREEPLANTINGS!
We have at last, it seems, got some tree planting to do, along Hedley Range Road, if two of the people who applied under the ‘Weeds For Trees’ program through Wellington Council, would like our help. (As mentioned above in Kevin’s article.) Get your backs and spades ready. Further information will be forthcoming when arranged. Keep your eye on your computer’s inbox.

We join together to wish Colleen Murphy a speedy recovery from a broken leg….may she be very soon up and running after..…well, let’s leave that to the imagination!

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Kaye Proudley, Newsletter Editor 5185 1398