RALLY for KINGS FOREST KOALAS :- Saturday 10th December, 2011

Article in the Tweed News at goldcoast.com.au “Tweed activists call for planting now” (Nikki Todd, 16th Jan 2012)… Friends of Cudgen Nature Reserve have called for KOALA TREE PLANTINGS to be done immediately, at the LEDA ‘s KINGS FOREST DEVELOPMENT. The Landcare Group is asking that the KOALA food trees offered (20,000) to be planted by Leda should be planted now, as to leave them too long, for planting, will result in loss of KOALA life. The trees have been promised as part of a buffer zone near the Cudgen Nature Reserve.

“Concern over Kings Forest Koalas” – recent historical concerns about the impact of development at Kings Forest and the health of the diminishing local Koala population.

“More time urged for Kings Forest say” at ABC news 9th Dec 2011

 SUMMARY_Cudgen_Lake

An article by the Tweed Shire Echo (13th October 2011) outlined some of the concerns about this illegal clearing in the Cudgen Nature Reserve.( see “”cowboys” trash nature reserve” – article by  Luis Feliu and Chris Dobney).

Cate Faehrmann of the NSW Greens has attempted to find answers, (site legal notice NSW Govt Hansard)  concerning this dark operation of environmental vandalism. Cate Faehrmann is a courageous champion of the voiceless homeless millions, that are our endangered Australian Wildlife.

• Senate Environment and Communications Committee (Parliament of Australia : SENATE):-  ”The koala—saving our national icon” 22 September 2011  Commonwealth of Australia 2011 ISBN 978-1-74229-524-4
• FRIENDS of the KOALA : Koala Carers and volunteer support for the KOALAS of the NORTHERN RIVERS, NSW.
• ” Your Guide to Living with Koalas” – the City of Ballarat’s excellence award winning brochure (Planning excellence award from the Planning Institute of Australia). If you cannot find this guide, try searching for “Your Guide to Living with Koalas” in the bluecray Environmental Search.

This illegal clearing and environmental vandalism of the Cudgen Nature Reserve, is not the first such case, in the Tweed shire, nor indeed, in NE NSW and SE QLD. This is one of a long line, of illegal and government sanctioned clearings and degrading operations, that have and are still occurring. A careful search of the internet, public libraries (you should be able to find Hansard in the Library) , and news articles in newspapers can show you much more information than I could write here.

• Help the NSW Government Office of Environment and Heritage remedy and educate about illegal clearing of Native Vegetation in NSW. This NSW Government Office of Environment and Heritage has huge responsibilities, and a vaste number  of  (about 45 in total) ACTS that they administer.

• You can also look at Tweed Coast Estuary Management Plan HERE.

• The Cudgen Nature Reserve Plan of Management link is HERE**
• Australian Wetlands Data Base – NSW References
•  Kings Forest development application process
• Consider the following:-
  • “The National Parks and Wildlife Act, 1974, requires that a plan of management be prepared for each nature reserve. A plan of management is a legal document that outlines how the area will be managed in the years ahead.”   &   “Now that the plan has been adopted by the Minister, no operations may be undertaken within the Nature Reserve except in accordance with the plan.”  (from the Cudgen Nature Reserve Plan of Management Part A. Introduction).
    
  • In the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Act, 1974, have a look at Part 4 division 6; Part 5; Part 6A; Part 7; Part 8A; Part 14; Part 15… these parts of the Act may help you understand the seriousness of the illegal clearing that has occurred, of vegetation, wildlife habitat and wetland area of the Cudgen Nature Reserve.

• Australan Institute of Criminology -” Illegal Native Vegetation Clearing” .    Here you will find references to the NSW Native Vegetation Act 2003 .  There are also references to the following:-
  • Primary Statutes within NSW Concerning Clearing of Native Vegetation are:-  the Native vegetation Act 2003,   Threatened Species Conseration Act 1995 and the Environmental  Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (Local Environmental Plan)
  • Examples of Maximum Penalty for offences
  • Much more. This webpage is worth reading.
  •  Environmental crime in Australia “Research and public policy series no. 109″, by Samantha Bricknell (ISBN 978 1 921532 64  1  ISSN 1836-2079)  Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, October 2010 . This publication is available at the AIC’s website.

And now, back to original ARTICLE:-

However,  if pointing a  finger at identities and individual men or women who it is only “believed” may have taken part in this current proactive method of Environmental degradation, remember that a “forensic” trail/investigative instruments can be helpful. Sometimes, things are not what they appear.  Some more general points worth considering, when abhorrent and illegal clearing occurs may be:-

• The Australian Government’s “Australian Institute of Criminology” website has some useful INFORMATION on illegal native vegetation clearing.  Environmental crime in Australia “Research and public policy series no. 109″, by Samantha Bricknell (ISBN 978 1 921532 64  1  ISSN 1836-2079)  Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, October 2010 . This publication is available at the AIC’s website.
• Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales – Zoologist Article 2007 Vol 34 (2) – Milledge D Opinion Piece Threatened species conservation at the local level in New South Wales – this article can be found at the ZOOLOGIST data base for their journal. This article concerns NSW threatened species conservation, refers to illegal clearing, and degrading environmental management practiced by landholders, who then develop the landscape into inappropriate urban developments. Proposed developments ( such as KINGS FOREST – adjacent to where this illegal clearing of Cudgen Nature Reserve took place),  then even further degrade the ENVIRONMENTAL and ECOSYSTEM HEALTH, both to the local and regional detriment. It is  noted in this article that the  NSW government administerd threatened species CONSERVATION was at a low level (2007).
• Adam Gosling’s full paper presentation at the Healthy wetlands 20th NSW Coastal conference 2011 stated ”Australia is reported to have lost between 75 and 90 percent of coastal wetlands over the past 200 years (Finlayson, 2000. Usback & James 1993). Not only have wetlands been decimated historically through land clearing for agriculture and urban development and drained or isolated from adjoining wetlands, they remain one of the most severely threatened ecosystems in eastern Australia through coastal development and land use.“
• LAND CLEARANCE – a National Key Threatening Process - The threatening process meets s188(4)(a), s188(4)(b) and s188(4)(c) of the EPBC Act.   Description of Land Clearance from ” the Advice to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage from the TSSC on a public nomination of a Key Threatening Process under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999″  -  “Land clearing consists of the destruction of the above ground biomass of native vegetation and its substantial replacement by non-local species or by human artefacts. Native vegetation is defined as vegetation in which native species constitute more than 70% of the plant cover, or other vegetation containing populations of species listed under the EPBC Act. Substantial replacement by non-local species or human artefacts is defined as the achievement of more than 70% of the total cover by species or human artefacts that did not occur previously on the site.  Land clearing includes clearance of native vegetation for crops, improved, pasture, plantations, gardens, houses, mines, buildings and roads. It also includes infilling of wetlands or dumping material on dry land native vegetation, and the drowning of vegetation through the construction of impoundments. It does not include silvicultural operations in native forests and manipulation of native vegetation composition and structure by grazing, burning or other means.  ” Endangered Species Scientific Sub-committee, (ESSS).
• It would be reasonable to think that the Destruction of the Coastal Strip of the Tweed Coast is looking like a very destructive form of Land Management. Laws such as the afore mentioned EPBC Act, with its key threatening Processes, the NSW Primary Statutes within NSW Concerning Clearing of Native Vegetation  -  the Native vegetation Act 2003,   Threatened Species Conseration Act 1995 and the Environmental  Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (Local Environmental Plan) – these laws are not helping with regard to environmental vandalism, and the mass destruction of remnant, highly disturbed (and fragmented) habitat that native wildlife are currently (and often stressfully ) surviving in, on the TWEED COAST….. Why are non ecologically sustainable developments and their associated destructive practices still occurring?  Is this due to due process? Is this due to inadequate legislation? Is it due to discretionary powers as opposed to obligatory requirement? Is this due to lack of education? Is it due to lack of practical management skills in authentic land and water stewardship? OR is it due to the fact that the fabric of society is living a massive lie, and that high energy, wasteful, destructive, non ecologically sustainable practices are still “running the economy, socially mainstream acceptable perceptions, and that, basically, the majority of people just really do not care about the future wellbeing of the Tweed Coast, the wetlands, the ecosystems of Australia, the biodiverse fabric of nature that supports us all, and the future of our Children??????  Where is the common good clearly displayed,  within this  social and legal machination of Ecologically Sustainable Development?
• Perhaps  this clearing of endangered Koala habitat in Tweed Shire may have occurred because all about the Northern Rivers, HABITAT CLEARING is occurring as a matter of course, and the clearing agent thought it was OK?
• Perhaps the man or woman who cleared the area of Cudgen Nature Reserve, or who INSTRUCTED the Habitat Clearing didn’t know that Australian Wildlife is rapidly disappearing from this area of the Tweed Shire???
• Perhaps they needed the money to live, and instructed the clearing to help them survive in this harsh economic environment, where property values are sliding, rents are increasing and non sustainable developments are stressing the land and water health to the point where the little man (and native animal) can no longer survive??????????. I have often observed that where clearing of land occurs, that is damaging to the environment, there is usually a chain of events that can be tracked, that will show where the real responsibility lies. Usually, it is found to be hand in hand with ignorance + the illusion that the illegal/legal clearing will lead to profit. 
• Occasionally, I have observed that vegetation and habitat destruction is prompted by a basic criminal mindset.  Whatever the case is, at Cudgen Nature Reserve – ignorance, greed or amoral /immoral mindset – the man / woman responsible requires immediate attention by all concerned over this illegal act. EDUCATION concerning the plight of threatened species (and disappearing wetland vegetation communities / habitats / ECOSYSTEMS) is lacking – both in the general public and professional/political arenas. The corporate arena ?- this arena has long since lost its authenticity and credibility:-  the mass destruction of  coastal wetlands from the North of Brisbane (QLD) to Ballina Shire (NSW) attest to this.  

It is important to let the due process occur. It is also important to recognise the real and immediate victims of this crime –  The Native Wildlife of the Tweed Coast and Hinterland. It is of most importance that it be recognised that, when it comes to development in the Tweed Shire, infrastructure and development processes have both an insidious and uncaring trend – both as social implication for the human residents, and for the environmental health of the region.

• Tweed Coast Estuary Management Plan HERE.

• The Cudgen Nature Reserve Plan of Management link is HERE.

What is of note, concerning this most recent highly publicized act of proactive land degradation in the rapidly developing Tweed Coast is:-

• IF the surrounding area of  VEGETATION COMMUNITY, ECOSYSTEM and NATIVE WILDLIFE HABITAT  were intact, RESILIENT, CARED FOR( by individuals, companies, developers, landholders, Environmental Australian and NSW LAWS), then a small area of highly disturbed, highly degraded Habitat and Ecosystem may recover rather quickly.
• Authentic Land and Water Stewardship, if enacted out by Australian, NSW and QLD Laws, individuals and corporate entities, could help save, and indeed enhance our threatened species and threatened Ecosystems. This is clearly not the case, when it comes to these Australian, NSW and QLD LAWS, corporate entities and individuals.
• Koala Corridors and Buffers Zones should be part of the WHOLE DEVELOPMENT APPROACH. The area being developed for human settlement and infrastructure SHOULD include a whole plan approach, whereby the KOALA and ITS HABITAT is integral and 100% incorporated into the whole design.
• This is the same for ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE PRINCIPLES :-  water storage for each house; SUSTAINABLE WASTE MANAGEMENT and WASTE MINIMISATION; improved and enhanced wetland and INTEGRATED CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT & integrated native wildlife  habitat  enhancement throughout the entire development; sensible covenants on fencing, dogs, cats, rabbits, vegetation; energy efficient materials/design and development procedures & processes; local and regional environmentally sustainable employment opportunities; local food & local sustainable industry creation or mentorship; fire, flood, noise, environmental and noxious weeds awareness. Town Planners know these lists more comprehensively. These things reinforce the importance and inherent understanding of not clearing areas such as the Cudgen Nature Reserve. RESPECT!!!!
•  SOCIAL INCLUSION and COMMUNITY RESOURCE areas. Educational information for all prospective and existing settlers to the REGION can be of great value also – particularly for ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS, and SOCIAL WELLBEING. TRANSPORT should be state of the art Environmentally Sustainably Networked and Implemented, by both the developer (who profits and thus should care where and how his/her profit arises) and the Governments (who should CARE and show diligent leadership). Healthy minds, educated people, these days, try to do the right thing by our beautiful endangered species and their homes.
• NATURE RESERVES ARE TO BE RESPECTED BY ALL – that is why they are nature reserves.

Nature, when left undisturbed, or when disturbed only slightly, has remarkable resilience, if it is surrounded by INTACT RESILIENT NATIVE  VEGETATION and healthy Ecological Units and Ecosystems.

In my original “Balance of Faeries” article, I explained how, little by little, the degrading of small land parcels can add up to large scale degradation. I explained that unless the smaller fragments of  Wildlife Habitat are preserved and actively enhance, then the larger factors of WIND, SUN, RAIN, DROUGHT, adjoining DEGRADED LAND, FIRE, FLOOD etc will take their toll. I explained, via my imagery, that the little things in our complex NATURAL ENVIRONMENT serve to keep the bigger components in check, thus promoting Native Vegetation Community and Ecosystem Resilience. I explained that the current scientific knowledge base ignores these little  components, in large – both in scientific studies, and in our overall LEGAL and HIGHER LEARNING knowledge base. The COMPLEX pattern, of usage and dependency within our current Australian ECOSYSTEMS,  by Australian Wildlife is largely an unknown scientific fact.

This is because many studies that have been conducted, have been conducted once the land has already been disturbed for many decades. This is because many studies use other studies as their basis. This is because many important studies are disregarded, ignored or superceded by studies done by scientists who have a minimal level of understanding of the complexity of Australian Wildife requirements, in a cross dependent sense. This is because the Corporate, Scientific and Legal worlds often operate behind closed doors.

In defence of the dedicated workers in Australian Wildlife understanding and demonstrating scientific research – many good and valuable studies HAVE also been made, concerning Native Australian Wildlife. Studies concerning the Koala have often been used as a POLITICAL, corporate  and  development/ infrastructure FOOTBALL. The degrading developments and infrastructures have HISTORICALLY won this football game.  I can readily say that, in the light of the  corporate greed  V’s Nature battles, corporations have historically existed for a relatively short time. Nature is, has, and always will be, running the show, and winning in the long and even short term.

Personally, I have little faith in the  NSW Government’s ability to address this issue of the clearing of vegetation in the Cudgen Nature Reserve. Why? Because they are probably snowed under with all kinds of investigations concerning illegal clearing and other environmental acts of vandalism. I have even less faith in the developers and their associated networked entities who have been developing the Tweed Coast and other areas of NE NSW ( and SE QLD )in such a way that their LACK of DUTY OF CARE, to current & future human populations health and well being, is so obvious, yet not held to account. Education is important in these matters.

However, some interesting facts are emerging:-

How much money does it take to destroy lives? Why do individuals and corporations and governments seek to destroy on one hand, yet soothsay that they are SUSTAINABLE and ENVIRONMENTALLY CORRECT? Why are people still able to use bulldozers and other heavy earth moving equipment, mining processes, and other methods of land use that clearly lack precaution of due care (with subsequent degrading land and catchment re-design) without the necessary education and accountability, concerning the power they wield? How much due process is involved in remedy?  Why is development on the Tweed Coast continuing to fragment already stressed Habitats and Ecosystems? Did the men or women involved in this illegal clearing of the Cudgen Nature Reserve know what they were doing?

I had better leave it here. Research and talk to others. Find out what is going on.

Oh, and one more thing…… for those of you versed well in astrology, have a look at the current planetary stories. Neptune is finally direct in the last degrees of AQUARIUS, and heading towards PISCES. Illusion, deceit, over institutionalising of faith and vision are on the rise. Exposure of deceit, lies and corruption will become easier for those who follow God’s Law and God’s Natural Law.  As Neptune approaches the fixed star Fomalhaut, the guardian / Archangel Gabriel and WATCHER of the SOUTH, approx. 4 degrees Pisces, and then Deneb Adige at about 5 degrees Pisces, the precession of the equinoxes will unfold one of the greatest stories of mankind. Balance will become of utmost importance to the entire planet.

The above astrological / environmental collage shows Neptune direct (as of 10th Nov 2011) in Aquarius. The above horoscope is for the 17th November, 2011 and is taken from What Watch at papertv.com .

With the entry of Neptune in Pisces, the birds of the air will tell the story, better than any man or woman. The small animals of the earth will bear witness. Those of pure heart and who practice redemption, those who have the COURAGE to own up to PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY will find their wings.

ARCHANGEL GABRIEL and the BUTTERFLY EFFECT (a poem by TAIKO)

excerpt from A Balance of Faeries:-

“Part four: The return
I have since returned to visit the Marburg Range, some months back, before the 2008 summer rains drenched it once again, and after many years of drought, harsh winds and relentless sun. The road verge leading to the top of the ridge is bare, no trees have grown back yet, and no koalas, birds or marsupials could be seen on the narrow strip that was cleared so suddenly, 20 years ago.

With biodiversity comes the ability for our ecological systems to withstand the greater forces of nature – wind, sun, rain, fire, cold, heat. With knowledge and understanding of the smaller, delicate portions of nature, comes an ability to hold back the greater forces that great knowledge exposes us to.

It is time to wake up.”

The following KOALA POEM is a reflection of an earlier poem that I wrote in “B is for Biodiversity“. Sometimes, when I write on bluecray.org , I add a poem or two.  This following POEM is about a Developer who has  learnt how to listen and respect NATURE’s LAWS.  It is in direct contrast to the Koala Poem that I wrote last year (where the moneybag developer was ignorant and thought only of profit taking for himself and his mates).

said the “Enlightened” developer………..

Peaceful KOALA asleep in your tree
can you please share your land
and let me live here?
My homes of simplicity,
clean electricity
gardens and bikeways
can you share with me please?
I’m fond of your family
I’ll enhance our shared home
slow roads, tracks and parklands,
over which you can roam.
Dear KOALA, please tell me how to help you stay free!

Iconic KOALA, so high in your tree
can you see the new bushlands, they were planted by ME!
I know that you’ve struggled at home many years
You wandered and waited amidst local fears
But development’s slow, I’ve had time to think
so KOALA – i’ve planted a great Carbon Sink.
My learned approach will show ALL that I care
No bulldozer damage, no smoke fills the air
Diverse native landscapes we’ve planted for you
They’re resilient, and strong, i hope they will do

KOALA please tell me how to help you stay free!

Dearest KOALA, in treetops above
how else can i help you, in patience and love
My authority’s sanctioned, I’ve owned this land years
So KOALA, dear friend, i hope you’ll be pleased

Hey KOALA, dear icon, i’ve covenants here
I’ll protect you from dogs, cars, diseases and fear
Now our lots are divided, some share a great view
So KOALA, please answer – it’s all up to you

I see you’ve been ill, fevered, trembling and scarred
but your welcome to stay here, in all of my yards.
My planners invite you to tell me what more
you’ll need for your home. We respect nature’s LAW.

KOALA in our tree, our lots are surveyed
The wetlands are thriving, new homes are displayed
And wildlife’s returning, coming into it’s prime
bio- diversity balance and time.
This development’s needed, and it helps me spend more
on those that need houses – the young and the poor
My development teaches ALL- you are our host
now why don’t they do this on all of our coast?
The GOD given wonders of nature make more
than ignorant developments bulldozed next door

So KOALA, marsupial, once dwindling here
I’ll start small scale nurseries, to give you more cheer
and all of the school children, that go to my school
will thank you KOALA – you’ve made their homes cool

We’ve local food markets, each home has a tank
They say I am great, but it’s you i must thank
And KOALA – i’ve told all “go slow on your road”
Even after i’ve gone with my life soul’s great load

Oh KOALA – what’s this, i see you’re now here
In GOD’s arms, oh so peaceful with nothing to fear
And GOD’s angels tell me, they’ve opened the gates
for me and my load, and all of my mates
Dear GOD, i look down, from heaven and smile,
my real estate legacies – they’ve been all worthwhile
I promised, delivered, enhanced all my land
native plant woodlands – all of them grand.

I see that the wildlife and children run free
It is you, dear KOALA who educates me
And GOD, i now wonder about all the fuss
The hustle and bustle – all i needed was trust
My chattels and cargo, are lightweight to hold,
I’m glad that i learnt from KOALA’s dear soul

said the Koala……
w’ell, Maaaate, what can I say… you listened and learnt.

Great Egret (Ardea alba)

These industries also appear to offer herbicides as an acceptable answer to mainstream Australian weed management. Diminishing biodiversity due to a weed chronically infesting an area is often the “umbrella” under which mass herbicide application occurs. The logic of killing on a large scale to create biodiversity is a remarkable dichotomy that does little to serve future life on earth.

• ” The Roles of Biodiversity in Creating and Maintaining the Ecosphere” by Ted Mosquin .
• National Weed Incursion TOOLKIT can be found at Weeds Australia .
• National Weed Incursion Response Plan at Weeds Australia .
• Weed Warriors : “Weed Warriors program is adaptive to all levels of education however the program is most often targeted at grades 3 to 6 in primary schools and years 7 –9 in secondary schools.” – whilst having some great info, this NSW website has very conventional vision – highlights how lack of practical level environmentally sustainable teachings can be fostered by inappropriate educational vision.
• Weeds and Biodiversity : search results at bluecray customised environmental search engine (remember- some more recent info will also be available, if you take the time to look in recent journal publications and Government/CSIRO updates)
• Ranking priority environmental weeds for biodiversity conservation in NSW:- Search for Regional weeds Management Priorities at  the NSW Office of environment and Heritage.  AND –  “Ten Worst Weeds” in the Gold Coast City Council Area, SE QLD .
• “Converting stands of camphor laurel to rainforest” – here you will find some excellent information about Camphor Laurel management (John Kanowski and Carla P.Catterall – Griffith University’s Centre for Innovative Conservation Strategies and the Northern Rivers CMA)
• Camphor Laurel Abundance in the Tweed Shire 2004:- (map3A.pdf) -

• Condong Mill, Sunshine Electricity, Delta energy, individual land owners and other Bioenergy consortiums, providers, merchants and “tradespeople” are currently harvesting biofuels to create GREEN ENERGY. They are currently doing this in the TWEED SHIRE, Northern Rivers, NSW, Australia.   They are doing this by clear felling native  (including endangered) wildlife habitats,  using bulldozers working  10 hours  per day, 6 days per week on private land.  At least three  Rufous Bettongs have been seen and heard living and nesting adjacent to this area over the past  years. Habitats that they are clearing and demolishing   become bare, steep sloped exposed soil.  Vegetation  taken, (via habitat destruction of endangered species habitats), is conveyed via machinery, into vaste piles of  “BIOFUEL” – or camphor laurel chip/dust, which is then trucked away to their storage areas for burning as GREEN FUEL.  This work has been going on for some time now, under the umbrellas of  “save the world from greenhouse gases” and “lessen the Mining of non renewable resources” pressures. This is weed management gone mad, is highly destructive to native flora and fauna “remnant habitats”, and gives the appearance of  using more energy to create less energy. This type of vegetation management gives the local area of Upper Burringbar, NE NSW  decreased habitats for endangered species and short-medium term loss of carbon stores and overall biodiversity loss. I call this “war on Biodiversity”.  What laws protect biodiversity, at a local level, in this situation????
• Rufous Bettong at NSW Threatened Species – Northern Rivers
• Some bluecray educational storyline articles about the Rufous Bettong and Habitat Clearing :- “PK and Litoria look for Rufous Bettong, and on the way, meet up with Goanna” ;  “Rufous Bettong and the Glyphosate Bank” ;   “Goanna leaves the glyphosate bank, the butterflies leave too” and   “Wildlife leaves glyphosate bank – finds refuge in organic garden“.
  

• BIOENERGY AUSTRALIA -  and its  MEMBERS .

• Invasive Weeds at Australian Botany Pages (ANBG) and Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research (CPBR) (includes article on Bitou Bush)
• Byron Environment Centre’s “weed control without chemicals” articles (4 in all), by Geoff Dawe can be found HERE .
• “Clearing the Habit of Habitat Clearing” :- bluecray article at Wisdom in the Land blog
• Animal-Plant Interactions in Rainforest Conservation and Restoration – Rainforest CRC proceedings – workshop 11th November  2003 and a few other interesting links
• Monitoring Revegetation Projects for Biodiversity in Rainforest Landscapes (Rainforest CRC Report 51) John Kanowski and Carla P. Catterall ISBN 0 86443 767 6
• Society for Ecological Restoration International : “to promote ecological restoration as a means of sustaining the diversity of life on Earth and reestablishing an ecologically healthy relationship between nature and culture.”
• The Ecology Centre – University of Queensland, Australia
• Plant Nurseries and the Australian Nursery Industry have much more to offer in the way of some  gentle, energy efficient weed management solutions. Sustainable management solutions!  The growing of local provenance and provincial native plant species and seed for sale is one of the best answers that a Nursery can offer, when it comes to helping Land and Water Stewards (Environmental Stewards).
• Northern Rivers Invasive Plants Action Strategy 2009 – 2013 NE NSW for the use of all Public and Private land managers -( it is  the “NCWAC-Weed-Book.pdf “  at northcoastweeds.org.au/ )
• The Council of Australasian Weed Societies Inc (CAWS) – here you will find some interesting info about weeds and their spread. This site appears to be weighted towards chemical control of weed, however they have some useful information. Past conference proceedings can be found at their website .

***You can click on each of the illustrations in this article to get a brief idea of the body of this article, if you are in a rush!!***

Collection and distribution of local, native seed.

Largely an unmentored industry, a strong and diverse Australian Native Seed Industry offers a practical, low energy solution to Australia’s Weed Management issues.

Habitat and ecological community restoration projects, developments, infrastructure landscaping and environmental rehabilitation programs -  all of these require a concerted, coordinated Vision and National Direction concerning their use of local provenance and provincial native plant species.

To date, this has not been effected by the Australian Government, nor any State government or Local Authority. There are some token gestures in place. There is some  work on a handful of native pasture grasses. Native plants are required to be used in development and infrastructure works, but not always local provenance or provincial strains. There has been some funded work for plant species that make up a large percentage of Australian Vegetation communities, but  that are relatively unkown in economic terms. (See LINKS below)

The Nursery Industry has many cultivars for Australian trees, shrubs, groundcovers and vines . With the rise of plant variety rights in the 80′s, the trend to market same style, same shape, uniform product has trended the development of Australian native species towards  cuttings (the same genetetic source) for mass growing and planting. This isn’t helping biodiversity, as it promotes the same genetic species being spread throughout an area, whilst the other genetic strains die out. This has occurred already in our food industries, and shouldn’t be allowed to happen in our natural environmental industries.

The Forestry industry has a large network of Australian native seed available for distribution – mainly trees and shrubs. Greening Australia has a mentorship program for native seed. There are also a number of other small seed industries that promote Australian native plant seed via collection and distribution. CSIRO  has some great information on native seeds and native seed banks.

The Society for Growing Australian Plants has been at the fore regarding work done on Native Plants. However, much, much more needs to be accomplished, if we are to replace our vaste weed inhabited, poorly managed landscapes with a diversity of local provenance and provincial native plant species.

• SGAP SEED BANK information about the Society for Growing Australian Plant’s Seed Banks – Queensland Branch
• Australian Native Plants Society – Australian Seed Suppliers for Native Seed .
• Native vegetation Management: A Needs Analysis of Regional Service Delivery in Queensland – a state summary : search results at bluecray Environmental Search
• NATIVE SEED IN AUSTRALIA: A COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE – search results at bluecray Environmental Search Engine
• “Seed dispersal science used to combat weed invasions” ; article CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems
• Australian Tree Seed Centre (CSIRO )

• ENSIS : CSIRO and SCION
• ANBG Seed Bank at  (Australian National Botanic Gardens):- this link has changed, but perhaps you can search the Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research for seed bank information ( BOTANICAL WEB PORTAL)
• NSW Seed Bank (NSW Botanic Gardens Trust)
• Australia Advances series 15 :- Seed Bank (CSIRO)
• Greening Australia SEED & NURSERY
• Australian Government Grains Research & Development Corporation :-WEEDLINKS
• Land & Water Australia. 2009. The Lower Murray Floodplain seedbank: status and response to flooding. [Online] (Updated July 3rd, 2009)
  It was available at: http://lwa.gov.au/node/2931 , however the link has disappeared
• “australia native grass sustainable agriculture” search results bluecray environmental search engine – you may like to try other searches about weeds and weed alternatives, or native seed production etc
• Weed Seed Wizard – Weeds CRC – now a NON updated site
• “War against weeds goes underground with DPI&F-GRDC collaboration” 24 September, 2008 :-article about seed banks and the Qld Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries
• search for BRADLEY METHOD of WEED REMOVAL here.
• Philosophy of Environmental Destruction in the Name of Healing
  By al at bluecray on March 3, 2009
• Effects of Pasture Management on Germinable Seed Bank in a Degraded Phalaris Pasture  – Jim Virgona and Annabel Bowcher :- Australian Society of Agronomy article at the Regional Institute .
• Soil Seed Banks of Adjacent Unlogged Rain-Forest Types in North-Queensland by AW Graham and MS Hopkins in the Australian Journal of Botany 38(3) 261 – 268 (CSIRO)
• Biotechnology online : SEED BANKS - the Australian Government and the  Millenium Seed Bank Project
• Native Seed Pty Ltd : Native Grass Seed Suppliers in Australia

• Looking for some native pasture Alternatives? try here:- Grasses of Subtropical eastern Australia Margaret Elliott : search results bluecray Environmental Search Engine

• and, Grasses of Subtropical Eastern Australia by Penny Watsford & Margaret Elliott Nullum Publications, Murwillumbah .at Brunswick Valley Landcare Inc. BOOKSHOP. This book is worth buying or finding in your library. It comes with a CD, photos and clear illustrations. You may even like to purchase a copy and donate it to the library of your local school or TAFE!!

• Grassed up – guidelines for revegetating with Australian native grasses (Released/reviewed: 27 Jun 2001   Authors:Cathy Waters, Wal Whalley, Charles Huxtable) NSW Department of Primary Industries and here is a link to some of their useful publications .

• Weeds, Pests animals and ants at Qld Primary Industries and Fisheries
• North Coast Weeds Advisory Committee
• Weeds at Qld Biosecurity
• Australian Weeds : Australian Government – includes ID, management, biological, physical, cultural, preventative, integrated and chemical control chapters
• Natural Sequence Farming : search results at bluecray Environmental Search

• National Toxics Network:
• Australian Weeds :- search results at bluecray Environmental search Engine
• Integrated Pest Management (IPM) at bluecray Environmental Search

Instead of focusing on the WEED, the focus is better centred about the SEED BANK.

Environmental Management, under the leadership of the Australian Government,  has mentored the use of  herbicides over large scale areas of weed infestation, as well as fostering the use of herbicides in small scale revegetation and habitat rehabilitation projects. This is a destructive form of habitat restoration. Scientifically scrutinised, trials show varied results from these methods, depending on the agenda of the trials. Once the weed infested area is sprayed, then there are a number of possible outcomes:-

• the weed or another weed reinfests the area
• the habitat, weakened by the destruction, loses initial biodiversity
• the area remains low in biodiversity after only a small population of native plants are established through plantings and sowings (mainly plantings)
• other plants and animals (Australian Native) become stressed and ill
• the area, if allowed to naturally regenerate, without continual slashing, mowing, burning and herbicide spraying, may regenerate with increasing biodiversity, once animals (birds, marsupials, insects etc) move back into the area and act as seed vectors.
• planting of selected, same type species of native plants may struggle to form healthy habitats, due to lack of initial biodiversity planning and plantings.
• overall short term biodiversity loss until the future vegetation community and/or ecological community begins to function, often at least several years after spraying and destruction.

Australian Higher Learning and Understanding about Seed Banks (weed and non weed)

Historically, (and fairly recently), Australia has condoned  ill informed higher educational and extension practices that have also led to many weed infestations. Examples of this ?

• Tertiary and college teaching of species lists that include potential environmental weeds – for landscaping, architecture, agriculture, forestry and horticulture students.

• Tertiary teaching of Integrated Pest Management, yet focusing largely on the Agricultural Chemical Industry and it’s use of herbicides in pasture, recreational, infrastructure and development land and water management. ( I was extremely lucky to study, for part of my Bachelor of Applied Science with the (old) Plant Protection Department at the Gatton Agricultural College – Now University of Queensland Gatton Campus , where the dedicated staff gave me a sound,  very informed background in both Integrated Pest Management AND Pesticide Application Technology and Safety. )
• The use of herbicides for many government sponsored environmental rehabilitation projects:-  Landcare, Land for Wildlife, Large scale/regional Weed Management – (eg Bitou Bush, Lantana), environmental training projects for the unemployed and a range of scientific trials in development of food and textile cropping for the high energy, biologically wasteful practice of monoculture.
• The use of herbicides in Environmental training projects without consideration to gentle bush regeneration methods, without use of local provenance and provincial native seed and without habitat care.

The above picture shows two flowers. The flower on the right shows good Land and Water Stewardship. The flower on the left show very poor Land and Water Stewardship. Both flowers have, at their centre, the SEED BANK. {I use this term rather loosely here, as some plants self propagate by tuber, rhizome, suckering, air layering, leaves, stems. Some “seed banks” are held in the ground, some above ground on the plant, whilst, as in rainforests, the seed bank germinates, but often the plant is held, as a seedling, in a dormant state, awaiting an opportunity to grow bigger.} I have used the words seed bank, or reserve of future plants (native and weed) to keep this story simple.

The left flower is ill formed, out of balance and sick looking. It shows the current types of weed management practices that appear to be advocated for, by the NSW, Qld and Australian Governments. Herbicides are offered as a solution to weed control over and above the growing of native local provenance and provincial stock “seed” plants for seed collection, distribution and growing on in areas infested by environmental and noxious weeds. Extension methods, as perceived by bluecray, are in the main, for herbicide use.(Reference:- “Noxious & Environmental Weed control Handbook – a guide to Weed Control in non – crop, aquatic and bushland situation.” Rod Ensbey, Regional Weed Control Coordinator Grafton NSW (NSW DPI Bookshop, ORANGE, ISSN 1443-0622)

The flower on the right is full formed, balanced and well. It shows the type of educational and practical solutions to weed management that cater for BIODIVERSITY and Habitat care. (Reference:- see ##below)

So now you have the lowdown on my practical understanding of this issue, let us continue…..

The Flower on the right has biodiversity as one of the PETALS of knowledge. Biodiversity is all essential, when it comes to Environmental Stewardship.

The petals on the flower are not all encompassing, as there are a number of other “petals”  that I could add, but in order to keep it simple, let us look at the PETALS on the Right Hand FLOWER:-

• BIODIVERSITY : speaks for itself!!!
• Competition :- bare topsoil, degraded, overgrazed land with poor water runoff management offers little competition to weed invasion. On the other hand, a resilient and biodiverse vegetation community offers good competition to invading weeds
• Rain:- rainfall can trigger weed seed germination & invasion. It is also a useful natural aid for cultivating out weeds from an area. Run-off can carry both weed and native seed. Pooling of nutrients, after run-off can help create little islands of biodiversity.
• Soil and Water Health :-weed infested water and weed infested soils contribute to poor land management hygeine. They can be sources of future infestations via seed bank stores. Degraded topsoil can foster the increase of opportunistic weed species as opposed to Native Seed regeneration.
• Fire:- over burning can create bare degraded soil – thus increasing the opportunistic weed seed bank’s capacity  to colonise the burnt area. fire can also release native seed that is held in above and below ground seed banks
• Weed Map:-knowing where and when the weeds occur is essential to understanding the overall situation of the land being managed. Knowing where outbreaks are high or low can help you decide where to start your weed management strategy. A good focus for a weed map is to show the areas of HIGH RESILIENCE of native vegetation or working pasture. These are the areas that, if protected at their “edges”, can expand, as the seed source of wanted plants is already there.
• Seed Map:-knowing where to get native seed from, locally or regionally is essential to replacing vegetation. This is especially so where over grazing, over clearing, over cultivation and over spraying occurs. Your SEED MAP can also include the local seed resources nearby to you, where birds and other animals may act as vectors to carry the seed to your “weeded” or “regenerating” area.
• Time Management:- this is a pivotal knowledge point. If you do not have the time to manage your weeds, then perhaps you can look at how your time is managed. Herbicides are often used, due to time shortage. However, they are increasingly energy reliant. Also, naturally occurring cycles of weeds need to be understood, if management is to be successful. The biological and seasonal/yearly timing,  with regard to the overall weed and native seed cycles needs to be understood. Some weeds may stay in the seed bank for a number of years, until the conditions are right for germination. Planning ahead with a good supply of native seed for competition with weed seed germination can be helpful, when the conditions are good for germination events (after rain, seasons, disturbances, flooding etc)
• Cultivation:- cultivation primarily disturbs soil. This can give the seedbank signals to begin growing. If you know what weed or native seed is in the soil, then once cultivation begins, you can expect that seed to germinate, to some degree (depending on the season, rainfall, temperature, soil conditions and so on)
• Grazing:- over grazing, overstocking and disturbance by hoofed animals created degraded land. Weeds, if present in the seed bank, can then colonise the disturbed site unless other legumes, pasture grasses and herbaceous native plants are present and resilient in the grazed area.
• Wildlife:- wildlife often help seedbanks function – they eat and transfer (vector) seed, fruit and other plant material. Birds are an excellent indicator of how successful a weed management program is. A general rule of thumb:- more bird species, the more biodiversity. Wildlife disappears when overly destructive weed management techniques are used. Wildlife can carry both weed and native seed. If you look under a tree or post where birds sit, you will often find seedlings coming up. Some are weeds, some are native. You can help native wildlife by planting native, local plants, and they can help you by bringing in more seed, when they visit the plantings. Nice one, nature!!!
• Overwhelming:- some weeds, if in their initial colonisation period throughout an area, can be overwhelmed by native plantings. Time is important here, and patience. Shading out, nutrient competition, drought tolerance and native plant survival strategies often allow native plants to prosper where non native plants die. However, weeds, as opportunists, mainly do the overwhelming, in disturbed, non resilient, native remnants.
• Suppression:- techniques such as mulching, shading, high native plant densities and lack of disturbance can act to suppress weed cycles.
• Eradication:- this is best done at the initial onset of a weed infestation. This is best done where the weed has only spread to a small area. Eradication, on a larger scale demands strict replanting, resowing, non disturbance follow up practices. It often involves follow up weed seed bank germination for following seasons, and hence, more maintenance.
• Co-existing:- weeds infest an area and compete successfully, where the native seed bank has diminished or is supressed by the invading weed, cultural practices and disturbance. Co-existing of weeds and native vegetation is prevalent throughout much of Australia. some weeds co-exist so well, that they have become “naturalised”. Many flora and faune co-habit successfully with these weeds. However, co-existence of weeds with natural landscapes can offer a source of further weed spread in surrounding disturbed, non resilient habitats and ecological units.
• Habitat Enhancement:- at the crux of all weed management should be Habitat Health. The killing of weed vegetation en masse destroys whatever habitat there is, creating stress for our native wildlife and often destroying small surviving native plants that struggle to live with the weeds. Constant mowing, constant spraying, constant traffic and cultivation, constant burning – these things destroy habitat.
• Life Cycles:- the life cycle of the weed must be fully understood. some weeds have yearly lifecycles (annuals), some are herbaceous perennials (long & short lived), some are long lived woody species (small and large trees). Weed cycles give us an idea how and why they have invaded a disturbed area. Weed vectors such as wind, animals, human traffic, run-off, soil movement need to be understood. Weed propagation and renewal processes need to be understood fully. Where weeds have infested an area to the point of lack of biodiversity of native plants and animals, their growth and regeneration cycles need to be fully appreciated. These areas of widespread, non biodiverse areas of weed are often the target for herbicide use, burning, mowing and other destructive forms of habitat management. The life cycles of native plant species endemic to the area need to be understood fully, before any destruction of the existing weed infestation occurs. Otherwise, if there is no native seed bank to replenish the area, the habitats will suffer short term, and possibly long term.
• Resilient Areas:- where native vegetation is biodiverse and functioning with fewer weeds. These areas are to be treasured and enhanced. It is from these areas that native fauna help disperse native seed into surrounding weed infested areas. These areas can also be at risk of weed invasion, once disturbed. These areas are at the forefront of the weed infestation line. Spreading the resilient areas outwards, into the weed infested area is recommended. This can be done by either edge weeding (Bradley Method style) or by planting “islands” of similar vegetation comunities nearby, thus creating a chain of native vegetation stands that offer native fauna a refuge, habitat and food source. The native vegetation “islands” become future sources of seed bank, that can then naturally spread further or be used for future plantings of more “islands”.

Now let us look at the PETALS on the government extension offered by the NSW Government for Weed Management:-

• Slashing
• Mulching
• Fire
• cultivation
• Reafforestation
• Biological
• Flame Weeding
• Goats
• Herbicides
• Land Management – Pasture, grazing, cropping, hygeine, weed identification
• I should add one more petal as of about 2008 – the use of BULLDOZERS and FORESTRY HEAVY MACHINERY for CLEAR FELLING, as a method of WEED MANAGEMENT. This clear felling includes clearing creek banks down to the water line. Apparently Tweed Shire Council, the NSW and Australian Governments endorse the CLEARFELLING of mature stream bank holding trees along creek systems in the Northern Rivers of NSW.  The photo below shows typical BIOFUEL industry WEED MANAGEMENT. The trees are removed from the creek bank and surrounding flood plain. This is done by bulldozer type heavy machinery.

• And another petal I have observed over the past years. A method of weed management endorsed by the QLD , NSW and Australian Governments. This is the piling of clear felled vegetation matter into large heaps to be subsequently burnt through the evenings and into the next day or so. This method is employed by the BIOFUEL INDUSTRY in the Northern Rivers of NSW. Farmers in SE QLD and NE NSW also do this. In some instances, these piles are left some weeks before being burnt, but not always.

NATIVE SEED BANKS and WEED SEED BANKS

**Bluecray does not advocate the taking of seed from just anywhere, should you wish to collect native seed for yourself. You can, of course, take the seed from native plants on your own property, however, be mindful that the seed is also part of the functioning ecology in situ. To take from, usually means that you will also have to give back. This is especially true for endangered species and seed that doesn’t germinate easily. Taking this seed may mean a net loss in the overall seed bank, should your seed not germinate, and be wasted.

The interface between a weed area and a native bush area can be very dynamic, and hard to map out. It can change dramatically season by season, and is not something that can have a “line” drawn to show the weed from non weed area. Much of the seed bank is either under the ground, held in the above ground vegetation or growing nearby to be dispersed by wind, water, soil movement, animals and traffic.

Weeds and native plants compete for food, light, space, water. Weeds are often tough, adaptable, both by genotype and phenotype, opportunistic and are very good at renewal of themselves,usually by prolific seeding, suckering, tubering, leaf fall or air layering. Weeds, like some native plants, can produce chemical inhibitors that hinder the germination of other seeds nearby . Weeds method of spread also help them succeed. They often are wind born, but also eaten by animals, transported by water, animals, vehicles, movement of soil and dumping of vegetation “waste”.

Remnant vegetation is disappearing along much of our coastal strip, and also inland. It is becoming fragmented, weed infested and losing resilience.

Resilient remnant vegetation is important to protect. Weeds to not readily invade intact, resilient native remnant vegetation. Weeds invade disturbed landscape situations. The following diagram shows the hard to define line between weeds and remnant vegetation.

The capacity for the remnant vegetation to buffer up against incoming weed populations and spread depends in part, on its resilience. Resilient native remnants have capacity to withstand  opportunistic weed spread, via having enough seed bank and vegetation cover to outcompete the weed. They can  “win” by having reserves of seed, soil cover, niche populations via biodiversity and sheer domination over incoming weed populations by giving little  soil, light, water for the weed to grow. However, once the native vegetation stand loses its resilience, loses its biodiversity, and particularly, once it is disturbed, then weeds can gain a foothold.

Regarding time and space management in the world of weed and remnant vegetation “frontiers”?  Remember, weeds compete with the native stand for the resources of space, light, water and food. The weeds may co-exist with the remnant stand. They may suppress the native stand. They may overwhelm  or strongly compete . They may eradicate the native stand. This can also work the other way. The native vegetation may co-exist, suppress, overwhelm, eradicate or just compete with the weeds.

• A Balance of Faeries – revisited:- a story about clearing fragile remnants where Koalas and other vulnerable species live, and why recovery of those remnants may never occur unless immediate authentic land and water stewardship  action is taken.
• Goanna leaves the Glyphosate Bank
• PK and Litoria look for Rufous Bettong
• Living with and managing Fireweed in SE Qld and NE NSW By al at bluecray on September 26, 2009
• Land and water stewardship : Rescuing Remnants By al at bluecray on October 24, 2009
• Macleay’s Swallowtail – a beautiful green and brown butterfly By al at bluecray  on March 15, 2009 (this article covers some information on LANTANA management that is being carried out by the Australian, NSW and QLD Governments, in association with local councils, community groups and Catchment Management Groups)
• Centre for Spray Technology Application Research and Training at School of Land, Crop and Food Sciences, UQ, Gatton Campus :- research and training support programs are provided in agriculture, public health and forestry
• Seed Bank Research :- at bluecray enviromental search
  
• Seed Bank Research Australia :- at google search
• Australian Native Seed Suppliers:- at google search
• Australian Native Seed Growers:- at google search
  

##Reference:- (My own experiences:- Many years of varying types of seed bank studies(under and post graduate), native seed collecting, distribution and growing, environmental consulting for Department of Transport and power utilities, Integrated Catchment Committees, landcare groups, liason with organic growing and permaculture communities, foundation teacher and set up for TAFE horticultural studies, Bremer, 2nd paid landcare coordinator in QLD (100,000ha – lower Brisbane Valley and Bremer River- almost twenty years ago), award winning schools project on environmental weeds, training council and groundspersons in pesticide application and safety technology and integrated pest management, numerous habitat restoration and revegetation programs, training Greening Australia staff for native australian grasses educational extension- mid 90′s).

The following excerpt is from “Clearing the Habit of Habitat Clearing” – at Journey for Wisdom in the Land:-

HABITAT
H – for humanity, its history and  its law
A – for Aborigines and their ancestors before
B – biodiversity – to me it spells out “FREE”
i – for the little guy – that means you and me
T – for the teacher that leads us through the land
A – for AUSTRALIANS that learn to understand
T the Trust of wildlife friends living hand in hand

CLEARING
C is for cutting and clearing their land, taking their bedding, dispersing their clan
L is for larsony, looting and lost
E is for Everything in rubbish piles tossed
A is for Arid Lands’ creep from the west, and
R is remorse for failing this test
i is the little guy – that means you and me
N is right NOW. Wake up!!! LOOK and SEE!!!!
G is for Global, Gaia, God, Gift and Ground

Gracious abundance for many times round!!

The Beechmont Plateau was largely a cleared section of the Mt Warning Caldera Region during the 20th century. Photos from the 1930′s show the plateau as having large bare expanses from habitat clearing,  clear felling and extensive timber getting.

Many weed species (eg privet, lantana ) and some remnant wet and dry sclerophyll forest  have now revegetated the plateau and its escarpments, which was intensively farmed by the dairy industry up until  deregulation began just before the turn of this century. Fires are a regular hot weather feature on the escarpments and some sections of the plateau. I have spent many nights watching fires burn out of control about the plateau, and quite a few houses have been destroyed by fire and landslides over the years . Indiscriminate clearing and burning off is still taking place.

In this photo, Phantom Koala watches a “farmer” on Beechmont Plateau burn trees that have been cleared

The plateau and its escarpment is under pressure from development as more land is currently being subdivided and sold for housing estates and smaller rural pursuits. This may or may not be a good thing for biodiversity and the water aquifers, depending on the land and water stewardship that prevails into the future.

The Beechmont Plateau is flanked by the open and closed sclerophyll forests and rainforests of the Land Warfare Centre (Canungra), to the west, the Lamington National Park with its Upper Coomera River Catchment to the west and south. These include biodiverse rainforest Gondwana Heritage habitats and ecosystems. To the east lies more diverse Gondwana Heritage wonders of the Springbrook Plateau and much of the Nerang River Catchment and (the Hinze Dam Catchment). This water of the Nerang river Catchment is now part of the SE QLD WATER GRID. The basaltic aquifers of the region are largely unmonitored.

Environmental Advocacy Collage : Beechmont Plateau, SE QLD, Australia

Back in the early 1990′s two gifted environmentalists, Iris Flenady and Ros Woodburn created, a beautiful educational package for schools to use, concerning Remnant Vegetation Restoration and Habitat Rescue. This Book, “Rescuing Remnants” is worth a look at, and bluecray recommends its use in helping teachers grasp Remnant Vegetation Educational plans and methods.

On a more scientific level, Robert Kooyman‘s works, in association with other authors gives us a rich insight into the complexities of Native Vegetation in the Mt Warning Caldera Region of NE NSW and SE Qld. More about some of Robert Kooyman’s work can be seen here at Rainforest Rescue .

Opportunities for combined agroforestry, carbon sequesration and biodiversity within the Scenic Rim (Mt Warning (or WOLLUMBIN) Caldera Region of Australia).

Having attended an agroforestry workshop over a decade ago, in the “high country” of the old Beaudesert Shire, I became convinced back then, that these three components:- agroforestry, biodiversity and carbon sequestration can work very well within the Mt Warning Caldera Region, if put together using the soundest of authentic Land and Water (Environmental) Stewardship principles. The New South Wales Good Wood guide is a splendid start to understanding the types of trees that can be grown within this region. Should you be interested in further discussions concerning this article, please do not hesitate to contact me at bluecray.org

NSW Good Wood Guide :-

Agroforestry LINKS at bluecray.org

Beechmont at wikipedia

The work done by the Rescuing Remnants volunteers , beginning almost two decades ago has created stands of native endemic, largely rainforest plantings that can show the level of Carbon sequestration that is possible in the region of the Mt Warning (Wollumbin) Caldera.

If the stands of trees that have been planted would be measured, (which would be rather easy) they could readily show what level of Carbon sequestration is possible on this and the neighbouring Springbrook Plateaus.

These plantings are a valuable heritage that is directly related to Iris and Ros’s dedication and to the National Parks and Wildlife people, numerous volunteers, landholders, teachers and school children who participated in the Rescuing Remnants program. Some of the Remnant to Remnant plantings are on private land, some on public land. Many are now forming small forested “islands” of rich biodiversity and valuable seed for the birds and other fauna of the area to spread across the Plateau and surrounding region, by natural means. This is a wonderful example of Land and Water Stewardship.

I am not too sure if this program is still running, but I had had some involvement with it years back, and it was a highly valuable education resource for both the school at Beechmont and the community at large. It was dependent on the dedication of the School, community and National Parks to mention some key “players”.

A nice reference for this area is “TAMING the PLATEAU – HISTORY of the BEECHMONT DISTRICT”. compiled and edited by Robert Longhurst. ISBN 064612353X

Rescuing Remnants Beechmont – search results at bluecray Environmental Search Engine. There is not much on the internet about the Rescuing Remnants program. I will ask about it next time I am on the Plateau and see what is happening concerning any recent/ongoing community work with the program, and fill in details as soon as I can.

A beautiful area to the west of the Beechmont Plateau, is the Back Creek Gorge (see google search for Back Creek Gorge conservation association) ( + Killarney Glen – now in the Canungra Land Warfare custodianship?), which the Fitzgerald Family worked hard to preserve and conserve for many years.

The World Heritage listed Gondwana Rainforests are  found along the border of NE NSW and SE QLD, and a map of their location can be downloaded at Australia’s World Heritage page at the Australian Government’s Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts.

Gold Coast City Council, SE Queensland

Scenic Rim Regional Council, SE Queensland

Dry Sclerophyll Forest &  Wet sclerophyll Forest : search results at bluecray Environmental search engine

The geology of this plateau largely explains what type of vegetation units once were present, and why open and closed forests, wet and dry rainforests occur where they do. I shall endeavour to write more on this at a later date.

basaltic soils SE QLD : bluecray environmental search engine results

rhyolitic soils SE QLD : bluecray environmental search engine results

The Rainforest Information Centre .

See also “Carbon Trading in the USA” at ABC Landline archives October 2009. This story illustrate what happens when the “free market” is allowed to take over what is essentially an environmental issue that needs to be kept out of the hands of those people whose ego’s and greed is running amok, and placed back into the hands of caring land and water stewards.

AND LASTLY, here are some links to other stories that I have written about education and biodiversity that you may find interesting:-

Stewardship – the Balances

Australia’s Drop in the Ocean – the Draft Carbon Pollution Reduction  Scheme Bill – and a brief outline as to WHY Australia’s economy would be best suited to being based on BIODIVERSE FOREST establishment across as much of the continent as possible, and employing endemic, provincial, genetically diverse seed and propagation materials for the Forests.

A Balance of Faeries – revisited:- a story about clearing fragile remnants where Koalas and other vulnerable species live, and why recovery of those remnants may never occur unless immediate authentic land and water stewardship  action is taken.

Growing by Organics – food gardens and sharing

Totem Based Education for Biodiversity :a brief outline of how Schools can introduce into the School “HOUSE” system an environmental education template for species recovery and habitat understanding at a basic and localised level.

some Bluecray Murray Darling Links

Goanna leaves the Glyphosate Bank

PK and Litoria look for Rufous Bettong

“Clearing the Habit of Habitat Clearing” – at Journey for Wisdom in the Land

Perhaps you would like to see  other recipients of these developer awards? Try Sylvia Hale’s website – it has all the details. And while you are there, why not give them some support for their work in trying to make our children’s earth environment a little safer, and more secure.

Environmental Advocacy collage reminding us that Caring for our Country is also about Caring for Our Children

And now, a poem about an innocent child, and the questions she asks of some developers,  who are environmental vandals, and who are taking away her future safety by their actions,  perceived intentions and lack of integrity.

Phantom Koala and the Crow
An earthmover grinding the earth to a pulp
ignored the quiet pleas of wildlife it gulped
A single white gum tree alone bare and frail
did little to stop it with it’s lonely wail
Phantom Koala had run to escape
the metal equipment that made the earth shake.

And the Crow flew above seeing real from the fake……..

The grey suited gentlemen clothed in their greed
surveyed the bare landscape – “We’ll spray all THAT weed!”

“We’ll build a great golf course, – town centre or two
we’ve got the approval – it’s from (YOU KNOW WHO)
We’ll plant it with trees from our nursery stand
The Tweed Folk will pay us back tenfold our grand”

Then suddenly out of the dust and the fray
A small child came playing – she was heading their way.
The crow looked on smiling – Pk laughed on too
THEY knew what would happen-what that small child would do!
She fronted the grey suited money men then,
she took out a notebook and proceeded with pen
“My classmates and I wondered why you all lie?
My classmate are asking which drugs make you high?
My classmates and me see you just as you are
takers, deceivers, your game’s ‘below par‘!!”
“My classmates are young yet our lives pay for you,
so my classmates are wondering WHAT IS it you do
with this fortune you take from our years, from our life?
Do you mean to keep taking and give the young strife?”
The grey suited gentlemen, now covered in dust
from the earthmovers’ rampage and their lives filled with lust
puffed up their fat cheeks to start lies afresh
but by now it was out and they’d been caught in a mesh
of innocence asking WHAT WAS IT they did?
and WHY where they hiding – WHAT WAS IT THEY HID?

Then as the grey men tooted plans, power, law, the child ran off laughing saying , “you are a bore!”

and Phantom Koala, who’d found a good tree,laughed at the grey guys, and gave the child cheer!
The Crow flew off with her, to her classmates in school
and they all got together to write a new rule
Let the freedom of children and life for the young
be respected by those with power far flung
let the food land and animals waken
each day to loving and caring- a more
honest way.

Links:-

NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water : Summaries of Legislation (ACTS) that the Department operates under

“Administrative Law in an Environmental Context” search results at bluecray Environmental search engine

NSW Department of Planning : … and the legislation and planning instruments associated with it. Including Part 3A of the Planning Law and State Significant Sites.

The EDO (Environmental Defenders Office) has created a Major Projects Toolkit for the people of NSW, Australia. The Toolkit can be found at the EDO website. It is easy to read and understand.

Cumbersome Laws relating to Environment and Planning in NSW reflect a
complicated, alienated and basically not easy to understand environmental planning process.

The EDO  Major Projects Toolkit is a simply presented 21 page downloadable PDF that outlines how people in NSW can interact and become involved in Major Project applications.

Duty of care and the precautionary principle : search results at bluecray environmental search engine.

Coastal Development & Sea Levels – some Australian Links:-

• National Sea Change Taskforce: Link to – Conference at Byron Bay 2-3 March 2010 “The program will focus on the complex issues currently facing coastal LGAs including sea level rise, the legal implications of climate change and ageing populations………Byron Bay has been selected to host the event because of its relevance in terms of coastal hazards, development pressures and issues associated with climate change impacts”

• The 18th NSW Coastal Conference 2009 – 3rd-6th November 2009 to be held at Ballina,  Mt Warning (Wollumbin) Caldera Region, NE NSW. The Theme is “Staying Afloat – Rising to the Challenges”. The Conference involve government sectors, planners, consultants, engineers, community and user groups & will present awards for outstanding achievement in coastal zone management activities. ABC  North Coast News has nice updates for local info, including this Coastal Conference.
• Planned retreat, climate change & biodiversity – Byron Bay :- this is a workshop by the EDO Northern Rivers on 3rd December 2009

• Sea level Rise Policy Statement by NSW Government (late October 2009), and
• the Draft Coast and Flood Risk Assessment Guidelines – that are now open for submissions at the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water NSW (Urban & Coastal Water Reform Branch). Closing date for comments are December 11th 2009
• National Sea Change Taskforce : “national body to represent the interests of coastal councils and communities experiencing the effects of rapid growth and development” – includes Conference, Committee, Publications & links to the Federal Parliamentary Coastal Inquiry (report released 26th October 2009)

• EDO NSW (Environmental Defender’s Office) also has the following publications available:-   Climate change and the legal framework for biodiversity protection in Australia: a legal and scientific analysis &   Climate change and the legal framework for biodiversity protection in NSW: a legal and scientific analysis

The TWEED COAST is also experiencing engineered non sustainable development:-

Maps for the Tweed Coast Area near Casuarina, Kings Forest, Cudgen, Cudgen Creek , Wooyung – in fact much of the coastal area of the Tweed Shire!

Koala planning habitat loss se qld - search results environmental search engine at bluecray

Koala planning habitat loss ne nsw – search results environmental search engine at bluecray

“A Balance of Faeries” 1989 by Alison Polistchuk :- a story about Koala Habitat destruction west of Brisbane, SE QLD :- Why the Koalas’ Habitats, when slowly taken from them, over time, piece by piece, leads to increased biodiversity loss on a much larger scale for many of the other Australian Native Wildlife and Vegetation Communities AND why it is important to respect the “LITTLE THINGS” in life.

Land and Water Stewardship : Rescuing Remnants .

• The Hinterland of the Gold Coast, SE QLD and the Scenic Rim Region of SE QLD  adjoin NE NSW. The Mt Warning Caldera Region contains important habitat areas that are at risk to native wildlife. This Region is under increasing pressure from development and infrastructure implementation, as well as exceedingly poor land & water stewardship.
• The Koala is just one of many native Australian marsupials at risk by over clearing and fragmentation of habitat, largely due poor planning on the part of the Qld & NSW Governments.

• The concept of rescuing remnants and degraded landscape enhancement via participation of school educational systems, community involvement and dedication of State Planning Authorities lacks integration with developers of land, infrastructure and townships.

• The native Australian plant nursery and seed bank distribution industry for local endemic (provincial) native plants is largely  unsupported by all sectors of Australian Society. Reliance is on volunteers and government funding for programs such as Remnant to Remnant to succeed.
• Developers of towns, urban and regional centres, infrastructure and recreational facilities rarely support authentic Land and Water Stewardship on a scale that is meaningful to lasting and real outcomes. This needs to change, and State and Federal Government planning is responsible, in a large part for implementing the change.

National Sustainability Initiatives at the Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage & the Arts. This website page includes links to the related areas of :-  EPBC Reporting, Indicators & Local Agenda 21, as well as to  Ecologically Sustainable Development LINKS .

The Ecologically Sustainable Development LINKS page includes :-

• Conferences and Events
• Sustainability Networks and Discussion Groups
• State Government Sites
• Australian Government Environment Sites
• Local Government Sites
• Non-Government Organisations

Coastal Development : search reslults at Environmental Search Engine

Planned retreat, climate change & biodiversity – Byron Bay :- this is a workshop by the EDO Northern Rivers on 3rd December 2009. Whilst this is for Byron Bay, you may find some interesting information at the EDO website

Giri and the 22 Arrows of Truth – Myths for a Modern Age Part 3 A bluecray story about integrity and honesty and the machiavellian nature of a person who was once a key political “behind the scenes” player.

Kings Forest Project Development – sleepless days & nights to come for endangered species at Balance of Faeries bluecray blog

“Kings Forest and the future Tweed” – search results at Bluecray ENVIRONMENTAL SEARCH ENGINE – a search engine designed mainly for the Mt Warning Caldera Region, NE NSW and SE QLD. It’s up the top of the page, on the RHS – ENVIRONMENT SEARCH – can you see it? you may like to try your own “keywords” search. We are still improving it, to make it even more useful.

Syrma – Al Ghafar – a fixed star – relating ASAD, stenography and great fortunes and much more than meets the eye. The Sun is currently, as I write this, at approx. 1-2 degrees Scorpio. In a few days, it will reach a conjunction with this Fixed Star.

National Toxics Network .

But firstly , a few words about  bluecray experiential views, philosophies and  responses to land clearing, habitat clearing, inappropriate natural resource management and human consumption in the face of mass extinction.

• Many types of people and views make up our world of human knowledge. Basic human and animal rights are a huge issue globally.

• Some of us think about the above matters (threatened species, habitat clearing, natural resource mismanagement, animal and people advocacy etc) and we have deep concern, seek education, yet we feel that we can do nothing or very little – this is ok – perhaps it is our concern that is important. Never underestimate “concern”, and the passive impact it has on others.

• Some of us work towards action, compromise, practical step at a time issues. For example, realising to halt  development (that is environmentally unsustainable) all at once is not the way. Working slowly and surely towards a better world is valid.  Working with developers – not against them, working with poor land stewards, slowly helping them change their understanding has validity.

• Some of us have no idea that the level of habitat destruction has become critical to our own survival as a species in this world. That, again, is the individual’s path.  Do not think that they have any less a valid right to life and viewpoint than others. They are entitled to their life and the consequences there of, just as we all are.

• Some people see that the consequences of habitat clearing, poor land stewardship and the power of inappropriate persuasion by wealthy “movers and shakers” has become a consequence for many of our children and the future which is to be their life. They speak out about this, and take actions of various types that are aimed at deep change within humanity’s consciousness and spirit.

• Negotiation and honesty is a cornerstone to becoming a better society.

• Tolerance, love, forgiveness, redemption and compassion are powerful tools when dealing with poor land management, inappropriate land custodianship and ignorant land stewardship. These things can open up doors that anger, misdirected ego and intolerance have previously held shut.

In the scheme of things, action (Environmental Action and Activism) to change the world can come in three forms:-

• Identifying the critical issue, passively supporting change for the better in your heart, but recognising that beyond that, you can do little else, except heal your own inbalances and heart.

• Identifying the critical issues, actively supporting the change for the better and recognising that  balance, focus and the “heart” and “energy” behind those actions are to be considered as foundations to those actions.

• Identifying the critical issue, understanding the passive and the active response, then going beyond. Going to and working with, the underlying issue that has caused the initial problem is in this category. Going to the spirit of things, addressing them in a way that can help cause a massive shift in mass consciousness awareneness, thus facilitating change without really becoming involved in the individual issue.

Phantom Koala and the Goanna

“Dearest PK“ asked Goanna wise
“why don’t the Trees now reach to the Skies-
why is the Rain so late to fall?
I know many things but with these, I  stall.“

PK slowly shifted to see
who questioned him so from beneath his tree
“Why Goanna, you smarty, didn’t you know
The government let them clear  the trees,  so….
The rain doesn’t come, the wind blows hard
and everyone’s mowing down their back yard
They’ve channelled the water away from the streams
and ruined the chance of our childrens’ dreams.“

This disturbed the Goanna who said, “But PK, surely not everyone acts in this way?“
Well,  PK just laughed and pulled at some leaves
“It’s what’s in ones heart – that’s what to believe
Does it make sense to kill? does it make sense to steal?
Does it make sense to eat  much much more than your meal?“
“Well, that is what they do – the clearers of land, they kill all the trees and they make out they’re grand. Then they take all the water and pump it away
and they tell us that industries show us the way.
They hop on their jet stream and swan round the world
praising themselves with their grand flags unfurled
saying ‘We have the answer – we are the best‘
(though to you and me both – we know they’re the pest).“
Goanna thought deeply on PK’s last words and dreamily saw that it was quite absurd
“So why do they panic and call each day drought, why do the leaders still hold so much clout?“
“Oh Goanna! Dear friend, you wise brave old soul
because they can’t see from their justified hole. They’ve dug down so deeply, their egos as spades – that the only thing left between them and the hades-

is redemption and love. We must give them a hand, to clamber back up and to save our sweet land“

“Phantom Koala and PART 3A of the NSW Planning Law”

This Goanna photo was taken at Upper Burringbar, Mt Warning Caldera Region, NE NSW, Australia

KOALA at QLD Departmentof Environment and Resource Management : Koala plan, Maps, Information Sheets, Koala Species Outline, Local Government Involvement, Mapping of New Koala Habitat Areas

KOALA PROFILE at NSW Threatened Species pages : KOALA – listed as VULNERABLE

“A Balance of Faeries” 1989 by al at bluecray.org – a story about habitat clearing, Koalas and the consequences. When this story, “A Balance of Faeries”,  which is a true story happened, the land which was cleared – Koala Habitat, was also part of the home to the biggest GOANNA that I have ever seen. It was about eight feet in length. This massive Goanna would have been very very old indeed!

Alan Moir cartoons at Sydney Morning Herald – summing up wealthy corporate and political gamesmanship – these cartoons will make you both laugh and think!

Melissa Merry: “Blogging and Environmental Advocacy: A New Way to Engage the Public?”

Koala School

Phantom Koala

Below are a a few links that may help you understand what is happening in the Tweed Coast concerning development.

Concreting the Coastal 2003 : Clearing and Development Pressures on the NSW Coast 2003 Total Environment Centre PDF – this compiled resource by the TOTAL ENVIRONMENT CENTRE show problematic development, land clearing activity, approvals and proposals in coastal nsw 2002 -2003. It looks at the larger, more controversial, uncompleted developments at that time – (not the smaller, under the radar ones, nor the already completed ones). This is an excellent recent historic resource.

Kings Forest Development threatenes 21 Threatened Species of Fauna . This article includes a list of some of the Threatened species (including the Koala -Phascolarctos cinereus ), with links to find out more about some of them.

Phantom Koala sees that the KOALA -which has been “iconised” by a number of organisations- is much much more than an ICON##(see below). Inappropriate development  threatens many more individual endangered species than just the KOALA of the Tweed Coast.  The creation of “sustainable development” which is NOT sustainable development, but in reality, development that threatens many AT RISK vulnerable individual Australian wildlife species and their habitats on the Tweed Coast is inappropriate for this day and age of disappearing species and habitats.

In July 2005, with very little consultation, the NSW government introduced a new Part 3A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act. See more about the implications of this planning law HERE.

• “Administrative Law in an Environmental Context” search results at bluecray Environmental search engine
• Duty of care and the precautionary principle : search results at bluecray environmental search engine.

Urban Taskforce – representing property developers

Planning Workshop Australia – Kings Forest and some other State Significant Sites’ work for developers

link on Sylvia Hale (Greens elected Member of the Legislative Council NSW) website to the Green’s Bad Developer Awards – to be announced October 15th 2009

Ian Cohen : media release Kings Forest (11th March 2010)

Some Regional Advocacy Links and   EDO Compliance Portal .

Stateline NSW – Special Features: Systemic corruption in New South Wales?
View the letter from The Greens to the ICAC and the ICAC response.

search for Bob Ell development on bluecray’s ENVIRONMENTAL SEARCH engine

search for Part 3A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act on bluecray’s ENVIRONMENTAL SEARCH engine

PK and Moneybags discuss the future on the Tweed Coast

As I am writing this advocacy article, (24th September 2009)  fire fighters are battling a blaze close to Kings Forest, on the Tweed Coast. While this fire has been contained, 40 ha of land has burnt, requiring 6 tankers to respond to the emergency. *The State Significant Site of Kings Forest and the surrounding area is under serious threat by a potential development being engineered by Bob Ell, one of the wealthiest people in Australia, who has a history of environmental vandalism. Development, habitat disturbance and inappropriate land management in Australia’s eastern coastal strip between Brisbane and Byron Bay has led to vaste numbers of native Australian fauna and flora disappearing forever from this zone.

The creation of Kings Forest as a State Significant Site and Part 3A,  as successfully lobbied for by Bob Ell’s Leda Group ??(see Planning Workshop Australia above), has resulted in limited appeal actions on the part of advocates and concerned parties over inappropriate development there. To understand how Part 3A of the NSW works – try this link here to the Nature Conservation Council articles on Part3A of the Environment Planning & Assessment Act in NSW

When fires occur in the Australian landscape, many species are equipped with survival mechanisms that help them withstand the pressures of fire regimes so that these species can survive the ravages of fire in the Australian landscape.

However, when there is little resilient native bushland left about the area burnt, the wildlife and native plant populations can be stressed beyond repair. As development increases on the coastal strip, and as more people arrive to live in that region, more fires will become the norm. People often light fires, and the more people that are living in an area can often equate to more fires being lit.

Phantom Koala is hoping that love of Australia’s Natural Heritage will prevail over money and ego of developers and planners who use the Part3A of the Environmental Planning & Assessment Act to over- develop the remaining low coastal remnant habitats  of the Tweed Coast.

Phantom Koala hopes that the spread of Coastal development from SE Qld into NE NSW doesn't become the development from 'ell

And while you are here, have a look at these:-

AFAC 2009 - Annual AFAC Conference Incorporating the Bushfire CRC Conference.  AFAC = Australasian Fire & Emergency Service Authorities Council

“Determining the distribution and abundance of a regional koala population in south-east Queensland for conservation management” 2004,  at CSIRO Publishing by David S. Dique, Harriet J. Preece, Jim Thompson and Deidré L. de Villiers

PK and Benoit look at biodiversity v's moneybags. They see that moneybags makes things empty, and biodiversity makes things beautiful and abundant

##  Developments  under the umbrella of “its ok if we make it into some type of environmental Koala sight seeing tour” or more hollow motherhood statement theme developments that are based on tokenism as opposed to valid sustainable environmental practices that cater for many individual Australian Wildlife HABITATS that are required for BIODIVERSITY resilience.

Tim Flannery on Biodiversity -  Copenhagen Climate Council at bluecray Environmental Search

“A Balance of Faeries” 1989 by al at bluecray – a true story about Koala Habitat Destruction, and how little by little, the Koala Habitat of SE QLD and NE NSW, if continually destroyed at the rate it is, will have far reaching consequences for our Children’s future. “A Balance of Faeries” tells us that the destruction of small, seemingly insignificant parcels of biodiversity in our natural landscapes,  leaves us increasingly exposed to the greater forces of nature, WIND, SUN, HEAT, RAIN, FLOOD, FIRE . And that, folks, can lead to some rather harsh realities!

*AND one more thing – concerning BUFFER ZONES and KOALAS: the concept of a 50m buffer zone is an absurd and very much an “80′s way of appeasing developers’ mindsets or trying to enlighten politicians who still hadn’t been educated.

Lobbying for , say a 50m Buffer zones about large non sustainable developments does a disservice to KOALAS and all Australian native wildlife. Particularly threatened species.  Buffer zones are a concept that came about to help ease political mindset into caring for our Natural Resources adn Natural Heritage. We must move forwards in a clever way now, and really see what chronic non environmentally sustainable over-urbanisation of our East coast Australian landscape is doing to our biodiverse ecological heritage. If we must lobby for buffer zones – at least one or two Km is the barest minimum – preferably more.

Many native animals need quite a few kilometres of habitat to live and reproduce in, particularly if the area is already degraded. Some need even more. Buffer zones are not really an adequate way of addressing danger and stress to threatened species when non sustainable urban development is in the area.

Animals do not read maps, follow scientific reasoning or keep up with where the next quick multi billion dollar development is being orchestrated. Some small native wildlife- threatened native species adapt, if they are able to, to small buffer zones, like ones I have seen suggested – 50 m, but the stresses and the pressure from urbanisation will eventually take their toll. Mostly, even a few kilometres is far from adequate, when it comes to other environmental issues, such as fire, climate change and human settlement consequences – fire, pests, domesticated animals gone wild, noise and light to name a few.

Particularly over time,  “buffer zone”  is a term that is long outdated. Integration of landscape features, infrastructure development and environmentally sustainable living necessitates that we move beyond this false concept, and move directly to honest and authentic land custodianship and land and water stewardship. The ’80′s concept of “wildlife corridors” must also be viewed in the wider context, for the 21st Century and beyond.

Habitat Clearing and habitat fragmentation, that is done little by little,  is such a serious threat to the Koala and indeed, all native Australian Wildlife, that we, as responsible Australian Citizens, can no longer turn a blind eye, and allow inappropriate “supposed Environmental Stewardship”, under the guise of “necessary development” to continue.

“don’t be fooled again”

• NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water : Summaries of Legislation (ACTS) that the Department operates under
• NSW Department of Planning… and the legislation and planning instruments associated with it

• Environment and Planning Law in NSW : (book reviews etc) : Environmental and Planning Law in New South Wales By Rosemary Lyster, Zada Lipman, Nicola Franklin 2007
• Bluecray Environmental Advocacy Links for the Mt Warning Caldera Region of NE NSW & SE QLD, Australia

• EDO New South Wales Ltd – while you are there, check out the Compliance Portal – for environmental advocacy help in understanding matters such as Planning & Development, Land Clearing, Water, Threatened Species & Land
• Northern Rivers EDO Office – Lismore, NE NSW
• Caldera Environment Centre
• “A preliminary investigation of the distribution of koalas and their potential habitat in the Tweed Shire, and implications for management”  by Judy Faulk Australian Zoologist, June 1991 Vol. 27(1 & 2).                 ##You may find it here at the Royal Zoological Society of NSW in the Journals. Alternatively, try this google search : australian zoologist June 1991 Vol. 27(1 & 2)
• Draft National Koala Conservation and Management Strategy 2009-2014 – submissions close COB 5th August 2009 and the National Koala Conservation Strategy 1998
• Tweed Shire Koala Habitat Atlas this was created 1993 ?by the Tweed Shire Council with the assistance of the Australian Koala Foundation
• “Clearing the Habit of Habitat Clearing” – at Journey for Wisdom in the Land

Koala Planning Dreaming at Wisdom in the Land blog

Phantom Koala and the Planner have a dream together at Balance of Faeries blog

The above image and environmental advocacy poem is about how, if we listen to and learn from nature, if we trust in authentic Land & Water Stewards to guide us, developments and infrastructure works can also become environmentally sustainable.

This  contradicts the current trend of using heavy machinery in destructive ways, heavy-handed engineering works, highly non- sustainable energy inputs and large economies of scale. This dichotomy requires addressing by our community, political & corporate  leaders, urgently.  There IS a WAY!

Ipswich Koala Protection Society – (IKPS) – wild life rescue, image gallery, how you can help Koalas of the Ipswich Region, and LINKS

“A Balance of Faeries” 1989 by Al at bluecray.org

His search and their saga – ever so long,  told PK quite clearly that something was wrong!
For months on end, that stretched to years, calling through fences with their tears

Across that void – that fierce road,
the trucks, the cars – their rushing load.

But now the best bit will unfold
As Pk’s stories now are told

One early evening waiting near the talking tree for his mother dear, he heard the wrens and bush birds say that to get to the coast there WAS a way
It was very long, and took some skill, and involved a risk of getting killed
Pk ask more from his flying friends, and they told him of roads that had no ends
However if game, they said that PK could travel those roads for part of the way

“Stick to the edges, and watch for the lights they’ll freeze you and fix you and BOY those cars bite”
“So stay in the shadows, and travel with stealth and you’ll get to a place which is full of ill health -
the drained swamps of coastlands” – the refugees called, but take take care of  dogs so that you won’t be mauled

God speed you PK, called the Birds of the Land, as he started his journey with their helping hand.

Familiar with Mooball and Cudgerra Creek, his crossing of this place took more than a week.
Then suddenly there he was ,over THAT ROAD – that huge roaring thoroughfare with it’s faceless load.

Now where to begin to start tracking his Mum? Her scent was not there on the road he had come,
so sniffing the breeze in the quiet morning light, he touched on a memory ever so slight.
The “feel” of his mother! It came from these trees- she’d been here before, but it had been some years.

The urge to continue, to follow his nose – led him to a high fence and again more loud roads.

Yet our hero undaunted, his mother he’d find -  then suddenly Pk saw one of his kind……..

A cousin – a cousin! There in the tree – he called out “KOALA! it’s PK!…. it’s ME!!”
The cousin’s eye’s opened   his nose sniffed PK.   Then he slowly pointed north,    saying     “that is the way”.

Now trembling with fatigues of his open road walk, our darling PK said “so sorry- can’t talk”. For gone were those days of the safe bushland life, now the people of Tweed were  giving them strife.
The human machines screamed and roared all the day, the constant truck noise – the people – the fray.
Bravely PK lumbered slowly along, to the east and the north where it felt very wrong.

Something was happening that made PK sick – he’d felt it before, it was like a bad trick.
And there – in the distance, from a tall tree he spied, the lay of King’s Forest. Was it there he could hide?

For all about PK, was nothing but bare – all cleared and flat land and the trees were nowhere! There were fences and houses, and small shrubs and trees, but the way to the forest was filled with disease.

The waters were putrid, the sparse old trees ill. Yet PK kept going, with his strong free will
He “knew” that his Mother would be near this place – this great fading Forest – ( Tweed Coast’s disgrace)
Past cypress and tea tree, our little friend ran, then though a sharp fence and across the bare land

And suddenly there he was facing his MUM! She cried out PK – you really have come!

OH reader, now listen of PK’s delight! To find his dear mother at last – what a sight!

Full adventure was over, he could rest .. he could talk. Then he told his Mama about his “LONG WALK”,

so proud of her son and his clever repose – big roads and big fences- do more than we suppose.

*******************************************************************

The above Poem, about Phantom Koala and how he finds his mother and becomes a Hero, reminds us that Koalas  are at very high risk here, on the NE Coast of NSW.

The actions and work by the Australian Government has done nothing to save the plight of the Coastal Koala, here in SE QLD and NE NSW. Koala population Numbers are dropping dramatically, and the same habitat destroying development is continuing at an alarming pace, all along the coast.

However: THERE IS A WAY!!!

Download some KOALA info here:- from the EPA, QLD.

“Koala (Phascolartos cinereus) survey and habitat assessment of Lot 4 on RP 35335 Doolong South Rd, Wondunna, Hervey Bay, Queensland / conducted for the Hervey Bay City Council” -  by ddwfauna August 2005,  is a good start….

” When Phantom Koala was Young -  A Koala Saga “ : my wordpress version of the first PK poem at Balance of Faeries blog.

“A Balance of Faeries” 1989 by al at bluecray – a story about koala habitat destruction – little by little – and the consequences

Kings Forest at articles Balance of Faeries blog and more links

Wisdom in the Land blog has Koala Planning Dreaming : a simple guideline for developing land, hand in hand with nature

Kings Forest : articles at bluecray.org and more links

***And, for inspiration……Some beautiful Koala ART WORK and a poem “Winter Koala” by Carol McCormack

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