Hello all,
The Cubberla-Witton Catchments Network (CWCN) has started to incorporate the St Lucia area into CWCN’s planning.

You might or might not have heard that CWCN has initiated a Rehabilitation Plan for the Sandy and Toowong Creek catchments and for the area of St Lucia. It will cover aquatic and terrestrial aspects, will look at connectivity and general biodiversity and habitat issues, look at threats etc etc. We are grateful to Cr Peter Matic and especially Cr Jane Prentice for giving us immense help with finding the finances for the project. It will be covered by BCC funds, but the Rehab Plan will be produced by an independent environmental consultancy. It will look also at the St Lucia Golf Links (but there will be a separate and more comprehensive Environmental Impact Study done by Council). Once our project starts there will be community consultation. The idea is to have a community biodiversity survey to kick off the development of the rehab plan and to gain as much local knowledge and input as possible. So watch this space for more information.

CWCN is a volunteer based organization and active in the catchments of Cubberla, Witton, Sandy and Toowong Creeks and in adjacent areas feeding directly into the Brisbane River with the entire area named “Brisbane’s Inner West”.

Please also note that the entire Inner West catchments area including St Lucia is part of the Biosphere project which is about to be proposed for UNESCO listing.

Please come to our AGM on Tuesday, 25 March 2008, 6.30pm for 7.00pm, Indooroopilly Library Meeting Room, and inform yourself about the type of activities we undertake and what we stand for.

Jutta
I didn't make your meeting this week, but wondered if you'd like to come along to the SLCA meeting and report on how it went, what's next for St Lucia, and whether you need help.
robyn

Dear Robyn,
Can't find a date for the next meeting on the web. So if it fits into my diary I would love to come...
Cheers

Yes, sorry about not having it on the website, must find someone to update this regularly, I've not had time.

Can you come up and say hello before the meeting?

Meeting is tightly scheduled and won't take more than an hour, I promise.

Look forward to seeing you!

Will be there. See you on Saturday. Jutta

Get to know your catchment!!

Community Biodiversity Survey
for Toowong and Sandy Creek Catchments and St Lucia

Sunday, 25th May 2008
9.00am – approx. 2.30pm

Specialists and interested volunteer community members will join forces to take a snapshot of our diversity of local fauna and flora, all in support of a comprehensive rehabilitation plan currently under development for the above area. The range of activities will include assessments of aquatic flora and fauna; riparian fauna; terrestrial fauna and flora; and water quality. A bird walk, a look at habitat conditions including at weed infestations; fish snapshots, identification of tiny critters under the microscope, and much more are all part of the day.

We’d love to tap into your local knowledge, but you don’t need to be an expert to participate. There is so much to discover, e.g. a very recent survey done by our Network has created lots of excitement with sea mullets, firetail gudgeons, and schools(!) of spangled perch being sighted in the lower reaches of Sandy Creek. We know of substantial dragonfly life in the lake on UQ grounds, of amazing vegetation especially in the upper reaches of Toowong Creek, to name just a few indicators of biodiversity. What else is there we didn’t know about?

There certainly is enormous potential to improve the general ecological health of the catchments area in Brisbane’s Inner West.

There will be displays and information on the rehabilitation plan commissioned by BCC with strong support by our local Councillors and currently being developed by environmental consultancy Natural Solutions who are co-organisers of this event and are looking forward to your input.

We have breakfast/morning tea and BBQ lunch ready for you. BYO camping chair and sun protection, and wear comfortable walking shoes.

Base Location:
Perrin Park, off Josling St, Toowong
(UBD 179 B1)

For catering purposes we would love to know whether you are coming. Whether there are any particular areas of the survey you would like to participate in would also help us to organize the event. For more information ring Jutta Godwin on 0407 583 441 or 3378 1929 and Michael Thorley on 0448 158 497.

Cheers Jutta

The Draft Report of the Toowong and Sandy Creeks Catchments Rehabilitation Plan (includes St Lucia, Long Pocket and other adjacent areas) can be viewed at the BCC libraries in Toowong Village Shopping Centre and Indooroopilly Shopping Centre. There is a display of selective material and a hardcopy of the draft report at each library.

Viewing Period: until 4th May 2009

Norrie Sanders/Natural Solutions/CONICS will give a presentation of the draft report on Thursday, 23rd April 2009, 7.00pm-9.00pm. Location: Toowong Community Meeting Place, Josling St, Toowong (UBD 179 A1).

In addition, a display and a hardcopy of the draft report can be viewed at the Citysmart Neighbourhood Fair, Perrin Park, on Sunday, 26th April 2009.

Jutta Godwin
President
Cubberla-Witton
Catchments Network Inc
priv 3378 1929
mob 0407 583 441