Battling Bushland Weeds at Mount Panorama

Weed control is taking place this week in a reserve at Mount Panorama to improve the condition of the Box Gum Grassy Woodland, an endangered vegetation type that once dominated large areas of the landscape within the Bathurst Region.

Noxious and environmental weed control is occurring in the Inner Track Reserve to rehabilitate 25ha of this woodland. Many birds depend on healthy woodlands for survival including the Diamond Firetail, a species of finch whose conservation status is listed as vulnerable in NSW.

Mayor Graeme Hanger OAM said the program is part of a valuable effort to reduce  the  presence  of  weeds throughout the region and greatly welcomed recent grant funding that has been provided to undertake the project.

“The project is supported by Local Land Services through funding from the Australian Government,” he said.

The weeds that are being targeted are forming a mid-canopy that is altering light  levels,  restricting  native  regeneration,  and providing excessive amounts of fleshy fruit resulting in an increase in exotic bird species.

These  weeds  will  be  replaced  with  dense prickly native shrubs such as Kangaroo  thorn and Bursaria, which will be planted in clusters to provide habitat for small woodland birds as well as reduce the potential for future weed re-invasion and erosion. Revegetation is proposed for Autumn 2018.

Recovery of the Mac

The Sofala Branch of the Central Acclimatisation Society (CAS) has been awarded a Habitat Action Grant from the NSW Department of Primary Industries (Fisheries) to enhance and rehabilitate degraded recreational fish habitat along the Macquarie River, through a project titled “Recovery of the Mac”. Funding for the project is provided from the Freshwater Recreational Fishing Trust via the sale of recreational fishing licences, Central Tablelands Local Land Services and Central West Councils Environment and Waterways Alliance

The Sofala Branch of CAS has teamed up with Bathurst Regional Council, Central Tablelands Local Land Services with support from OZ Fish Unlimited. The project will include modification to existing weirs, installing strategically placed large rocks in sections of the Macquarie River to create fish habitat to benefit native fish species and removal of invasive plants. Works will be followed up by planting native trees which provide far superior habitat for native species

Fish passage is currently blocked by two rock weirs that are located within the river adjacent to the Macquarie River Bicentennial Park, Bathurst. As part of the grant funded project, fish passage improvements will be undertaken by removing selected rocks from a small section (approx. 2m wide) from the centre of each existing rock weir structure. The removed rocks will then be placed on the riverbanks adjacent to the weirs to reinforce these areas.

Modification to these weirs will allow fish, including threatened species such as Murray Cod and Trout Cod, to move upstream and downstream through this section of the river. It will also leave the Bathurst Waterworks Weir as the only man-made barrier to fish passage between Burrendong Dam and Ben Chifley Dam (404km).

The works, which are expected to commence within the coming weeks, will be carried out with the assistance of Bathurst Regional Council and under the supervision of DPI (Fisheries).

The project will improve fish habitat in the Macquarie River and compliment recent and future native fish restocking including the National Trout Cod Recovery Program in the Bathurst District and enhance recreational fishing opportunities for local and visiting anglers

For further information contact:

Sofala CAS
Col Gordon
Phone: 0414 758 558
Email: codgordon@hotmail.com

Image courtesy of Col Gordon: Weir modification works to allow native fish passage on the Macquarie River

Bathurst Regional Council wants you to have your say on Open Space

Participate and provide your feedback on how you would like to use the
parks, gardens, sporting fields and natural areas in the Bathurst region
over the next 20 years.

Bathurst Regional Council, together with specialist open space, recreation and sport planners Parkland Planners and Otium Planning Group, is preparing the Bathurst 2040
Open Space Strategy to guide planning and provision of open space in the
Bathurst Region over the next 20 years.

The strategy will cover the Bathurst urban and suburban areas, as well as
the region’s rural villages.

Mayor Graeme Hanger OAM said the population has increased by 50 per cent
over the last 25 years and more residential development is occurring.

“We want to ensure that open spaces will meet the needs of a growing and
changing community in the future,” he said.

Residents, workers, students and visitors are encouraged to comment and
Council is also seeking input from schools, sporting, recreation,
environmental, community and business groups.   Join in the conversation
online by telling us:

• What open spaces do you like to use, and why?
• What do you do there, and how often do you visit?
• What are the best open spaces in the Bathurst Region, and why?
• What open spaces will the community need in the future?
• Where should these open spaces be provided?
• How can existing open spaces be improved to meet yours and the
community’s needs?

To provide feedback, complete a survey on
yoursay.bathurst.nsw.gov.au/openspace or visit facebook or twitter, email
council@bathurst.nsw.gov.au or post to Private Mail Bag 17, Bathurst NSW
2795. Comments can be made until Friday, 15 December.

For more information on the Bathurst 2040 Open Space Strategy, please
contact Nicholas Murphy, Senior Strategic Planner at Bathurst Regional
Council on 6333 6211.