TOWNBERRY CRIER PO BOX 202 BERRY NSW 2535 WWW.BERRYALLIANCE.ORG.AU FIND US ON FACEBOOK FEBRUARY 2018 PRICE: $3.00 THE BERRY SHOW GUIDE See Page 27-30 AN EARLY PHOTO OF BERRY RAILWAY STATION Read the Berry & District Historical Society’s article on page 13 to learn more of Berry’s past BERRY ALLIANCE INFORMATION SOME NOTES NATIVE SPECIES AND SHORE BIRDS BY HOLLY LANDGREN BANDICOOTS, QUOLLS AND POTOROOS The NSW Government program to Shoalhaven area. Monitoring undertaken by eradicate foxes has seen a slow increase the Office of Environment & Heritage and the in numbers of native species. Fox baiting University of Wollongong of the sparse local programs are coordinated in association population has shown around twenty quolls The Town Crier is produced with local landholders, Landcare and other living in Barren Grounds Nature Reserve by the Berry Alliance, Inc. organisations. Trapping and shooting are and Budderoo National Park. Camera data used in association with baiting. Baiting have shown that one male roams a territory of The purpose of this publication is programs have been shown to generally around twenty square kilometres. The news to communicate to the people of have minimal risk to native animals, however is not so positive for the long-nosed potoroo, Berry about community activities there has been the accidental poisoning of whose numbers continue to decline. and to generate a small income domestic and working dogs. If you suspect For information of the fox control program for the Berry Alliance to cover your dog has been poisoned by eating 1080 contact South East Local Land Services administrative costs and donations. (the commonly used bait) it is important to (Berry) on 4464 6000. If you want more get the animal to a vet as soon as possible information about quolls and the Quallidor MEMBERSHIP because the prognosis is poor if fast action Project contact OEH (Wollongong) on 4224 Membership of the Berry Alliance is not taken. 4150. For more information specifically costs $10 pa. It aims to share Over the past three or four years, we have about the project email simon.tedder@ information amongst community had a small number of bandicoots taking environment.nsw.gov.au. If you find injured groups and individuals, and to up residence in our garden. Bandicoots are native animals contact WIRES on 1300 094 ensure that Berry continues to be a nocturnal marsupials that build a shallow 737. The WIRES website has information community we are proud of. burrow to protect themselves from predators. relating to specific animal rescue protocols; Membership is open to Berry They emerge at dusk to hunt for grubs and you can read more at www.wires.org.au community groups and individuals. beetles, along with roots, tubers and some We live in a fragmented landscape of urban, To join the Berry Alliance, fungi. If you discover small holes dug in agricultural and remnant bush land. By write to your garden, you too may have bandicoots continuing to rehabilitate native vegetation, PO Box 202, Berry NSW 2535 nearby. Vulnerable areas in gardens can be local Landcare groups ensure that this fenced off with wire mesh to prevent them habitat is maintained and perhaps improved. ALL BERRY from being disturbed, however bandicoots If you would like to get involved, you can ALLIANCE ENQUIRIES generally move to new food sources as one volunteer with Berry Landcare (4464 3241). area becomes depleted, so they may not be a www.shoalhavenlandcare.org.au lists other Secretary: 0449 569 059 long term problem. Bandicoots are protected groups within the Shoalhaven region, as well Email: [email protected] in NSW, so it is illegal to trap them without a as articles of interest, a notice board, and a Post Office Box 202 license. link to loan various pieces of equipment for Berry NSW 2535 Equally encouraging is evidence of members. spotted-tailed quolls being observed in the Editor£s Note 14 The closing date for our March issue SHOREBIRD UPDATE will be Wednesday 14 February at I was fortunate over the summer break 5pm. Please submit prior to this to accompany a volunteer to visit date if it is your first submission. the Shoalhaven Heads shore-birds’ Material can be submitted via e-mail nesting sites. Amongst other things, to: [email protected]. Phone 0428 037 572. Town Criers we observed a pair of Pied Oyster- can be downloaded for free from catchers that has so far successfully www.berryalliance.org.au or our raised a pair of chicks, however it was Facebook Page: Berry Town Crier. concerning to see paw prints in the Nancy Davies - Berry Town Crier sand of either a dog or a fox. Shore birds remain vulnerable to feral pests TOWN CRIER EDITORIAL BOARD Nancy Davies Rick Gainford including cats, and to predatory birds. Holly Landgren Adrian Bishop While it is a beautiful, serene part of Contributors are those from the Berry community who our local area, it was a little sad to have news or views relating to residents of the area. The opinions expressed in the Town Crier are not see how few birds are nesting in this necessarily those of the Berry Alliance or the Editor. relatively inaccessible area. BirdLife The Town Crier is published every month, with a circulation of 2400. Australia is always looking for people to get involved, either as a volunteer, PRINTED BY Berry Printers attending events and activities, CONCORDE WAY BOMADERRY PH: 4422 3774 PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER contributing to the online database, or simply by making a donation. Check their website birdlife.org.au/ get-involved for further information. Page 2 - The Town Crier FEBRUARY 2018 Christmas for Berry People Free Berry Alliance / Town Crier Cooler Bags at the Berry Christmas Parade The Berry Alliance and Berry Town We have decided that we will give some more the Berry Alliance Crier continued our policy to encourage away after the holiday season when it is easier and Town Crier have sustainability; to re-use and recycle. to determine locals, so we will be at the Berry provided over the We were at the Christmas Parade on 2nd Buy Local prize draw in Broughton Court years as well as the December (outside the Berry IGA – thanks on Wednesday 31 January 2018 at 5.30pm Berry “Boomerang Lee! and the Organisers) with our latest – we will be there from 5pm and for some Bags”. We can all sustainability item give-away – a Cooler Bag. time following the draw. Please look for us. make a difference This followed on from our re-usable cloth All you need to do is come and see us at our to our environment bags 4 years ago and our Keep Cups (4 years tables, show your identification (with name and improve our ago) and our donation of 750 cloth bags to and local address) and you will be given a sustainable living. the Boomerang Bags group for distribution as bag (until stock runs out). We are also asking well as substantial funding and sponsorship. community members to register their email CLARIFICATION: These re-usable cooler bags are important address with us for urgent or emergency To clarify some things that we have for your shopping. Health guidelines notices from the Berry Alliance. been asked, we would like to explain recommend using one along with ice packs We all hope that you will use your new cooler that there is: the Berry Alliance and we or cooler bricks, to transport perishable bags well and along with the cloth bags, run the Berry Town Crier (for the past goods to ensure they stay at or below a critical Keep Cups and Tour de Berry water bottles 20 years approx.). temperature to avoid bugs growing. We sourced them from within Australia, they Not to be confused with: are black and have our logo and print on The Berry Chamber of Commerce and them. Tourism (They put on the Christmas The bags were given to local Berry residents Parade and represent businesses in at the Christmas Parade and proved very Berry) and popular. Though we did get a number of The Berry Forum who are a Community wags asking if there was a bottle of wine in it Consultative Body for Berry for the as well. Talk about Christmas Spirit! Shoalhaven City Council. Thank you to all those local people who said Happy New Year from such kind words to our team about how much Berry Alliance and they appreciated our efforts and supported Berry Town Crier Committee us and in particular the Berry Town Crier. Forum Meeting Held traffic volume from the Sandtrack since the Bypass opened. Interim safety measures on 14 December are proposed, including a designated right 127 people attended the meeting, including hand turn lane similar to the one at Strongs State Member Gareth Ward and Clrs John Rd, and a prominent 80kph speed limit sign Wells, Patricia White, Annette Alldrick and positioned close to Mullers Rd. There was an Nina Cheyne overwhelming support for requesting these www.berryforum.org.au safety measures. Gareth Ward Update Berry Estate Trails Significant Changes Proposed • Work has started on the new Ambulance for Huntingdale Park Project Communications Station at North St and KV Rd. Although Development not permanently manned, the 6 new Clr Wells described the engagement pro- officers will provide a 24-hour service. cesses to be followed for each trail as part A Section 96 amendment has been lodged by of the communications protocol agreed with SET Consultants and Pindan, the developer. • Tenders for the Berry to Bomaderry Significant changes are proposed for Stages highway upgrade will be called for soon.