Federal Golf Club development proposal meeting 23 September 2019
The Federal Golf Club plan to hold a public meeting at the clubhouse at 5.30pm on 23 September 2019, to discuss the potential for relocating the proposed housing development to a location having access from Kitchener St, Garran instead of access via Gowrie Drive. The Hughes Residents Association has also alerted its members to this meeting.
Red Hill Working Bee Wednesday 18 September 2019
The 2019 plantings have now been watered and so now it is time to water some of the trees and shrubs which were planted in the last two years, and which still need some watering when the level of rainfall is so low. In addition to watering, there will be plenty of opportunities to cut and dab weeds around the Hill.
Time: Wednesday 18 September 2019 Work: 0900 to 1230 (more…)
Regenerators seek $15k for weed control
The Regenerators have sought $15,000 in grant finding from the Commonwealth Community Environment Program, which is being managed by the Southern ACT Catchment Management Group. An Expression of Interest was submitted on 13 September 2019 for $15,000 to supplement Parks and Conservation Service activities on Red Hill. The main focus for these funds will be to engage additional contractors to undertake broad area weed spraying which is beyond the capability of the Regenerators. If successful, funds will need to be expended by the end of 2020. More…
Red Hill Integrated Plan
Six conservation groups wrote to Dr E Brady, Deputy D/G, Land, Strategy and Environment, EPSD Directorate on 29 August 2019, to reintegrate the importance of settling the status of the 12.5ha of Yellow Box/Red Gum Grassy Woodland currently within the Federal Golf Club concessional lease, and to ensure that it is included within the Red Hill Nature Reserve. The letter also requested that appropriate conservation measures are undertaken at the location of the proposed retirement village at the southern end of the golf course. The six conservation groups include the Conservation Council of the ACT, Deakin Resident’s Association, Garran and Hughes RA, Hughes RA, Hughes Garran Woodland Group, and the Red Hill Regeneration Group. More…
Red Hill working bee 1 September 2019, 9am
Attracting butterflies to Red Hill
The Small Ant Blue (Acrodipsas myrmecophila) is an uncommon species with a peculiar lifestyle. It has a symbiotic relationship with the coconut ant (Papyrius nitidus) where the butterfly larvae are attended to by the ants, and also feed on the ant larvae. While there are a number of colonies of coconut ants on Red Hill, no Small Ant Blue butterfly colonies have been found. The Red Hill Regenerators have initiated a small project to attract the Small Ant Blue butterflies by planting a group of six closely spaced Red Gum (Eucalyptus Blakelyi) close to an established colony on coconut ants. As the Red Gums mature, the site will be periodically inspected for signs of colonisation by the butterfly.
Red Hill Red Gums listed for protection
The ACT Government has placed five Blakely’s Red Gums on the ACT Provisional Tree Register on 8 July 2019. The trees which are located on Hughes S57 and Deakin S66 and S78, very close to the formal Red Hill Nature Reserve boundary form an important part of the critically endangered Yellow Box Red Gum Grassy Woodland ecosystem. The provisional listing will be made permanent within a year, subject to consideration of any public submissions which are received before then.
The notification to residents dated 12 July 2019, of this provisional listing provides details for finding more information.
The Notice of inclusion in the Provisional Tree Register, dated 8 July 2019 can be found here.
Red Hill mid week activity: Wednesday 17 July 2019
900 plants help repair Red Hill environment
Every two years since 2013, the Red Hill Regenerators have successfully applied for environmental grants and selected parts of Red Hill which required repair to the environment. Volunteers have planted careful selected up to 200 appropriate tubestock species, including Allocasuarinas to attract Glossy Black Cockatoos, understorey shrubs to replace woody weeds and attract small nesting birds and acacias and eucalyptus to help repair the critically endangered Yellow Box / Red Gum Grassy Woodland ecosystem on Red Hill. Each plant has been protected from rabbits by tree guards and from kangaroos by Cootamundra Wattle cuttings. Water points have been established close to plantings and hand watering has been undertaken in periods of dry weather. The outcomes have been very encouraging, with high survival rates in most locations. The work of volunteers at Red Hill Regenerators is supported by Commonwealth and ACT grants and by the Parks and Conservation Service of the ACT Government, which assist by undertaking large scale pest extermination and weed eradication and providing equipment for volunteers.
Red Hill activity Sunday 4 August 2019: Cootamunda Wattle time
It’s that time of year again when we spend a working bee (or two!) removing Cootamundra Wattles from Red Hill, before they start to flower and then produce another crop of seeds to keep us busy in years to come. We have located a few which should not be too hard to deal with. Oh yes, and check out the website home page to find out what else we have been up to – winning grants, planting Small Ant Blue habitat…
Time: Sunday 4 August 2019 Work: 0900 to 1230 (more…)