The newsletter of the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland Fraser Coast Branch THIS ISSUE: Presidential Ponderings Branch activity reports Vale Graham Berry Vale John Sinclair Nature Watch Bees in Trouble Cats and Dogs Bush Stone-curlew Meet the Turtles Trees: The Oases of Life Book Review AUTUMN 2019 Wambaliman since 1967 In the language of the Butchulla people, who are custodians of land that includes the Fraser Coast, ‘wambaliman’ means ‘to carry’, and refers to the messages that the Newsletter is communicating. Editor's Note I expect we all are disturbed by the recent veg- etation clearing around Hervey Bay. While we WILDLIFE PRESERVATION may acknowledge the need for residential land SOCIETY OF QUEENSLAND we have to be gobsmacked that in this day and known informally as age developers are asking for, and council is approving wholesale destruction of areas to be WILDLIFE QUEENSLAND carved up into tiny blocks. FRASER COAST BRANCH Who is benefitting? The people who end up in PO Box 7396 Urangan, 4655 these sterile environments? The people who President: have been attracted to Hervey Bay because of its beautiful natural environment? The wild- Vanessa Elwell-Gavins life? Future genetic diversity of our flora and 0428 624 366 fauna? Our children and grandchildren? Or is Vice President: it just simple bullying and greed by developers? John Williams 0428 980 019 Please, if you feel aggrieved by what is Secretary: happening write to our Council’s CEO, our Bruce Dick 41248142 mayor, our councillors and write letters to the local papers. Treasurer: Jenni Watts 0481 289 521 Jackie in her article on trees mentions National Facebook Tree Day. Last year organisers were happy Peter Duck 0432 250 213 with the turnout of 100 or so people planting at a Council site. This is 100 or so from a popula- Webpage tion of… 70,000! The day is celebrated in Head Office many countries (called Maple Leaf Day in Canada, Van Mahotsava in India and so on) Newsletter WAMBALIMAN but originating as Arbor (from the Latin which Publisher: WPSQ Fraser Coast means “tree”) Day in Nebraska, US in 1872 Editor: Jenni Watts and where it is a public holiday! Wow! Production: Jenni Watts Imagine an Australia where we thought that Proofreading: planting trees was important enough to give it Andrea Van Kampen this status. And what about this talk of giving Mailing: Jackie Henrion nature legal rights! Bring it on….. Jenni Wambaliman AUTUMN 2019 2 NOTICE BOARD Branch meetings Contents AUTUMN 2019 Usually held 3rd Sunday of the month Presidential Ponderings 4 Halcro Street Community Centre, Pialba Quarterly Branch Activity Report 6 Wildlife Talks in the Library EAG Report 8 Third Friday of month—Hervey Bay library. Threatened Species Action Plan 9 12 April - Wild Places of Mt Walsh 17 May - Snakes Nature Walk report 10 21 June - Possums and gliders Development / Land use group 12 Fourth Friday of the month—Maryborough. Students for climate change 13 26 April - Mary River Turtle 31 May - Marine animals Vale John Sinclair 14 28 June - Possums and gliders Nature Watch 17 book online or ring library Articles Nature Walks Bees in Trouble 18 Sunday 5 May Melaleuca Circuit - Woodgate Section of Cats and Dogs 19 Burrum Coast National Park 20 Bush Stone-curlew Contact Vanessa 0428624366 Meet the Turtles 21 Saturday 1June St Mary State Forest 22 Trees: the Oases of Life Contact Vanessa 0428624366 Book Review 23 Saturday 6 July Mt Walsh National Park Peter 0432250213 or Jenni 0481289521 Contributions for Wambaliman We welcome contributions from WPSQ Wildlife Matters members and supporters. Articles can (Maryborough Herald & The Independent) take the form of reports, observations of Submit an article to our editorial team nature, anecdotes, quotes, humour etc. for information contact Vanessa Send contributions to: [email protected] [email protected] or post to National Tree Day 28 July 2019 The Editor, Wambaliman PO Box 7396 URANGAN 4655 Don’t forget to LIKE us on Submissions for the next issue are due by Friday 5 July 2019 Facebook @WPSQFraserCoast Opinions expressed in Wambaliman are not neces- and sarily those endorsed by the Wildlife Preservation Check out our webpage Society Queensland, Fraser Coast Branch unless specifically attributed to them. http://frasercoast.wildlife.org.au 3 Presidential Ponderings It is all too easy to get very despondent when we look around and see the vast tracts of Hervey Bay land being cleared for development. The argument from Council no doubt will be that Hervey Bay must continue to grow, to provide for Australia's ever increasing population. We know Council wants to increase the rate-payer base, and former mayors were on the record wanting to have the local population lifted to upward of 150,000 with- in only a relatively few years. The cynical among us may conclude that the current spate of clearing will simply reduce the future pressure on Council from the likes of our organisation and you, our members, when we write collectively or individu- ally to protest against the ever-increasing rate of development. Current land clearing in Point Vernon and the area between Dundowran Beach and Eli Waters seems to be vastly in excess of the actual amount of new houses that will be re- quired any time soon. Too often the 'developers' end up going broke and we are left with yet another desecrated landscape. Every time land is 'cleared', trees that provide habitat, food, shade and shelter for birds, possums, gliders, wallabies, flying foxes et al are removed. We the citizens end up with a barren wasteland of blowing dust, and a feeling of helplessness at the needless loss of everything that makes a landscape appealing. In the case of the Dundowran Beach clearing, the development application apparently re- quired wildlife spotters. It all happened so quickly it is hard to see that any wildlife spotter who may have been called to the site could possibly have been able to do an effective job. Where were any rescued creatures supposed to be taken? The use of millable timber and mulching of remaining vegetation on site were appar- ently also required. It remains to be seen whether this happens any time soon, but it is hard to escape the conclusion that this whole devastation was a set-up and completely avoidable. We are left with a single row of struggling trees along the fence-line, a sad reminder of a greener time. This area may not have been 'high value' vegetation but it provided habitat and connectivity between patches of bushland. What is left is... nothing. The strategic framework in Council's own planning scheme appears to make much better provision for protecting our environment than the reality of what is actually happening on the ground. How can this be? Let's all try and give Council a clear message that landscapes clear-felled for de- velopment are not appropriate in the modern age, and are totally unacceptable. No amount of offset plantings, if they ever were to happen, can make up for the loss of mature stands of vegetation and the wildlife for which the vegetation once was 'home'. Vanessa Elwell-Gavins Wambaliman AUTUMN 2019 4 Congratulations The recipient of the 2019 Wildlife Queensland Fraser Coast Prize is Ms Leanne Berghuis. Leanne is a 2nd year Bachelor of Animal Ecology student at the University of the Sunshine Coast Hervey Bay campus. Leanne will be presented with a certificate at the awards presentation at USC Fraser Coast in May. Our branch has committed to an annual $500 prize at the univer- sity for three years. This is the second recipient. Vale Graham Berry We are sorry to report that branch member Graham Berry passed away on 28 February aged 86. Graham was our hardworking and totally scrupulous treasurer for 2006 -2007. John Eggleston was the president at that time. John and Graham obtained a grant of over $32,000 for rehabilitation of the newly purchased Arkarra Lagoons. Graham and John worked tirelessly monitoring water quality, organising planting, weeding and sign design. Graham was a strong defender of rivers and wetlands – also helping at Maria Creek and Fay Smith wetlands. Graham was a representative on the Environmental Advisory Committee and tried valiantly to get Wide Bay Water to install the promised fish ladder after Lenthall's Dam was raised. Our condolences to Graham's family. Branch logo and shirt options The original colour and design chosen was a “Bizcool”– all acrylic – Wasabi coloured polo $24 and an extra $6 if you want a pocket . (from Morgans) Cotton (65%) blend shirt in apple green. The branch has 3 to sell with logo 2 x Large (Mens) and 1x size 14 (Ladies) $28.50 A “Claremont” 95% cotton shirt in apple green is available from BullAnt Designs in Pialba - $30 with the logo. You can get the logo on any shirt for $9.50 at Morgans Sew- ing and Embroidery Centre, Pialba. 5 Quarterly Branch Activity Report 19 January - 6 April 2019 Branch report by Terry Csonka (Branch executive member) Walks, talks, workshops and age the public to take entry forms. This other events display, as all the other displays, proved very popular again! Our nature walks program keeps being Thanks again to Diane! very popular. Most walks are fully booked. Find a Frog in February: The first walk for the year scheduled for Due to very dry weather only few frogs Sunday, 24 February was to be a walk at were spotted. low tide from Point Vernon to Dundowran Nevertheless Sharon White, a member, Beach over the sandflats and mouth of Eli organised a “pop up frog activity” inviting Creek.