Goulburn Field Naturalists Society Annual General Meeting, 28 February 2020 President’s Report for 2019

2019 was my second year as President. During the year, the Society held its regular meetings every two months, and made a number of field trips, usually in association with the Southern Tablelands branch of the Australian Plants Society. The Society was also active on several local issues.

After losing a few members (six to be precise) last year, it is pleasing to report that we gained twelve new members this year. This was partly in response to interest generated by a bird talk I presented at Goulburn Library in September and our stall at Goulburn Connects in the Rotary Markets in October, but primarily from interest from birdwatchers and photographers in getting access to the Goulburn Maturation Ponds. Eight of the new members are birders living in the Campbelltown area of Sydney. Goulburn Mulwaree Council’s insistence on public liability insurance, before access to the Maturation Ponds can be granted, necessitated membership of the Society for coverage under our insurance. During the year, I led two visits to the Ponds for some of these members.

Our field trips included a 2-day visit to Little Forest Plateau and Pigeonhouse Mountain over towards Ulladulla in early March, where we recorded many interesting plants and birds. A beautiful area that I hope was not too badly affected by the recent bushfires.

Other field trips were to Gillindich and Burwood Creek Nature Reserves, between Binda and Bigga, in April; the local Alison Hone Reserve (where some of us are volunteers on the board of management) in August; the magnificent Ettrema Gorge in Morton National Park in October, another area that is likely to have suffered in the bushfires; and Penrose State Forest, including the Stingray Swamp Flora Reserve, in November. A trip to Barren Grounds Nature Reserve in January had to be postponed due to the bushfire crisis.

Goulburn Maturation Ponds

During the year, we continued to advocate for the Maturation Ponds to be retained as a bird reserve, following decommissioning of the operational works. We made two further submissions to Council in this regard, noting the regional importance of the ponds for waterfowl, especially Blue-billed Ducks, and the tourism potential and conservation values of the site. In late 2018, Council resolved to retain the Maturation Ponds and some adjacent blocks of land pending further investigations to determine “the implications of this bird life for future use of the site”. It was disappointing that there was no mention of the potential for creating a bird reserve. Council is currently looking to lease the land for short term agistment purposes, and remains non-committal about longer term use. 142 species of bird have now been recorded at this site, and we will continue to do our regular surveys in 2020, and push for a bird reserve.

Goulburn Mulwaree Council Bio-banking Area

We made a further six visits to this area during 2019 to record the fauna and flora. We are currently preparing a report to Council on our surveys, and plan to make some recommendations for management and future use. There is a tremendous opportunity to create an important wildlife corridor, connecting this area to the Cookbundoons, Kenmore Dam and across the river to the Maturation Ponds, Governors Hill and Mount Gray, and around to Rocky Hill and the Goulburn Wetlands. The Society has noted, however, Council’s decision to sell blocks of land on either side of the Bio-banking Area along Taralga Road. Subdivision of these areas for residential construction can only have negative impacts on the adjacent parts of the Bio-banking Area and Kenmore Dam that are some of the remaining samples of Box Gum Woodland (an endangered ecological community listed under NSW legislation) in the district.

Pigeons, Mynas and Other Pest Birds

The Society had some involvement with plans by Goulburn resident and Society member, Sue Theron, to control Indian Mynas in Goulburn but eventually decided not to be formally engaged with the project, for several reasons including potential public liability issues, and the fact that it was outside the normal scope of our activities. Sue went ahead with establishing the Goulburn Indian Myna Bird Action Group (GIMBAG) and the Society fully supports GIMBAG’s activities. This also coincided with a welcome initiative by Goulburn Mulwaree Council to release a draft pest bird policy for public comment. The Society made a submission, and a revised Pigeon, Indian Myna and Pest Bird Policy was eventually adopted by Council. Regrettably, Council did not accept our view that, for success, implementation of the policy required Council to take responsibility and manage collective control efforts. Council’s comparison with control of white ants being the responsibility of the property owner misses the point that pest birds are a community problem that cannot be successfully addressed without concerted collaborative action. This requires coordination.

Checklist of Birds of Goulburn and District

This year we published an updated checklist of birds, “Birds of Goulburn & District”. This is a checklist of all species recorded in recent times in the Goulburn area, with annotations if they are uncommon or rare, and/or listed under NSW biodiversity legislation as endangered or threatened. Whilst never intended as a money-maker, this booklet, with photos by Ashlea Mahoney, has proven popular and a fair number have been sold for a nominal price.

Abercrombie Caves

The Society agreed to write a chapter on the fauna and flora of Abercrombie Karst Conservation Reserve for a book to be published by the Sydney Speleological Society. This was to be an updated and revised version of a list originally compiled by Rodney Falconer of the Goulburn Field Naturalists Society in 2006 and published in the Journal of the Sydney Speleological Society, 2008, 52 (5): 132-138. Several members were involved in surveys that we conducted on 2nd August and 14-15th November 2019, and we have provided the revised chapter to the Speleological Society.

Cookbundoon Surveys

In October, the Society was invited by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service to observe and assist with fauna surveys in Cookbundoon Nature Reserve. Three members joined a team of eight led by Dr Doug Mills from the Queanbeyan office and Dr Tanya Leary from the Hurstville office on 22nd-25th October. The team was surveying for bats, small mammals, birds, and reptiles and amphibians. A report on this activity is available on our website,

Petaurus Connections – Surveys for Scarlet Robin

The Society was asked to participate in Petaurus Connections, a community conservation initiative aimed at ensuring the long-term survival of threatened species across NSW's Gillindich-Wyangala landscape corridor. We have had several discussions with the organizer, Mary Bonet, and with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service about our role of doing bird surveys for Scarlet Robin in particular. Three of us travelled to Queanbeyan for a face-to-face meeting with Parks Service staff and Mary Bonet. We have agreed to do monthly surveys from March to September at Gillindich Nature Reserve, Burwood Creek Nature Reserve and Keverstone National Park. This will be a major activity and commitment for the Society in the coming year.

Other Activities

In brief, the Society made submissions to Council on a Draft Local Weed Management Plan, and on a proposed waterskiing trial at Copford Reach. Despite legitimate environmental and noise concerns, the trial was permitted to go ahead.

In collaboration with the Australian Plants Society and with permission from Council, we salvaged seeds of Hoary Sunray daisy Leucochrysum albicans on Range Road before road-widening works destroyed their habitat. The APS will reseed them.

We continued to record birds and flora on local Travelling Stock Reserves (TSRs) and build our dataset on the biodiversity values of these areas, some of which are outstanding remnants of native vegetation. We have a good knowledge of many of the local TSRs and that puts us in a good position to respond to any proposals affecting particular TSRs. This is an ongoing issue and we will need to remain vigilant and keep enquiring about what is happening, as communication with government does not appear to be naturally two-way.

Finally, the future of Kenmore Dam remains in our sights. The site was officially recognised back in 2004 as being amongst the best remaining samples of Box- Gum Woodland within the Southern Tablelands and the South Western Slopes. Our permit to visit the site for survey purposes was withdrawn in June 2018 due to the need to undertake remedial work on asbestos contamination. In 2020, the Society will need to advocate further for the conservation of the site.

In conclusion, I extend my thanks to all members for their support, particularly Bill Wilkes for standing in for me when I’m off travelling, and to Diana Moran and Ashlea Mahoney, our Secretary and Treasurer respectively.

On behalf of the Society, I would also like to thank the Mayor, Bob Kirk, for being our Patron during the year.

Last but not least, I acknowledge and thank the Goulburn Workers Club for their continuing support in providing us with a meeting room free of charge.

Thank you.

Frank Antram President