Volume 29 : Issue 3, March 2015 STONEY CREEK GAZETTE Circulation : 555 Carwoola “Village Bazaar” Sunday 3 May 2015 Time - 9:00am to 12.30pm Place - Community Hall, Carwoola (Gathering Place, off Douglas Close) Wondering what to do with all that clutter from your cupboards, sheds or garages? Your clutter might be someone else’s treasure! Sellers: $10 per car; $15 car & trailer or $10 for table inside hall Limited spaces this year so bookings essential by 29 April. Phone Sandi on 6238 2352 Coffee and snacks provided by Kamilaroi Coffee Carwoola Website: www.carwoola.org.au The Stoney Creek Gazette is a publication of the Carwoola Community Association Inc. It is distributed to mail boxes (where possible) from the Kings Highway turnoff along the Captains Flat Road and in Wanna Wanna, Green Acres, Clydesdale, Stony Creek, Radcliffe, Molonglo River Park, Widgiewa, Carwoola, Woolcara, and Primrose Valley, with limited distribution in Hoskinstown and Forbes Creek. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of its editors, the Carwoola Community Association, or of the Gazette's advertisers. CARWOOLA COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED Home Ian Johnsson Lucy Costas Lynton Bond Anthea Kerrison Sandi Johnsson President Secretary Treasurer, Landcare Liaison Editor, Gazette Committee Member 198 Radcliffe Circuit Wanna Wanna Road 237 Radcliffe Circuit Knox Close 198 Radcliffe Circuit 6238 2352 6299 1105 6238 2368 0417 488723 6238 2352 Graham Reynolds Lybbie Hillman Committee Member QCC Area Sub-committee 149 Wanna Wanna Road 6238 2014 6297 1161 Work/Mobile 0428 330272 HOSKINSTOWN REGION COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED Rowan Simpkin Julienne Kamprad President President - Hoskinstown Area Roads Committee 6238 2890 6238 2441 EMERGENCY FIRE NUMBER (24 HOURS, 7 DAYS) REPORT ALL FIRES 000 STONEY CREEK RURAL FIRE BRIGADE (Postal Address: c/- 161 Bowen Street, Carwoola 2620) FIRE CONTROL QUEANBEYAN (use this number to notify of planned burn-offs) Fire Shed Graham Reynolds Peter Bavington Shirley Conn Lewis Conn David Hanzl Pauline Selmes Lisa Hanzl Felix Pantaleo Gary Anderson Not usually manned except during training and emergencies Captain, Captains Flat Road Senior Deputy Captain, Widgiewa Road Deputy Captain, Douglas Close Deputy Captain Deputy Captain Bowen St. President, Captains Flat Road Secretary, Bowen Street Treasurer, Bowen St Training Officer, Bowen Street STATE EMERGENCY SERVICES Captains Flat Duty Officer - 24 hours 62382996 6238 2644 6238 2996 62382208 6238 2056 6128 0600 6238 2569 0428 330272 0416 060242 0414 382622 0457 537535 0423596583 0403 807767 0411 899111 0477 324220 0418 493687 6236 6190 132 500 6238 2014 6238 2803 6238 2622 POLICE Queanbeyan 6298 0555 PALERANG COUNCIL 10 Majara Street, Bungendore 2621 (PO Box 348) 6238 8111 QUEANBEYAN CITY COUNCIL Tim Overall 257 Crawford Street, Queanbeyan 2620 (PO Box 90) Mayor [email protected] 6285 6000 6285 6223 1300 735 025 JUSTICES OF THE PEACE (N.S.W.) Graeme Clifton Ann Burgess Rick Magus Mary Ann Middleton Leslea Gruber Ian McLennan Wanna Wanna Road Powell Drive Hoskinstown Molonglo River Park Watson Place Watson Place STONEY CREEK COMMUNITY CENTRE Manager & Bookings 6297 4101 6297 5748 6238 2111 6238 2614 0428626839 0407 43 99 15 [email protected] INJURED NATIVE ANIMALS WILDCARE Queanbeyan 6299 1966 To join the Carwoola Residents’ Email List: (1) Go to the Carwoola website www.carwoola.org.au; (2) scroll down the bottom right hand side to the Contacts box; (3) Click on the link ozlabs.org/mailman/listinfo/carwoola-residents and (4) enter your details into the online form. Editorial Lots of new advertisers this month which will hopefully drag us back into the black! And I bet I wasn’t the only driver on the Captains Flat Road whose hopes rose when the signs appeared from Palerang Council saying the road was to be re-surfaced… at long last the horrible patchwork of potholes from the foot of the Big Dipper would be smoothed, at least a bit. So all the big machines and trucks and people appeared, and worked busily on the road. And then they packed up and went home. Having re-surfaced the bit of road that goes past Kearns Parade (Radcliffe), which I don’t think was particularly awful, and left the horrible patchwork of potholes untouched. Another puzzling and sadly expensive effort by our council. Did all the people and machines not notice the horrible patchwork as they drove over it? anthea Advertising in the Gazette Business: Full page (maximum size 180x255) $75.00 Half page (maximum size 180x125) $40.00 Third page (maximum size 180x85) $30.00 Quarter page (90x125 or 180x60 ) $20.00 Local part-time business: Quarter page $15.00 Classifieds (non-business) are free One-off ads & articles are dependent on space available. PDFs do not import well into Word; all other formats are fine (jpg, png, word etc). Payment must be received before publication for one-off advertisements. Permanent advertisers are invoiced six monthly, in March and September. There is no discount for advance payment or multiple advertisements. Carwoola Community Association and Stoney Creek Gazette are not registered for GST. DEADLINE for the April 2015 STONEY CREEK GAZETTE ***5pm, last day of March*** Please send CONTRIBUTIONS, ADVERTISEMENTS, CLASSIFIEDS to the Gazette Editor: email: [email protected] (phone 0417 488 723) All emails get a response confirming they were received. Receipt by the deadline date does not necessarily guarantee publication in that issue. Address for payment of accounts remains 237 Radcliffe Circuit, Carwoola NSW 2620 CAPTAINS FLAT MARKETS FIRST SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH (except January) from 10am to 2pm Captains Flat Community Hall, Foxlow Street Trash & Treasure - Plants - Handmade items - honey & jams - homewares Sausage sizzle and café No entry fee - $10 for stallholders For further details contact 6236 6094 or 0428 597 227. QUEANBEYAN & DISTRICT DOG TRAINING CLUB Puppies from 3 months of age are accepted, but dogs of all ages benefit from regular training. All classes are taken by qualified instructors, Sundays from 9-11am at the club grounds on Hoover Reserve. For more information call Kathy on 0422 729 162 or visit www.queanbeyandogs.org.au. AAA WATER CARRYING DOMESTIC WATER Carwoola Cars Locally Chauffeured Vehicles 7 days Prompt Delivery ACTEWAGL APPROVED STAINLESS STEEL WATER TANK For all your transport requirements - weddings - airport transfers - snow trips - interstate transfers Servicing your local area for over 28 years! 0428 626 838 Or 0428 240 224 62973648 or [email protected] PO Box 7236, Karabar, 2620 [email protected] Ridge View Personalised Riding Tuition Walga Park Wendy Christiansen EA NCAS Level 1 (General) Coach, BM (Equine Business) 84 Walga Close Carwoola NSW Ph: (02) 6238 2334 M: 0401 067 592 [email protected] ABN: 76832210183 http://www.facebook.com/WalgaPark Horse Riding lessons – Dressage and Show-jumping Private and Group lessons on your horse Beginner and experienced riders ages 6 and up Nervous riders and family groups welcome Cross country lessons also available Arena Hire and Round-yard Hire Outdoor 20m x 60m Dressage Arena – sand surface Outdoor 40m x 50m Show-jumping arena - grass surface 20m Round-yard – sand surface Arenas fully fenced for rider safety Long term rates for local riders Bookings essential ABN:71143725750 The Dressage, Hacking/Showing and Side-saddle riding specialists Providing riding programs specifically tailored to meet your needs Individual lessons conducted on weekends and evenings during daylight savings. Get instructions from a fully qualified EA NCAS Level 1 Instructor. Lessons conducted in a fully fenced outdoor dressage sand arena for your personal safety. All ages and standards are welcome. Ample parking is available for your float or truck. The only riding facility in the whole of Australia to offer side-saddle lessons with a UK qualified “A” level instructor and judge. Available to conduct clinics. Riding lessons at reasonable rates. Free Horse manure available all year round. Contact Ridge View PRT on 6238 2281 or 0417 068 985 and book your lesson NOW! BULK FIREWOOD Bulk loads of split coastal hardwood firewood available for delivery to properties in the Carwoola area, Save around $110 per tonne compared with yard prices. Load is delivered in a semi tipper with dog trailer, load weight approx 30 tonne weighed on certified weighbridge. You will need to have enough room for 19 mtr truck & trailer to manoeuvre. I have a limited allocation for the area. Contact Laurie for info & price 0413 392 960 Sawchain™ Supply 6 Agnes Ave, Queanbeyan NSW 2620 0413 392960 6299 3328 Carwoola Community Association News Notice of Special General Meeting 16 April 2015 Notice is hereby given to all residents that the Carwoola Community Association will hold a Special General Meeting at 7.30pm on 16 April at the Stoney Creek Community Hall (off Douglas Close) to consider the following business: 1. To consider and approve, as a Special Resolution, changes to the Association’s constitution. 2. To discuss the proposal to seek approval and funding to upgrade the Stoney Creek Community Hall for designation as a Neighbourhood Safer Place. Information on proposed changes to the current 1997 constitution, which needs to be modernised to conform with the requirements of NSW Fair Trading and the Associations Incorporation Act 2009, can be obtained from Ian Johnsson, President CCA ([email protected] or 6238 2352). Information on upgrading the hall as a Neighbourhood Safer Place is available elsewhere in this Gazette. Further Events Diary for 2015 SAVE THE DATES Sunday 3 May – Carwoola Car Boot Sale 9.00am -12.30noon at Stoney Creek Community Hall car park, Gathering Place (off Douglas Close), Carwoola. Places are limited so bookings essential. Phone Sandi on 6238 2352 Saturday 22 August - Carwoola Trivia Night (to be confirmed) 7.30pm at Stoney Creek Community Hall. Bookings essential. Phone Sandi on 6238 2352 CCA Committee STONEY CREEK COMMUNITY HALL HIRING FEES Community Groups: $22 Fund raising functions: $120 Private hiring: $120 + $250 bond Private hiring (hirers from outside the local area) (per day or part thereof) $275 + $250 bond Heating (between 1 Apr and 31 Oct): $6/hr or $55/day Cleaning fee (if hall is not cleaned): $49/hr To hire the hall, phone 6238 2803 (a.h.) or email [email protected] CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS FOR SALE - 2006 Holden Rodeo Dual Fuel RA LX Ute Twin Cab 4dr Auto 4sp 3.6i. Done 220600km, NSW rego until April 2015, Rego: NSW April 2015, A/C, cd player, radio, airbags, Flexiglass canopy with sliding windows, tow bar (2500kg capacity braked), weather shield. Great vehicle with very neat and tidy interior, serviced and well maintained. $14,000 Negotiable Sale due to downsizing. Call Nick on p:0466 855 838 with your enquiries. HORSE/RIDER GEAR CLEARANCE SALE 1X Jeffries Piaffe Black UK Dressage Saddle, 17 1/2 extra deep seat with MW gullet. $800. 1X Men’s RM Williams blue regular fit medium size shirt. Some wear on the sleeve, $10 Pair sz large black rubber floating boots fully lined and with Velcro fasteners from Germany $70 1X FULL 16” black rolled browband with brass strip $5, Black leather flat browbands 2 X Extra-large and 2 X Large. $3 each. 1X Copper, cream, gold BLING full browband. $40 1X PYTCHLEY English ladies sz 36 (AUS 10) pure wool tweed hunter jacket in green with salmon and blue stripping $200. 1X Side Saddle Habit Vintage by Roberts & Carroll Cork St. London navy blue sz 8 – 10. $800. Call Petra p:0417 068 985 with your enquiries. For Sale: White baby cot and mattress in good condition - $10.00, adjustable baby high chair - $10.00. Phone 6238 2151. Double Olympic Horse Float with a FIAMMA F45 awning. Six months NSW registration. $3,700 ono. Please phone 0427 800 821. FREE Approx. 10 dozen 750ml (empty!) beer bottles for home brewing. Fisher & Paykel fridge door shelves/compartments. Should fit fridges from approx. 2000. Ph 6238 2490 For rent two bedroom cottage. Primrose Valley area. Twenty minute drive to Queanbeyan. $250.00 per week. Please phone 0427 800 821. Gates open 9am for 10am judging Saturday 21st March 2015 at Sutton Primary School Entry fee $20, includes entry, one category of your choice & people’s choice Additional categories $5 each Entrant categories People’s choice (Adults, Children’s), Street, 4X4, BnS style, Trade, Classic (pre 1970), Feral, Best female (must be registered in her name) A day filled with fun for everyone, stalls, music Great prizes and fantastic entrant bags For Registration forms email [email protected] We are also looking for local businesses to help with sponsorship. Get your business out there as we will promote our wonderful sponsors at our event. Quality, value and creative designs for every occasion Jan Logan 6292 2462 6291 1074 ph/fax 6238 2371 a/h LOCAL PLANTS IN FLOWER Ros Cornish, Widgiewa Road The following list is what should be flowering this month but the hot weather has taken its toll. Check out www.flickr.com/photos/carwoolaplants/ to see photos and descriptions of many of these. WHITE/CREAM FLOWERS Eriochilus cucullatus, Leucochrysum albicans var. tricolor, Poranthera microphylla YELLOW/ORANGE FLOWERS Chrysocephalum apiculatum, Chrysocephalum semipapposum, Goodenia hederacea, Helichrysum rutidolepis, Hypericum gramineum, Hypoxis hygrometrica, Tricoryne elatior, Xerochrysum viscosum BLUE/PURPLE/MAUVE FLOWERS Brachyscome rigidula, Vittadinia species, Wahlenbergia species RED/PINK FLOWERS Convolvulus angustissima (formerly C. erubescens), Eriochilus cucullatus GREEN, INCONSPICUOUS or THINGS THAT DON’T LOOK LIKE FLOWERS Cassinia quinquefaria NEW TO THE AREA? The Carwoola Community Association has produced an Information Pack for new residents. It contains lots of information that will help you to adjust to rural life more readily, and tell you who to ring or where to go if you have a problem. If you would like a copy, please phone Christine or Lynton Bond on 6238 2368 FEBRUARY 2015 WEATHER WATCH (RAINFALL AVERAGED OVER LAST 31 YEARS) MONTHLY RAINFALL 31.4mm falling over 6 days AVERAGE MONTHLY RAINFALL 66.0mm YEAR TO DATE RAINFALL FOR 2015 159.8mm (TEMPERATURE IN BRACKETS APPLIES TO THE LAST 23 YEARS) MAXIMUM DAYTIME TEMPERATURE 36.3° (42.6°) 6.5° (-2.0°) AVERAGE DAYTIME TEMPERATURE 28.1° (28.7°) AVERAGE OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURE 12.7° (11.4°) MINIMUM OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURE JANUARY 2015 WEATHER WATCH (RAINFALL AVERAGED OVER LAST 31 YEARS) MONTHLY RAINFALL AVERAGE MONTHLY RAINFALL 128.4mm falling over 9 days 59.5mm (TEMPERATURE IN BRACKETS APPLIES TO THE LAST 23 YEARS) MAXIMUM DAYTIME TEMPERATURE 37.3° (45.0°) 5.8° (1.0°) AVERAGE DAYTIME TEMPERATURE 28.5° (31.2°) AVERAGE OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURE 12.8° (11.9°) MINIMUM OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURE THINGS TO DO IN THE GARDEN IN MARCH Now is a great time to plant trees and shrubs. Summer’s heat has waned, yet the soil is still warm. Newly planted plants’ roots will grow a little and settle in over the rest of autumn, ready to zoom along when the soil warms up again in spring. Make the planting hole extra wide, but only slightly deeper than the pot, straighten out any spiralling roots and spread them. Back fill with crumbled excavated soil, put compost / manure on top and water with a seaweed solution. Organic mulches improve the fertility and texture of the soil, prevent moisture loss through evaporation and suppress weeds. Put mulch on after watering, replenish regularly and keep it away from the stems of plants. Deep watering weekly is infinitely better than a little every day. It encourages the roots to go down rather than staying on the surface where they can dry out. If possible, water in the evening so the plants can absorb the moisture before the next day’s evaporation. Micro-irrigation, drippers and soaker hoses are very efficient at getting the water to the plants’ roots where it is needed. Now is a good time to check potted succulents, removing any dead leaves and repotting plants that have become too big for their current pot. Fertilise lawn with a low-nitrogen fertiliser. Watch out for aphis on new growth. Remove by hand or spray with water. If heavy infestations occur, use garlic sprays, soapy water, Clensel or Malathion. Continue pinching out tips of chrysanthemums to encourage bushiness until flower buds appear. Remove spent flower heads and seed pods to prolong flowering time and prevent unwanted spreading of plants such as agapanthus. As hydrangea blooms change to autumn tonings, pick a few and dry them for indoor display. Clear beds of summer-flowering annuals that have finished flowering and dig in well-rotted manure. Prepare the soil in any areas where lawn is to be planted in autumn. Soil will need to be made more friable and free of weeds. Sow vegetable seeds and seedlings such as onion, carrot, parsnip, silverbeet, spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage. Take cuttings of your favourite plants. Make sure you wear a sunhat and at least a 15+ sunscreen during the day. If it’s too hot to garden, plan your spring bulb display now. For impact, it’s best to plant in bulk. Prepare bulb beds for planting in April/May by adding compost and aged animal manure or use good potting mix for containers. FORTNIGHTLY OR MONTHLY SERVICE SUPPLY 240LT OR 660LT BINS Customise garbage collection to suit household Contact David or Linda www.osullivanswaste.com.au [email protected] CARWOOLA LANDCARE GROUP Foxes declared a Pest Species. It may come as a surprise to some that the European Fox was declared a pest species in NSW last December. It may have been a surprise that it wasn’t a declared pest species already. The declaration of the fox as a pest species under the Rural Lands Protection Act 1998 on all lands in NSW places a legal obligation on all land managers to implement pest management programs. According to the Local Land Services website “1080 is the main poison used to control foxes. 1080 use is regulated by the Pesticides Act and Pesticide Control Order that defines the requirements for use. Landholders must have current approved chemical users training to obtain and use 1080. Coordinated local group baiting programs will enhance baiting outcomes.” However, in rural residential areas such as Carwoola, the use of 1080 may be problematic as it may not be used within 150m of a residence, so while baiting programs may be undertaken on larger properties, their efficacy could be tempered by the inability of neighbours to participate. In this instance, it may be worthwhile considering trapping with the aid of mesh cage traps, or soft/rubber jawed leg-hold traps. Bear in mind also that the main prey of foxes is rabbits; undertaking a fox control program without considering a rabbit control program at the same time may be foolish. It is wise to consider habitat reduction for controlling both rabbits and foxes: removal of blackberry and other dense thickets will be a major part of any program. There are very few sightings reported on FeralScan at www.feralscan.org.au/foxscan/map.aspx in our area. In order to justify a locality-wide fox control program it would be good to understand how big a problem they are locally. If you have seen foxes on your property or lost stock to foxes, please record the sightings on FeralScan. We’ll then see how worthwhile it will be starting a collaborative program. For more information on foxes, visit the PestSmart website at www.feral.org.au/pestsmart/foxes The Glovebox Guide for Managing Foxes, part of the PestSmart Toolkit for Foxes, produced by the Invasive Animals CRC is particularly useful. It is designed to provide current information on best practice fox management for land managers, pest animal officers and others involved in the management of foxes. This includes general information on developing a fox management plan; integrated approaches; identifying fox impacts; and management strategies & techniques. To keep informed about Landcare happening locally, there is a Landcare Group email list for discussion and notification of Landcare events. To join the list, send an email to [email protected] with the subject “subscribe” (without the quotes). The Molonglo Catchment Group website is a great source of information for what’s happening in our catchment and what funding is available - see www.molonglocatchment.org.au. Don’t forget to tune in to Radio Landcare from 8-9am Sunday mornings on QBN-FM 96.7 and on 2XX Community Radio FM 98.3 from 9-10am Tuesdays. LYNTON BOND, Secretary WOMEN’S GROUP MEETING We normally meet every second Wednesday at 10.30am for morning tea in members’ homes. For information about this friendly informal group for adults, phone Gwen Yates on 6238 2531 Firewood for sale Carwoola Red Gum, Yellow Box, Red Ironbark, Woolybutt mixed load $250 tonne, or All Yellow Box $275 tonne All firewood is split & well-seasoned. Contact Laurie 0413 392960 Sawchain™ Supply 6 Agnes Ave, Queanbeyan NSW 2620 0413 392960 6299 3328 Notes on birds February 2015 The most interesting sightings for the month have been: Spotless Crake at Yandiguinula (formerly Resch’s) Creek – an addition to the list; Satin Flycatcher in our yard (3rd record in this project); and 54 White-throated Needletails on the Plain (watch thunderstorm fronts for these exciting birds); A few species are still engaged in breeding activities including a Yellow-faced Honeyeater nest next to our deck. The other, more typical, seasonal aspect is that the migrant species will soon be thinking of heading off. I have done a special report on that on the blog. A full report will be posted to http://carwoolabirds.blogspot.com.au/2015/02/february-2015.html (and a link circulated on the residents email list). Please pass on interesting sightings to me by email to [email protected]. Councillor’s Corner Solid Fuel Heaters — How many people are not aware that council approval is currently required for the installation or replacement of “a domestic oil or solid fuel heating appliance, other than a portable appliance”? If you’ve put your hand up, I can assure you that you’re not alone. Interestingly, this is not a requirement associated with a normal development covered by the Environmental Planning & Assessment Act, or the Palerang Local Environmental Plan, it is actually a requirement under the Local Government Act 1993 (Section 68, Part F). At one level, that’s a technicality, because regardless of which piece of legislation is involved, the manner in which this issue is regulated is determined by council policy, in this case the Palerang Development Control Plan (PDCP). I mentioned the new PDCP in my last column, and I thought this provided a good example of what sort of thing appears in a DCP and why people might be interested in reviewing the draft that is about to go on exhibition. Getting down to the nitty gritty, we are not talking about development consent for the use of a heater in a house, which one could reasonably expect to cover replacements or possibly relocations, both of which fall under the same piece of legislation. It is all about the installation of the heater and the approval process is intended to ensure that the appliance is installed correctly so houses don’t burn down through lack of separation from or shielding of combustible surfaces. Some councils, for example, require the installation to be carried out by a licenced installer—if you’re interested, you can check the currency and category of any contractor’s or tradesperson’s licence online at onegov.nsw.gov.au. Others simply require an applicant to demonstrate that an installation is consistent with the manufacturer’s specifications. The requirements to be specified in the PDCP are still to be finalised, but the objective is simply to ensure that solid fuel heaters are safe and efficient. While this discussion about the nature of an approval may seem very pedantic, this is precisely the sort of argument that arises when an insurance company seeks to establish fault with respect to a claim. As such, regardless of how the PDCP ultimately deals with this issue, residents are advised to confirm any specific installation or approval requirements with their home insurance provider. This is just one of the matters that have been highlighted during the preparation of the new Palerang Development Control Plan (PDCP). The draft PDCP is scheduled to go on public exhibition on 2 March 2015, for six weeks. Residents are invited to attend the community meetings to be held in Bungendore (10 March, 5.30pm) and Braidwood (17 March, 5.30pm) to discuss the draft PDCP, and to offer comment on its content. During the exhibition period, the draft document will be on display in the Council offices in Bungendore and Braidwood, and will be available for download from the council website. The Palerang Blog—New or related entries in my councillor website Blog (http://peteharrison.id.au/blog) include: Solid Fuel Heaters (Feb 2015) Palerang Development Control Plan (Jan 2015) Palerang Development Control Plan (Mar 2012) Planning Instruments (Nov 2011) Council’s General Meetings are held on the first Thursday of the month (excluding January), commencing at 5.00 pm. Members of the public are welcome. The meeting location varies—check Council’s website (http://palerang.nsw.gov.au) for details. Meeting Business Papers are also available on Council’s website on the Friday preceding the meeting. Cr Pete Harrison Ph. 6238 3640 Mob. 0427 711 028 Email: [email protected] Website: www.peteharrison.id.au From the Queanbeyan City Council Mayor… Shopping local Queanbeyan business groups and Council are united in their support for a new shopping promotion for Queanbeyan retail and service businesses, which will see the introduction of a shopping card encouraging locals to also shop locally. Council agreed at its meeting this week to contribute seed funding of nearly $6000 for the Why Leave Town promotion which is helping businesses in rural and regional centres in NSW. The economic initiative has and will continue to be driven by the Queanbeyan Women in Business Group with assistance from other local business groups and business interests. Queanbeyan City Council will be the coordinating organisation for the first 12 months of this promotional campaign and I look forward to everyone getting behind local business and the campaign. The Why Leave Town promotion will be launched in May. Anzac candles At its Council meeting this week Council agreed to help Queanbeyan Legacy buy battery operated candles for the 2015 Anzac Day Dawn Service. This year the service will also commemorate the Centenary of Anzac. Council has agreed to a donation of $2307.50 to cover the cost of 1000 candles. Ellerton community forum An open community meeting will be held for members of the public interested in the proposed Ellerton Drive Extension. Queanbeyan City Councillors this week unanimously agreed to hold a meeting during April and for it to be held in the Queanbeyan Bicentennial Hall. The community meeting, to be independently facilitated, will include a presentation by Council traffic engineers, environmental consultants and will include significant time for questions and comment. Council will advertise the date of the meeting as soon as it is finalised. Plan of Management Parks Amendments to Council’s Plan of Management Parks will be exhibited from Friday March 6 to Monday 6 April. Public comments will be received until Monday 20 April. Amendments include the park off Swan Drive, Fernleigh Park, which includes a community hall, playground facilities; a Section 355 committee management guidelines. It also includes a specific Plan of Management for Googong Parks, which include new recreational facilities, playground, tennis courts, amphitheatre, outdoor stage and sedimentary control function for stormwater run-off from surrounding urban areas. Design competition Council has agreed to exhibit a selection of the QBC Downtown Q design competition winners at the Riverside Plaza, Jerrabomberra shops and Karabar shops and will seek feedback on the designs to present to Council. Pialligo Avenue Council has asked the Acting General Manager Hugh Percy to arrange for a delegation of senior staff and councillors to meet with ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr and ACT Minister for Roads and Parking and Planning Mick Gentleman to discuss the ACT’s planned infrastructure upgrades and the urgent need to upgrade Pialligo Avenue from Queanbeyan to the Canberra Airport. EQUINE CAR BOOT SALE To help raise funds for repairing and upgrading the Bungendore Cross Country Course $10 per site (for private individuals) Commercial vendors please email for details (see below) BBQ lunch and refreshments Saturday 28th March Bungendore Show Grounds, Mathews Lane, Bungendore 10 am to 2 pm Contact: [email protected] Greg McAllister ACTQ SEPTIC SERVICES Pty Ltd ACN 065 804 999 CONVENTIONAL & ENVIRO CYCLES SEPTIC TANK CLEANING SERVICES (and grease trap pump outs) Our No1 business is your No.2 business. 10 FOSTER STREET, QUEANBEYAN Phone: 6299 2808 A/H: 6238 2272 Mobile: 0429 109 341 Fax: 6299 2908 R.F.G. MOWER SERVICES Pty Ltd. Service of all Brands of Ride-ons, Mowers, Chainsaws & Small Engines Sales & Spares for Ride-ons, Mowers, Brushcutters, Chainsaws & more MTD YardMan Cub Cadet Murray Victa Masport Rover RIDE-ON MOWERS from $2335 5 Specials: Oleo-Mac Brushcutters Chainsaws & Blowers with 5yr Warranty HIRE Dingo Mini Diggers 77 Uriarra Road Queanbeyan Ph:6297 2439 OPEN: MON - FRI - 8AM - 5.30PM SAT - 9AM - 1PM FLAME TIPS March 2015 www.stoneycreek-rfs.org.au www.rfs.nsw.gov.au www.facebook.com/stoneycreekruralfirebrigade February has been another quiet month, with only one call out for the brigade. Stoney Creek and Queanbeyan City attended a small fire in the Carwoola area where a tree had been struck by lightning. The property owners had done a great job of dealing with the fire so the crews only had a small job to do. In this instance, no rain had fallen and the bush was very dry, but fires can still be started during a thunderstorm when there is rain. Please keep an eye out for smoking trees after storms. You may see RFS trucks driving around on one of the brigade’s area familiarisation exercises. These assist the brigade with preincident planning through identification of assets, access points, water sources and hazards. They also give the brigade an idea of current fuel loads and curing rate of grassland – important to know when responding to incidents. Sometimes the brigade will be invited to review one of the larger properties within the brigade’s boundaries. In February, Stoney Creek and Hoskingtown-Rossi crews were given a tour of the Taliesin property on Wanna Wanna Road. This was extremely useful for all brigade members involved and will provide important information in the event that there is a fire in the area. Crews then spent some time in Brindabella Place, providing new brigade members with the opportunity to become familiar with that part of our brigade area while checking the water supplied by hydrant points. Our region is still within the statutory Bush Fire Danger Period, which runs from 1 October to 31 March. We have not been advised of any change to the season end, as of this date. If you are planning to light a fire in the open during this time, then you will need a Fire Permit. Please contact your local rural fire brigade (Stoney Creek, Queanbeyan City, or Hoskingtown-Rossi) to arrange a permit inspection. The Stoney Creek brigade and the manager of our local RFS zone are investigating the feasibility of having the Stoney Creek Community Hall and surrounding site designated as a Neighbourhood Safer Place – see the article elsewhere in the Gazette for more details. If you’d like to follow what the brigades been up to then follow us on Facebook using the link above. IN AN EMERGENCY CALL TRIPLE ZERO (000) PREPARE. ACT. SURVIVE | BUSH FIRE INFORMATION LINE | 1800 679 737 GRAHAM REYNOLDS Captain, Stoney Creek Rural Fire Brigade Neighbourhood Safer Places and the Stoney Creek Community Hall You may have heard mention of Neighbourhood Safer Places (NSPs) during the recently held community street meetings, in the media or on the NSW Rural Fire Service website (http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/plan-andprepare/neighbourhood-safer-places). An NSP is a designated place of last resort during a bushfire emergency. They are to be used when all other options in your Bush Fire Survival Plan can't be put into action safely. They are not an evacuation centre and do not have the same capacity, infrastructure and resources typical of evacuation centres. More details on NSPs can be found at the above link. One possible scenario for when you might choose to go to an NSP could be that you had planned to leave early (for example on the day before the area is expected to be impacted by a bushfire), but were delayed and only able to attempt to leave during the morning when the fire is much nearer. Unfortunately, in that intervening time, the main roads to the nearby towns have been closed due to fallen trees and thick smoke and are too dangerous to drive on. Rather than return home, you decide to wait out the most critical couple of hours at the nearby NSP, which can still be reached and is only a short distance to travel. At present, the local Carwoola community including Primrose Valley and Woolcara Lane does not have a designated neighbourhood safer place. In fact the nearest places designated as NSPs are located in Queanbeyan (David Campese Oval) and Bungendore (Mick Sherd Oval), both of which are simply large open spaces rather than buildings. The Stoney Creek Rural Fire Brigade and the manager of our local RFS zone are investigating the feasibility of having the Stoney Creek Community Hall and surrounding site designated as an NSP. The site and hall meets many of the requirements for NSPs and is considered a likely venue for people to temporarily relocate to during a bushfire emergency. The hall does need work done to it for this to be achieved, some of which maybe made possible through grant funding that can be applied for through the RFS. For example, RFS funding may be available to ember proof the buildings, upgrade windows and doors, install a drenching (sprinkler) system to help protect the building, and provide appropriate signage. Other work would still need to be carried out before the hall could be classified as an NSP, the most significant of which is the wooden verandah. Unfortunately, the current verandah is a fire risk and would need to be removed or replaced with something that meets current requirements for external structures in bushfire prone areas. This work can not be funded under an RFS grant, and the community would need to consider how best to proceed if it wished to (for example by identifying and applying for funds from a state or local government community grants programme). You are invited to send in any comments or views on the upgrade of the hall as an NSP to [email protected]. You can also attend the next general meeting of the Carwoola Community Association to be held on 16 April at the community hall, as mentioned elsewhere in this month's gazette. Graham REYNOLDS Captain, Stoney Creek Rural Fire Brigade and CCA committee member REAL ESTATE SALES AND RENTALS FOR ALL YOUR REAL ESTATE NEEDS MELINDA McCALLUM is your local salesperson Melinda has more than 20 years experience selling rural real estate Melinda is Rural Manager of Hodgkinson Real Estate, specialising in sales and Property Management Obligation-free appraisals Available 7 days a week to assist you at your convenience Phone 0429 122 700 or 6293 1033 B/H Park Watch To advise any illegal activity in a Nature reserve… Provide information on the location (which reserve/road/trail) Date, time and type of activity Description of people involved (number/age/appearance) Description of vehicle (make/colour/numberplate) NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service 6229 7166 HANDS ON EQUINE SERVICES TAYLOR MADE PUMPS ABN 67181232447 YOUR PUMPS NOT PUMPING? 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Member of IEBWA International Equine Body Worker The Weed Patch Diary of a dedicated non-poisoning weeder: Rose-Marie Johnson The rain has continued to fall regularly, the countryside has remained remarkably green throughout February and the weeds have continued to grow rapidly and seed prolifically. Unfortunately, at the same time my weeding capacity was diminished by another brain operation. Also, I have to take anti blood clotting medication for a few months, so need to take extra care not to get scratches; rather difficult when cutting back the Blackberries that I missed doing because of my operation last Winter. To reduce the amount that I need to cut and dispose of, I’ve been encouraging my children to pick the ripe blackberries before the seeds are spread by the birds and foxes, so my daughter has made a couple of blackberry crumbles. Pity my food intolerances prevent me from eating any. Thank goodness my back and cracked rib are better now and it’s no problem to do some heavy duty digging, although I’m still fatiguing rapidly so need to include plenty of easy weeding in the mix. For this reason, in combination with the huge number of seedy weeds, much of my time is spent just cutting off and bagging the seedy tops. This is just a temporary fix, reducing the amount of seed currently going into the seed bank. Hopefully it won’t take too long to catch up with the seeds so I can get back to the real work of getting rid of the weeds. Many of the St John’s Wort seed pods are looking quite ripe, and this is one of the most difficult weeds to get rid of, so it’s my top priority at present. Unfortunately we keep getting more coming in from the Community Block next door (which didn’t seem to be sprayed this Summer), along our creek from the heavy infestations upstream and also a bit beside our driveway, but my efforts have virtually eliminated it elsewhere. Paterson’s Curse is easier to get rid of and thankfully this season we had little coming up on most of our property, apart from the corner near the neighbours who have a lot. However, it is an urgent priority now if you still have more to do, as it’s already dropping seed. The weedy grasses are still an urgent priority. Serrated Tussock and African Lovegrass are the highest priority because they are declared noxious weeds, are poor feed for stock and are highly invasive. Having done what I could find of these, my current priority is Paspalum, which is already shedding some seed. Although it’s good as feed, it’s a cause of dermatitis and has a toxic secretion when infected with the ergot fungus. In her book Environmental Weeds, Kate Blood classes Paspalum among the ‘World’s Worst Weeds’. At present I’m concentrating on cutting the seed heads that already look ripe together with any that are near enough to gather into the same scoop with my sickle, which is a very efficient tool for this purpose. Then I hope to have time to dig the smaller infestations and work in from the sparser edges of the larger infestations, before it’s necessary to do another round of cutting ripe seed. I can see that over the years this strategy has significantly reduced the area infested, particularly in the high priority area of our upstream riparian restoration project, which is not grazed and acts as a seed bank which can wash down to the downstream paddock during flooding. Because its seed is notoriously hardy, surviving long periods of drowning, I prefer to bag up the seedy tops with the St John’s Wort seed, for deep burial underneath dead animals. Chilean Needle Grass is another important one to control, but is much harder work, requiring the whole plant to be disposed of. Other weedy grasses worth controlling include Barley Grass and Yorkshire Fog Grass, but these have now largely gone to seed. At least the grasses are shallow rooted and so are easy to chip out. Other weeds now going to seed include Skeleton Weed (which I give high priority because its deep roots make it hard to get rid of and its highly invasive), Thistles, Fleabane, Nightshade, Scarlet Pimpernel, Wild Sage, Horehound, Senecios, Mustard Weed, Salsify, Goatsbeard, Dandelions, Hawksbeards, Willowherb, Catchfly, Sandspurry, Mallows, Cress, Dock, Wireweed, Mullein, Sheep’s Burr, Sticky Weed, Centaury, Amaranth, Fat Hen and Umbrella Sedge. When Umbrella Sedge first invaded our septic trench I was told that it was not a problem and there was no need to control it, but I’m sorry I heeded that advice because now there is an enormous amount and it is invading along our creek, around our dams and spreading in our paddocks. It would have been much easier to control the infestation at the outset, when there wasn’t much of it, rather than wait to find out that it is invasive after all. I’ve learnt my lesson and now have a policy of doing my best to get rid of any new weeds as soon as I can, while their numbers are relatively low. When out picking up roadside rubbish for Clean Up Australia Day, I noticed how many weeds there are despite all the spraying done by our council, especially African Lovegrass. After many years of suppressing the weeds along our road frontage, I find very little African Lovegrass these days and far fewer of the other weeds, particularly Thistles and Fleabane, and have also noticed that there are now far fewer of these weeds infesting our paddocks near the roadside. And that’s the reason why it’s worth weeding beyond the fence. CLEAN WATER TANK SERVICES Tanks cleaned with minimal water loss Crack repairs - flexible reinforced membrane Metal covers supplied and fitted Water treatment - tank & house lines Filters supplied and fitted RING JOHN on 0428 489 291 Mobile Pet Care Are you planning to go away? Are you concerned about the welfare of your family pets or farm animals while you're away? Whether you're away for one night or many, we offer a reliable and caring service that comes to your home to care for your animals and do a variety of essential daily tasks. • • • • • • • Animal feeding & watering Putting chickens to bed Watering indoor plants Watering vegetable garden Mail collection Emergency visit to your local vet if required Email updates on your pet's progress For more information and rates, call Carol on 0427 970 613 Before you go away, we come to your home to meet your animals and get those last minute instructions!
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