Hello Bitou Blitzers
and “bitou bush” hand weeding volunteers
Our next step in keeping poisonous
Herbicides from being used on our dunes
and coastal areas:
Council will be discussing the viability of hand harvesting at a council meeting in early October:
– WE NEED TO BE READY –
Come to our meeting to be held at
the Community Centre “upstairs”
Next Monday, 14th Sept, 6pm
BITOU ABATEMENT PLAN TO KEEP
AERIAL SPRAYING OF HERBICIDES
OFF THE COUNCILS AGENDA
ALL WELCOME – BRING A PLATE TO SHARE
Agenda for the Meeting
Council have asked Scott Hetherington, Team Leader, Natural Resources, to put forward his recommendations for the Bitou Abatement Plan at a council meeting in early October.
We need to have presented Scott with our alternative hand weeding program before that date so that all of the good work we have achieved does not get overturned.
1. Formulate a viable plan for our volunteers to be able to work safely and with supervision to help with Bitou abatement in the
2. Formulate a presentation to make to council for funding to secure the services of Caspar Brace, a Trained Organic Regener who will be able to co-ordinate and train our volunteers and liaise with Local Dune Care Groups.
3. Arrange a work shop with Scott Hetherington at Council Chambers
It is hoped we will be able to achieve the same level of success as Ellen White has been able to in the Dirawong Reserve where they halted aerial spraying in favor of hand harvesting the Bitou Bush. Below is Caspar Braces plan presented to Scott Hetherington for his consideration and hopefully inclusion with his presentation to council.
A history of the events leading up to and since regarding our Bitou Blitzers group can be seen on our blog at www.byronbitou.blogspot.com
Regards,
Rose
Following is Caspar Braces plan for a program to deal with “Bitou bush abatement”
And below that is the resolution passed by council 11th June, 09 which needs to be addressed by us so that we will be ready for the October meeting.
Bitou Threat: Moving towards an abatement plan.
After
In this process we are fortunate enough to have the documented successful methodology employed by Ellen White, for the Dirawong Reserve at Evans Head.
For the last few years there has been no aerial spraying of Bitou and a manual approach has been used with great success. There are some important points to note in regards to this on the ground experience.
The Reserve suffered after extensive aerial spraying as it also killed natives, even in supposed exclusion zones, and then from the lack of follow up. This lack of follow up exacerbated the weed issue, allowing Bitou to regenerate.
The manual approach at Evans Head breaks down into controlled stages, as required by the DECC, the funding body :
An initial identification process, to record high priority plant species, populations and ecological communities.
This is then followed by the setting up of a monitoring process, to help determine the effectiveness of the program.
The program works in three stages:
First stage: removal of Bitou and other weed species from the immediate vicinity of the high priority plant species, populations and ecological communities.
Second stage: expansion of stage one to cover a larger area of the Bitou Bush infestation at the site. Bitou Bush removal should prioritise areas containing suitable habitat for the priority species, populations and ecological communities. This stage also involves follow-up control of Bitou Bush seedlings that germinate within all previously controlled areas.
Third stage: expansion of earlier stages from the site and surrounding areas to prevent re-invasion, and continual follow-up of previously controlled areas.
At the Dirawong Reserve Ellen developed the monitoring methodology, and established monitoring plots for the following outcomes:
Response of Bitou Bush (adult and seedlings) to the control program
Response of high priority plant species, populations, ecological communities
Response of other weed species
Response of native species – plants and animals
Recruitment: seedling density over time
In relation to canopy cover
In relation to original Bitou density
In relation to distance from frontal dune
In relation to this Shire we will need to target areas of high priority, and work outwards from these.
It is also very interesting to note that:
a) Although suspected there was no loss of frontal dune height when the Bitou was removed.
b) In the Dirawong Reserve they found native species and communities were present in apparently Bitou dominated areas.
The techniques employed by Ellen and her crew are very simple. Cutting down the Bitou and leaving it scattered as a mulch, and then following up when the seedlings germinate.
I have personally used a very similar technique on Lantana in this region for the last few years, with great success, and I can’t imagine a more pleasant place to work than at the coast.
It seems that the next step is to find funding to employ some qualified bush regenerators, and then we can start the process in this Shire. Once the program has been established and areas monitored we can reinvigorate the volunteer base, through training and support. We could also document the process as a record of best practice and as a future resource for other coastal communities facing this issue..
I do hope that we can regain the momentum we achieved earlier in the year
Caspar Brace
Re : COUNCIL MEETING 11TH June, 09
Here is the resolution for yesterday's urgency motion
09-465 Resolved that Council, in response to the need to safely and effectively manage the Bitou bush infestation in the South Golden Beach/ Ocean Shores/ Nth Brunswick Heads areas under Council's care and control:
1. Liaise with National Parks and Wildlife Services to consider a plan of maintenance in the designated area.
2. Liaise with relevant Dune Care and Land Care groups to call for, and organise the annual compilation of a volunteer, Community Action Group team to manage the Bitou bush infestation with full ecological and environmental consideration in the South Golden Beach/Ocean Shores/Nth Brunswick Heads areas on an annual basis.
3. Receive a report regarding weed control in these areas.
4. Investigate possible positive cultural, social and biodiversity outcomes supplementing the above mentioned Community Action Group.
5. Subject to advice regarding the current cost of the spraying program and withdrawing from it, that Council not undertake aerial spraying over the next 12 months.
6. Conduct a workshop to investigate potential for voluntary involvement in eradicating bitou bush weeds. (Richardson/Staples)
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