Presentation:

"Can Rivers by Healthy in Agricultural Landscapes" by Prof. Peter Davies, Director of the Albany Centre of Excellence in Natural Resource Management.

Present:

Diane Evers, Danny Burkett (Water Corporation), Peter Collins (CALM), Monty Walker, Noel Bignell, Chris Gunby (WRC), Terry Allen, Chris Westcott, Sally Roth-Bierne, Julie Pech (WRC), Phil Mellon, Keith Smith, Terry Walshe (NRMCE), John Simpson, Howard Shapland, Dale Holley, Keith Smith (Snr), Louise Duxbury (GS), Naomi Arrowsmith (WRC), Terri Harwood (Secretary),

Apologies:

Maurice McCormick, Pat Walker, Andrew Marshall, Graham Wright, Melanie Price

Minutes of previous meeting:

Confirmed on the motion of Monty Walker and Noel Bignell

Correspondence:

INWARDS: Contract between Green Skills Inc. and Torbay Catchment Group Inc. to employ Hopkinson as Catchment Support Officer, one day a week for twelve months, to promote the TCG waterways grants in the catchment.

Email from John Blaney-Murphy thanking Pat Walker for the regular updates of Torbay Catchment Group activities. Also thanking Andrew Marshall for his kind words in the Watershed Torbay, and congratulating the Torbay Catchment Group for the progress.

General business:

SOILS WORKSHOP

35 people attended this workshop on 4/9/02. Howard Shapland reported that the workshop was excellent. Anyone wanting papers from the day can contact Julie Pech on 9841 0108. All agreed that the day was very thorough. Monty Walker reported that it would be great to get more people along to catchment group activities with events such as this.

WATERWAYS GRANTS

There is increasing interest in the grants with more brochures being requested, however no new applications were received this month. Kevin Hopkinson is now the contact for all grants applications and enquiries, as he is now employed one day per week as Catchment Support Officer for Torbay. Contact Kevin on 9841 0105 for information on waterways grants.

WETLAND INFILL PLANTING

People interested in doing the infill planting of fringing vegetation at the wetland, let Phillip know after the meeting. Approximately 500 plants will replace those that didn't survive the past year.

WATERSHED TORBAY PROJECT

River Restoration Plan

Terry Walshe reported on the Technical Group Meeting held on 27th August. The group looked at various actions we could do in the catchment and how effective they might be in improving catchment water quality and reducing algal blooms. The amount of data and information presented on these two issues alone emphasised the complexity of these issues relating to the catchment.

Following this meeting, which made little progress in developing actions due to the complexity, it was decided to alter the approach. Coordinator Terry Walshe will meet with individual researchers and put together potential actions for each of the six issues being addressed through the Watershed Torbay Project, as identified by the community at recent forums.

Members will look at potential actions and objectives at the next Community Steering Group meetings, and provide feedback as to how acceptable these actions might be to the community. Steering members will assess the information provided by the Technical Group, and ensure that all potential actions have been covered.

Community Survey

The survey was sent out in two groups. Marbelup Brook residents received the first mailout, as it included specific questions of the Marbelup Water Reserve required by a student researcher. Returns so far have been 18%. The researcher will make follow up phone calls to Marbelup residents to increase the rate of return.

The second mail out of 520 surveys went to the rest of the catchment and approximately 20 people had responded at the time of the meeting.

ACTION: Catchment Group members need to remind people to complete and post the survey and they can be sent back after the due date.

Watershed Torbay newsletter

It was suggested that a classified advertisement section in the newsletter might be interesting. Articles of community interest were also suggested - anyone writing an article please forward it to the editor, Louise Duxbury ph 9848 1019. The suggestion was made that water quality monitoring data eg. salinity trends and wastewater data could be reported in the newsletter. The next issue will include a focus on some of the research projects that are being carried out in the catchment, aimed at answering some of the questions raised at community forums about issues affecting the catchment.

Roles of stakeholder groups in the catchment

The importance of members of all stakeholder groups being represented "around the table" at Watershed Torbay Steering Group meetings was discussed, and the need to be aware that different stakeholder groups do have different aims because of their organisational role. For example, the Water Corporation has as its main focus drainage management in the catchment. The Water and Rivers Commission has as its main focus, water resource and water quality protection, in particular through the Watershed Torbay project. The Torbay Catchment Group is much more flexible and can focus on a wide range of issues, which to date have included waterways protection, algae blooms, weed and vermin control, soil nutrition and as one of the main stakeholders in Watershed Torbay.

It is important that all stakeholders understand each other's roles and responsibilities in the catchment and Watershed Torbay project, and that not all groups and organisations may be able to get involved or provide resources towards tackling all of the issues.

John Simpson, as Chairman of the Steering Committee, provides independent Chairmanship to ensure that all stakeholder needs are addressed through the project.

Round table discussions can encourage people to take on additional responsibilities or look at their role and how a small change may have a large impact on the catchment.

Other business

VERMIN CONTROL - FOX BAITING

Monty Walker raised the issue of fox baiting. He suggested the group could encourage landowners to get involved.

ACTION: Monty moved the group get involved in a "fox drive". It will involve funding for baits and an education session on how to lay baits.

Peter Collins (CALM) discussed access to 1080. The farmer has to present at an APB (Dept of Agriculture) office to receive training and registration, then by the baits from a retailer (approx. 10 for $113). Peter advised of the benefits to native animals of fox control and that CALM prefers to take part in a cooperative / collaborative approach to baiting.

ACTION: Anyone at the meeting interested in training for fox baiting put your name down on the list being circulated. (or phone Monty Walker on 9844 6040).

ACTION: Naomi Arrowsmith advised that the group needs to keep a tally of money expended on fox baiting and other voluntary activities in the catchment. These tallies can then be included as "matching funding" in future funding applications ie if the group is required to provide funding to "match" the amount they are requesting in the grant application, the amounts tallied up during voluntary catchment activities can be used.

FENCING OF WATER CORPORATION DRAINS

Acting Chairperson Phillip Marshall raised the issue of unfenced Water Corporation drains in the catchment, and the need to get these fenced to exclude stock, to reduce sediment and nutrient inputs to the waterways.

ACTION: Danny Burkett will investigate fencing of Water Corporation owned drains and provide information for the next meeting.

GREEN CORP TEAM APPLICATION

Louise Duxbury has put together an application for a Green Corp project team to carry out on-ground works in Torbay Catchment for six months. Projects the team would carry out include waterways fencing, installation of stock / vehicle crossings, catchment weed control and maintenance work on local halls.

TORBAY CATCHMENT MAPS

On behalf of WRC, Julie Pech presented the group with two large 1.5 m2 aerial photo maps of Torbay Catchment. These maps are for permanent display in the Elleker and Torbay community halls. At present the Redmond Hall is not used on a regular basis, however if use of the hall were to increase, a map can be provided. As the maps cost a couple of hundred dollars each to produce and print, they do need to be mounted safely in the halls and protected.

WATERSHED TORBAY COMMUNITY STEERING GROUP MEETINGS

Steering group meetings have been held monthly for the past 12 months. It was suggested that these meetings were cut back to being held every 6 weeks, as are the catchment group meetings. This will be confirmed at the next Steering Group meeting, which will take place as scheduled, on Tuesday 8th October, 7.30 pm at Elleker Hall.

BIODIVERSITY CONFERENCE - TORBAY CATCHMENT FIELD TRIP

Naomi Arrowsmith is coordinating the Prospects for Biodiversity and Rivers in Salinising Landscapes, International Conference in Albany from 21-25 October 2002.

Torbay Catchment will be included as one of the conference field trips. The conference organisers are looking for a group to cater for morning tea for the field trip, and Naomi suggested this would be a great opportunity for the Torbay Catchment Group to raise some funds. Phil Mellon offered to ask the Elleker Sporting and Progress Association if they would like to take up this fundraising opportunity.

Displays of the Torbay Catchment Group and Watershed Torbay project would also be set up in the hall, and Naomi asked whether some catchment group volunteers might be available to address the field trip group on catchment activities.

(Terri Harwood has advised since this meeting that Yvette Worsfold has agreed to coordinate the Elleker Sporting and Progress Association provision of morning tea for participants of the conference field trip to the Watershed Torbay project. Julie Pech to coordinate with Yvette catering and numbers).

COMMUNITY HISTORY GRANTS

Lotteries WA is calling for expressions of interest for their Community History Grants. This is an opportunity for the Torbay Catchment Group to apply for funds to employ a writer / researcher to compile a history of the Torbay Catchment.

(Tony Evers of Woodbury Boston Environmental School has advised since this meeting, that the school is putting in an application for the grant. If successful, the grant will enable the school to employ a writer to work with the school students who started collecting stories from catchment residents earlier this year. The stories would be published in book form.)

SOUTHERN PROSPECTS

An article on Torbay Catchment and the Watershed Torbay project was printed in the quarterly SCRIPT newsletter (South Coast Regional Initiative Planning Team), which is the Natural Resource Management newsletter distributed across the South Coast Region.

SUCCESSFUL TRAILS APPLICATION - TORBAY HALL COMMITTEE

Keith Smith, Secretary of the Torbay Hall Committee, reported that the Committee has been successful in their application for Lotteries WA / Trailswest funding, to construct a multi-use bird trail and botanic walk and bird hide at the Torbay Hall and surrounds. Keith invited the Torbay Catchment Group to place information in the in-situ interpretive displays when developed.