Peter Stevens receives 2011 Westpac Community Treasurers Award from State Treasurer Mike Baird and Westpac Head of Social Sector Banking, Julienne Price (photo U Schnabel)
Westpac Community Treasurers’ Awards 2011
The Treasurer of the Wolli Creek Preservation Society, Peter Stevens, has won the 2011 Westpac Community Treasurers’ Award in the small organisations category.
The community treasurers’ awards recognise the tremendous contribution community treasurers make to community groups and the community generally and Peter is a worthy recipient of this year’s award.
For more information about the awards and Peter’s contribution see the Our Community website.
Biodiversity conservation awards
Christine Miles, Judi Rossi and Judy Finlason receive the Biodiversity Conservation Award from the Sydney Metropolitan Catchment Management Authority at its Annual Community Forum in May 2009
The Society was the overall state winner of the Biodiversity Conservation Award of the Sustainable Cities program presented by Keep Australia Beautiful NSW.
The Society was also the winner of the inaugural Biodiversity Conservation Award from the Sydney Metropolitan Catchment Management Authority.
The International Year of Biodiversity was “established by the United Nations to increase worldwide awareness of biodiversity and its importance, and to engage more people in its conservation”.
We look forward to being able to continue our efforts in biodiversity conservation by involving as many people as possible in all our activities.
Grants
A total of nine separate grants were being administered by the Society during 2010.
Some recent grants the Society has received include:
- The NSW Government’s Environmental Trusts provided some $50,000 over three years for bush restoration along the Undercliffe track east of Jackson Place. A bushcare group has been set up to work in this area.
- The Sydney Metropolitan Catchment Management Authority provided a grant of around $12,000 to enable an extension westwards of work on the Bray Avenue wetland, centering on the removal of Willows and Privets. The CMA provided an additional $9,000 to complete the removal of noxious aquatic weeds and extend the restored area of the Bray Avenue wetland.
- The Commonwealth’s Caring for Country initiative has provided a Community Action Grant of $18,600 for initial work on the interesting north west corner of Illoura Reserve. The cheque was publicly presented on-site in front of almost 30 members by Robert McClelland, the federal Attorney-general and local member for Barton.
- The State Government’s Community Building Partnership Program will provide $15,000 to support work on weed and rubbish removal at the Big Bend Wetland upstream from Turrella Reserve.
These are all new areas of work and we will, as elsewhere, use a combination of contracted bush regenerators and volunteers, so of course we have lots of scope for more volunteers to get into action in the outdoors and enjoy good company at the same time.
To do your bit, contact WCPS – tools and training provided.
The Jackson Triangle is a project under Canterbury Council’s ‘Adopt-a-Patch’ program. Formerly an area with a dense growth of tough weeds, it was spreading weed seeds etc across the road into Regional Park land. A first section planted with natives in the spring is doing very well, despite the dry summer.
The remainder is being de-weeded for and a handover to local residents for on-going maintenance. Local residents and others interested to adopt a piece of bush are most welcome to join in. Please contact WCPS.
Meanwhile, work in our many other sites continues with our four regular groups active and receiving new volunteers. And some of our work is being made easier by the installation of stormwater treatment arrangements on channels feeding Wolli tributaries. Gross Pollutant Traps (GPTs) are already in place on lower Bardwell Creek, at Bray Avenue, and at Highcliff Road West, with other treatments to follow at Turrella Reserve (GPT), Johnson St (detention basin), Highcliff Road East (raingarden), and SJ Harrison Reserve (GPT and hydrocon pipes). All this has been done under the Commonwealth Government’s extensive Cooks River Urban Water Initiative.
The Cooks River Urban Water Initiative, again Commonwealth funds, managed by the CMA working closely with local Councils, are supporting a number of projects to control and manage stormwater in the Wolli Valley. They are going ahead in leaps and bounds, with a very large Gross Pollutant Trap (GPT) put into Turrella Reserve in May, following a GPT at Bray and a GPT and a rain-garden along Highcliff Road, plus GPTs and biofilters on Bardwell Creek. A biofilter at Johnson Street and a GPT plus a slow percolation device at SJ Harrison Reserve are next off the rank. Go to www.cooksriver.info to find out the details from the Catchment Management Authority.