SUSTAINING LIVERPOOL
AUTUMN 2022
The Late Beard Orchid (Calochilus gracilimus) has been recorded for the first time in the Liverpool LGA.
In this issue A Little Green Magic Plants to grow this Autumn Late Beard Orchid Image courtesy of Kath Wade
Sustainable Schools Dates for your diary SUSTAINING LIVERPOOL AUTUMN 2022
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MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR Welcome to the Autumn edition of our Sustaining Liverpool newsletter.
IN THIS ISSUE Environmental Champions
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Environmental Restoration Plan: Project Update
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A Little Green Magic
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Plants to grow this Autumn
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Rare discoveries at Voyager Point
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Get involved in nature
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We have experienced some extremely wet weather recently which severely impacted communities in Liverpool and across NSW.
Sustainable Schools
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War on Waste
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It is a stark reminder that severe weather events are happening more often and why working towards a sustainable future is more important than ever.
Bamboo, a weed or not a weed?
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Dates for your diary
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I also want to give a shout out to our volunteers who are the lifeline of our environmental work. You will meet some of them within this edition spotlighting our environmental champions, Tony Felgate and the Voyager Point Environment Volunteer Group, who were awarded for their contributions in keeping Liverpool green and sustainable.
SUSTAINING LIVERPOOL
ING SUSTAIN L LIVERPOO
Sugar Gliders can glide through the air for more than 50 metres using the membranes between their limbs.
Rapid urban development has put a lot of pressure on our environment and continues to do so. Find out more about Council’s war on waste to help keep our land and waterways clean and safe on page 12. Plus - get to know all things bamboo, ways to keep it green in school, and updates on Council’s environment restoration projects. There are plenty of exciting dates for your diary, with some thought-provoking nature events. Happy reading!
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Read about citizen scientist Kath Wade and her amazing discoveries in Voyager Point Bushland including a previously unknown orchid in Liverpool.
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If you’re keen on eating from your own backyard in Autumn, find out about what’s best for your veggie patch in the seasonal planting guide on page 7.
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What would you like to see more of in Sustaining Liverpool? We welcome your ideas - email us erp@liverpool.nsw.gov.au!
RECEIVE YOUR NEWSLETTER VIA EMAIL. Due to the impact of COVID-19 and to reduce our carbon footprint the Sustaining Liverpool newsletter is delivered in digital format. To receive the latest Sustaining Liverpool e-newsletter send us an email.
Mayor Ned Mannoun Liverpool City Council Customer Service Centre Ground Floor, 33 Moore Street, Liverpool NSW 2170 All correspondence to Locked Bag 7064 Liverpool BC NSW 1871 Call Centre 1300 36 2170 Email lcc@liverpool.nsw.gov.au Web www.liverpool.nsw.gov.au NRS 13 36 77 ABN 84 181 182 471 2
SUSTAINING LIVERPOOL AUTUMN 2022
ENVIRONMENTAL
Champions FRASER ENVIRONMENT AWARD The Fraser Environment Award is presented annually to an individual or organisation making the most significant contribution to improving or preserving the environment in Liverpool.
ORDER OF LIVERPOOL TO TONY FELGATE
The Award was named in honour of former Liverpool City Councillor Peter Fraser, who became a champion for the local environment during his term. This year the award goes to the Voyager Point Environment Volunteer Group.
Congratulations to Tony Felgate who has won an Order of Liverpool for his outstanding services to Liverpool’s history and environment. Tony has been a resident of Lurnea since 1967 and in that time, he has made significant contributions to the community. Tony has been the coordinator of the Amalfi Park Environment Group since 2004 and has been involved in the conservation of Liverpool’s environment for many years before such formal environment groups were established. He also volunteers his time at the Regional museum, helping to preserve Liverpool’s history and helping people to trace back their family history. He is vice president of the Liverpool Genealogy Society and has been a member since 1988. Well done, Tony!
The Voyager Point Environment Volunteer Group has been consistently active in improving and maintaining the natural environment at Voyager Point for the last 18 years. The group’s members commit their time and efforts once a month to regenerating the bushland in their area, improving the visual appeal of the neighbourhood and making it a pleasant green space for the community. The group works tirelessly with no expectation of compensation. Their care, passion, and energy are reflected in their work and communication with Council. Their work is inspirational for anyone who cares about the environment, and the space they have helped create will be enjoyed by Liverpool residents for many years to come.
SUSTAINING LIVERPOOL AUTUMN 2022
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ENVIRONMENT RESTORATION PLAN Before primary weeding and planting at Glen Regent Reserve, Casula
Liverpool City Council’s Environment Levy funds a series of ecological restoration projects as part of the Environment Restoration Plan (ERP). The latest suite of projects consists of 7 sites across the Liverpool Local Government Area (LGA) nominated through Council’s Environment Advisory Committee. Each site has its own set of goals and challenges that will be tackled in a 3-year period. Bush regeneration contractors commenced work on the sites in December 2020. And Stage 1 of the ERP projects was completed in November 2021. Stage 1 of the projects focused on primary treatment and removal of priority weeds including African Olive (Olea europaea) and Lantana (Lantana camera), just to name a few. Over 80% of priority weeds have been removed within the project areas. The cleared areas are being maintained to suppress and treat emerging weeds as the native vegetation re-establishes. Maintenance will continue, while primary treatment of the remaining priority weeds will be carried out over the remaining 2 years of the projects.
After primary weeding and planting at Glen Regent Reserve, Casula
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SUSTAINING LIVERPOOL AUTUMN 2022
With La Nina’s warm, wet weather, there has been an explosion of native plant growth where the weeds once were. Despite this, our project sites are also being revegetated with native seedlings to support their recovery. The species selection consists of natives sourced from the Liverpool LGA and the Cumberland Plain critically endangered ecological community. Supporting recovery of the ground layer will help in the fight against weeds, suppressing their germination and growth through competition for nutrients and light. The recovery of native species combined with the ongoing weed treatment will help us win the battle against invasive species.
Project Update Litter and bulk waste removal is also an important part of the works, with approximately 242m3 of green waste and 35m3 of general and bulk waste collection having been done during Stage 1. Items removed include car tyres, discarded gas bottles, and countless plastic bottles. Working in bushland has a variety of rewards. At the Rossmore Grange site, the contractor found a footprint in the mud in April of 2021. This print has been confirmed to belong to a wombat, which has never been recorded in the area previously. A mob of over a dozen kangaroos was also observed by Council staff during a routine inspection of the Star Park project in Austral. The projects are now in Stage 2 and will conclude by November 2023. During this time, the contractors will consolidate the areas they have worked while expanding those areas to encompass the entire site. This will all help contribute to healthy, resilient bushland areas for Liverpool and its community.
Plantings at Glen Regent Reserve, Casula
Kangaroo sighting at Starr Park, Austral
Wombat track at Rossmore Grange, Rossmore
SUSTAINING LIVERPOOL AUTUMN 2022
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A LITTLE GREEN MAGIC At the height of the 2021 COVID-19 lockdown, a local family began placing wooden fairy doors and windows along the creek track in Harris Creek Reserve. Their aim was to create some magic for local children during the challenging times. Other families were inspired by the initiative and began to create their own doors and leave offerings for the fairies creating a ‘Fairy Glen’. The initiative inspired our youngest residents to embrace the wonders of nature, providing them with a magical alternative to screen time and encouraging them to get in touch with their natural surroundings.
While it is wonderful to see what a creative and caring community we have here in Liverpool, we must ensure the environmental impact on the flora and fauna is as minimal as possible.” Council officers are working with the community to develop safe and environmentally sustainable options for the Fairy Glen. With Council’s endorsement, the initiative will remain community-led under Council auspice.
Unbeknownst to the community, some of these offerings and practices unfortunately posed a risk to the environment. When this came to light, the community put the activity on hold.
This initiative highlights the value of our natural areas to the community and provides new and exciting ways of connecting kids to nature through exploration, art, and literature. Mayor Waller expressed how pleased Council is with the opportunity to work closely with residents on this initiative.
Following a community campaign, Council has endorsed support for this community-driven initiative. Former Mayor of Liverpool Wendy Waller showed her support for the initiative, saying this was just one of the ways the community escaped during the challenging months brought on by the pandemicrelated lockdown.
“This is a great opportunity to further strengthen connections between Council and the community. It also provides a channel to promote awareness and understanding about Council’s compliance processes, environmental care, sustainability practices and expectations and regulations for use of recreational facilities and public open space.”
“For many months, our residents were unable to access sports, recreational, and leisure facilities among many other things that support mental health and wellbeing. This resulted in a boom of communitydriven initiatives and activities in our parks, open spaces, and natural reserves across Liverpool. The Fairy Glen at Holsworthy is an enchanting example of this.
The Fairy Glen is now relocated near the playground at Harris Creek Reserve and was officially opened to the public on 13 February 2022.
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SUSTAINING LIVERPOOL AUTUMN 2022
Click here to get involved
PLANTS TO THIS AUTUMN Growing vegetables to get you Autumn ready Growing your own vegetables at home is great for our own health, reducing our food miles, and our impact on precious natural resources. And it doesn’t have to involve heavy manual labour. Place your garden somewhere sunny and close to a water source and your house so you can easily water it. The list below will get you cracking with some delicious vegetables, an important part of a healthy diet. See your local garden centre or join a local social vegetable garden community group for tips and tricks.
Tips
FOR YOUR GARDEN
Autumn is the best time to start preparing your winter beds as well. As the weather cools, it is easier to weed and pull out what remains of your summer crop for composting. Start preparing your soil for winter by mixing through aged compost or manure, be it mushroom, horse, chicken, or cow. Remember to age the manure by leaving it for a few weeks, as fresh manure can easily burn your plants. TIP: Use mulch, like sugar cane, to minimise watering requirements and remember to leave some space around the plant to prevent root rot.
Here are a few tips and ideas to ensure your garden is ready heading into Autumn: •
Start out small, grow plants in a pot on your balcony or garden
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Always check soil moisture before watering your plants, as your soil may already be moist
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Feed with seaweed tea, worm tea or any low environmental impact liquid fertiliser
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Top up mulch - this is important for weed suppression
Best fast-growing vegetables for Autumn
Rocket
Mustard
Pak Choi
Radish
Collards
Spinach
Lettuce
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To find out what to plant each month during the Autumn season, check out this online seasonal planting guide.
Turnip
SUSTAINING LIVERPOOL AUTUMN 2022
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RARE DISCOVERIES AT VOYAGER POINT BUSHLAND Using the iNaturalist app, one nature enthusiast has made a myriad of interesting discoveries in Voyager Point Bushland, increasing her own knowledge of the plants and animals in the area and also contributing to our knowledge of species that were not previously known to be present in the bushland. Kath Wade demonstrates how citizen science can help scientists and government bodies understand, preserve, and protect our natural areas.
How often do you visit Voyager Point Bushland? Weather permitting, it was 5 days a week, particularly in the first 15 months after the 2020 fire. Usually for 2-3hrs, walking, taking photos, recording birds and frogs. Choosing a different track each day at random, but keeping in mind where I had seen plants prior to the fire, to check if they survived or were flowering.
What do you enjoy about using the iNaturalist app? The iNaturalist app has meant I went from taking a few photos just for myself and some interested people in VP, to taking thousands of photos and having the iNaturalist community help in identifying them. This includes a previously unknown Liverwort (identified by the National Herbarium) as well as an orchid not recorded in the LGA previously (identified by Macarthur ANOS).
The Late Beard Orchid was not previously known to occur in Voyager Point
Seeing the diversity of species posted from such a wide range of locations - plants, bugs, birds etc. Also learning to improve my identification skills and helping others with identification of unfamiliar species they have found. And all the information is going to be used for research.
What has been your most surprising/ interesting discovery? Some patches of Wilsonia backhousei which is a vulnerable species. Alongside it and covering larger areas was a similar species I identified as Wilsonia rotunifolia. I assumed it was the common cousin, until I checked - it is Endangered. (I walked even more carefully after that). A new species of Liverwort, it is not yet named.
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SUSTAINING LIVERPOOL AUTUMN 2022
GET INVOLVED
in nature
Nature Watch
Learn more about nature with iNaturalist. This handy tool helps you identify the plants and animals around you by crowdsourcing the expertise of a large community of scientists and naturalists. By sharing your observations, you help create quality data for scientists working to better understand and protect nature. Join Liverpool City Council’s Nature Watch project to find, track, and record plants and animals across our Local Government Area. Observations are quick and easy to upload via the iNaturalist website or app.
Volunteer for Creating Canopies Greater Sydney Landcare Network is looking for people who want to help make their local area green. The exciting new project, Creating Canopies in Greater Sydney, is looking for keen planters to help plant trees for habitat and shade. For more information or to get involved, visit their website.
Volunteer Group Update Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, our volunteering program had to be suspended. We are getting ready to relaunch activities in the near future. Register your interest now!
SUSTAINING LIVERPOOL AUTUMN 2022
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Sustainability IN THE CLASSROOM
Continue to learn in 2022 by reducing your impact on our beautiful planet and its precious resources. Buy local Sydney-grown fresh fruit and veggies and store them in re-usable containers to minimise single-use plastic waste and have healthy, good-for-theplanet snacks at the ready! Wrap fruit in a cloth to stop it from rolling around and getting bruised. Swap plastic wrap for beeswax wraps, which you can make at home as a fun craft activity. Put any remaining food scraps in compost & worm farms rather than binning them. Keep reusable water bottles handy to cut down on single-use plastic that litters our world.
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SUSTAINING LIVERPOOL AUTUMN 2022
Have re-usable cutlery that is easy to carry, fold away and store. Stainless steel and bamboo sets are readily available in the market these days. Ride & walk to school when safe and practical to reduce reliance on the car. You never know what nature finds you may see on the way!
Sustainable schools We are very excited to announce that Georges Riverkeeper have released new environmental education resources with local content for primary school teachers. These free, online resources are specifically designed to help Stage 1 (Year 1 and 2) primary school
teachers teach about geography and science using examples from the Georges River. There is lots and lots to use, including a total of eight lesson plans. It will certainly make lesson planning easier! Know a teacher who will love this?
Click here
SUSTAINING LIVERPOOL AUTUMN 2022
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War
ON WASTE
INTERNATIONAL COMPOST AWARENESS WEEK AUSTRALIA Sunday 1 May – Saturday 7 May 2021
Did you know compost is a valuable organic resource? In addition to building better soils, it also helps reduce carbon pollution by diverting organic waste from landfills. For more information, visit the Compost Awareness Week website. To help get the community composting, Liverpool City Council offers residents a Composting and Worm Farming Rebate. Residents can receive $50 back off the purchase of a compost bin or worm farm. Council’s website has information to get you started with your own journey. Keep an eye out for workshops to help you learn how to set up and care for your compost or worm farm! If you can’t have a compost bin or worm farm of your own, there are other ways you can still compost your food waste. You can crowdsource composting using the ShareWaste website to find a friendly composter near you who will accept your food waste.
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SUSTAINING LIVERPOOL AUTUMN 2022
COUNCIL’S NEW WASTE STRATEGY
Council’s new ten-year Waste Strategy has now been adopted, after the period of public consultation got it over the line on 10 December 2021. This gives a clear way forward for how we will deal with waste materials from our community and works in harmony with the recently released 20-year Waste Strategy of the NSW State Government. Part of Council’s new waste strategy involves the introduction of a FOGO waste service (Food Organics and Garden Organics), which will be starting in mid-2024. The next steps are the development of a FOGO implementation plan and a waste education plan to match, both presently underway. It’s an exciting time in waste, with more focus being placed on diverting materials from landfill, providing a source of materials for recycling and re-manufacturing, creating jobs, and boosting the circular economy.
War
ON WASTE
ASBESTOS COLLECTION PROGRAM Monday 16 May – Friday 20 May
Council’s bi-annual residential asbestos collection program will run again from 16th to 20th May, 2022. This allows residents to dispose of up to a maximum of 10 square metres of bonded asbestos materials (also known as ‘fibro’), free of charge. Please note that eligibility criteria apply, so do check that your property can be included and that the materials you have are eligible to be collected under this program. Please call Council’s Customer Service team on 1300 36 2170 to register your interest, providing your name, contact details (telephone and an e-mail address, if you have one), and the address of the property where the materials are located.
COMMUNITY SHARPS PROGRAM
Council continues to run our very popular community sharps program through 28 pharmacies in the Liverpool LGA. If you need to administer medicine or drugs via a needle or undertake skin penetration with lancets etc. for the purpose of blood testing, free sharps containers are available through participating pharmacies. These pharmacies can be found on Council’s website. Full containers can then be dropped back to the pharmacy for free disposal. Private individuals who are generating community sharps are eligible to participate, however, anyone operating a business that generates sharps as part of their commercial activities is not eligible. This important initiative allows residents to easily dispose of sharps free of cost and keeps our community safe from the hazards of inappropriately discarded needles.
SUSTAINING LIVERPOOL AUTUMN 2022
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KEEPING OUR WATERWAYS CLEAN The waterway systems in urban areas are under pressure from past and continuing development. The projected growth and associated development in Liverpool have the potential to produce significant pollution loads. Urban water can contain pollutants such as litter, sediment, nutrients, oil and other chemicals, and even disease-causing organisms. Without proper urban water management strategies in place, these pollutants will adversely impact the water quality and ecological health of our waterways. Council is committed to protecting the environmental health of our waterways and has adopted a Water Management Policy. A key objective of the policy is to guide Council’s water management activities and practices, ensuring a reduction in pollutants entering waterways. To treat stormwater, Council has installed over 200 gross pollutant traps (GPT) across the LGA. GPTs are systems that filter pollutants such as litter and sediments out of stormwater. These systems have removed approximately 510m3 of gross pollutants such as plastics, cans, bottles, and organic debris
from stormwater runoff over the past 8 months. These systems collect pollutants that would otherwise enter our creeks and rivers. Liverpool City Council is also a member of the Georges Riverkeeper combined councils group, whose Riverkeeper Program removes gross pollutants from the Georges River and its tributary creeks. The project has removed 14,475 kgs of pollutants in the past year from the Liverpool LGA alone. Significant amounts of pollutants still manage to reach our waterways despite the measures taken. It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure our waterways are clean and healthy for wildlife and recreational use.
You can contribute to caring for our waterways by: • • • • •
Cleaning up after your pets Disposing of litter appropriately Washing your vehicles on grass or at car washes to prevent cleaning chemicals entering waterways Reducing fertiliser use in your garden and opting for environment-friendly alternatives Reporting illegal dumping
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SUSTAINING LIVERPOOL AUTUMN 2022
Bamboo
...a weed or not a weed?
Council regularly gets inquiries about Bamboo growing on private properties and there is some confusion about its weed status. There are generally two types of Bamboo found in Liverpool, Rhizomatous bamboo and Bambusa. Rhizimatous, better known as Running Bamboo, is a hardy plant that forms impenetrable networks of roots and produces a heavy leaf litter. It was used frequently as an ornamental plant, but easily escapes it’s intended growing area and can spread rapidly via underground stems and fragments in dumped garden waste. Once established it can be very hard to control. Bambusa species, better known as Clumping Bamboo, still grow in dense stands, but tend not to spread as much depending on the variety. These clumping varieties of Bamboo are available commercially through nurseries. Residents need to be fully aware of what they plant especially when it comes to plants that might spread, like bamboos. Residents must ensure that it does not spread beyond their property by taking
reasonable steps to contain it. If a tall variety of Bamboo is being planted close to a boundary fence, residents need to be aware of how tall it will grow and any impact it might have on a neighbour e.g. blocking sunlight or excessive amounts of leaf litter. Residents often contact Council with the expectation that Council will require neighbours to control weeds under the NSW Biosecurity Act 2015. While the Act establishes various duties that require people to prevent, eliminate, and minimise biosecurity risk associated with their activities, the risks must be significant to human health, the environment or agriculture. It is not the appropriate legislation for resolving disputes about common or widespread weeds growing on a boundary.
! Bamboo concerns between neighbours are best dealt with by talking to your neighbour first. Further information can be found on the Community Justice Centre website.
CLUMPING
As you can see any Bamboo species can be a weed in the wrong situation, and it can also be a risk free, acceptable plant in some settings when appropriate precautions are taken while planting it. For information on both Bamboo species visit the NSW Weedwise website.
RUNNING SUSTAINING LIVERPOOL AUTUMN 2022
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DATES FOR YOUR
Earth Day Friday 22 April
National Volunteer Week- ‘Better Together’ 16 – 22 May
Celebrated annually worldwide in support of the environment and to raise awareness for environmental protection and care of our planet. Learn more on their website.
This is the largest annual celebration of Australia’s nearly six million volunteers who generously give their time to various causes and activities. For more information, visit the official website.
For Earth Day you and your household can: •
Join an online citizen science project to help conserve threatened species. No special skills needed – just start tagging images taken by scientists in the field. Get started here.
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Plant locally native plants in your backyard or school.
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Start a new vegetable garden at home – tip: if you’re a beginner, start small. Learn how to start a veggie garden for beginners here.
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Get out in nature and enjoy off leash dog areas, outdoor gyms, skate parks, cycleways and more. For details of places to enjoy in Liverpool, visit here.
International Day for Biological Diversity Sunday 22 May Also known as World Biodiversity Day, it has been celebrated annually to raise awareness about maintaining biodiversity and to encourage voluntary community education and activities to help protect the planet. For more information, visit here.
Green
DATES SUMMARY •
27 March Earth Hour
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22 April Earth Day
• • • •
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21-24 April NSW Environmental Educators Conference, Central Coast 3-9 May International Composting Awareness Week 15 May Walk Safely to School Day
22 May International Day for Biological Diversity
SUSTAINING LIVERPOOL AUTUMN 2022