Complete the Park!
Sign the open letter to NSW politicians. Sign here. For background, click here. Boost the pressure for completion....
March 17, 2023 | Posted in Regional Park campaign | No Comments
Unwin Green street
Lying between Wolli Creek Regional Park and Waterworth Park is Unwin St, Earlwood. Local residents and the Wolli Creek Preservation Society have developed an exciting new concept for Unwin St as a green link and are seeking support from Canterbury-Bankstown City Council, the NSW Government and the general public....
March 17, 2023 | Posted in Wolli Creek Corridor | No Comments
Biodiversity Walks (and Talks) in the Wolli Creek Valley – 1 April and 15 April 2023
Two family-friendly 3.5km walks showcasing beautiful bushland, creek views and birdlife. This year we are again partnering with Canterbury-Bankstown Council for these free short walks (with commentary) through the amazing Wolli Creek Regional Park. The walks will include striking sandstone cliffs, water views and sightings of threatened native fauna such as Grey-headed Flying-foxes. These are medium grade walks with some sections of the trail covering uneven ground. Bexley North to Turrella Reserve – Saturday 1 April 9am to 12 noon For further information and booking: see https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/biodiversity-walk-talk-in-wolli-creek-valley-tickets-528009198727 Bookings essential Bardwell Park to Tempe – Saturday 15 April 9am to 12 noon For further information and booking: see https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/biodiversity-walk-and-talk-2-bardwell-park-to-tempe-tickets-528028486417 Bookings essential...
February 3, 2023 | Posted in events | No Comments
Wolli Creek Eco-Paddle – 25 March 2023; 12 noon to 3.00pm
Following the successful relaunch of our popular Wolli Creek eco-paddle, the Wolli Creek Preservation Society is again partnering with the River Canoe Club of NSW to run another paddle on Saturday 25th March 2023 from 12 noon to 3.00 pm. The tour will start from the River Canoe Club, Richardson Crescent, Marrickville, and finish with light afternoon refreshments back at the clubhouse. The River Canoe Club will provide paddle guidance, and all the gear including canoes and life jackets. You get a very different view of the Wolli Creek Valley from creek level, and it’s a chance to get a gentle and short introduction to paddling as we cater for beginners. Ticket price is $75 per person. Young people from 10 – 17 years are welcome if accompanied by an adult. Bookings are now open on Eventbrite via this link https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/wolli-creek-paddle-tour-tickets-518597126967 Bookings essential. Places are limited so please book soon to reserve your place....
February 3, 2023 | Posted in events | No Comments
Unwin Green Street
Lying between Wolli Creek Regional Park and Waterworth Park is Unwin St, Earlwood. Local residents and the Wolli Creek Preservation Society have developed an exciting new concept for Unwin St as a green link and are seeking support from Canterbury-Bankstown City Council, the NSW Government and the general public. For an illustrated summary of the project with pictures showing its importance as a link between two existing ‘green corridors’ and artist’s impressions of what it could look like go here. For a one-page briefing on the background, context, and identification of what needs to happen and who is involved click here. There is a public petition developed by local residents that you can sign to support the proposal at: https://www.change.org/UnwinGreenStreet. ...
January 28, 2023 | Posted in Wolli Creek Corridor | No Comments
Annual Dinner – Thursday 20 October – Bardwell Valley Golf Club
Bookings are now open for the 33nd Annual Dinner to be held at the Bardwell Valley Golf Club, 2A Hillcrest Ave, Bardwell Park. From 6:30pm enjoy some drinks and dips at sunset overlooking Bardwell Valley followed by dinner and guest speakers. Recovering Gumbramorra Swamp: Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal perspectives We will be joined by Jennifer Newman and Sue Castrique who will explore both perspectives on the Gumbramorra Swamp in Marrickville. Once an extensive wetland in Marrickville Valley Gumbramorra Swamp was sold, built over and drained. But water still flows through the catchment that fed the swamp, exerting a powerful presence that floods and ebbs across Marrickville. This is a conversation about living with creeks, waterholes and swamps. Jennifer Newman is Wiradjuri; presently residing on Wangal Country. She values story as a way of connecting and as a tool for teaching, learning and cultural exchange. Sue Castrique is a local researcher & writer. Her essay, ‘On the Margins of the Good Swamp’ won the Nature Writing Prize (2019) There will also be multi-prize raffle, a silent auction and a quiz. Any...
September 1, 2022 | Posted in events | No Comments
Complete the Park!
We’re opening (yet another) campaign to have the Wolli Creek Regional Park completed after decades of delays. There’s an Open Letter you can sign here and for background you’ll find a copy of the letter here with links to further information, situation details, and some useful diagrams. Please do sign this Open Letter: the 5,000 signatures we got on our petition about the Odour Control Unit clearly played a significant role in it being put on hold (and probably abandoned) and we’d dearly like to exceed that number....
August 31, 2022 | Posted in Regional Park campaign | No Comments
Sydney Water trashes Wolli bushland
On June 8 a WCPS volunteer Bushcare team was horrified to find that bushland at the Bexley North end of the Wolli Creek Valley had been cleared by a Sydney Water contractor. Many native trees and shrubs have been cut down, native grasses and other ground covers severely whipper snipped, ferns and orchids crushed, and the branches of cut vegetation piled on top of other native plants. WCPS has issued a press release which can be viewed here A series of annotated photos can be viewed here Update note - August 2022. Sydney Water has undertaken to fund WCPS to undertake bushland restoration works to address some of the damage caused to the area. ...
June 9, 2022 | Posted in bush regeneration | No Comments
OCU put on hold
There has been a dramatic development in relation to Sydney Water’s Proposed Odour Control Unit in the Wolli Creek Valley. After a frequently extended consultation period and further review, Sydney Water had narrowed the choice down to three options (see the February Wolli Creek Update) with the choice between the three to be further informed via a workshop with stakeholders on March 24. But on 23 March we were informed that the workshop had been cancelled and the whole project ‘put on hold' on technical grounds. New information means that an extra element will be needed at the OCU and the Unwin St sites are space constrained and probably can’t fit it in without a cost blow-out. It also seems that without the delays occasioned by WCPS arguments, counterproposals, and questions, backed by the support of the 5,000 signatories on our petition, the OCU might have been built by now, only to be found ‘not fit for purpose’ with all sorts of costly consequences.Anyway, this is a sort of success, but one qualified by a recognition that the odour and corrosion problems the OCU was to solve still exist and that, in principle at least, the OCU has not completely...
April 13, 2022 | Posted in OCU campaign 2021 | No Comments
March 2022 Bat Watch Picnic postponed to 2023
Unfortunately, while we had hopes of organising a bat watch picnic this year during Australian Bat Month, we have made the decision to postpone it to March 2023. If you would like to volunteer to help with activities and other things we do at the picnic, we'd love to hear for you. Email us at bats@wollicreek.org.au...
March 2, 2022 | Posted in events | No Comments
WCPS Nov. AGM guest speaker
was Dr Joanna Haddock. Joanna spoke about her PhD research work which looked at the effects of various types of artificial lighting on various types of micro-bats. Joanna also gave us a great introduction to micro-bats, including which species have been found in the Wolli Creek Valley. Pleasing to know that 6 species were recorded as part of her research work. These species of bat are in addition to the better-known Grey-Headed Flying-foxes, (often described as mega-bats) which have roosted in the Wolli Creek Valley since 2007. To watch the talk Joanna gave at the AGM, go to https://youtu.be/2LUSYqib1PE ...
December 15, 2021 | Posted in events | No Comments
OCU Petition tops 5,000; now closing
We reached our 5,000th signature on Sunday 14/11.21. The petition will be taken down this week as we are about to enter a new phase of the OCU process. Our thanks go to all those who have signed to oppose the OCU location proposed by Sydney Water. We promptly wrote to the Minister to report the 5,000 and pointed out that they are almost all of them Sydney Water customers. See the WCPS Letter to Pavey 211115 re the 5,000 signatures....
November 18, 2021 | Posted in OCU campaign 2021 | No Comments
OCU information for Residents
Sydney Water recently distributed a leaflet about the Odour Control Unit to some residents in the Unwin St area and along Bayview Avenue. WCPS found the information provided unsatisfactory and distributed a leaflet of its own. You can read both at Sydney Water leaflet and WCPS leaflet....
October 2, 2021 | Posted in OCU campaign 2021 | No Comments
Watch this inspiring slide show of the Wolli Creek Valley
During these difficult times in Sydney with a Covid lockdown limiting our ability to go far from home, contact with nature is something that can help us get through the stress and isolation. So the Wolli Creek Regional Park has become an even more important area for the many residents who are lucky to live in its catchment. This great slideshow from Dave Noble showcases the natural wonder of the Wolli Valley Wolli Creek Regional Park Slide Show 4KYouTube · David Noble We hope you enjoy it. ...
October 2, 2021 | Posted in OCU campaign 2021 | No Comments
OCU Latest (Sept. 30, 2021)
Petition now at 4,811. Our final target is 5,000. To join the final push, go to https://www.nature.org.au/get-involved/take-action/save-wolli-creek-regional-park/ Sydney Water is now claiming that they have a new option that ‘alleviates all the concerns that have been raised’. But they have failed to disclose what and where their new option is and what and whose concerns are being ‘alleviated’. Nor have they been prepared to discuss what criteria they intend to use in the assessment (they’ve basically ignored the ones that we have proposed) or why the fresh assessment process proposed is different from the one that led to their original poor choice of location. We were seeing little encouragement to continue with a good faith engagement with the process as currently proposed and told them so (Sept 5). They regretted that, so (Sept 10), we suggested three things they could do to restore some confidence: Engage all accepted stakeholders in discussions now, rather than trying to deal with all issues in a single workshop Provide some answers to our questions about the criteria to be used Give a broad outline of what their new proposal is and how it ‘alleviates’concerns. Sydney Water has suspended communication, failing to respond or even...
October 1, 2021 | Posted in OCU campaign 2021 | No Comments
OCU News (Sept.16, 2021)
The petition has now reached 4,780 signatures, and there is new action to take. See NEW ACTION below WCPS has developed a new proposal re the OCU (OptionW) This is set out here in a letter and main attachment to the Minister for Water and a subsequent media release For the other attachments referred to see Sydney Water’s site comparison WCPS Comments on site comparison Spreadsheet of rankings Our Option W meets WCPS concerns and overcomes those that Sydney Water has told us about. The relative advantages of the SW option A and the WCPS option W are set out in Relative Advantages of A and W Sydney Water is to include Option W in a new Multi-criteria Analysis of potential sites and involve WCPS in the MSA process. We have already sent in proposed criteria to be used in the MCA and weightings to be given them. NEW ACTION Here is how you can show Sydney Water your support for Option W, see the Imfor guide...
August 25, 2021 | Posted in OCU campaign 2021 | No Comments
Wolli Creek Valley Winter walks
WOLLI CREEK VALLEY WINTER WALKS - Cancelled Please note our July and August walks have been cancelled due to the NSW Gov't Covid 19 Stay at Home orders. Sunday July 4th: 9 am - 12 noon - Bexley North to Turrella - CANCELLED This will be a leisurely Sunday morning bush walk from Bexley North to Turrella Reserve along the Wolli Creek Valley Walking Track. We will be starting at 9am sharp. This is a 3.5km walk designed for those who would like to see the Wolli Creek Valley at a leisurely pace. The walk will traverse a part of the Two Valley Trail (TVT), which in its entirety is a 13 km walk along the Wolli Creek and Cooks River Valleys. Your walk leaders will share their knowledge of this bushland, its cultural and environmental history, as well as information about the current issues facing the Wolli Valley and the bush regeneration (Bushcare) work the Society is undertaking. Bookings are essential. This walk is free to Wolli Creek Society members (Membership is $10 pa for an individual & $15 for a family/household.) For non-members the cost is $10.00 per person. Numbers are limited and preference will be given to members. To register for...
June 10, 2021 | Posted in events | No Comments
OCU petition delivered – 4000+ signatories.
Minister failed to respond to invitation to receive it in person on 13 May. Local MLAs accepted it and undertook to present to Minister. A glitch with the printout gave us 5,300 names, but with many multiples. With these removed 4,018. Currently 4061. We did performances of placard routine for 30 mins while this was going on. Video of rehearsal here. More images later....
May 17, 2021 | Posted in OCU campaign 2021 | No Comments
Wolli Creek Valley Autumn Walks
SATURDAY 29 MAY 8:00am – 12:30pm Bexley North to Tempe (Ute and Maggie) This will be a 5km walk from Bexley North to Tempe via the Wolli Creek Valley Walking Track. The walk will showcase some of the best bushland in the local area, highlighting sandstone cliffs, tall gum trees and birdlife. This is a medium-hard grade 5km walk with some sections of the trail covering uneven ground. Bookings are required and all children under 18 years must be accompanied by an adult. Bookings are essential. This walk is free to Wolli Creek Preservation Society members. (Membership is $10 pa for an individual and $15 for a family/household.) For non-members the cost is $10 per person. Numbers are limited and preference will be given to members. To register for this walk, email info@wollicreek.org.au To join the Wolli Creek Preservation Society go to http://www.wollicreek.org.au/about_us/support_us Details about where to meet, and further walk information will be provided upon registration. SUNDAY 20 June 9 – 12 noon – Bexley North to Turrella (Gina and Deb) This will be a leisurely Sunday morning bush walk from Bexley North to Turrella Reserve along the Wolli Creek Valley Walking Track. We will be starting at 9am sharp. This is...
April 27, 2021 | Posted in walks | No Comments
OCU: volunteers needed
for street display rehearsal on Sat May 1. 30 mins of your time to make sure it will work. Contact info@wollicreek.org.au to get details. Commitment to display day itself sought separately....
April 25, 2021 | Posted in OCU campaign 2021 | No Comments
