1 A case study of The Redhead Coastal Corridor Project REDHEAD BEACH Project Partners: • Lake Macquarie Landcare Resource Centre (Lake Macquarie City Council and Lake Macquarie Landcare Network Inc.) • Redhead Sustainable Neighbourhood • Redhead Bluff Landcare Group • Redhead Care Landcare Group & Freshwater Creek Landcare Group View of site from Redhead Bluff, form cliff top to Redhead Beach SLSC and Redhead Care Landcare site 2 A Case Study of The Redhead Coastal Corridor Project REDHEAD BEACH Project Partners: • Lake Macquarie Landcare Resource Centre (Lake Macquarie City Council and Lake Macquarie Landcare Inc.) • Redhead Sustainable Neighbourhood • Redhead Bluff Landcare Group • Redhead Care Landcare Group & Freshwater Creek Landcare Group Lake Macquarie Lake Macquarie has mountains with forests and waterfalls, extensive beaches, and a spectacular lake. The lake is a large coastal estuarine lake of 22 km length (N-S), 10 km width, an area of approximately 110 square km, and a catchment area of 605 square km. The lake contains 12 major, and many more minor, estuarine creek zones where freshwater tributaries interface with the saline body of the lake. These areas support a wide range of habitats and uses including nature conservation, recreation, residential and commercial development and rural activities. As a result, the natural environment has suffered a high degree of modification and degradation. Aerial view of Redhead C1995 (Image: LMCC Historic Photos) 3 North Freshwater Ck Redhead Bluff Landcare Site Landcare Site REDHEAD Redhead Care Landcare Site Redhead Coastal Corridor Project Site Map courtesy of Google Earth REDHEAD LOCALITY MAP About Redhead Redhead, the traditional land of the Awabakal people, is located in Lake Macquarie City and is part of the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia. It is a secluded coastal community situated 15 minutes from Newcastle and two hours from Sydney. Redhead is bounded by natural geographic features including the Pacific Ocean to the east, the Awabakal Nature Reserve to the north, Jewells Wetland to the west and Belmont Lagoon to the south. The neighbourhood contains a dynamic village, which is characterised by its beach and outdoor lifestyle. Features include Redhead Beach which stretches ‘Nine Miles’ down to Blacksmiths Beach in the south and the Fernleigh Track Cycleway which connects the community to Belmont in the south and Newcastle CBD in the north. Redhead attracts national and international visitors. The Redhead area contains seven of the City’s nine ecosystem types including forest, woodland, heath, wetlands, ocean, coast and waterways. As is the case with most urban bushland areas, the natural assets of the Redhead neighbourhood area are deeply treasured by residents but are unfortunately under considerable pressure. These pressures are brought about by disturbance, disconnection and a range of modern day living activities. 4 Redhead was founded on a rich history of coal mining. Collieries operated from late 1880’s to January 1992. Three Colliery buildings are standing today in Redhead Grange Estate, protected by a heritage order. Much of Redhead sits on a maze of underground tunnels created during this coal mining era. The Belmont Railway line, now the Fernleigh Track, connected the Colliery to Newcastle City. Community research indicates that the preservation of the natural environment is the single biggest environmental issue for Redhead residents. Key issues include weeds and feral animals, dune degradation, waterway pollution, irresponsible pet ownership and illegal dumping. Research suggests that sustainable homes and sustainable living are important to Redhead’s residents. The Redhead Coastal Corridor Project – Redhead Beach The Redhead Coastal Corridor Project is a Landcare project and the brainchild of Brian Hilton who is the Team Leader of Redhead Bluff Landcare group. This project aims to carry out planting of a living fence of native vegetation that runs along side the edge of the Redhead Beach Surf Life Saving Club car park in a strip approximately 10 metres wide. This planting will create a vegetation corridor that, once established, will act to connect the natural area of Redhead bluff with the bushland of Webb Park. The corridor would help with the migration of native birds and animals between these two natural areas and would act to connect the Awabakal Reserve to the Belmont Wetlands and State Park south of Redhead. Extent of work View of the Redhead Coastal Corridor project site from Redhead Bluff (Image: D. Hilder) 5 The Redhead bluff is home to a variety of birds such as Brown and King Quail, Honey Eaters, Superb Blue Wren and Variegated Wren. It is also habitat for ground dwelling mammals such as Long-nosed Bandicoot, Northern Brown Bandicoot, New Holland Mouse, and Spotted- tail Quoll. These birds and animals are dependant on shrub and ground cover vegetation to allow them to avoid predators. This includes both native predators such as Malurus cyaneus - Superb Fairy-wren, male. falcon and kestrel and introduced predators (Birds in Backyards Image: K Vang and W Dabrowka ©) such as foxes, dogs, and cats. The planting would be of low-growing native coastal plants that would not interfere with views, would be consistent with surrounding plant communities, and would require minimal watering or maintenance. Considering the size of the project, the preparation and planting will be carried out in stages through spring and summer 2011. The Regent Honeyeater Xanthomiza phrygia Landcare Resource Centre and the LMCC’s (NSW Threatened Species Image: Chris Tzeros) Sustainability Department will be supporting this project; however, community involvement would be very strongly welcomed. October 2011: The area to be planted in stage one extends from the steps leading down from Beach Road across to the base of the cliffs as a10 m wide strip. (Image: D. Hilder) 6 Freshwater Creek site North Beach Road Top Car Park Redhead Redhead Coastal Corridor Bluff site Stage 1 Project site Stage 2 Beach Car Park Redhead Care site Redhead SLSC Map courtesy of Google Earth REDHEAD COASTAL CORRIDOR SITE MAP Cross Section Plan Sketch: Maree Edwards 7 Redhead Coastal Corridor Project - Restoring a Coastal Wildlife Corridor 2011 The proposal is to plant a “living fence” of native coastal plants to link the wildlife corridors from Awabakal Nature Reserve and Redhead Bluff to the Webb Park/Cain Street natural areas and then Belmont Wetlands State Park. The “living fence” will be planted at the base of the slope near the Redhead Surf Life Saving Club car park. Shrubs Acacia myrtifolia - Red-stemmed Wattle, Acacia myrtifolia - Red-stemmed Wattle (Image: © ANBG) Myrtle-leafed Wattle Breynia oblongifolia - Coffee Bush Correa alba - Coastal Correa Correa reflexa - Correa Lasiopetalum ferrugineum var ferrugineum - Rusty Petals Leucopogon parviflorus - Coastal Beard Heath Corea alba - Coastal Correa (Image: © ANBG) Melaleuca thymifolia - Thyme-leafed Paperbark Melaleuca thymifolia - Thyme-leafed Paperbark Leucopogon parviflorus - Coastal Beard Heath (Image: T. M. Tame ©The Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust) (Image: © ANBG) 8 Pelargonium australe - Coastal Geranium (Image: D. Hardin ©The Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust) Myoporum boninense - Coastal Boobiala Pelargonium australe - Coastal Geranium Persoonia lanceolata - Geebung Pimelia linifolia - Slender Riceflower Pittosporum revolutum - Rough-fruited Pittosporum Westringia fruticosa - Coastal Rosemary Vines/Creepers Billardiera scandens - Appleberry Myoporum boninese - Coastal boobiala Calystegia soldanella - Calystegia (Image: D. Hardin ©The Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust) Clematis aristata - Old Man’s Beard Westringia fruticosa - Coastal Rosemary (Image: D. Hilder) Clematis aristata - Old Man’s Beard (Image: D. Hilder) 9 Hibbertia scandens - Golden Guinea flower (Image: T.M. Tame ©The Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust) Geitenoplesium cymosum - Scrambling Lily Glycine clandestina - Love Creeper Hibbertia scandens - Golden Guinea Flower, Snake Vine Pandorea pandorana - Wonga Wonga Vine Carpobrotus glaucescens - Pigface Ferns/Groundcovers (Image: D. Hilder) Actinotus helianthi - Flannel Flower Carpobrotus glaucescens - Pigface Commelina cyanea - Scurvy Weed Dianella caerulea - Blue Flax Lily Actinotus helianthi - Flannel Flower (Image: T.M. Tame ©The Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust) Dianella caerulea - Blue Flax Lily (Image: D. Hilder) 10 Geranium homeanum - Cranesbill (Image: L. von Richter ©The Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust) Lomandra longifolia - Coastal Mat Rush, at Redhead Bluff (Image: D. Hilder) Dichelachne micrantha - Long Hair Plume Grass Geranium homeanum - Cranesbill Isolepis nodosa - Nodding Club Rush Lomandra longifolia - Coastal Mat Rush Scaevola albida - Pale Fan Flower Themeda australis - Kangaroo Grass Viola hederacea - Native Violet Scaevola albida - Pale Fan Flower (Image: D. Hardin ©The Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust) Viola hederacea - Native Violet (PlantNet Image: ©The Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust) 11 Existing Landcare sites in the Redhead area Other Landcare Sites in the Redhead area that will link with the Redhead Coastal Corridor Project: 1. Freshwater Creek Landcare The site is located between Allard Street and Alison Street, Redhead in the Freshwater creek sub-catchment Vegetation Community: LHCCREMS MU33 (with additions of Eucalyptus robusta, Melaleuca quinquenervia & Glochidion ferdinandi around creekline) Overall Site Description: The site is a 7(2) riparian