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Council Meeting Powerpoint Presentation May 2008
See accompanying powerpoint presentation ie photos
Thank you for your time, Acting Mayor and Acting Deputy Mayor,
Councillors, Ladies and Gentlemen.
I’ll introduce myself. I am Joslyn van der Moolen. I have been
Secretary of the Mylor Parklands Bushcare Group since it was formed
by Stirling Council in 1994. I also am on the Central Hills Green Web
committee that allocates federal environmental funding to local
landholders and to local reserves including Council Reserves.
Frame 1
The title of my presentation is "The Value of Significant Vegetation
on Road Reserves, the Council's Road Reserve Management Plan
and management of these reserves“
What I want to explain to you is
 What the Council policy is in relation to trimming of good
quality native vegetation on the sides of roads.
 What has been happening in practice
 How this practice impacts on the environment
 How this practice impacts on volunteers and stakeholders.
During this I wish to convey to you the value of significant vegetation
and the value of the voluntary work people complete when they
maintain roasides.
I also have several handouts that I will refer to throughout this talk.
(If I may – distribute handouts).
The first of these is to illustrate the diversity and beauty of the
understorey of a stringybark forest. I’ve copied these posters for you with permission of course. They were designed by the Onkaparinga
Catchment Water Management Board who are now part of the state
wide Natural Resources Management Board. This shows some of the
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wildflowers and orchids that provide a spring wildflower display on
our roadside verges.
I’ll now start the presentation.
Frame 2
The good quality vegetation is often on dirt roads that are no through
roads such as in this roadside vegetation on Orana Drive in Mylor.
This roadside reserve has been trimmed back at least 900mm if not 1.5
metres from the edge of the road and it has been trimmed to a height
of 20 cm. This is done according to Council policy.
At 20 cm the shrub layer is removed. There is a break between the
tree and the ground layer which is what the CFS wants to see. Yet the
understory is intact.
The weekend after it was done the neighbour, Tuppello Nursery had a
big turnout for their Open Garden Scheme weekend. This scheme is
widely publicized state wide – it is part of the Adelaide Hill’s local
tourism package.
Handout 1
Now I’ll show you where the 20 cm cutting height is stated as Council
policy. I refer to the edited copies of the Council’s Road Reserve
Management Plan. On page 3 under
Conservation Values, Guidelines, Conservation of existing roadside
remnants, Native Grasslands and Grasslands - fourth dot point it
states.
“Blades on machines should be set at least 200mm above the level
ground prior to slashing”. This is for good quality native vegetation
that is relatively weed free.
In fact this is defined at Category 1 and Category 2 vegetation. You
will find this at page 77. This table has 5 categories. This ranges
from Category 1 and 2 which in relation to weed invasion states there
is minimal presence.
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Frame 2a
Category 1 and Category 2 vegetation is easy to locate. It is marked
out around the district with blue signs such as this one at Orana Drive.
Each area marked out as Council values the native vegetation within
it.
Frame 3
The Council’s Road Reserve Management Plan states at p10 under
the heading
Roadside Marking – Sites of Special Environmental Significance
Policy
Council will use the Roadside Marker System procedure to identify
and assist the protection of sites of special environmental significance
along roadsides throughout the district.
Just above this it states
At present, Council keeps a register of identified and marked sites of
significant vegetation (ie Category 1&2 – see page v111). The Asset
Management Unit is responsible for maintaining the Roadside Marker
Scheme.
There is a database for each section of roadside. I have given you the
page for Orana Drive ie for Roadside marker 412 to illustrate this.
Environmentalists will argue that 20 cm is still too short. For example
on the weekend I was with a member of staff from the State
Herbarium which is based at the Botanic Gardens.
Frame 4
I was showing an unidentified plant that a resident has just advised me
about it. I was advised it probably was in the native violet family and
will be identified when it opens its blue flower (any day now).
Frame 5
This was next to the gate that leads down to the local swimming hole
at the Onkaparinga River. This is one of Mylor’s best kept secrets.
As the Government continued to pump River Murray water there
through summer it’s a great swimming place on a hot day – lots of
locals go there.
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Frame 6
The road here had been slashed to a height of 10 cm. Apparently
previously the slasher had never gone beyond the gate.
Frame 7
When I mentioned that this plant had not been slashed as it was next
to the fence post the staff member mentioned other rated plants that
the Herbarium staff had been monitoring. He spoke Acacia Gunnia
rated as rare in South Australia and the Southern Lofties.
This 20 cm wattle was on part of Silver Lake Road near Boyle Swamp
Road that had been slashed at 10 cm.
Frame 8
It also was on Crossing Road – both locations were been slashed to 10
cm so we concluded it was probably gone.
Frame 9
This is Correa Decumbens rated as rare in the Southern Lofties.
Frame 10
This specimen was slashed to 10 cm on Sliver Lake Road. THer is bit
left so it will eventually recover.
I was advised that woody plants such as these will break off when
slashed.
So to return to the Value of Significant Vegetation on Road Reserves
Crossing Road was the first road I came across when the slashing
program started this year. I and other residents were not advised. We
then thought with alarm of the good native veg and rare plants on
other roads that were due to be done.
Frame 11
Illert Road – Two ferns on roadside
 Blechnum minus - soft water fern (rating uncommon in Southern
Lofties) and
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 Gleichenia microphylla - Coral fern (rated as rare in SA and rare
in the Southern Lofties) growing along the roadside. They are
watered continuously by a permanent spring..
This was not slashed following extensive notification by me of these
plants. However I ask are these plants now recorded on the Roadside
marker database?
Notification is the other issue.
Council has advised they are willing to be advised of rated plants ie
rare, vulnerable, threatened etc. However how do they know where
they are and do they record them on the database?
Frame 12
For example on Gross Road, local's marked out with stakes an unusual
plant Isopogen (horny cone bush) after I again came across the
slashing at Hooper Road and alerted the locals there.
I am asking Council to slash at 20 cm. For many this is too short.
I should be arguing that the sites should be site specific managed that
shrubs such as Hakes that take years and years to grow and are a food
source for Black Cockatoos should not be cut.
However 20 cms is better than 10 cms because at 10 cms many plants
do not grow back
Frame 13
 Here at 10 cm all that is left of plants with stems are stalks.
 More light is allowed in when the stable ground covers are
removed which allows weeds to grow.
 Woody weeds such as Broom and Gorse.
Frame 13 a
I now refer to a Native Vegetation Council information sheet ( I have
provide you with a copy) this is entitled
Native Vegetation Information for CFS Community Fire Safe
Workshop January 2007. See page 3, first dot point
This states that
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“Fire Protection works associated with native vegetation around
dwellings and other buildings should also take the following factors
into account.
 groundcovers may be less flammable than the introduced grasses
and other plants which might get established if those native
plants were cleared”.
Frame 13 b
It could be argued that the flail slashing adds to fuel load as plant
matter is simply mulched on site and branches left in the bush (photo).
Ideally Council would adopt Mitcham Council’s approach where they
use their own bushcare trained staff rather that outside contractors.
Frame 14
 Good native veg does not need weeding the Councils own plan
states that Category 1 native veg is Nature in Control …self
maintaining, minimal disturbance intervention.
Notification
When residents are not notified Residents who have been maintaining
their roadside reserves as Council expects them to feel powerless they
come home and find the roadside to their properties cut back hard
without notification There are many locals and environmental
advocates who maintain their bush, they weed it, get grants for it, they
get a heritage Agreement protecting their native vegetation in
perpetuity.
Others appreciate roadsides for their aesthetic qualities.
I thought I’d illustrate some of these groups or stakeholders.
Frame 15
Hooper Road
This roadside reserve is adjacent to the Mylor Conservation Park in
Mylor. The Mylor Conservation Park has a Friends group of local
residents that weed this area (my official competition).
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Frame 16
The Heysen Trail goes through this Park.
Frame 17
The Youth Hostel is in this park.
The Adelaide Hills Wilderness Lodge adjoins this park.
Frame 18
Various walking groups walk through the district. In fact the opening
of the walking season by Walking SA was opened on April 6 on the
same day as the Mylor Fair. This was sponsored by the Adelaide
Hills Council. This slide is our stall at the Mylor Fair where we gave
away 800 Trees for Life plants that we grew for the community.
Frame 19
Trees for Life have Bush for Life sites throughout the Hills.
This one is on Strathalbyn Road and Wilson Road.
Frame 20
This part on Wilson Road was also flail slashed but at a height higher
than 10 cm following local opposition. This couple used to wed the
entire length of Wilson Road.
Each Bush for Life site has a volunteer that weeds a particular site –
they can weed the same site for years, I am sure some will sing for life
to the one site.
Frame 21
In terms of valuing native vegetation the following figures are of
interest. The council pays $278 per site. My understanding is that the
total cost to Trees for Life to administer each site is about $1,700.
As there are 27 sites in the Adelaide Hills Council this adds up to
$7,508 every year to Council and $45,900 for Trees for Life. I’d love
to know how much the Council spends on flail slashing.
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Mylor has a Bush for Life site along the entire length of Stock Road
which includes the Mylor Parklands. I can tell you I am eternally
grateful for the volunteer work of John Fidge who has worked
tirelessly on this road over the years. I am yet to meet him. A perfect
example of the invisible work that bushcarers do for their community
and the Council on Council land.
Further Details
In relation to the Council response to John Kemp’s motion (that you
have before you) I must point out the following.
On page two there are three references to slashing heights.
Page 3 is for good quality bush ie height of 20 cm. However the
reference to Page 21 and page 55 relates to weedy roadsides that are
cut at 10 cm.
The 20 cm only applies to a small sections of roadside. We are not
arguing that all the roadside be done at 20 cm only the good bits! so it
is not a default position.
Weedy areas can be done at 10 cm. We like, Council want to kiss
weeds goodbye as we spend our lives on our hands and knees
reducing fuel load as cut and swab woody weeds in the eternal fight
against woody weeds.
Also Council states they will need to employ someone full time to
review vegetation prior to slashing and handle calls. I dispute this.
The map of Cat 1 and 2 vegetation done for the Stirling district by
Caroline Crawford is a useful tool. I am sure the slashing program is
not a 12 month operation. This notification process will save time that
is being wasted now as staff and volunteers have to respond to
alarmed residents who raise issues “on the go”. It will also save the
contractor from stopping work whenever approached by uninformed
irate residents.
Summary
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I am asking council to implement its own plan, that category 1 and 2
native vegetation within the Roadside marker scheme be cut at 20 cm
not 10 am.
Environmentalists will see the 20 cm option as still too damaging to
the vegetation. However
 at least the understory is relatively intact
 at least some of the rare species will survive.
 at least it still looks good for the all the walkers and locals who
walk on these roads
 at least Council is implementing its own policy.
Notification will mean that local residents, volunteers and
stakeholders be provided with a consultation mechanism and their
volunteer work is being respected.
Council has stewardship of the local environmental on public land
within its borders. The public, including local ratepayers and
stakeholders expect Council to meet its environmental and its legal
responsibilities.
By the way Walking SA plan to open South Australia’s walking
season in Mylor in two years time. Let hope there will be some bush
left for them to look at on our roadside reserves.