Entries Tagged 'landcare + faunacare' ↓

There’s almost no need for any text to go with the photo below, of toppled excavator. The picture says it all. This is at the “12 Magnificent Blocks for Sale!” land development at 114 Waterworks Rd.

Local residents have made a number of submissions on safety and other matters, yet it appears that Council has little protocol in place to manage steep hillside developments, and we are told the development of such protocols is still months or years away.

“How on earth did your vibrant community, with all its professionally skilled people, allow such a crude land development like this happen?” said a visiting architect last week. It’s a question many of us are wondering about.

Chris Harries

Waterworks Valley Landcare Group is holding a Bird Walk on Sunday, 2nd December.

To be led by local resident Don Knowler (he writes the popular ‘On the Wing’ column each week in the Mercury)

Meet 10am at main gates of Waterworks picnic reserve. Bring a drink and binoculars if you have them.

(“The bird walk was informative and enjoyable – we’re lucky to have Don living in the valley!” Trish Moran)

Waterworks Valley Landcare Group
Annual General Meeting

8PM
11 December
152 Waterworks Road

Agenda item of note: amendment of the constitution.

(Anyone interested can easily download the constitution with proposed amendments by clicking HERE.)

How satisfying to witness a group of swift parrots swoop by last Sunday at the Waterworks Landcare working bee.

Only 1,000 pairs are believed to remain in the wild and they are very reliant on flowering gums for their survival. Now we are seeing these birds re-enter the valley, following planting of flowering gums by our Landcare volunteers in the past decade.

Read another tribute to the valley of this on going work HERE.
Read more about the swift parrot HERE.

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Late last year Hobart City Council approved a new 20-lot subdivision at 25A Waterworks Rd (see story here).

Thirty residents from the area made representations to the Council on a wide range of issues, including traffic, wildlife and amenity. We think that the Council did very little to acknowledge or address the concerns of residents who made representations.

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Someone who works for Hobart City Council is a rock artist.

Check out the spiffy new stone seat down at the quarry bike pump track.

Snakes are now out of hibernation and Janine Brookes has brought it to our attention that Reptile Rescue will come and deal with a snake if you find one in a place that may pose a risk.

There’s no need to kill them and it’s important to note that Tiger snakes are a protected species.

Reptile Rescue’s phone number is 0407 565 181. They ask for a $30 donation, helps cover costs for their volunteers.

For information about looking after other native species, injured or orphaned, go to this link.

While I was away in March and April this year my eastern rosella called ‘fighting rainbow’ disappeared. He had been living with us for about 3 years and was very much part of our family.

He came to us via Wildcare and had been a domesticated bird. Over time we released him and he stayed around our home, finding safety and a wonderful free lifestyle. He was a constant companion, and every morning and evening would call and sing and chat to me.

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Two major subdivisions have now been submitted for 111 / 125 Waterworks Rd and at 25A Waterworks Rd, comprising altogether over 30 new house blocks on the southern side of the valley. Both have now been advertised.

Anybody who has concerns about these multi-block developments should take note and put in comments to the planning process within the 14 day period allowed.

If problems arise later there is no comeback if concerned people have not submitted their concerns about any aspect of the development. For your convenience here are some documents that have been prepared by the developers for the first development.

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“What a good job the council has done with the quarry,” said someone at this week’s community meeting, and there was all round agreement. It’s a splendid case of community – council collaboration that has taken some years to come to fruition.

Thanks to early intervention by local residents the quarry and surrounds have been kept as as recreation space, it’s got a great ambience being sheltered from wind and the rockface backdrop catches the sun nicely.

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A weakening Autumn sun sheds a dappled light in amongst the understorey. This little beautiful spot was, not too long ago, a tangle of blackberry bramble, cotoneastors and a host of other weeds, strangling what was natural to this urban bushland fringe.

Now it’s nice. Nice to look at. So nice to part of its resuscitation.

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We’re so lucky, in this community there is enough retained bushland fringe to support a population of Eastern barred bandicoots that visit our gardens at night.

Are they safe? Far from it. Scorched-earth land-developments, cats, cars, even gardeners’ snail bait are hazards to these creatures.

Read all about it at this new website resource. (Includes downloadable teaching resources for primary school kids.)

A number of community members have expressed concern about the sudden clearing of land for a subdivision at the top end of Waterworks Road (197), which took place in the last week of September.

By the time locals had alerted Hobart Council the block had virtually been clearfelled, using large logging machinery normally used in forest coupes.

Owing to high sensitivity of the site to tunnel erosion, weed infestation and damage caused to adjacent properties Waterworks Landcare Group reacted quickly, lodging a letter of concern with HCC’s planning staff and aldermen.

A ‘stop work’ order was temporarily placed on the development, owing to alleged breaches of planning laws. However it appears a sensitive development of the site is no longer possible. A lesson for community members is to be ever vigilant.