In our first year, seven people turned out for our first Clean Up Australia Day. We held two workshops, including one on Bushcare (presented by Greening Australia). There were two additional work-days, as well as a lot of lobbying, liaising with other groups, meetings and general discussion.
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The beginning of our second year augurs extremely well. We have a strong committee in place, consisting of:
- Andrew Winkler (Chair)
Kate Barrett (Secretary), and
Alison Harvey
Soon there will be signage in place, identifying Patawalonga Creek as an 'Our Patch' site under the project operated by the Patawalonga Catchment Water Management Board, and work has progressed on the website, which should be on-line soon.
And we expect to have a much better turn-out for Clean Up Australia Day this time around, as well as a regular program of work-days.
the Editor
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Steering Committee at Airport
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A very significant step forward has been made by the setting up of the Patawalonga Creek Steering Committee, which held its first meeting in December at the offices of Adelaide Airport Ltd (AAL).
The members of the Committee are:
- Steve Green (Environmental Manager, AAL)
Glenn Clarke (Environment Research Student, AAL)
Ben Moulton (Greening Australia)
Jon Emmett (Project Officer, 'Our Patch')
Greg Sarre (Urban Forest Biodiversity Program)
Andrew Winkler (FoPC)
Kate Barrett (FoPC)
Other participants include:
- Vicki Hagan, and
Dr. Barbara Radcliffe (Commonwealth Airport Environment Officer).
John Voigt of the City of West Torrens has also been invited to attend.
One of the first tasks that the Steering Committee has undertaken is to start work on a Management Plan for the area. It is fortunate that such a team has come together, with a broad range of expertise and a strong commitment to working in a harmonious and co-operative manner, to achieve the best possible outcome.
Steve Green's previous employment was with Western Mining Corporation at Roxby Downs. He is familiar with the problems associated with acid sulphate soils, which are very similar in biogeochemistry to the problem of acid drainage associated with mining wastes.
He is in a strong position to negotiate with the State Government over the rehabilitation of the site, after the eventual removal of the silt ponds. Under the terms of the original agreement, the ponds were to have been removed by the end of last year, and the land 'made good'.
The lease on the site has been extended for a year, and the material in the ponds is likely to be used to construct a new golfcourse on the southern boundary of the Airport.
Steve wants the State Government to undertake a comprehensive program of soil testing, to include the soils beneath the ponds, and that this be integrated with the soil testing required for the construction of the stormwater detention ponds proposed by the City of West Torrens.
Part of the Barcoo Outlet proposal involved partial excavation of the silt ponds, and their re-use for material dredged from the earthworks for the outlet. Apparently, due to timing considerations, this is now unlikely to happen.
The Barcoo Outlet proposal has now been called into question, with a re-convening of the Parliamentary Public Works Committee, which gave the original go-ahead. The resignation of Borvin Kracman, the project director, also signals that a unique opportunity has opened up, to get the project shelved, and to re-direct the resources towards cleaning up the catchment.
(See: Local Meetings)
The second Frog Census of Patawalonga Creek was conducted in September last year, and the results have recently come back from the EPA.
The good news is that frogs were heard calling over a longer distance (~100 metres) south of West Beach Road - so the upper section of the 'dead zone' (which extends a considerable distance downstream of the original outfall from the silt ponds) has finally started to recover.
The bad news is that fewer or no frogs were recorded at locations further to the south, compared with the previous year. This may be due to the relatively dry conditions experienced during late winter/early spring.
There is considerable interest in setting up a plant nursery at the Reedbeds Community Centre, and it is likely to happen very soon. Plants propagated and grown here could be planted out at the Patawalonga Creek, Apex Park, or Breakout Creek.
Trees for Life kits are available through the 'Our Patch' project officer of the Patawalonga Catchment Water Management Board, and potting mix and seed (collected from Patawalonga Creek) are available through the Airport and Greening Australia.
Setting up a nursery at the community centre is seen as an ideal way of involving members of the local community and enhancing a greater sense of 'community ownership' of the projects being under-taken in the area. In addition, there is scope for individuals to grow plants at home, as well as for various educational activities.
This year, Clean Up Australia Day will fall on Sunday, 5th March. We will be better organised this time and the Airport, through Steve Green, has offered the use of a small truck which will eliminate the long trudge back to the central collection point.
Also, there will be more publicity through the City of West Torrens and a letterbox drop in the local area, so we anticipate that there will be a greater turn-out this year.
Since early March can still be hot, an early start is needed. We will meet at 8 am, at bus stop 18B on West Beach Road (west of Tapleys Hill Road, and adjacent to the Creek and the silt ponds).
The next meeting of the Friends of Patawalonga Creek will be at 7:30 pm, on Thursday, 30 March 2000, at the Reedbeds Community Centre, cnr. Fitch & Halsey Roads, Fulham (carpark entry off Phelps Court).
The Barcoo Outlet Public Forum, will be held by the Henley & Grange Residents' Association at the West Beach Surf Lifesaving Club, Seaview Road, West Beach, at 7:30-9 pm on Tuesday, 7 March 2000.
Henley & Grange Dunecare have work-days on the second Sunday of each month at the
nursery in Atkin Street, Henley Beach, at 10 am.
CREATED BY:
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LINKED TO:
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 Ground Truth:
towards an
environmental history
of South Australia
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<URL=http://www.chariot.net.au/~littoral/pat-ck/pb/pb2-1.htm>
Web version created 7th March 2000; last updated 11th April 2002.
This page maintained by Andrew Winkler for the Friends of Patawalonga Creek.
Please mail any comments or material for future issues to: The Editor
© Littoral Productions 2000
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