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Torbay catchment activities - February 2000 Back
The Torbay catchment is important to local residents and the people of the south coast for its fishing, farming, tourism and conservation values. The Torbay Sub-catchment Group formed following interest generated at a community meeting at Elleker Hall in March 1999. Eighty eight people attended talks on environmental issues in the catchment. This fantastic turn-out showed that as a community, we are concerned with the waterways in our area.

Support for the group and activites in the catchment is provided by the Water and Rivers Commission, the Water Corporation, AGWEST, the Department of Conservation and Land Management, the City of Albany and Green Skills.


"An environmentally clean, balanced ecology supporting a prosperous community in which people respect each other's use of the catchment and waterways"


February 2000 newsletter

Tour of the catchment area

A bus tour for catchment residents (organised by the Water and Rivers Commission) in May 1999 helped raise awareness of catchment-wide problems with visits to a number of sites. The trip was well-attended by people living in the catchment and included an interesting tour around the Water Corporation's tree farm. Watch out for details of the next catchment tour.

Logo competition

Check out our new logo at the top of this page! Many students from Woodbury Boston Environmental School sent in their designs. Thanks to everyone who entered the competition. The Catchment Group selected Lincoln Cook's design for use on letterhead, roadside signs etc. Book prizes from the catchment group were presented to Lincoln and the school at Woodbury Boston's annual Jazz afternoon in November 1999.

Weeds, weeds and more weeds!

Group members took part in three weed workshops late last year, where AGWEST staff shared their expertise on declared and commonly occurring weeds. Taylorina, watsonia, bridal creeper, blackberry, inkweed, gorse, Victorian teatree, dock, pennyroyal, arum lily, cumbungi and pampas grass are all problem weeds in the catchment. A rather daunting list!

However we needed to start somewhere so watsonia is the first weed to be targeted. Landowner Hugh Smith acted quickly to spray watsonia fronting his Lower Denmark Road property. The group is now planning a long term program of watsonia control.

Foreshore surveys

With the cooperation of landholders along Five Mile Creek and Seven Mile Creek, Bob Gretton of Green Skills is carrying out foreshore condition surveys of these waterways. This work is being funded by the Water and Rivers Commission. Surveys are of practical use as they provide landholders with a range of options for management of pristine through to degraded areas.

Watercourse fencing and revegetation grants are available from the Water and Rivers Commission through the Torbay Catchment Group, to assist landholders in the catchment with fencing, revegetation, stockwatering points and road crossings over waterways. Landowners are encouraged to apply to the Torbay Catchment Group for these funds.

Torbay Sub-catchment Group meetings are open to all and you are welcome to attend. If you are interested please contact Chairperson Des Wolfe on 9845 1059 or Deputy Chairperson Andrew Marshall on 9845 1081 for more information on meeting dates and times, or for details of the group's activities.

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