OUR PLACE IN THE COUNTRY: Managing your acreage property in West Brisbane “Our Place in the Country: Managing your acreage property in West Brisbane” (2009) was written and produced by members of the Pullen Pullen Catchments Group Inc. and the Moggill Creek Catchment Management Group Inc. with the support of a Gambling Community Benefit Fund Grant and Brisbane City Council. Contributions to the content of this booklet were made by: Vicki Campbell, Gordon Grigg, Bryan Hacker, Amanda Maggs, Jenny Mulchrone, John Ness, Adrian Webb, Andrew Wilson and Graeme Wilson. Information contained herein is a guide only. Editors: Adrian Webb and Bryan Hacker Further copies of this booklet are available free of charge from: Pullen Pullen Catchments Group: [email protected] www.pullenpullencatchment.org.au Moggill Creek Catchment Management Group: [email protected] www.moggillcreek.org.au Photo Credits: Grahame Clarke (GC), Jutta Godwin (JG), Bryan Hacker (BH), Chris Hosking (CH), Amanda Maggs (AM), Irene Robertson (IR), Ray Seddon (RS) Drawings: Brian Dean Map: David Gooding, AUSGIS © All photographs and drawings within this publication are copyright and may not be reproduced without written permission of the photographers or artists except Leaf Skeleton by Bird Eye, which is used under a creative commons license. Excepting the photographs of cat’s claw, Richmond Birdwing Butterfly, sugar glider and Leaf Skeleton, all photographs were taken within the Upper Brookfield to Moggill district. {ii} {Chapter 1} Introduction 1 {Chapter 2} Geography, Geology & History 3 The Aboriginal landscape 4 The European landscape 4 Geology and Soils 6 Handy Resources 6 {Chapter 3} Flora & Fauna 7 A region with rich Biodiversity 7 Flora 7 Fauna 9 Handy resources 10 {Chapter 4} Managing your own Property 11 Your reasons for wanting to live in this part of Brisbane 11 General considerations 11 How do I set about restoring natural bushland to my property? 17 Handy Resources 24 {Chapter 5} Weeds and Pest Animals 25 What is a weed? 25 Declared noxious weeds 26 Noxious weeds categories 26 How do I recognise what is a weed and what is a native? 27 What priorities should I have for weed control? 27 What is the best way to control weeds? 28 How do I control pest animals? 31 Handy Resources 31 {Chapter 6} Managing Wildlife and Domestic Stock 32 How do I attract native wildlife onto my property? 32 How do I attract native birds into my garden? 33 How do I attract native butterflies? 34 Should I fence my land? 35 How to become a responsible pet owner? 36 Caring for injured wildlife 37 I want to keep some livestock; how should I do it? 37 What are the common pest animals in our area? 38 Handy Resources 39 {Appendix 1} Wildlife and Conservation Organizations 40 Pullen Pullen Catchment Group Inc. (PPCG) 40 Moggill Creek Catchment Management Group Inc. (MCCG) 40 {Appendix 2} Wildlife Conservation Partnerships 42 Wildlife Conservation Partnerships Program 42 Other Wildlife & Conservation Organisations & Networks: 42 {iii} THE BROOKFIELD - PULLENVALE - MOGGILL DISTRICT IN WESTERN BRISBANE BRISBANE FOREST PARK J O N U E P S P R E D D R R B S R E I O L O D L L I GO K CRE G EK F UPPER BROOKFIELD LD I GO E D MOUNT COOT-THA L C R FOREST PARK D RE M EK E R R OG D B D G T MOUNT COOT THA IL S M L I N O C C REE A K T S D IT A O O K S R AV B EY A D C G R A ES P R K D E E R C P M A O G G H G A IL V U M E PPE L N N BR R C R O K D E OK V D FIE A A L Y A D R K H O D C P R A B G R O H C B R O R A EE K K O V BROOKFIELD KENMORE F O E I N HILLS E K L R D D R D L L I K E D G E A G R O PULLENVALE O C R M E ILL L AD OGG A RO M V N P E U L L L KENMORE L E U N P RIVER ROAD PU L L IL LE G PINJARRA HILLS N G O M M O U N Y ROAD T SB RO SBANE ANSTEAD C BRI BUSHLAND D RESERVE A ANSTEAD O R L C L R I E G E K G O M BELLBOWRIE MOGGILL Legend Major Roads Drainage (metres above Elevation sea level) 351m - 450m 301m - 350m 201m - 300m 101m - 200m 0 1 2 3 4 5 5m -100m Australian Geographical Kilometres Information Solutions The area of south-west Brisbane covered by this booklet {iv} {CHAPTER 1} Introduction Residents in the Pullen Pullen and Moggill pristine bush, but rather to become Creek catchments, and adjoining areas nurseries for weeds. in west Brisbane, live in one of the most It is well documented that pleasant areas of the City. Population actions at the property scale can density is low, with typically large blocks, have detrimental ecosystem effects at absence of heavy or concentrated the catchment scale through erosion, industries, only one major arterial road sedimentation, flooding, water pollution through the area and a large proportion of and habitat destruction. We know also that tree covered land, both private and public. these detrimental effects can degrade the In these districts, farming is fast environment at river basin and continental fading with only vestiges of the once scales, and there is increasing evidence large pineapple, small crops and stock of effects at the global scale. It is widely holdings still remaining. Much has believed that changes in climate are already been converted to urban areas associated with human activities. There with concomitant increases in the built is widespread support for implementing environment and traffic flows. Some land environmental management actions has been left to revert, not necessarily to at local scales to reduce these adverse {1} the district on how best to manage their own land and how to help with the overall conservation of the flora and fauna of the district. These two Catchment Groups have been very active since 1998-99, promoting and participating in good environmental practices in the district. In this booklet, the scene is set with a brief description of the geography, geology and history of the district, then the flora and fauna. Important aspects Pullen Pullen Creek (Photo AM) of bush regeneration and riparian zone management are then discussed in the effects. In the Moggill Creek and Pullen section entitled “Managing your own Pullen catchments and nearby areas property” under a series of questions adjacent to the Brisbane River, Catchment asked by landholders. The major issue of Groups are heavily involved in promoting weeds and how to avoid adding to the environmentally sensitive management problem is the subject of the next section, activities at the property scale, such as followed by a section on managing bush regeneration, erosion protection, wildlife, feral and domestic animals. weed control and management of water Appendices include descriptions of to limit pollution of the streams. relevant environmental organizations, This booklet was developed by and information on Brisbane City the Pullen Pullen and Moggill Creek Council’s Wildlife Conservation Catchment Groups in response to a wide Partnerships Program. range of questions asked by residents of Gold Creek, a tributary of Moggill Creek, Brookfield (Photo: BH) {2} {CHAPTER 2} Geography, Geology & History A catchment is the total area of land smaller drainage lines that flow drained by a particular creek, stream or into the Brisbane River (see Map river and is usually made up of a number on page iv). All of these are just a of sub-catchments. Catchments are small section of the Brisbane River separated by more or less elevated ridges. catchment and any sediments from this As water drains off the land it flows into district flow into the Brisbane River and streams, and then into larger creeks and ultimately into Moreton Bay. The Moggill rivers, carrying sediments, nutrients and Creek catchment covers some 55 km²; pollutants downstream with it. Thus, the Pullen Pullen Catchments Group the quality of the water in the streams provides support for a similar area. effectively provides a measurement The health of our waterways is about of the overall environmental health of much more than just the quality of the the catchment. water. Healthy waterways are living The area covered by this booklet systems, where many factors interact includes the catchments of Pullen to produce a balanced and productive Pullen and Pullen Creeks, Farm Creek, ecosystem with a high diversity of plant Moggill Creek and its tributaries and and animal species. They are also resilient {3} and can naturally recover from certain Creek. Results from this study have not as amounts of damage from either human yet been released (April 2009). inputs such as pollution, or natural events such as floods. The Aboriginal landscape Problems occur when input from one For tens of thousands of years, the plant of the many interacting factors gets ‘out and animal life of the Pullenvale-Moggill of balance’ with the rest of the system. district provided resources for the Turrbal For example, increased levels of nutrients and probably Yugara Aboriginal people. It from sewage effluent and stormwater is likely that the name ‘Pullen Pullen’ is a inflow can lead to excessive algal growth, corruption of the Aboriginal term ‘bullen or ‘blooms’, choking waterways and killing bullen’ derived from ‘bul’ and meaning wildlife.