Attendance –Glen McLaren, Brian Sparkes, Paddy Hogarth, Linda Stanley, John Stanley
1. Peter Batt has advised the group that we need to decide very soon on our plant requirements for next years planting so that he can arrange for a nursery to grow them on for us. He needs to know what species we need, and how many plants we need.
Decision - The meeting decided we need 6,000 seedlings based on the area we will spray compared to the area sprayed this year.
2. Paddy Hogarth conveyed a message from Ian Granger that Ian had spoken to Barry Oldfield from Men of the Trees. The comment from Barry Oldfield was that planting seedlings was waste of time due to public pressure on the area. Paddy suggested we need some professional advice on planting, and also suggested we need a planting scheme. Some of the plants planted on our resent bushland care day were planted too close together, while other areas were fairly sparse.
A decision was made to consult with Peter Batt for advice on planting for next year’s scheme.
3. We need someone to identify what is in flower now, plus we should start collecting our own seed. Courses are available that teach how to collect seed.
4. Loretta Bean is organising a management plan. She has a work experience student preparing the plan. The plan will extend as far as the National Park entrance off Schipp Road.
5. Spraying contractor to spray 750m, which will include the area of the first and possibly the second bridges inside the national park.
6. A Friends group has formed in Spring Road. They will be looking after an area in Spring Road. This group will assist our long-term objectives due to the problem of tributaries that feed into Piesse Brook being badly degraded with weed.
7. A discussion followed as to whether The Friends of Piesse Group should, or could work on each tributary as we came to it, or try to get other Friends groups formed to look after the tributaries. It was mentioned by Glen McLaren that if we do not look after each tributary as we work our way through the gully then the seed from the weed in the tributaries will wash back down into the gully and defeat what we are achieving.
Decision was made to tackle each tributary that we come across ourselves as we proceed through the valley.
8. Linda Stanley mentioned that Bibbulmun track is badly degraded with weed in its first stage. As this is one of the states most important walking trails, and a walking trail of world and therefore tourist importance, the first stage should be upgraded to improve its first impression. The first stage is full of Watsonia, bamboo and other weeds, plus there are areas where the track is very difficult to negotiate and in places unclear as to where one should walk. It was discussed that CALM should be approached over the track. There may be funds available under their “Tracks and Trails” program to upgrade this section. There is a tributary that the Bibbulmun track follows on this first stage that feeds into the Piesse Brook bringing with it weed seeds. Glen McLaren suggested that perhaps prisoners may be able to maintain this section.
A decision was made for Linda Stanley to discuss the possibility of prisoners working on the area with Mike Minema from CALM District Office in Mundaring.
9. It was pointed out that some bamboo is re-shooting again in the CALM Regional Park area. Glen McLaren will check about bamboo spraying.
Decision taken to contact Peter Batt regarding the need to re-spray the bamboo in the regional parks area.
10. Weed control is need around the new sign that has been erected at the entrance to Schipp Road. Indigenous seedlings need to be planted around the sign.
11. There is Watsonia growing in the area where the cotton bush used to be, up near the Grainger’s fence line. This will need to be noted for spraying.
12. Some members of the group should undertake certification courses with CALM -
chain saw course – Paddy Hogarth and John Stanley expressed an interest in doing a chain saw course.
Chemical use course – John Stanley expressed an interest in upgrading his British certification to Australian certification.
Other members of the group need to advise if they interested in attending either of these certification courses.
13. Funding applications – Linda Stanley asked that someone take on the compiling and lodging of funding applications next year. This year’s applications have been lodged. The next call for application will be around March 2004 to be lodged by around July 2004.
Decision – Glen McLaren offered to take on this task for 2004.
14. The Shire of Kalamunda has requested that we put in our order this month for plants for next year’s planting.
Decision – Loretta Bean to be contacted by Linda Stanley and her advice sought on the species we need to order, and the order placed.
15. Bushland Care Day July 2004. Linda Stanley raised the point that a committee needs to be formed to organise the preparations for the Bushland Care day with a co-ordinator to ensure that everything comes together as planned for the planting day.
Decision was made that this is an item to bring up at the AGM.
16. Paddy Hogarth discussed the need to co-ordinate our financial accounting year with the requirements of the Shire or the funding bodies. Our working year runs from April to November, however it may be necessary to coordinate our accounting year from July to June.
Decision was made for Linda Stanley to discuss this with Loretta Bean.
17. The date for our next AGM was set for Monday 3rd November 2003 at 7.30pm to be held at the Stanley’s residence.
18. Our next busy bee working day is 21st September at 10.3oam for morning tea, with 11am working start, until 1pm.
19. Since the meeting Tom Fraser has raised a point for discussion at the next AGM - Tom's notes follow:
It is obvious that the group is now faced with a much heavier admin burden than before, and this will never reduce, but will grow.
The Stanley’s impending departure will leave an enormous gaping hole in the Group, but I am certain that folk will rise to the occasion and carry on the dedication that the Stanley’s have already given to us.
I think that we should try to make a simple GIS covering the area of land we plan to work on until 2007 - surely CALM use MapInfo or ArcView for their own work (in which case it will be a very simple matter to build our own database and maps). Then it will be straightforward to make a series of large scale maps so that CALM, group members and contractors (such as Malcolm Barker the spraying man) know exactly what is the specific work area. We can then annotate the maps with up to date results of our plantings, which plants were more/less successful, what rush (Arundo sp., rather than bamboo !), which area was weeded or mulched, etc etc etc. I am happy to contribute whatever I can to this, whenever I am in WA .
Recent Comments