Natural Areas Management Plans Review

Re Mt Claremont Oval Bushland Reserve
I have quickly reviewed the plan and have some comments/suggestions:
1) The plan doesn't contain detailed information on actions with timings, roles and responsibilities specified. It doesn't also have any quantitative/qualitative targets and timings when these targets are planned to be achieved. As a result, it might be hard to manage implementation of the plan over 10 years, timely respond to the issues, and assess results.I think more detailed action plan should be included with specific, measurable, assignable and time based objectives.
2) p.13 of the Draft Mt Claremont Oval Bushland Management Plan. There is a statement: "The majority of the bushland was assessed as Good with some small Very Good, Degraded and Completely Degraded areas..." However, a table on the same page shows Nil for "Very Good", and less than half of the total area as "Good". There is inconsistency in the information presented, which should be corrected to reflect the real condition of the reserve.
3) Fencing the area will help with the restoration of the area. However, it is not likely it will help to keep cats away from the area. Cats chasing birds (and killing them) were seen in the area. Please take this into account too to protect local fauna.
4) It is good to know that plan is focusing on vegetation with the native Australian species.
5) New plants will probably need good reticulation system and care in place while they're setting up. Will any actions be taken in this regards?
6) "No smoking" signs with the fine/penalty amount specified should be installed in the area to reduce fire risk (Some people regularly use benches in the bushland for their smoking brakes).

Thank you for the opportunity to provide feedback.

Kind regards,
Daria

RE Allen Park Bushland Draft Management Plan: very good to see the work that has gone into drafting a plan to care for our treasured bushland. The work of the volunteers and the Environmental Conservation co-ordinatory (Vicki) has made a huge difference to the revegetation of the Allen Park bushland area. It is very sad, therefore, to see that much of the revegetated bushland along the northern side of Odern Crescent appears to have recently died before getting established, apparently as a result of the watering system being cut off during the upgrading of the Beach Oval. Is there a need for better liaison between different arms of council to ensure that the left hand knows what the right hand is doing?
I would like to feel reassured that all the Bushland Management Plans within the city of Nedlands are considered when density and infill are being considered. The sight of the red-tailed black cockatoos and the Carnaby's Black cockatoos looking for roosting and feeding trees is a tangible example of why we need to maintain open spaces that allow for tall trees which provide roosting, feeding and nesting holes.

Paths: I endorse the maintenance of good paths through the bushland and parkland areas which allow people to walk through and enjoy the bushland without damaging it. I endorse comments by others on this page about maintaining the steps on Melon Hill and would like to add the importance of liaising with Department of Defence to ensure that the paths within their jurisdiction are planned and constructed in a manner consistent with the aims of the Management Plan.

Good to see Lot 150 as part of the Allen Park Management Plan but when will the bush on Lot 150 be allowed to regenerate? It is currently a bit of a dustbowl.

I also endorse the comment of another contributor on this page to managing the cat population in the area. Unfortunately, some cat owners are not as responsible as many dog owners and we have seen very disturbing evidence of cats at night, and in broad daylight, catching lizards and birds in the bushland.

I endorse the attention to Jones Park, which is a beautiful and tranquil park and playground in a bushland setting.

What is the current status of the precious Walkway that links parts of Swanbourne with Allen Park? Has it been formally incorporated into Allen Park in order to preserve it for future generations? The process was commenced two years ago but the community has not heard of the final outcome. The community noted its importance during the Allen Park Management Plan consultations and it is mentioned in the Draft Allen Park Bushland Plan so one hopes its future is safe. It could be given a place in the section headed CULTURAL HERITAGE, INTERPRETATION AND EDUCATION because it has a rich history with its transition from a gazetted road to a tranquil, winding community pathway.

First of all, thanks for the opportunity to provide feedback. It is very important to consider views of the local residents on ongoing city management issues. Mt Claremont Oval Bushland is not in the best condition and would require accurate management.
I have quickly reviewed "Draft Mt Claremont Oval Bushland Management Plan", "Draft Natural Areas Management Plan" and corresponding action tables. Below is my feedback on the documents:
1) Actions table are very general, and have no measurable actions. Most local actions just refer Overall table which is also very general. It would help to develop specific and measurable actions for each area (or have a section to capture these).
2) Paragraph above Table 3 on Page 13 in "Draft Mt Claremont Oval Bushland Management Plan" states that "In 2018 the majority of the bushland was assessed as Good with some small Very
Good, Degraded and Completely Degraded areas as shown in Table 3 below.", while the data in tables shows that there is more Degraded areas than Good. Should the statement be reworded to reflect that majority of the bushland is Degraded?
3) Glad to see revegetation with focus on indigenous flora and long term sustainability. Again, it would help to have specific actions.
4) Fire management: Would it help to install "No smoking" signs along the boundaries? Many smokers use benches on the edges of the bushland.
5) In my opinion, fencing of the Cleland St boundary would be a good long term solution to control access and avoid erosion and damage.
6) Feral animals are a problem. Could revegetation strategy be design to also restrict access of feral animals?


Thanks

On behalf of a resident on Birdwood Parade. I have lived in the area since the mid 1980's and the trees have grown and blocked my view of the river.

On behalf of a resident on Victoria Avenue Dalkeith. Concerned that the grassed area would be planted with tall trees adjacent to their property. Would like to see the grassed area kept as grass as people picnic in that location on weekends.

On behalf of a resident on Birdwood Parade:
1.I have concerns about the amount of traffic on Birdwood Parade as people use Birdwood Parade to short cut down Waratah Avenue to avoid traffic on Stirling Highway. 2. The everlastings in the garden beds at Gunners Memorial are wonderful I hope the Council plants them each year.

Very good news that the City is seeking input !! In our area, the black flag weed (Ferraria crispa) is growing well during winter and spring. Our home, near Cleland Street, is in the catchment area of the bushland above the Lake Claremont Oval Reserve and Lake Claremont. Some neighbours know what the weed is, while others do not. Last spring, one neighbour sprayed it with xyz (unhappy wife spoke to me about unsafe, strong mixture of chemicals used by her husband), and two others pulled it out or broke off flower stalks. It is mostly on verges -- where I think the City should take responsibility, rather than leaving invasive weed control to home-owners with varying interest/skill. It would be very helpful if the City could provide 'hands-on' public education in all areas where this weed infests - about about how to prevent this weed from flowering.
Thanking you, Henry Esbenshade

I am the Weeds Program Coordinator with DBCA. Vicki Shannon sent me the Environmental Weed Control section of the Draft Natural Areas Management Plan 2019-24 for comment. Firstly, I see you have referred to the PDF document "Weed Prioritisation Process" on the DBCA Weeds Webpage - https://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/plants-and-animals/plants/weeds/156-how-do-we-manage-weeds - which talks about prioritisation from a species and asset-protection-based aspect. This provides some further information about the focus of these different priorities and may assist in providing a better explanation of your species based management.

My next comment relates to the legislation section. When the BAM Act was enacted in 2007 (not 2013), the ARRP Act was repealed. Therefore, the ARRP Act should no longer be referenced.

The DBCA Invasive Plant Prioritisation Process is now referred to as the Weed Prioritisation Process. The PDF document online has not be updated so the reference should be DPaW 2013. The Impact and Invasiveness Rating document can remain as DBCA 2106.

Kind regards,
Kellie

I urge the City to dedicate more resources to bushland management and regeneration across the whole City. The preservation of urban bushland is a critically important issue, especially in the biodiversity hotspot of south west Western Australia. Please support community members who are happy to establish a Friends of Group for the Mt Claremont Oval reserve, and dedicate sufficient resources to control weeds, manage erosion and undertake rehabilitation of this reserve.

Allen Park Bushland
1. Though not currently involved, the steady work by City and volunteers continues to be appreciated.

2. The steps up the northeast face of Melon Hill is - as you know - in serious disrepair, even becoming hazardous. I suggest that a complete replacement be included in the next budget (+/- Defence contribution). Design should aim to eliminate as many steps as possible: short standard steps (such as the metal steps on the northwest slope at Lake Claremont) with intervening ramp sections would be far better than the awkward intervals on Melon Hill. The high salt environment probably would require wooden steps not metal, but durable wood should be used. The current construction does nothing to ease the gradient. Extended uninterrupted ramp sections between step rises ought to encourage runners to stay on the path and not erode the adjoining sand dune.
3. Please may any foundation substrate use limestone NOT granite and dolerite aggregate which (for a geologist) on top of a Holocene sand dune is totally incongruent!. Please may the existing paths have adequate timber (or limestone block) borders to confine the foundation aggregate to not spill out from the edges of the path. Please may competent contractors be employed willing and able to respect the bushland and not leave debris thrown under shrubs. Removal of debris to the satisfaction of the CEO ought to be a mandatory clause in contracts

4. Please may "maintenance" (usually undertaken unnecessarily) pruning along the key access paths NOT use random trimming by whipper-snippers. These leave broken branches, ragged edges, scattered debris. Minimal and rare maintenance ought to be the guideline - not when plants are flowering (eg last year on Melon Hill). Workers need to be trained to cut back to a living junction since the result otherwise is ugly dead stems.

5. Though subject to the constraints of established priorities, nevertheless planting the small triangle at the Odern Crescent entrance to the Swanbourne Beach Parking Station and eastward along under/next to the Norfolk pines to almost connect to the existing and successful Odern Crescent planting would create another near continuous wildlife corridor from the coastal swale.
6. Infill planting along the Walkway certainly supported.
7. Longer term planning for a wider path down to the Rugby Club from the adjoining carpark is desirable.

8. Asbestos remains on Lot 139 on Sayer Street. Raking the sand on a windy day is most undesirable.

9. Commendation to those doing the planning and implementation.

Kind regards

Stephen Lipple

Thanks to all of you unsung heroes for you tireless work on both the plans, and the bushland areas. Thanks especially to Vicki, Les, Judy and the Friends of Allen Park and to Jean-Paul and the Swanbourne Alliance. The wider community that makes use of these areas is very indebted to you. My comments relate to the general managment plan, and Allen Park in particular. It’s fantastic to see the additional areas for proposed managment, especially lot 150 and Jones Park, and the moves to upgrade all the C class reserve to A class. In relation to dog excercise, there are huge health and social benefits in encouraging people out with their dogs and I would love to see low black fencing with a gap underneath along all of the paths, similar to what you see in Star Swamp etc. This seems good for everyone - it doesn’t really detract from the feeling of walking through the bush, wildlife can still move but is largely protected, it gives some separation from snakes (everyone can see everyone on the path) and it keeps most of the casual feet on the path. It also means dog poop has to be on the path which makes it much harder for people to ignore. In addition to education about cleaning up I also wonder whether there might be some alternatives available to plastic for the dog bags as I know this is something I always weigh up so far as environmental harm goes. I also wonder if we could do some educational signage around local environmental issues - ones that come to mind in particular are the poisoning of possums (the kids and I have found 3 or 4 dying possums on our walks) and what local or habitat plant species would be most useful for us to plant in our gardens. And perhaps some cat education in addition to dog eduction? I would also love to see more resources available for conservation and enhancement of these areas. The volunteers do an amazing job, but lives these days seem very busy and I think it’s fair to say volunteer groups everywhere are feeling the impact. I would hope that volunteering will always be part of our culture, but we would not expect volunteers to carry the main burden of maintaining and upkeeping roads, parks and other shared community resources and the same should be true for these increasingly important and valuable natural areas.

Each fragment of remnant bushland is valuable, more so as trees get removed from back yards to make way for larger houses and higher residential densities.

The Mount Claremont Oval bushland is degraded, but it is not bereft of native vegetation. I would welcome any effort by council and the local community to rehabilitate this area of bushland in particular.

You ask for our opinion. The residents don’t want sub division, the trees cut down, the verges reduced in size. We want the cool suburb that the tree canopy affords the area & we love the green garden feel of the area that attracts the birds. It doesn’t matter what the public say because the Labor politicians rail road public consensus, have closed door meetings and force through their own policies & visions for sub division, infill, forcing everyone to live on top of each other in a baking hot city & sharing the open spaces left by developers with everyone & no one adheres to the laws of the green spaces anyway! What a waste of time and a waste of tax payers money having these forums!

Regarding Birdwood Parade Bushland, would like to see an item addressing the renovation of the 3 pathways and prevention of washouts onto the paths. Also perhaps moving the bushland boundary towards Birdwood Parade between Gallop House and the middle path with low plantings.

Regarding Point Resolution, would like to see an item addressing and improving the state of the path adjacent the Stokes house.