Friends of Lord Howe Island
Newsletter No.8
2003 Weed trips filling
Summer 2003
What is it that attracts the weeders to Lord
Howe Island each year ?
Already many deposits are coming in for the winter
2003 weeding trips to Lord Howe Island. Many
regulars are keen to ensure they get a place on their
favourite week of the season.
As well as the four trips advertised in this
newsletter, Ian Hutton has organised two other trips
– The Friends of the Sydney Botanic Gardens in
June and a group of twenty volunteers from New
Zealand in September.
Bush regen supervisors for 2003.
The weeding
Rymill Abell will be stepping aside for most trips
in 2003 to let others become involved as
supervisors. For June 10 to 17 Colin Lambert will
take the role; Colin has been on the weed trips to
Lord Howe each year since 1998 and supervised
the September 2002 group.
Botanist Elizabeth Brown will supervise for the
Friends of the Botanic Gardens Group in June,
Rymill will take July 8-15, and yet undecided for
July 15 to 22. Samantha Olson, former Senior
ranger on Lord Howe Island 2000 to 2002 will be
taking over for August and September.
The adventure
The June 10 –17 trip is full, with 22 members
Vacancies are still available for :
July 8 – 15
July 15 to 22
August 26 to Sept 2
If you wish to book, or can pass on brochures for
the trips please contact Ian Hutton 02 6563 2447
Or email alfa@tpgi.com.au
Or …. The camaraderie
Friends of Lord Howe Island AGM:
Date: Wednesday, 11 June
Time: 4.30pm EST and 5.00pm Island time.
Venue: the Lord Howe Island Museum.
Nominations for the Committee (form on page 8 )
must reach the secretary by 3 June 2003.
Inside this newsletter: Updates on:
Alternate energy
Waste management
Food coop
LHI Board weeding
Plants listed as endangered
LHI beetles smuggled
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Presidents Report
Update on renewable energy Initiatives
The Friends of LHI group was incorporated in 2000
to help boost the LHI boards efforts to control the
noxious weed problem on the island and to foster
assistance for environmental protection. Since 1998
a number of volunteer groups have visited the
Island to assist with weeding. A total of 6177 hours
have been spent on the eradication of a broad range
of noxious weed, but chiefly ground and climbing
asparagus.
The LHI Board remains fully committed to an
ongoing restructure of power generation on the
Island toward renewable sources.
This coming winter a team of Bush Regenerators
from New Zealand will be visiting and carrying out
work on the Island as well as several volunteer
groups from the Australian mainland. We owe a
great debt of gratitude to these groups.
It is pleasing to note that a number of people from
our island community are carrying out weed
eradication work on land in the vicinity of their
properties.
Prior to 1998 I felt that the task of eradicating
weeds from the island was an almost impossible
one. Whilst we still have a long way to go I can see
now that with lots of help from volunteers both on
and off the island that we can go a long way
towards ridding the island of these vegetative
pests… Please keep at it… Think of all the hours
that will have been wasted if we don’t.
In late 2002 the Board, in conjunction with the
Sustainable Energy Development Authority
(SEDA), progressed to almost the final stages of a
public tendering process to facilitate the
construction of a wind turbine. No contract for
construction was awarded due to non-compliance
with tendering specifications. The primary issue
evolving from this public process was the inability
of the current electronic control systems within the
Powerhouse to allow effective integration of
renewable energy, from any source. It was decided
to defer the wind project until late 2003 to allow the
upgrade of the electronic controls to take place.
Work on determining the technical specifications
for this upgrade is currently occurring, with the
work expected to cost in the order of $80,000. We
are very fortunate that NSW Treasury have agreed
to fund 50% of this upgrade.
The Boards Weed Team deserves special mention
for their dedication to the job; they are, indeed
making some big inroads into the weed problem.
Worthy of special mention are the efforts being
made by the Boards Nursery staff in the
reforestation programs being under taken around
the island… I am certain that return visitors and
locals alike are very impressed. It is hoped that the
receding tree line on the northern hills will receive
attention in the not too distant future.
It is pleasing to note that the Lord Howe Island
board is actively engaged into the investigation of
the feasibility of renewable energy. I believe our
small community must be an ideal one for
experimental power generation, e.g. wind, wave
and solar. Lord Howe is a unique island and has
some unique problems and I believe we must look
for some unique solutions.
A friend in need is a friend in deed.
Des Thompson
President FLHI
Experimental solar electric cells on airport roof
During late 2002 the Board was approached by
Waveplane Technology, promoting the use of their
new product utilising wave energy. The Waveplane
system utilizes a free-floating, slack moored wave
energy device that exploits the wave’s energy
through its physical shape. The system requires no
land-based
structures
and
little
ongoing
maintenance. It appears as though the technology is
in the very late developmental stages, though has
not been tested on a commercial scale.
The Board at its December 2002 meeting, noted the
approach by Waveplane Technology and agreed in
principle to consider the viability of integrating
wave energy, along with solar and wind if practical
to meet the objectives identified in the Board’s
Corporate Plan with respect to an electricity
generation restructure toward the use of renewable
sources.
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During the first half of 2003, Board staff will
undertake a cost-benefit analysis of the existing
solar cells on the Island Airport terminal building.
Pending the results of this analysis, further
expansion of this type of facility may be
considered.
Murray Carter
weed mat and mulch under a layer of compost from
the VCU in revegetation areas and some plantation
areas on the Island. Works staff have continued
landscaping and revegetation of the foreshore and
old landfill sites at the Waste Management Facility
utilising mulch and compost output from the
Facility.
Manager LHI Board
….and
Bulk Food Co-op opens
Waste Management Facility
There have been a number of recent improvements
to the Island’s Waste Management Facility.
Subject to satisfactory compost and effluent
conformance testing expected in February 2003,
VCU Technology will have completed their
contract obligations with the Board. VCU
Technology completed installation of an approved
septage processing system in November. The
system includes a V-Fold folding belt filter press as
the primary septic sludge dewatering system. The
dewatered septic sludge filter cake is dry enough to
mix with other feedstocks for processing through
the VCU. The wastewater that passes through the
filter press is processed through the Biocycle
aerated wastewater treatment system with treated
effluent used in irrigation of revegetation areas of
old landfill sites.
The Island vertical compost unit
A new Hydra-pac Model HBM 3030-35SHL multipurpose heavy duty baling machine and a Sant
Andrea G5/360 heavy duty cardboard and paper
shredder were delivered to the Island in late
November. The baler allows better compaction and
baling of a range of recyclable materials including
aluminium and steel cans, plastic containers, plastic
film, paper and cardboard and residual wastes. The
better compaction results in hugely reduced
volumes allowing more efficient and cost-effective
transport of waste and recyclable material from the
Island to mainland processors. The shredder will be
installed and commissioned at the Waste
Management Facility in February. Shredded
cardboard and paper will be used as a first layer
The Co-operative Lord Howe Island Ltd
commenced trading in September 2002. The Co-op
is being well supported by the community and
visitors. The objectives of the Co-op include
reducing overall packaging waste, retail cheaper
bulk food and goods, provide alternative bulk and
organic products and provide an outlet for local
Island grown produce. The waste avoidance and
other objectives of the Co-op are well on the way of
being achieved for the overall good of the Island
community and environment.
Merv Eagle
Manager Technical Services LHIB
Treasurers Report
Another big hello to all our dear Friends. I am
almost counting the sleeps until I get to see you all
again on LHI. I can feel it in my bones, it is going
to be a big year and it is going to be a good year.
Firstly a huge thank you to all those weeders who
elected to donate some or all of their environmental
levy and travel subsidy to the Friends. The response
has been overwhelming and has provided us with
the funds to perform a vastly greater scope of
projects than expected. We have now received
payment from the board and will be sending out
receipts and refund cheques during February. If you
elected for a refund and do not receive it by the end
of February please contact me.
Another big thank you to the LHI Board for again
refunding the environmental levy and managing the
Bridal Creeper grant. We are at present in a sound
financial position with $27,047.06 in the bank. Of
this $1,760 is committed to the WWF walking track
weed guide and $3,570.13 is owing to volunteers.
I wish you all the best and look forward to weeding
in paradise with you.
Steve Gale
Treasurer FLHI
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El Nino bites Lord Howe
Lord Howe Island has seen very dry times for the
past six months.
Although not as dry as mainland Australia, rainfall
has been only about half the average and it is very
sad to see so many of the forest plants wilting.
Some of the larger leaved rainforest plants such as
Stinkwood and Green plum are suffering, with
leaves drooping and dying. The common lowland
forest trees also have their leaves drooping and in
particular the Blackbutt and Maulwood trees are
showing outer leaves turning brown and dying. On
the drier ridges such as Malabar, vines such as
Pandorea pandorana and Jasmine have been dying.
On the weeding trips June 2000 and August 2001,
volunteers assisted the LHI Board staff with
planting shrubs and trees in areas that had been
cleared of forest for pasture. The kikuyu grass is a
problem for the Flesh footed shearwaters
(muttonbirds) as it chokes their burrows, they can’t
dig through the thick mat of roots, and sometimes
the birds get their wings tangled in kikuyu runners
and die struggling to get free.
Twenty people can make short work of planting
trees, and the groups split into small teams to dig
holes, install, water and provide a wind shelter for
each plant. At two adjacent areas, the LHI Board
staff had previously poisoned the kikuyu grass and
in just one morning for each area, the volunteers
had planted out one or two hundred plants.
The photos show how well the plants are doing.
And the muttonbirds approve, as there are about 20
burrows, mainly around the perimeter where
existing trees have roots that stabilise the soil, but
several are within the planted area, and will no
doubt increase in number with time.
Stinkwood (Coprosma putida) during the drought
Rainfall figures for Lord Howe Island
Month
July 2002
August
Sept
October
November
December
January 2003
Actual
80
107
105
84
27
62
63
Average
143
108
110
119
121
104
129
Reprieve – as this newsletter was being prepared,
74mm of soaking rain fell over the period 10 to 12
February. This was good steady rain and will
alleviate the water stress on the plants. However
further good falls of rain are needed, as the soil has
been dry for so long.
Planting in July 2001
Same area February 2003
Big Muttonbird Ground re-afforestation
doing well.
Despite the dry past 6 months, the plantings of
native trees at the LHI Board’s reafforestation area
of Big Muttonbird Ground is doing very well – due
to watering over dry periods.
Trees planted in 2000, 3m high 2003
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Lord Howe plants listed as endangered.
In 2000 and 2001 Tony Auld of NPWS and Ian
Hutton completed field surveys on Lord Howe
Island, looking at a number of plant species to
determine their numbers and extent of occurrence
across the island. These surveys resulted in five
plant species being listed as endangered by the
NSW Scientific Committee, under the Threatened
Species Conservation Act.
Xylosma parvifolium
These plants were listed because of the low
numbers of individuals of each species and their
very limited occurrence. Calystegia affinis is
known on Lord Howe only from 4 locations on the
Island (it also occurs on Norfolk Island.)
Carmichaelia exsul and Calystegia affinis are
threatened by infestations of Crofton weed.
Carmichaelia exsul
While doing the fieldwork for these surveys, four
new plant records for the Island were found. A fern
Pyrrosia rupestre, also found in northern NSW;
Scaevola candulacea, also found on coastal NSW,
Plagiochasma rupestre, a liverwort, and an as yet
unidentified species of Gonocarpus. As well, the
surveys recorded the occurrence of a number of
other taxa that are relatively rare on the Island.
World Heritage Officer appointed.
Calystegia affinis
Polystichium moorei
Coprosma innopinata
Over the past 15 years or so the LHI Board has had
on secondment, a Senior Ranger from NSW NPWS
to assist with environmental and conservation
matters on the Island. These appointments were for
initially a one year period, later extended to two
years. However, because of a number of large, long
term projects happening on the Island, the LHI
Board decided it would be more beneficial to have
a permanent position to see these projects through.
Samantha Olson was the last Senior Ranger to be
appointed to the LHI Board, and a position of
World Heritage Officer was created and advertised
late 2002. Around 50 persons applied and the
successful applicant was Terry Wilson. Terry
comes from Sydney and has a background with
NSW NPWS and more recently worked with Anne
Prince consulting in the areas of waster
management and community education and
sustainability issues. Terry took up his appointment
February 2003 and is quite interested to hear of the
valuable work provided by the volunteers and the
Friends of LHI.
By the next newsletter Terry will have had a chance
to settle in and may give his impressions of the
Island and its environmental challenges.
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Update on LHI Environmental Unit weed
program
After completing the sweep through the Northern
Hills in July 2002, primarily removing Ground
Asparagus, the Environmental Unit staff turned
their focus to Transit Hill. Detailed density maps of
the weeds on Transit Hill were developed prior to
the control work commencing, allowing us to
assess the effectiveness of the control techniques
being used. The main weeds being controlled in the
Transit Hill area are Pittosporum, Ochna, Cherry
Guava and of course the Asparagus species that the
Friends of Lord Howe Island are familiar with!
We are currently working in the Intermediate Hill
and Grey Face area, again mapping the weed
infestations prior to sending in teams on the
ground. The team is currently tackling the area
behind the Golf Course where there is lots of
Ochna and Cherry Guava plus a few Bitou Bushes.
Field staff have also recently completed their
ChemCert Farm Chemical Users Accreditation.
Our next project is tackling the Bridal Creeper in
the Northern Hills, it will be interesting to see the
impact of the bio-control agent was released last
year. We will keep you posted!
Julie Smith LHIB Ranger
The Manager, LHI Board, Mr. Murray Carter has
confirmed that of the specimens seized, nearly 600
were still alive and have been returned to the Island
for release back to the wild. About 550 of those
returned alive are of the species Lamprima
insularis (stag beetle) which is endemic to Lord
Howe Island. This species is not particularly
common, as the Australian museum in several trips
in 2000 and 2001 have only located a small number
of individuals. The removal of this quantity could
certainly threaten the long-term survival of the
species. It is therefore very important that the
effectiveness of the return to the wild is maximised.
To ensure this is the case Mr. Simon Nally, an
entomologist with the NSW NPWS has transported
the beetles back to the Island and with the
assistance of Ms Julie Smith LHIB ranger released
the individuals into the forest.
Mr. Carter also commended the Australian
Customs
Service,
including
their
local
representative, Senior Constable Gerits, for their
vigilance in this case. The LHI Board was made
aware of the potential for this type of offence to
take place prior to the arrival of the offenders to the
Island. Unfortunately in NSW invertebrates are not
provided protection in a domestic sense (unless
listed as threatened) and therefore action could only
be taken at the attempted point of export under
Commonwealth law.
Beetles smuggled off Lord Howe Island
On 29 December 2002 Australian Customs seized
in excess of 1000 invertebrate specimens from two
Japanese nationals at Sydney Airport attempting to
take a flight to Bangkok, Thailand. Both men had
just returned to the mainland after visiting Lord
Howe Island and allegedly removing the
specimens. Both men have been charged with
matters relating to Section 303DD of the
Environment
Protection
and
Biodiversity
Conservation Act 1999. The maximum penalty for
such offences is $110,000 or ten years jail or both.
Julie and Simon releasing beetles on LHI
Lectures during weed trips
In previous years, visiting specialists have given
talks to the weeding groups, and all tour members
have enjoyed these talks. In 2002 there were no
visiting specialists coinciding with the weed trips!
However this year we hope to include some talks.
Lord Howe Stag beetle Lamprima insularis
In June, two guests from New Zealand will be on
the tour and they have been weed volunteers on
Raoul Island – one of the Kermadec group, north
east of New Zealand. They are bringing along some
slides of their experiences on Raoul Island. If any
tour members have slides that may be of interest to
the groups for a short talk one night, please contact
Ian Hutton to see if a time slot can be arranged.
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Paradise Revisited
I first visited Lord Howe Island for a two-week
holiday over Christmas 2000 and fell in love with
both its natural beauty and its relaxed and trusting
lifestyle. So when I learnt that there was a
possibility of doing some volunteer bush
regeneration work there I applied immediately.
I was overjoyed when I received a call from Ranger
Samantha to say that I had been selected. In return
for two weeks (10 working days) labour I would
receive free food and accommodation at the
Island’s Research Station, and be flown from
Sydney to LHI and return.
I knew the other Victorian volunteer, Brad, having
worked for him when I was employed by Save-theBush to carry out bush regeneration work in outer
suburban City of Maroondah where he was the
environment officer.
The other four team
members (Michelle, Wendy, Annabelle and
Michael) were all Sydney based, working for a
mixture of local government, Taronga Park Zoo
and private enterprise. None of them knew each
other, but the six of us became strong friends
almost immediately. As well as having differing
backgrounds we were of varying ages, from midtwenties to about 60.
Our alternating supervisors were both very
proficient local women, and on some days we
worked alongside the local bush crew. Our major
prey consisted of Sweet Pittosporum, Cherry Guava
and Ochna. The first is a common weed in areas I
regularly work in, however the other two were
quite new to Brad and me, but not to the
Sydneysiders.
Initially it was quite strange to be working in such
thick and spiky vegetation with not an acacia or a
eucalypt in sight. On the first day my brand new
King Gees were reduced to tatters by Lawyer Vine
(Smilax australis) and other thorn-encrusted plants.
To ensure that we didn’t miss anything or cover the
same ground twice we worked in lines with the
person on one end using a string line to delineate
the edge of our work. When we reached a certain
pre-determined point we turned around with the
person on the other end following the string-line
while another line of string was let out on the other
end. This worked reasonably well until we met
another series of stringlines left over from a plant
survey.
Although the hilly terrain was physically
demanding we had plenty of energy for socialising,
both with the locals and the Friends of LHI, who
were there beating back the dreaded Climbing
Asparagus.
We had some amusing incidents such as when we
arrived home from a hard day’s work to find a
shorts and t-shirt clad stranger sitting in our kitchen
with a couple of dozen stubbies. It turned out that
he was the Manager of the LHI Board come to
welcome us.
On another occasion we arrived at the Bowling
Club just as it was closing. We were served a
round of drinks, and then everyone began leaving.
“Just turn off the TV when you go” the last person
instructed us. We just loved the way that no one
ever locked anything up.
Our time there coincided with that of a British
destroyer that somehow managed to destroy itself
on the only rock between LHI and New Zealand.
We had wondered what the wailing of sirens and
buzzing of helicopter rotors was all about one
night, but assumed that it was some sort of
emergency drill. Next morning we were informed
by our bleary-eyed workmates that they had been
up most of the night loading every available pump
on the island onto the helicopter to help stem the
rising water in the holds of the badly listing ship.
Apart from the hospitality of the people we worked
with, probably our most enduring memory is of
climbing Mount Gower under the supervision of
local naturalist Ian Hutton. Together with members
of the Friends group we ascended the highest point
on the island and were rewarded with the most
spectacular views imaginable. All of us agreed that
we would definitely return and do everything all
over again if given the chance.
Kieran Martin - Melbourne
Cherry guava infestations tackled
NB: The LHI Board sponsored two such programs
in 2002, with 6 volunteers on each. The program
was a success and a trip is set for April 2003. The
FLHI are investigating sponsoring a trip late 2003.
7
New weed
Macroptilium atropurpureum
Last newsletter had details of this new weed species
found on the Island in December. A group of field
naturalists from Levin, New Zealand were on a tour
early December and helped remove the seeds prior
to the weed being treated by the LHI Board staff.
15 people worked for an hour; and as an exercise in
how prolific it seeds, a rough count of the pods
removed was done. An estimated 16,000 pods were
removed, each with 10 to 12 seeds- a staggering
170,000 seeds, waiting to fall and spread the weed.
This highlights the importance of swift action if and
when a new weed is identified on the island.
Phasmids collected on Ball’s Pyramid
On 14 February LHI Board staff and NSW NPWS
officers collected 4 live phasmids from Ball’s
Pyramid. The phasmids were flown to the mainland
where two have gone to Melbourne Zoo, and two to
a private insect breeder in Sydney. It is hoped to
breed the phasmids and return some to LHI when
rats are eradicated.
Phasmid. ( photo DavidRoots)
Kiwis help remove seed pods off Macroptilium
Grants for Friends projects
Grants have successfully obtained two Friends of
LHI projects- one is a walk track weed brochure for
walkers to identify and remove weeds on tracks.
The other is rehabilitation of the Sallywood forest
behind Old Settlement Beach – tour members may
help with this project in 2003.
Progress on rat eradication
A contract has gone out for the cost benefit study
on rat eradication on Lord Howe Island. The
funding for this study was raised by the Foundation
for National Parks and Wildlife.
--------------------------------------------------------Newsletter edited by Ian Hutton
Friends of Lord Howe Island
PO Box 155
Lord Howe Island NSW 2898
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------FRIENDS OF LORD HOWE ISLAND INCORPORATED (ABN 39 322 895 360)
Annual General Meeting 11 June 2003 - Election of Office bearers
I am willing to stand for election to the Committee of the Friends of Lord Howe Island Inc. at the Annual
General Meeting to be held on 11 June 2003
Position *
President
Vice-President
Name
Signature
Secretary
Treasurer
Committee Member
[*Please circle position]
……………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………
Nominated by (2 members to sign)
Date .. ……………………
…...…………………………………………………
. ……………………………………………………
..
.
Please return this form to the Secretary by 3 May 2003
John Flint, Secretary & Public Officer
3 Mitchell Street Greenwich NSW 2065
Phone & Fax (02) 9436 2980 Email: Flinchens@bigpond.com
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