Small things done now will be disproportionately important in decades to come.

NEXT MEETING   7pm Thursday 15th June at Sunnybank Hills library     
Level 2 Sunnybank Hills Shoppingtown
Cnr. Calam Rd. and  Compton Rd.  Sunnybank Hills

GUEST SPEAKER AT JUNE MEETING WILL BE MATTHEW JOHNSON FROM THREE PLUS P/L. REPRESENTING THE PARADISE ROAD INTERCHANGE ALLIANCE.
The Society has long been concerned about the effects of major developments on Paradise Rd. Larapinta and how these will impinge on the Greenbank link. Matthew and his team will come equipped with maps and posters to explain the proposal.
In order to allow time to peruse these documents before the briefing at 7pm. the doors to the meeting room will be opened at 6.30pm.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Brisbane City Council recently held one of their weed awareness days on the southside, and it highlighted  the need to be vigilant and aware of the effects and costs that weeds impose.  Some of these are quite attractive or functional and live harmoniously in their area of origin.  When transplanted, they become pests of destructive proportions.  State and local authorities have lists of species which are considered to have serious effects on the economy, biodiversity and lifestyle of Queensland.  The State’s recent redefinion lists three Classes: 1,2 and 3. Class 1 have not spread in Queensland but have the potential to become serious pests. Class 2 are having serious impact which needs to be reduced or at least controlled to stop further spread.  Class 3 are already very common but having serious impact on native bushland and must be controlled by landholders if they live proximate to ‘environmentally significant area’ such as Karawatha. 

No class 1 pests are found around Karawatha although there have been some unsubstantiated reports of Peruvian primrose (Ludwigia peruviana) near surrounding creeklines.  A number of Class 2 plants can be found near Karawatha.  These include annual ragweed, fireweed, groundsel bush, harrisia cactus, mother of millions and Parramatta grass, prickly pear, salvinia, water hyacinth, and water lettuce.  We should become aware of the look of these plants and remove or report them whenever they appear.  Class 2 includes the rubber vine attacking north Queensland. Authorities are cautiously optimistic of controlling this based on the recent introduction and early success of a species-specific fungus.

Numerous Class 3 plants are found locally.  The most obvious include African fountain grass, African tulip tree, asparagus fern, balloon vine, blackberry, broad-leaved pepper tree, camphor laurel, cat’s claw creeper, Chineses Celtics, all species of privet, Singapore daisy and yellow bells, otherwise known as tecoma.  A number of these have a history of being very popular in gardens. Their ability to readily spread into bushland, with devastating effect at times, earns them a place on the list.

Brisbane City Council has a ‘declared’ list of species, some also given State classification.  Council notes noxious weeds, environmental weeds, and species under special investigation.  Noxious weeds are expected to be removed immediately taking care to prevent direct contact with them. This category includes species which are retained by some for reasons such as perfume (green cestrum – Cestrum parqui), Butterfly food (red-headed cotton bush) and a barrier to garden pests (stinking roger). Castor-oil plant is a noxious weed, despite and because its medicinal use, particularly in Asia.  Another listed species (purple succulent) is known to crate skin rashes in pets.

A number of environmental weeds have been garden favourites.  Cocos palm, golden rain tree, Indian rubber tree, cockspur coral tree, slash pine, pencil willow, umbrella tree, Indian hawthorn, Japanese sunflower, mother-in-law’s tongue, Japanese honeysuckle, morning glory, mile-a-minute, glory lilly and zebrine are included here.  Quite a few species on the list are also welcomed elsewhere as fodder.  Many of these are grasses (guinea, Hohnson, para, molasses, bahia, Mossman River etc), but some are trees (leucaena), groundcovers (silver-leaf desmodium, glycine), or vines (siratro).

The task of preserving our natural environments is a daunting one requiring both public education and weed identification and removal.  Apart from the work done by community groups and the Bushcare programme, the responsibility is largely left to Council’s Vegetation Pest removal section in conjunction with Local Assets Services.  The latest yearly budget for this activity is $1.4 million. It is conservatively estimated that $10 million might be a more realistic figure if the problem is to be adequately addressed.  A letter to your local Councillor highlighting this fact could have some effect on the paucity of funding for such an important issue.

The State list can be obtained by ringing the Natural Resources, Mines and Water (NRMW) Information Centre on (07) 3237 1435. NRMW also has a Weed Pocket Guide for South-east Queensland.  The City Council list is found on their website www.brisbane.qld.gov.au.  The Department of  Primary Industires has a very fine book, Suburban Weeds, by Kleinschmidt, Holland and Simpson which is quite comprehensive and includes detailed line-drawings. A number of relevant publications such as Kate Blood’s Environmental Weeds and Ermert and Clapp’s Gardener’s Companion to Weeds are currently available.  If money is no object, Noxious Weeds of Australia by Parsons and Cuthbertson is both beautiful and a good read.

QUOLL SEARCH
Wildlife Preservation Society Queensland  has received a $55,000 grant from Beaudesert Shire Council to investigate the extent of endangered Spotted-tail quoll populations (considered locally extinct until 2005) in the north Beaudesert area where large areas of native vegetation (and potential quoll habitat) are under threat from development sanctioned by the SEQ Regional Plan. The area of concern includes the Greenbank Military Reserve where recently the spotted tailed quoll has been making a comeback since the feral pest eradication programme of a few years back.

Dr Scott Burnett, Wildlife projects officer with WPSQ, hopes that this grant will ‘act as a catalyst in adjacent areas, and that it can provide some information to better manage this area which is under intense pressure from the SEQ Regional Plan. No-one knew there were quolls there when the plan was drafted,' he said.

BUSH WALK
The June bush walk will leave at 7am from the Elizabeth Street, Trinder Park entrance on Sunday 25 June.

One part of a sustainable lifestyle is the opportunity to enjoy the natural beauty and charm or mountains, trees, rivers and farmlands. A recent survey was undertaken by the local governments of SEQ and showed that an unspoilt rocky coastal headland got top score of 10 out of 10, and the view disliked the most is a rubbish tip, 1 out of 10.  The  results of this survey have been compiled in a report that will assist local governments to assess the impacts of proposed developments in environmentally or visually sensitive areas.

Without natural scenic assets the quality of our lives would be highly degraded. Being able to access a quiet beauty spot and unwind in this day and age of fast, fast and faster is a prerequisite for survival.

DATES TO REMEMBER - June

Report illegal activities to 3403 888