Present:

Bill Spence, Andrew Marshall, Phillip Marshall, Lionel Roberts, Julie Pech, John Kratochvill, Monty Walker, Peter Collins (CALM), Noel Bignell, Louise Duxbury, Terri Harwood, Dale Holley, Tony Holley.

Apologies:

Maurice McCormick, Howard Shapland, Agnes Roberts, Melissa Vernon, Howard Shapland, Graham Heighton, Kath Spence, Pat Walker.

Minutes of previous meeting:

Confirmed on the motion of Monty Walker and Philip Marshall.

Correspondence:

INWARDS: Email to Chair from Anne Bondin from the Albany Bird Group regarding a recent visit and siting of a pink-eared duck on the wetland. Attached a short article for the Watershed Torbay newsletter.

Email from Johanna Capelluti, SCRIPT, re "Enhancing Community Capacity Program" funding submission by SCRIPT to NHT funding. Requesting a letter of support for the funding application to be sent to John Simpson (Chair of SCRIPT). Secretary to send letter.

OUTWARDS: Chair to reply and advise that the Bird Group will need to access funding and suggest a design for the bird hide, and forward this to CALM.

Treasurer's report

The Torbay Catchment Group now has an ABN number. The Treasurer has opened a bank account for the Group, and funds previously managed and held in Hay River LCDC accounts will now be transferred to one TCG account.

Torbay Catchment Group funds as at 31st July 2002:

1. Torbay Catchment fencing account (with Hay River LCDC)  $16,226.32
2. Coast and Clean Seas stream restoration site (HR LCDC)   $8,532.90
3. Coast and Clean Seas constructed wetland     (HR LCDC)  $34,330.66	
4. Torbay Catchment Group account                               $7.00
                                                           ----------
TOTAL:                                                     $59,096.88

The TCG account owes the following amount to Des Wolfe:
Advertisement (Incorporation)                                  $70.40
Incorporation fee                                              $80.00
To open bank account:                                          $10.00
                                                              -------
                                                              $160.40

The Treasurer's report was received and accepted on the motion of Dale Holley and Monty Walker. The Torbay accounts managed by Hay LCDC will be closed with the amounts incorporated into one TCG Inc. account. The Chair moved payment to the Treasurer of $160.40 when the monies are transferred into the TCG account.

The Chair proposed that membership forms are send out with the next minutes.

Catchment group members suggested that funds saved and left over from the constructed wetland project could be spent on fencing and protecting existing wetlands in the catchment. (Project Manager Chris Gunby, WRC, advised that $10,000 of $34,330.66 will pay for recent work at the wetland by AD Contractors, and the remainder would need to kept for upkeep of the wetland over the years of the project eg cleaning out sediment, weed control, replanting etc).

General business:

TORBAY INLET FORESHORE CONDITION SURVEY:

Bob Gretton gave a presentation on the foreshore condition survey he is carrying out on the catchment area that drains directly into Torbay Inlet. Aerial photos showed silt covering 1/5 of the inlet area.

Bob is visiting three to four properties per day to carry out the foreshore survey with the landowner. The report should give a good snapshot of this area of the catchment.

Interesting features that Bob has noted while carrying out this survey is that 80% of landowners on the fifteen properties already so far, have already commenced tree planting and fencing. This represents a high percentage when compared with other regions.

Some landowners are not applying for funding for fencing, stock watering points and crossings, but are funding this work themselves.

People appear to be digging drains on an annual basis - water is diverted from one area of drainage into another. This catchment area is very flat country which needs drainage to be farmed.

Of 60 landowners in the survey area, Bob has talked to 15 so far and will have the property surveys completed by the end of August 2002. The data will then go to WRC Perth branch for GIS mapping.

WATERSHED TORBAY UPDATE

Photographic Exhibition

Terri Harwood reported that approximately 20 people attended the photographic exhibition. Some exhibitors and people attending came from outside the catchment. Some of the photos have been scanned and will be put on the Watershed Torbay web page, with the permission of the photographers. Terri encouraged members to check out the web page.

Community forums

Information requested and research suggested by participants at the community forums at Elleker, Torbay and Redmond has been given to researchers and are now being incorporated into research projects.

Community survey

Several working party meetings have been held to develop the community survey. Louise requested members present to participate in the pilot survey before it is sent out. It was generally felt that the survey was too long, however it was very difficult to cut down on the number of survey questions because of the level of detail required to answer research questions and questions the community has asked about the catchment, at the Community forums in June.

Group members expressed concern about the need for the question on income levels. Louise explained that this question, or a similar question on education, is commonly used in surveys to make sure that the returned surveys are representative of everyone in the catchment. It ensures that data presented in the final survey report is not biased, with responses included from all sectors of the community. Louise will follow up the postal surveys with some telephone surveys, which will be necessary particularly if postal returns are low.

Landowners in the Marbelup sub-catchment will receive an additional page of questions relating to classification of the area as a gazetted water reserve. The return date for Marbelup surveys is 31st August to ensure that UWA Undergraduate Lorna McGuire can complete her cost / benefit analysis of waterways rehabilitation in Marbelup Catchment. Surveys for the remainder of the catchment will be mailed out in August with the Watershed Torbay newsletter, with September 13th the return date for surveys.

CATCHMENT SUPPORT OFFICER

Julie Pech advised that NHT grant money recalled from an unfinished project elsewhere in the South Coast Region, could be used to employ Catchment Support Officer Kevin Hopkinson for one day per week for one year. Kevin's role would be to promote the Torbay Catchment Group's waterways rehabilitation grants to landowners in the catchment through property visits and following up with landowners that have expressed interest in applying for the funding. A priority will be to implement recommendations of recent foreshore condition surveys in the catchment.

Monty Walker moved and seconded Phillip Marshall that $8,000 is expended to contract Kevin Hopkinson to promote fencing and waterways rehabilitation for one day per week for 12 months. Carried. Julie and Andrew to draft up contract.

Louise suggested a submission for a Green Corps project focussing on Torbay Catchment, to assist with labour for on ground works and weed control. Motion proposed by Bill Spence. Seconded Andrew Marshall. Carried.

APPLICATION FOR FENCING FUNDS

Julie provided details of grant application from Bruce Marshall. Approved: Des Wolfe, seconded Monty Walker, carried. Total funding of $1,990 approved, including fencing $1,290 and crossing $700.

WATSONIA CONTROL PROGRAM

The City of Albany have supplied chemicals for the watsonia eradication project for 2002.