General Information And SlideshowPresentation

for Chinese Delegation fromAustralia China Environment Development

PartnershipDecember 2009

Presented By : B4CBulimba Creek Catchment Coordinating Committee

Who Are We?

B4C• Non profit environment group• Formed in 1997• Grass roots group in Brisbane Queensland• Working to protect and enhance the urban

environment.• Funding from Ecosystems Services Unit, special

purpose grants, sponsorship

South East Queensland• is the fastest growing region in Australia• is one of the most biodiversity rich areas ofAustralia

Powerful Owl is a vulnerable species found innatural reserves in our catchment

• Brisbane City comprises the Brisbane Riverand over 30 creek catchments.• 10 of these creek catchments have organisedcatchment committees and are assisted withpaid coordinators by Brisbane City Council.• The creek catchments are relatively small.Bulimba Creek is 122 km2 and is the secondlargest.

Catchments impacted by urban development,tree clearing, damaging land uses and weeds.

Brisbane hasn’t been planned well andinfrastructure, services and inappropriate landuse, including filling and building on floodplains and waterway corridors are a problem.

Oxbow area of the Bulimba Creek catchment

Bulimba Creek Catchment Map.

Covering areas including:

•Hemmant•Tingalpa•Carina•Mansfield•Rochedale•Sunnybank

Problems Facing Catchments.

Human Impacts:

•Roads & Powerlines•Tree Clearing – Habitat Loss•Erosion•Rubbish Dumping• Weeds•Mountain Bikes•Domestic animals•Fire•Pollution•4wd Vehicles

HUMAN IMPACTS: Roads And Powerlines

Infrastructure often follows the green corridor

2007-9 Infrastructure Developmentsin Bulimba Creek Catchment

Port of Brisbane Motorway Stage 2

Gateway Motorway Upgrade

Eastern Busway

Scrub Road extension

Western Corridor Recycled Pipeline

Brisbane Aquifer Project

Salisbury to Kuraby Rail extension

Powerlink upgrade in middle & lower catchment

HUMAN IMPACTS: Land Clearing

Bushland habitat is cleared for housing, industry,roads, rail, power and water.

Loss of habitat adversely affects fauna & flora.

HUMAN IMPACTS: Bike Riding

Mountain bikes can cause enormous erosionproblems that affect habitat and water quality.

HUMAN IMPACTS: 4WD Vehicles

Uncontrolled recreation uses can cause erosion andhabitat loss, affecting water quality.

Beforerehabilitation

Afterrehabilitation

Weeds

Weeds in bushland are mainly from gardenescapees, dispersal of seeds by animals, windand water.

Planting natives enhances habitat.

Who Works To Preserve Our Catchment?

Community Involvement From:

• Strategic Planning – lobbying governments• Environmental Services Unit

• Revegetation & Rehabilitation•Weed Control

• Bushcare• Community Nursery• Water testing• Displays and public education.

Collection of rubbish from area near Hemmant quarry reservewith bushcare

Who Works To Preserve Our Catchment?

LANDWATCH

• Strategic Planning – lobbying governments

• Letters and meetings with local, state and federalgovernment representatives

• Protecting bushland from development• Protecting waterways• Reporting incidents (tree clearing, special fauna

sightings, fauna deaths)• Planning meetings for bikeways, sewer alignment,flood taskforce, park landscaping

Who Works To Preserve Our Catchment?

ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES UNIT• Revegetation & Rehabilitation• Weed Control

Erecting a fence tokeep wallabies awayfrom new plants

Cut and pasteto kill vines

Plants established and guarded.

One year on.

Who Works To Preserve Our Catchment?

CORPORATE TREE PLANTING

Corporate volunteers have assisted withweed control and tree planting for manyyears. We run about 6 days per year withgroups referred through Landcare.

Westpac Bank Volunteers spreading mulchfor weed control

Lenards volunteers planted 880native species in one day

Price Waterhouse Coopers volunteer digging holes for plants

Who Works To Preserve Our Catchment?

BUSHCARE

Creating habitat for wildlife

Clearing lantana beforeplanting native species

Habitat Brisbane groups across Brisbane care for bushland andwaterway corridors in Council-owned areas. Groups range in sizefrom 5 to 40 members who generally work for 2 hours per month.

Who Works To Preserve Our Catchment?

COMMUNITY NURSERY

Volunteers collectseed and propagateover 20,000 nativeplants each year tobe planted in publicand private land andschools

Rare plant Zieriapropagated andplanted at Belmont

Nursery area has been plantedwith natives to show residentshow it will grow

SOUTHSIDESUSTAINABILITY CENTRE

Objectives

• Create a learning centre devoted to theteaching of the principles of sustainability

• Provide an easily accessible display centrethat promotes the use of sustainabletechnologies

• Provide a benchmark for not-for-profitenvironmental organisations trying to effectbehavioural change in the community

• Provide a safe and educational facility forvolunteers

• Create a native and indigenous permaculturecommunity garden

SOUTHSIDE SUSTAINABILITY CENTRE

Sponsors, Partners and Supporters

Powerlink own the siteBrisbane City Council Grant for Solar Panels

Assistance with Community GardenState Government Low Carbon Diet Grant – workshopsFederal Government Water Grant for tanks to collect rain waterCaltex $3000 per year over 3 years for nurseryTransfield Services $2000 per year over 3 years for nurseryLandcare Holden $5000 for 2 years for permaculture areaWestern Corridor Pipeline $10000 to renovate building

Who Works To Preserve Our Catchment?

WATER TESTING

Regular testing for water qualitymonitors oxygen levels, dissolvedsalts, pH, turbidity and phosphorus

Waterweed Removal

Water hyacinth chokes the wetlands

Volunteers from schools andcorporate groups as well asB4C have been battling the

hyacinth problem at Tingalpafor ten years

Community Involvement

BEFORE DURING

AFTERSeptember 2005

Salvin Park Rehabilitation at Carindale

Over 5000 plants in 5 years

B4C Education Programs

• Extensive program of presentations and field tours• Approximately 800 students involved in 2008• Primary, secondary and tertiary education• Twinning Days with 4 primary schools,

rotating through 4 environmental activities• Community days and presentations to organisations- National Tree Day, Weed Buster Week,Clean Up Australia Day, Threatened Species Week

• Twinning Program involving schools in Brisbane,Gulf schools and France

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

Tree planting in schools

Wildlifepresentation

Senior School Science- Natural regenerationof mangroves

How to throw a boomerang

TWINNING PROJECT

• Dream River Art Project• Healthy Food Gardens project

- secured funding from Sidney Myer Foundation,Landcare Australia , Pat Purcell MP, InternationalRiver Foundation, Brisbane City Council

- set up vegetable gardens and fruit orchard inDoomadgee, Gregory River, Burketown, Mt Petrie& Tingalpa

TWINNING PROJECT – Dream River Art

Dream River Calendar now in itssecond year. Art from students fromThailand, France, Brisbane andnorthern Australia.

Sharing children’s thoughts anddreams about a healthy environment.

Tingalpa, Brisbane

FranceThailand

Bulimba Creek Environment Fund

• Registered fund for accepting donations• Tax deductible status• Purpose is to raise funds toenhance and protect natural areas through

• Educational initiatives• Research• On ground rehabilitation• Lobbying governments

RECOGNITION OF OUR EFFORTS

2009 Landcare Queensland - Urban Landcare Award2005 National Thiess River Prize2005 Healthy Waterways Award – Community Group in SE Qld2004 Healthy Waterways Award – Community Group in SE Qld2004 Australia Day Award – Community Group in Mansfield Electorate2003 Healthy Waterways Award – Community Group in SE Qld2001 Landcare Queensland – Community Group Award

2004

2009

2005

From:

Your Presenter Will NowAnswer Any Questions You

May Have!

www.bulimbacreek.org.aub4c@bulimbacreek.org.au