Update June 2014 Wolli creek Preservation Society 1

June 2014 www.wollicreek.org.au

Come and show save your supportthe Wolli for the campaign to

Valley’s trees and bushland from the M5E/WestConnex Tree-mendous project, Wolli. by coming to Update June 2014 Wolli creek Preservation Society 2

Fast Tracked WestCONnex Now Urgent Threat to Our Bush

This postcard aimed at then Premier O’Farrell shows some of the beauty of the bushland section under threat of de- struction – everything in the photo would go, even the rocks, for the initial section of the tunnel. Sophie would be saved, but devastated!

May’s Federal Budget brought as early as next year. This two important information on it. more bad news to those of us hectare area of the Valley between We urge Wolli Creek supporters who value the Wolli bushland and Bexley Road and Illoura Reserve to take the threat to our bushland wish to preserve it for current and is filled with 1500 significant trees seriously. Help our campaign to future generations. The Federal and many shrubs and wildflowers, fight this short-sighted, misguided Government is providing a $2 billion Depression-era settler remnants and misdirected infrastructure loan to the NSW Government to fast and precious bushland. project which will destroy a track the duplication of the M5 East The Society opposes the beautiful part of our Valley. as part of the WestConnex project. WestConnex for a great number Find out more by signing up for Unless the community makes its of reasons, not least because the updates at .info or opposition to this proposed toll business case for the project has like the campaign Facebook way known, the loan could mean not been reasonably demonstrated page No Westconnex: Public that the bulldozing of the ‘Western by the State Government, which transport not motorways. Gateway’ end of Wolli Creek starts continues to avoid releasing Anna Le Masurier

The most recently published RMS vision of the route of the new M5E through Wolli. The section to Johnston St would mean a cut-and-cover tunnel removing everything, even the rocks. Associated works would pretty much guarantee the destruction of the rest of the section to Illoura Reserve. Update June 2014 Wolli creek Preservation Society 3

Clean Up Day, Old Bowen’s Camp, Sunday March 2 25 volunteers, both big and small, worked together with a lot of enthusiasm to clean up Bowen’s Heritage Site. The equivalent of 52 bags of rubbish were removed from Annual the area: 19 bags of recyclables, mostly plastic drink bottles, 26 bags of rubbish and lots of loose rubbish, equivalent to an- Dinner other 7 bags. This adds up to about 180kg in all. Apart from the myriad plastic bottles, which made up the bulk of the loot, we also removed an old beanbag, a big toy car, two syringes, oodles of cigarette light- ers and balls in all shapes and sizes. The site is due for an archaeological survey this year and with all the rubbish out of the way, the archaeologist’s work will be a lot easier now. A big THANK YOU to everybody for all the hard work and to our “tea ladies” who provided us with very welcome refreshments including some really yummy cakes. Dr. Richard Major Ute Foster

friday 17 October Our speaker this year will be Dr. Richard Major, ornithologist and bird expert at the Australian Mu- seum. His research projects focus on the effects of urbanization on different bird species, such as the White-fronted Chat, currently missing from Wolli’s saltmarsh areas, but present at Olympic Park and Towra Point. He’s also very involved in Birds in Backyards. Re- cently he has been involved in the popular Cocka- too Wingtag cockatoo tracking project using wing tags and citizen enthusiasm to monitor the habits of Sydney’s urban White Cockatoo population. See more about him at: www.australianmuseum. net.au/staff/richard-major Clean up australia day 2014 Update June 2014 Wolli creek Preservation Society 4

Bat Watch in March About 60 adults and 26 children The atmosphere was easy and brought blankets and picnic dinners friendly and WCPS bat counters Good Bat News to Turrella Reserve to have fun at and WIRES bat carers were happy The Society, in partnership with an unusual social evening in March to answer any questions. The Rockdale City Council and RailCorp organised by Deb Little children had a great time playing (now Sydney Trains), has been Watching the mass fly out from the in the park, shining their torches in successful in gaining funding from Flying-fox camp was like one of the the dark, making their own ‘crafty’ the NSW Environmental Trust for a great David Attenborough wildlife bats and watching the FF’s as they Management Plan for the Flying-fox experiences, a spectacular natural streamed out over the Reserve. camp in the Valley at Turrella. A phenomenon to see in such an Everyone had a great night! Management Plan is an important urban environment. document to guide, among other things, on-ground actions to ensure the roosting habitat there remains in a sustainable condition. This vulnerable, listed species is a crucial spreader of native plant pollen and seeds. It’s estimated that 50 % of flying-foxes habitat has disappeared since European settlement and increasingly, urban camps such as the one in Wolli are becoming important for the survival of the species. Monthly fly-out population counts (started in April 2008) continue, with a good roll up of counters at each count. 16,000 flying-foxes were recently counted. deb little

sandi & seren breuer Update June 2014 Wolli creek Preservation Society 5 KAYAKING TRIP Wolli Creek to Crest 11 October & 8 November Wolli Blog Organised and led by the are happening, a visit to the Flying- Canoe Club & the Wolli Creek fox camp and a walk up Nanny Published author Louise Preservation Society, this popular Goat Hill, all with commentary. Then Egerton recently walked tour will last for approximately a leisurely paddle back DOWN through the Valley and loved 4 hours, including a kayaking Wolli Creek ends in a cuppa and/or what she saw. induction and safety briefing and a bowl of hearty soup at the River You might like to read her blog, about 1 hour of relaxed paddling Canoe Club. Wolli Creek: a Precious Place, UP Wolli Creek to the Henderson http://wildiaries.com/ Book soon, because these popular St weir. This is followed by a tour trips/11274-Wolli-Creek-a- trips fill up very quickly. around Turrella Reserve, where Precious-Place many environmental improvements

Full Valley Walk – Free to Members, 9th August

This enlightening walk takes 4.5 hours to cover the 4.5 km from Bexley North to Tempe. It’s full of information about the valley, things to be seen along the way, current bushcare work going on and issues affecting the bushland. It’s free to members and we encourage all recently joined members to come and get a wide background briefing on the valley. We welcome others as well. They can just sign up to join as part of the process. Get friends and neighbours to come along too. Numbers are limited, so it’s essential to register in western end wolli bushland, photo john david advance. We generally can’t take anyone who hasn’t.

The joint WCPS and Sydney large Phlebopus marginatus which FUNGI FORAY Fungal Studies Group Fungi is probably Australia’s largest ter- Foray on 8th March had restrial fungus, the brown ear-like about 25 participants. The Aurcularia auricula-judae, and large group split into two, so that number of Coprinus comatus, in all as much of the park as pos- stages of growth from the immature sible could be covered in the long conical cap to the bell shaped two hours of collecting. cap and to the auto-digesting stage. July 12 is the date for the With some recent rain and next foray. many eager scouts, a good variety of specimens were found. These included the Update June 2014 Wolli creek Preservation Society 6 In the Valley... Autumn Bird Migrations

Yellow-faced Honeyeater

Autumn marked the return of regular Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo annual flocks of small birds migrating northwards from their summer holidays in Tassie and Victoria. The Silvereyes and New Holland Honeyeaters have returned in good numbers and large flocks of Yellow-faced Honey-Eaters were flying high overhead down the valley for several weeks. The mournful cry of the Yellow-Tailed Black Cockatoo is always a sure sign that winter has finally arrived. A flock of about forty cheeky noisy birds has been making itself at home in the valley. Quite a few Eastern Spinebills have been sighted throughout the Valley as well. Update June 2014 Wolli creek Preservation Society 7

Belinda Pittard spotted this unusual visitor in the Bardwell Valley Parklands.

Calum Duffy, budding bird photographer from Place, also took this photo of an immature Golden Whistler in the family backyard.

Female Satin Bowerbird

Historically, Eastern Spinebills have been resident in the Valley since the first available records. Alfred North recorded them at Kingsgrove in the 1890s. By the late 1990s it certainly seemed they were present less often - as were some other once- Golden Whistler common species, including the Eastern Yellow Robin. This seemed to mirror the decline of these species across Sydney. So it’s good to hear they may be making a comeback.

Eastern Spinebill (photo Callum Duffy) Update June 2014 Wolli creek Preservation Society 8

Development Bush regeneration: Jul 5, 9, 13, 18, 19, 26. to Keep Aug 2, 10, 13, 15, 16, 23. Sep 6, 10, 14, 19, 20, 27. Details of locations from WCPS or website an Eye On calendar, or email [email protected] Always check in case of changes at short notice A Development Application has been made to Bat counting: Third Friday of each month, just Canterbury Council to re-subdivide an existing after sunset. Come along to see the fly-out or join four-block area between Bayview Avenue and in the counting. For up-to-date details, join the bat Highcliff Road Earlwood to create six blocks. group email list by contacting bats@wollicreek. Current indications are that an additional five org.au and come along to see the fly-out or join in residences will be the subject of subsequent DAs. the counting Because the area is adjacent to the bush above Bird surveys: Ten teams are doing regular the Undercliffe Track, this needs to be carefully monthly surveys of bird species and numbers monitored. WCPS is making a submission about present. They work to their own timetable, but the DA, with which there are already concerns we can get you involved on a team if you contact about both removal and retention of vegetation, WCPS. fire issues and stormwater discharge. Contact Committee Meetings: July 30, Aug 27, Sep 24. WCPS for a copy of the submission. Inner south-west CDO, suite 1, Ground Floor, 11–13 Hartill-Law Avenue Bardwell Park. Meetings start at 7.30pm. All members are welcome to attend the meetings, notification to WCPS essential due to security at the building. Sunday 20 July – Tree-mendous Wolli. See page 1 in this Update for more details. Sunday 27 July – Community Planting on Illoura Reserve. 10-12ish with sausage sizzle to follow. Please register with WCPS in advance. Sunday 9 August - Walk the Wolli Track. With environmental and historical commentary along E ditor the Wolli Track from Bexley North to Wolli Bluff

above Waterworth Park. For details of the walk L aura Zusters see p5. Allow about 4.5 hours. Contact WCPS to register Kayak trips: Saturday October 11 and Saturday November 8 Wolli Creek to Crest. Always very

popular, so you need to register early with WCPS D esign to ensure your place. Cost is $40 to members. Annual Dinner: Friday 17 October. Pencil in this

important date; for this year’s speaker see p3 - D amon B assett other details in the September Update. Register early to ensure a place. To register: E [email protected] or T 0431 914 553

L ayout photo by laura zusters Wolli Creek Preservation Society Pretty Lobelia Dentata flowering near Wolli Bluff. PO Box 270 Earlwood NSW 2208

T 02 9554 3178 E [email protected] L ea D unstone www.wollicreek.org.au http://twitter.com/wollipossum www.facebook.com/protectwollicreekvalley www.youtube.com/wollicreekvalley