summer 2013/2014
Our splendid Bayside beaches and foreshore Update from Cheltenham Primary Research Local Nature Kit a great success Watch for Bayside wildlife this summer
From the Mayor Welcome to the summer edition of the Banksia Bulletin. What a magnificent spring season we had with just enough rain to prepare our gardens for the hot summer months. Bayside’s Spring Open Days were certainly a success this year with many residents and visitors inspecting our wonderful reserves, many for the first time. It has been an exceptional season for the wildflowers in the Heathlands due to the muchneeded rain – more than we’ve had for many years. Our Open Days are always the perfect time to see the reserves at their best, with many species of heath, orchids and flowering. Speaking of great successes, Bayside was the number one Victorian City to participate in this year’s Garage Sale Trail. One hundred and twenty-eight households, two shopping villages and hundreds of individuals got involved in the annual program by buying and selling pre-loved goods. In total, Baysiders purchased approximately 31,000 secondhand goods on the day thus reducing the overall impact on our environment if these items were sent to landfill. What an environmental win!
Summer by the Sea is another great event Baysiders can look forward to again this year. This summer Bayside Environmental Friends Network (BEFN) and Marine Care Ricketts Point will be running a series of informative and exciting events to get Baysiders out and about and thinking about the importance of our natural environment. We hope to see you and your family at one of the many local events during January. As Bayside’s newly elected Mayor, I look forward to meeting with as many of you as possible over the coming year as we work together creating an even “greener” Bayside and promoting the projects undertaken by our wonderful environmental volunteer community. I trust that you, your family and friends enjoy this edition of the Banksia Bulletin and may I take this opportunity to wish you all the best for the festive season and hope you all have a happy and healthy 2014. Cr Laurence Evans Mayor Bayside City Council
Front cover image Horny Cone-bush Isopogon ceratophyllus photo by Pauline Renolds Back cover image Sea shells by the Brighton seashore photo by Triér Murphy
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banksia bulletin — summer 2013/2014
In this ISSUE Special features
Other articles Summer by the Sea
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Onion Orchids
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Planting in Bayside
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Bayside Built Environment Awards
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Barbara Jakob
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Our splendid Bayside beaches and foreshore Raymond V Lewis
Alan Sherlock
Michael Norris
Danielle King
Update from Cheltenham Primary James Wilson
Celebrating 11 bushland reserves Valerie Tarrant
Open Garden Day wrap up
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National Tree Day
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Batting for Bayside
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Kids Corner (Water for Wildlife)
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Xanthorrhoea Minor (Small Grass Tree)
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Balcombe Park
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Volunteer opportunities
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Pauline Reynolds Daniel Noonan
Research Local Nature Kit a great success Sue Raverty and Barbara Jakob
Elizabeth Walsh
Megan Macindo and Elizabeth Walsh
Rob Saunders
Watch for Bayside wildlife this summer
Ian O’Loughlin and Joan Couzouff
Michael Norris
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Rock Pool Ramble photo by Ray Lewis
Our splendid Bayside beaches and foreshore Not only do we live alongside the world’s cleanest Bay next to a major city, but we have become so used to its beauty, that most take it all for granted. Our marine sanctuary at Ricketts Point is the jewel in the crown of Bayside. Serendipity is our constant companion as we walk our beaches, as evidenced by just some recent events. Echidnas waddling about happily in various locations, a wallaby sitting in the water at Watkins Bay looking at passersbys, regular dolphin and Australian Fur Seal sightings, increasing numbers of
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locally rare sea birds resting on our reefs, Pink and Grey Galahs, Sulphur Crested Cockatoos and Rainbow Lorikeets in conclave in some of our larger trees. These sightings and more, have become almost ‘ho hum…’ A new record of some 120 pelicans staying over into autumn passed largely unnoticed. We were even graced by the recent parade of the tall ships, just offshore. On that day our
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foreshores were crowded by ‘out of towners’, with their cameras. We have unspoilt beaches and splendid wild scenery, especially along our exposed cliff faces, and we are a fossil paradise for world researchers. And for those who like to snorkel, we have underwater gardens that rival anywhere in the world. Along our beaches we have intertidal reefs that encourage the exploration of our many
Seastars at Half Moon Bay
Male Saltbush photo by Ray Lewis
SS Europa photo by Emily Baulch
invertebrates, sea stars, limpets, crabs, shrimps, anemones, top shells, mussels and much more.
seas at our doorstep and many, many, awe inspiring sunsets across the Bay to the west.
We are blessed with a line of stylish beachside coffee shops where we can enjoy time with our friends, we have kilometers of ‘themed’ bayside trails and in most places, we are a dog walkers paradise.
There are no doubt other great places in this wide world of ours, but few, if any, are so wonderful, so free, and so close and accessible for so many people, as is this seventeen kilometre long gift of nature that lies on our doorstep.
Even on the worst of days, we have the high drama of angry
We are indeed most fortunate to be living in Bayside.
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Resting Spoonbill photo by David Reinhard
Raymond V Lewis OAM Ray Lewis is the President of MESAC inc and the Citizen Science Officer for Marine Care Ricketts Point inc. He is a local marine photographer and author. He may be contacted via email: manager@greypath.com
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Summer by the Sea
Summer by the Sea is Victoria’s annual celebration of the coast. Bayside’s Summer by the Sea program will take place from 5 to 26 January. The statewide program includes hundreds of individual activities in over 90 locations along the Victorian coastline. The program provides a diverse range of fun and informative events and activities for locals and visitors alike to explore, understand, conserve and enjoy our unique marine and coastal environments.
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Different activities are suitable for different age groups, with opportunities for both kids and adults to get involved. Discover the wonders of Bayside’s special coast this summer. To book visit http://www.depi.vic.gov.au/ or https://www.facebook.com/ summerbythesea
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For more information about local activities, please contact: Barbara Jakob Bayside Environment Friends Network mobile: 04 0803 2963 BaysideFriends@gmail.com Michael Coleman Marine Care Ricketts Point presidentmcrp@icloud.com
Bayside Environment Friends Network and Marine Care Ricketts Point present
Summer by the Sea 2014 Sunday 05.01.2014
9.00 am – 11.00 am
Enviro walk
Meet at Love Street Car Park, Beaumaris MEL 85 J2
Take a guided walk through Bayside’s coastal environment towards Sandringham. Discover flora and fauna on stations; suitable for children and adults.
BEFN
Sunday 05.01.2014
9.00 am – 12.00 pm
Ride on the wild side
Meet at the car park opposite Trey Bit Reserve, Sandringham MEL 76 F8
Grab your bike and join us on a guided ride along Bayside’s foreshore towards Black Rock. There are stations along the way to explain local flora and fauna.
BEFN
Wednesday 08.01.2014
6.00 pm – 8.30 pm
Geocaching
Cheltenham Park, enter from Park Road, Cheltenham MEL 86 G1
Geocaching is modern treasure hunting with a GPS. It is a fun activity in the outdoors and one discovers a lot about the local environment. Suitable for children (8yrs +) and teens with a parent. GPS supplied.
BEFN
Sunday 12.01.2014
9.30 am – 11.30 am
Enviro Kids: Boon Wurrung and Banksia
Meet at Ricketts Point Car Park B17 (north)
Discover the magnificent Banksia trees and how the Boon Wurrung people used leaves, flowers and cones.
BEFN
Saturday 18.01.2014
9.00 am – 12.00 pm
Dog’s breakfast
Brighton, Sanddown Spit Breakfast for dogs and their owners MEL 67 B9
BEFN
Saturday 18.01.2014
9.00 am – 11.00 am
Snorkelling for first-timers
Yacht club carpark north of the Teahouse
First time snorkeler’s introductory session at Ricketts Point. Limit: 20 persons
Marine Care Ricketts Point
Saturday 18.01.2014
11.00 am – 12.30 pm
Rockpool ramble
Beaumaris Life Saving Club south of Teahouse
Rock pools contain an amazing diversity of life. Come and learn about them. Sponsored by Beaumaris Community Bank.
Marine Care Ricketts Point
Saturday 18.01.2014
12.00 pm – 3.00 pm
Free BBQ
Beaumaris Life Saving Club south of Teahouse
Come and share your experiences at Ricketts Point
Marine Care Ricketts Point
Saturday 18.01.2014
2.00 pm – 3.30 pm
A ‘Nairm Marr’ Coastal walk, with Raymond Lewis
Beaumaris Yacht Club north of the Teahouse
This is a foreshore walk and talk covering Bay history, local human prehistory, marine life along the foreshore, fossils, and local native plants and their uses.
Marine Care Ricketts Point
Sunday 19.01.2014
9.00 – 11.00
Snorkelling for first-timers
Yacht club carpark north of the Teahouse
First time snorkeler’s introductory session at Ricketts Point. Limit: 20 persons
Marine Care Ricketts Point
Sunday 19.01.2014
11 am – 12.30pm
Rockpool ramble
Beaumaris Life Saving Club south of Teahouse
Rock pools contain an amazing diversity of life. Come and learn about them. Sponsored by Beaumaris Community Bank.
Marine Care Ricketts Point
Tuesday 21.01.2014
9.00 am – 11.00 am
Enviro walk
Meet at Love Street Car Park, Beaumaris MEL 85 H3
Take a guided walk through Bayside’s coastal environment towards Sandringham. Discover flora and fauna on stations; suitable for children and adults.
BEFN
Tuesday 21.01.2014
9.00 am – 12.00 pm
Ride on the wild side
Meet at the car park opposite Trey Bit Reserve, Sandringham MEL 76 F8
Grab your bike and join us on a guided ride along Bayside’s foreshore towards Black Rock. There are stations along the way to explain local flora and fauna.
BEFN
Friday 24.01.2014
9.30 am – 11.30 am
Enviro Kids: She sells sea shells
Ricketts Point between Beaumaris Lifesaving Club and Dalgetty Road MEL 86 D9
Mud Pies and other sandy adventures
BEFN
Sunday 26.01.2014
6.00 pm – 8.30 pm
Geocaching
Cheltenham Park, enter from Park Road, Cheltenham MEL 86 G1
Geocaching is modern treasure hunt with a GPS. It is a fun activity in the outdoors and one discovers a lot about the local environment. Suitable for children (8yrs +) and teens with a parent. GPS supplied.
BEFN
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Onion Orchids by Pauline Reynolds
Onion Orchids (Microtus sp.)
Onion Orchids are tough little critters! They are indigenous to Bayside and are found in a number of our reserves. They produce a single stem with a narrow leaf similar to an onion plant. The spike of tiny, green, crowded flowers emerges from about half way up the stem - rather like a miniature Gladiolus. Recently a colony has been found growing on the nature strip on the corner of Sims Street and Fernhill Road, Sandringham. They must be a remnant population that has survived residential development. They are competing with a dense cover of Buffalo Grass (Bouteloua dactyloides) and would have survived countless ‘assaults’ from lawn mowers, walking feet, hard rubbish collections and the like, over many decades. Currently the adjacent house block is being redeveloped and the nature strip has been somewhat ‘neglected’ allowing the orchids to grow and flower without having their ‘heads’ constantly cut off.
Onion Orchid by Pauline Reynolds
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In 1985, my family moved to a house on a large block in Keats Street, Sandringham. The house was built in the early 1920s and the garden was converted into a typical ‘European style’ garden with exotic trees. Sixty-five years later a number of the original trees were fully grown and very majestic. Unfortunately a few were subsequently lost when Armillaria fungus moved through the street.
Soon after our arrival, my nine year old son Oliver, who already knew about orchids and had ‘very good eyes’ discovered an Onion Orchid colony in our front garden! I think it is very important for all our Friend’s Groups to try and ensure this type of knowledge is passed on to the younger generation if we are to have continuing carers for our precious reserves. Oliver now works at The Royal Botanical Gardens, Cranbourne! Subsequently our lawn mower was taught to divert around the colony and over the following nineteen years the colony flourished and spread to several square metres in extent, flowering most years in the spring. In February 2003 we sold the house and moved to Beach Road. Unfortunately the Keats Street block was subsequently ‘extensively redeveloped’ and ‘our orchids’ are probably now buried under tons of concrete! This raises an important issue we should all seriously consider. What should we do in situations like this? Is it reasonable to transplant these important indigenous plants to safer habitat if they are threatened? Alan Sherlock Local Resident
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Planting in Bayside Planting seedlings and other stock from the Bayside Community Nursery can be fun and it’s great to see the results of your labours. So I’ve enjoyed seeing Correas and Goodenias thriving at my home. I keep on forgetting to prune them, but I must because there are no kangaroos to keep them in shape! I’ve also happily joined in community plantings in the foreshore or parks. These have usually been to reinforce the existing vegetation, or to replace the weeds that all too often thrive along the coast, or to create new vegetation beds. The community plantings are a great way to meet people.
Planting in our bushlands is different. I understand the reasons for giving a home to rare species, such as the Juniper Wattle (Acacia ulicifolia) planted in Bay Road Heathland following the discovery of one or two plants on the Royal Melbourne Golf Course. And I like the idea of boundary planting to protect our special places from wind-blown seed and intrusions from neighbouring roads. Ian Parson’s photographs show some of the wonderful results of planting earlier this year in a bare area in the north-east of Bay Road Heathland Sanctuary. There, an ecological burn yielded little except dense growths, which the Friends helped to thin, of Twiggy Daisy-Bush Olearia ramulosa and Black Wattle Acacia mearnsii.
Planting inevitably means disturbing the soil, therefore creating beds for weeds. It takes precious time to prepare sites, at the cost of weeding and burns. Planting in bushlands takes plants that usually could be more effectively planted on nature strips, in private gardens, at roundabouts, and numerous sites in parks desperately needing local habitat and a chance for people to understand where they live. Michael Norris Local Resident This article is a personal view of planting in Bayside and does not necessarily represent the views of Friends of Bay Road Heathland Sanctuary or Bayside City Council
Wedding Bush Ricinocarpus pinifolius photo by Ian Parsons
Bent Goodenia Goodenia geniculata Button everlasting Helichrysum scorpioides
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LANDSCAPE DESIGN BY:
Philip Johnson Landscape ARCHITECTURE BY:
by Zen Architects
winner of the 2013
Bayside Built Environment Awards Ecologically Sustainable Design category
Homes in harmony Introducing the winner of the 2013 Bayside Built Environment Awards Ecologically Sustainable Design category – 24 Glencairn Avenue East Brighton. This property has been meticulously designed and built in total harmony with the natural environment. The home features north facing and efficient glazing to windows in living areas. It also has exposed polished concrete flooring providing good thermal mass, which has proven to deliver high levels of comfort for minimal active heating and cooling. The extensive use of recycled timber, high levels of insulation and many natural internal finishes also contributes to the environmental benefits this property offers.
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Keeping the energy use in check is the ‘real time’ energy monitoring and management system, highly efficient lighting, hot water and heating, and 4.25 kW Solar PV array generating onsite clean energy. In the garden is a natural pool (not heated and no chemicals) and landscape planting which is highly water efficient and assists with summer shading. There is also a large underground rain water tank that services much of the property including toilets, laundry, veggie garden, green wall, ponds and natural pool which minimise the
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amount of potable water needed around the home. The combination of these features, together with good use of space (keeping the footprint efficient and functional) has resulted in a beautiful, highly sustainable home that is very light on environmental footprint, and the pocket to run. Our congratulations to the owner, designers and builder for creating such an inspiring home. Danielle King Sustainability Consultant Green Moves Australia
Here and over there:
Celebrating bushland reserves It is interesting to compare how different conservation reserves have been established across the country. Bayside’s George Street Reserve, unlike Kelly’s Bush in Sydney, was established in a peaceful manner. The Sandringham City Council in 1924 with considerable foresight set the land aside from building development, and it has provided interest and pleasure for residents and visitors ever since. Kelly’s Bush however, became the site of a memorable conflict over land use. The 4.8 hectare area is situated in Hunter’s Hill with bushland clothing the land down to the waterside. When local residents discovered a plan to develop the area, they made representations to the authorities in order to ensure the land they valued was kept intact and free of housing. The residents failed in their intent, but did not give up. A radical move was made in order to gain the support of the Builders Labourers, led by Jack Mundey, who described the Kelly’s Bush Battlers as ‘Upper Class Tea Ladies’. The Battlers and Unionists created a successful working relationship and the first of the ‘Green Bans’ became an important part of conservation history. As a result of the persistent efforts, the developer abandoned the proposed plan and Kelly’s Bush was saved. In the former City of Sandringham, the early 1970s saw successful efforts
to care for the local trees, shrubs and wildflowers that clothed the foreshore, but it was not until the following decade that serious interest developed in the George Street Reserve. Today, the new signboards inside the George Street entrance record the history of the Reserve, including the important role of fire in the regeneration of heathland. An unusual wildflower which has benefited from fire is the Sticky Longhead (Podatheca angustifolia). Once thought to be extinct in the area, the wildflower emerged after a wildfire in 2006. That same fire also resulted in the arrival of a Cassinia – Cassinia aculeata, which had not been sighted before. The glorious Showy Eggs and Bacon Pea (Bossiaea cinaria) and Slender Sun Orchid (Thelmytra pauciflora) have also benefitted from the fire. Fire was once a tool of Aboriginal Australians, including the Boonerwrung of the Bayside area and beyond. The visitors who came to the Reserve’s recent Spring Opening were delighted with the flowering. We look forward to the arrival of more people who can walk the tracks and see the Wedding Bush (Ricinocarpos pinifolia) which flourishes in springtime. Valerie Tarrant Joint Co-ordinator with Pauline Reynolds Friends of the George Street Reserve
Bossiaea cinerea Showy Bossiaea by Pauline Reynolds
Thelymitra pauciflora by Pauline Reynolds
Ricinocarpus piniofolius Wedding Bush by Pauline Reynolds
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Cheltenham Primary Sanctuary The Cheltenham Primary School is very proud to be the custodians of a wonderful heathland Sanctuary located at the rear of our school. Thanks to the ongoing generous support of Bayside Council and the tireless efforts of the school Sanctuary Committee, we aim to maintain and improve this beautiful piece of native land. The Sanctuary covers an area of 2.2 acres of native heathland and is home to a large array of native flora and fauna. This year we have continued our replanting program with native species provided by the Council. Many trees and grasses were planted by the students and volunteers of the Sanctuary Committee a few weeks before spring, giving the seedlings a chance to settle in before the warmer weather provides real growth. So far we are seeing good results from these plantings. Our major work over spring has been once again tackling the weeds that also sprout back to life at this time of year. Thanks to the ongoing guidance and hard work from Andy, our Citywide Parkcare representative, we are seeing pleasing results as the beautiful native flowers come into bloom. We have also uncovered the amphitheatre at the rear of the sanctuary which had become overgrown in recent years, and to our delight is being returned to an area that the students will get much use of. Thanks again to our students and volunteers who have worked so hard to bring this back to life.
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As to be expected our unpredictable Victorian weather has thrown up its challenges, such as a large gum coming down in the recent strong winds. This will now be cultivated into natural habitat for the native animals that we are happy to report are thriving in the sanctuary. We will continue our work over the summer months, removing more weeds, cultivating our new seedlings and restoring the pathways and amphitheatre, keeping secure a now rare piece of native heath land that few councils or schools in Victoria can claim to enjoy. With the efforts of staff, students, volunteers and Bayside Council we are thrilled that the future is bright for the sanctuary - a place where students can learn the true value of our native flora and fauna and experience the beauty of our local habitat. This is a place we should all be proud of and work to maintain and protect as so few truly native areas of remnant vegetation and biodiversity still exist in our community today. Our greatest thanks goes to the generations before us at Cheltenham Primary school and Bayside Council that had the foresight to keep this pocket of land untouched for us and future generations to enjoy. James Wilson Cheltenham Primary Sanctuary
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pa joyed partici d Mar ylyn en Joan, Mia an Garden Day in the Open
Although the Family Life Open Garden Day was held on Sunday the 13th October which, people will remember, was not the best of days to look at gardens. However despite the weather, the day was again a great success. The gardens were beautiful with all the lovely garden hosts putting in hours of work so that the gardens were shown off to their best advantage which wasn’t an easy job because of all the winds during the weeks leading up to the event.
ting
Family Life Open Garden Day wrap up
In fact, a most beautiful eucalypt fell all over the front garden at 5 Bellaire Court two weeks before the day creating havoc and, of course, sadly leaving a huge gap where there had once been a beautiful tree. About 730 people turned out in rain coats and umbrellas and enjoyed the gardens. The garden owners, sponsors, sausage sizzle and devonshire tea contributed to the figure of $33,000 raised on
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the day which will help to run Family Life Community Bubs Programme. Thank you to all the readers of the Banksia Bulletin who continue to support the day in so many ways, and who appreciate the variety of gardens we are given by the generous people who open their gardens for use each year. See you all next year. Pauline Reynolds
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National Tree Day The rains had finally arrived! The staff at Citywide, along with the volunteers, were ecstatic when the first rains arrived just in time to commence the 2013 Bayside planting season. The volunteer force was in fine form with their trowels in hand, watering cans at their side and most importantly, plants ready to set root deep into the sandy soils within our reserves and foreshore. National Tree Day is one of the highlights within the planting season calendar that brings together the community.
Volunteers helping out the Citywide crew on National Tree Day
This year Citywide had prepared two sites along the foreshore in Sandringham. One site adjacent to the Sandringham Yacht Club and the other site situated in front of the Sandringham Football Club, which is also neighbouring 2012 National Tree Day site. Preparing the sites, many months of chemical weed control and manually removing weeds. Cubic metres of large African boxthorn (Lycium ferocissimum) were removed in order to make space for approximately 2,000 indigenous plants. Both sites have been very successful and the survival rate of plants has been phenomenal with an array of plant species specific to the sites and their conditions. Not only are the sites aesthetically pleasing, but the number in birds, reptiles and other native fauna have increased. These animals use the generous amount of species of plants for food, shelter, and of course also help to spread the seed.
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banksia bulletin — summer 2013/2014
National Tree Day planting
Despite the variable weather patterns, plants have been thriving and producing spectacular floral displays for all to admire. Not only are our indigenous plants thriving, but so are the dreadful weeds we work so hard to manage. This planting season the main weeds volunteer groups and the bushland crew dedicated most of their time towards were Panic veldtgrass (Ehrharta erecta), Annual veldtgrass (Ehrharta longiflora) and the many thistles from the Asteraceae family we have here in Bayside. Fortunately our hard working volunteer groups and Citywide’s bushland team manage to keep down weed distribution and have provided another spectacular flowering spring. The Bayside Community Nursery is filling up with tubes, pots and springrings, and it won’t be long before 2014 planting season will be upon us and they too will be getting planted into our reserves and foreshore. Daniel Noonan Coastal crew Citywide
Batting for Bayside Keeping down the quantity of insects in Bayside WITHOUT chemicals is being carried out by our natural and elusive microbat population. Small bats with wing spans of 100mm to 200mm and weighing as little as 10 to 40 grams, quietly go about eating up to half their body weight in insects each warm evening. That is when mosquitoes hatch and breed. Insects are wonderful food for birds and bats and Bayside’s natural environment is a good home for them. It is really hard to see many of these tiny microbats. Some of them flick around the tree tops at up to 30/40 kms per hour. Try to spot them at dusk or around street lights later on. As microbats use echolocation to zero in on their prey, various echo recording devices are used to record their high pitched sounds. Some people can hear just one of our species, the White-striped Freetail Bat (Tadarida australis). Bayside Friends of Native Wildlife (FoNW) joined the Council sponsored ARCUE (Australian Research Centre for Urban Ecology) Research Team on two public events over the last two years. Up to seventy people
each time learnt from highly skilled bat researchers about the lives of these tiny creatures. Most importantly we learnt about their habitat. Without places to sleep and food provision they cannot survive. It has been demonstrated that there is a varied population of ten plus species in Bayside. Have you heard of the Chocolate Wattled bat (Chalinolobus morio), Gould’s Wattled bat (Chalinolobus gouldii) or the Little Forest bat (Vespadelus vulturnus)? They are the most common in Bayside. They appear to survive in more suburban habitats than some others. Some other species of microbat have been recorded but possibly only passing through while hunting for food. They can fly up to 30 kms in an evening. Recent records in Bayside also list the: • Southern free tail bat (Mormopterus sp) • Eastern broad-nosed bat (Scotorepens orion) • Common bentwing bat (Miniopterus schreibersii)
• Large-footed Myotis (Myotis adversus) • Lesser long-eared bat (Nyctophilus geoffroyi) • Southern forest bat (Vespadelus regulus) FoNW are calling for residents to join in our search to see how widespread these creatures are. We want to find out if some have roosts in our area and how and where we can encourage home roosts for these creatures. Next year we anticipate, over a few weeks in February or March, to call on families and individuals to test their areas for activity and to learn about an important part of Bayside’s Web of Life. We plan to have a core group, with an Anabat bat detector to encourage families and individuals to join in around your personal homes, your street with neighbours and maybe a local park as well. The core group will run the study, including managing and analysing the Anabat recordings. Results will be passed back to residents who take part in the activity and summarised for the City of Bayside and ARCUE. Anabat Detector Interested in the surveys of your local area or being in the core group? Please contact us at bayfonw@hotmail.com or on Facebook. Elizabeth Walsh Friends of Native Wildlife
Microbat photo by Andrew Harris
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Research Local Nature – an Enviro Kids project Putting the kit together The Enviro Kids Research Local Kit began with an innovative idea by the Enviro Kids team to create an online tool which would inspire young children to learn about their local natural environment. Enviro Kids, as part of the Bayside Environmental Friends Network, asked some Friends with specialist knowledge of the environment to join the Research Local Nature team. We were delighted to be asked because it was a fantastic opportunity to share our love of the environment with children. The team chose four topics: “Indigenous Trees”, “Birds”, “Insects and Other Invertebrates” and “Night Time in the Garden.” That was the easy part. Choosing the content and condensing it all into a few pages of information was more difficult. We also had to make sure that the information was correct, presented in a language that the children could easily understand, and was in a way that they would find interesting, exciting and challenging. We also needed to
make the kit appeal to the adults helping the kids.
couldn’t find any, but we did count more the 40snails!
Email made it easy to work from home. Lots of messages circulated with suggestions, corrections, drafts and re-drafts. Finally, our part in the project was finished. It was then up to the rest of the team to put the kit together.
Imogen wasn’t satisfied at the end of the research, she wanted to do more to encourage wildlife into her garden. Together we designed and made an insect hotel using a wooden box frame. We filled it with bamboo, pinecones, and wooden blocks with drilled holes to encourage more insects to make her garden their home. With the warmer weather coming Imogen decided her garden didn’t provide enough water for the wildlife. We found and placed two shallow water sources made from terracotta trays to supply insects, birds and native animals with a reliable supply of water over the hot summer.
Sue Raverty Convenor Friends of Ricketts Point Landside
Using the kit ‘There’s not really all those insects living in the garden?’ Imogen is a four (“and a half”) year old living in Brighton who is fascinated by all living creatures. I had just finished showing her the Enviro Kids Research Kit we were about to attempt. I assured her it was absolutely possible that all the insects, animals and plants listed in the kit could be found in her garden. Imogen’s response, ’I just can’t believe it. No way!’ So I set out to prove her wrong. Imogen and I spent 2.5 hours slowly working our way through the kit, we laid very still and listened for birds, we searched every corner of the garden for insects and examined trees and bushes to determine their species. The most amazing part was the discussions the kit started. The more she saw and learned, the more she wanted to know. Later that week we stayed up late “even after bed time” and practiced being still and quiet to watch for possums. Sadly we
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The research kit is well worth the time it took to complete, as it is a gateway into new ideas, scientific thinking and appreciation of the natural environment for children. Following are a few tips to ensure doing the kit with your children goes smoothly. • Make sure you have read the kit prior to starting • Have all the equipment you need ready to go • Don’t try to do everything at once (I broke it into 3 sessions, this allowed Imogen to take her time with each page and investigate at her own pace) • Be enthusiastic! If you find it genuinely interesting so will they!! Megan Macindoe Student at ACU, Bachelor of Education
The Results
Acknowledgement
The Research Local Nature Kit was downloaded an impressive 250 times from Council’s website within a few weeks. A lot of parents took the opportunity to spend some quality time with their children in the school holidays. Kindergarten and Primary School teachers in Melbourne and beyond used the kit for environmental education. Landcare coordinators as far as the Mallee sent us emails and recommend it to their Landcare groups.
‘Research local nature’ was developed in 2013 by a team of very committed people.
If you haven’t yet completed the Research Local Nature Kit, download it today from Council’s website: www.bayside.vic.gov.au/ researchlocalnature
Cheryl Gardner, Retired Primary School Teacher and Facilitator Enviro Kids
Barbara Jakob Coordinator, Bayside Environment Friends Network Barbara Jakob guided the team and is responsible for communication, initiation and coordination of the research kit.
Many have volunteered their time and skills to help put this research kit together. Our thanks go to: Andrea Lange, Early Childhood Teacher at Hampton Community Kinder and Facilitator Enviro Kids Aneirin Galloway McLean, Year 4, Firbank Grammar Sandringham House
Elizabeth Walsh, Friends of Native Wildlife Ian Parsons, Friends of Native Wildlife Kim Croker, Friends of Donald MacDonald Reserve Megan Macindoe, Student at ACU, Bachelor of Education Michael Norris, Friends of Native Wildlife
Sal Anderson, Year 6, Firbank Grammar - Sandringham House, Environmental Captain Staff from Bayside City Council’s Environmental Sustainability and Open Space Department. Taliesin Galloway McLean, Year 7, St Leonard’s College A special Thank you to Sue Raverty, Friends of Ricketts Point Landside for her creative ideas, ongoing advice, review and support whilst developing the kit. A big thank you to our local photographers that donated all their photos. Ian Parsons for the wattlebird on the water tap Kim Croker for the lovely bug that accompanies you from front page to the last page of the research kit Pauline Reynolds for her marvellous photos of indigenous trees Steve Kuiter for all his birds, possums and moth photos taken with great patience
One of the many creatures you can spot in Bayside Backyards – a beautiful Lorikeet. Photo by Kim Crocker
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The Bayside Community Nursery is located at 319 Reserve Road in Cheltenham and is open to the public from 10am to 12noon on Thursdays and Saturdays from April to October. The nursery propagates local indigenous heathland species to provide trees, shrubs, and ground covers to revegetate our remnant heathlands, the coastal environment and suburban gardens.
Planting indigenous vegetation in public and private gardens is encouraged as these plants are naturally suited to our environment and do not require fertilisers, pesticides or regular watering once established.
Come along to to the Gala Open Day on Saturday 5 April 2014 from 9am-2pm. Free BBQ 11am – 1pm
Indigenous plants also create habitat for local native birds, butterflies and other animals, and preserve the natural heritage of Bayside’s environment now and for future generations.
Please Note: No plants will be available for purchase before the Gala Day
Don’t forget to bring a box to take your plants home.
For more information contact the nursery on 03 9583 8408.
Bayside Community Nursery
Gala Open Day coming soon… 18
banksia bulletin — summer 2013/2014
Friends of Watkins Bay become
Friends of Ricketts Point
Recently the Friends of Watkins Bay (FOWB) decided on a name change to Friends of Ricketts Point (FORP).
shown on maps. It is variously known as Dalgetty Road Beach or Dogs Beach.
It was almost unanimous. There was no argument, rather a wistful love of Watkins Bay and the loss of its name. We currently do most of our work sat Ricketts Point so the name seems more suitable, and it would complement the Friends of Rickets Point Landside.
The formation of the Marine Sanctuary it has raised the profile of Ricketts Point very much. In our small way we would like to be identified with that area too.
A problem is that many people do not know where Watkins Bay is despite it being in the Melway and
Moira Longden Coordinator Friends of Ricketts Point
However it should be understood that nothing has really changed except our name.
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Blue Flower Wasp (Scolia soror) on Melaleuca styphelioides photo by Peter Woodward
Watch for Bayside wildlife this summer! There’s an amazing range of wildlife you can see in the summer in Bayside. Our records show that people have seen 17 species of butterfly and 159 birds between November and February in the last ten years!
black bands. You can easily see them along the foreshore walking tracks where they hide their young in burrows in the sand. They catch small insects and then dig furiously to return to their burrow, hoping they’ve survived the feet of walkers.
Less eye-catching are a host of other creatures like reptiles, nocturnal mammals, spiders, and other invertebrates, with the most noticeable including frogs and wasps.
The foreshore is also where you are most likely to see the dramatic Spider-hunting Wasp (Heterodontonyx bicolor). Around twice as large as the Sand Wasp they catch spiders to take home to their young. Erika Anderson’s shot of one at the Bayside Community Nursery shows how brave they are!
We have some small native wasps but there are three large ones. Yes, they can sting (don’t grab them!) but they don’t have colonial nests like those that European wasps defend so vigorously. Sand-wasps (Bembix spp) are about 20mm long with blue and 20
The third wasp seems to be most common at playgrounds and other mulched areas. The beautiful Blue Flower Wasp banksia bulletin — summer 2013/2014
(Scolia soror) is about 30mm long and feeds on nectar. What you see in the mulch is a party when wasps emerge from their underground birth place: their mother made sure they were fed by injecting her eggs into the larvae of Christmas beetles. Summer is also when our scarcest frog, the Peron’s Tree Frog can be heard; in quiet conditions from well over a kilometre away. No wonder it’s also called the Maniacal Cackling Frog. Go to www.frogs. org.au to listen to recordings of its call and those of other frogs. A more familiar very loud summer sound is the cicadas that emerge after years in the soil. The photograph by Erika
Curlew Sandpiper by John Eichler
Greengrocer Cicada photo by Erika Anderson
Musk lorikeets by Kellie Dene of My Wild Life
Anderson is our most common one, the Greengrocer Cicada (Cyclochila australasiae). My favourite summer bird is the Musk Lorikeet. There are sometimes a few throughout year but most – as you might guess from their colours – arrive in large numbers to feed in particular on the Western Australian Flowering Gums (Corymbia ficifolia). They must nest here, though we have never found a hole. Listen for the wheezing calls of their young. Amongst the special summer birds are the shorebirds that make the huge journey from the far north of Planet Earth to visit us, mainly at the rock platforms at Ricketts Point. Please take care not to disturb them. Many are small as you can see from John Eichler’s photograph on 19 October of the first Curlew Sandpiper to be definitely recorded in Bayside.
And there’s lot more wildlife under the sea. Go for a snorkel this summer! Michael Norris Bayside Friends of Native Wildlife Author’s Note: PS if anyone can identify the species of huntsman spider – or correct any information – please write to bayfonw@hotmail.com Spider-hunting Wasp photo by Erika Anderson
Sand Wasp photo by Kristi Ellingsen
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Banksia
Making your garden more nature friendly Coming into the warmer months there is a very simple step you can take to make your garden/court or yard more insect and animal friendly.
1.
Roll out a handful of clay on a board, being careful not to make it too thin so it doesn’t break. About 1 cm thick is good.
2.
Use a bowl to measure and cut out a circle.
3.
Use an upside down plate as a mould. Put either some fly screen or an old piece of fabric on your mould. This makes it easy to remove the clay after drying.
4.
Lay the clay over the plate (this will make a dish a couple of centimetres deep). Make sure that the dish is still 1cm thick on the outer edges. Birds need this to perch.
5.
Leave to dry. This might take a few days
Shallow bowls 2cm deep will help small birds and skinks. The edges should be about 1cm thick to allow perching. Glazing on the outside will prevent seepage while an unglazed, rougher inside will enable animals to grip.
6.
Optional addition: You can use a glaze or waterproofing paint on the dish before placing it in the garden. However this is not necessary as the rough surface from the unglazed surface will prevent little animals from slipping in.
If you don’t have a suitable dish at home, it is easy enough to make one out of air dry clay.
Don’t forget to ask your parent or guardian’s permission before making your water dish.
If you have worked with clay before, just free form your water bowl making sure it is not deeper than 5 cm and has an edge of about 1 cm for birds to sit on.
Megan Macindoe Enviro Kids
Water is vital for all forms of life. Water helps birds digest the seeds obtained from grasses and shrubs, especially when the food supply is also under stress from drought and the plants themselves are drier than usual. Adding a dish, tray or even filling a natural basin in a tree or log can provide water for an array of different native wild life.
A free form water dish created by Enviro Kids participants
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If you are new to clay follow these instructions:
Elizabeth Walsh Friends of Native Wildlife
Local artist Valda Cummins donated them to the ‘water for wildlife’ project. The dish is currently watering birds and animals along Bayside’s foreshore
banksia bulletin — summer 2013/2014
Butterfiles on Xanthorrhoea
Xanthorrhoea minor (Small grass tree)
Xanthorrhoea minor Long Hollow
Long Hollow Heathland had a wonderful display of Xanthorrhoea minor (Small grass tree) this season. One plant in particular was amazing. It had two dozen flower heads, which had somehow become twisted and tangled into a natural sculpture that looked quite bizarre up close. The explanation has to be the extended period of windy weather we experienced during spring. As the flower stems grew up and were knocked down by one gale, they gradually stiffened as they grew upwards again.
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With a huge effort put into weeding (thanks to Citywide and the Friends), regeneration in the south east section of the reserve (now affectionately known as the ‘non-burn area’) has turned out well. Certainly the Xanthorrhoeas have appreciated the extra light. I think it is our best display of Xanthorrhoea minor in the past 30 years! Rob Saunders Coordinator Friends of Long Hollow
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Lovecreeper and wedding bush
Balcombe Park A number of years ago an uncontrolled fire tore through Balcombe Park Reserve. The fire was very hot and burnt much of the existing vegetation. Soon afterwards, a huge number of Wedding Bush (Ricinocarpus pinifolius) seedlings were observed growing where the fire had been. Wedding Bush is considered difficult to propagate and grow, but in the north of Balcombe Park it is now abundant.
In September the purple-flowered Love Creeper (Comesperma volubile) twined through the white flowers of the Wedding Bush creating the perfect picture. Ian O’Loughlin and Joan Couzoff Friends of Balcombe Park Photos by Ian O’Loughlin
Tortoise dies as a result of prohibited fishing A tortoise has been found dead near the edge of the lake in Basterfield Park in Hampton East. The tortoise died as a result of ingesting a fishing hook and becoming entangled in discarded fishing line. Residents are reminded that fishing in lakes at Basterfield,
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Landcox, Elsternwick and Pobblebonk Parks is prohibited because of the danger it poses to native wildlife. If residents notice anyone fishing in the lake they should contact Council immediately on 9599 4444.
banksia bulletin — summer 2013/2014
Unusual plant found This is a hybrid
Dianella from the 2001 Balcombe Park controlled ecological burn site
White Dianella photo by Pauline Reynolds
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Volunteer Opportunities MELWAY REF
FRIENDS/ENVIRO GROUPS
Friends of Balcombe Park
86 C4
Coordinator: Joan Couzoff Phone: (03) 9589 1060
Friends of Bay Road Heathland Sanctuary
77 B11
Coordinator: Michael Norris Phone: (03) 9521 6879 Email: menorris@ozemail.com.au
Bayside Bushwalking Club (Charman to Cromer Rds, Beaumaris)
Contact: Jo Hurse Phone: (Citywide) 9283 2052
Bayside Environmental Friends Network
Coordinator: Barbara Jakob Mobile: 0408 032 963 Email: baysidefriends@gmail.com
Bayside Community Nursery
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CONTACT DETAILS
77 D12
Contact: Erika Anderson 319 Reserve Road, Cheltenham 3192 Phone: (03) 9583 8408 Open Thurs and Sat 10am – 12pm
Beaumaris Conservation Society
President: Ron Morris, PO Box 7016, Beaumaris 3193 Email: info@bcs.asn.au
Black Rock and Sandringham Conservation Association
President: Bob Whiteway Phone: (03) 9502 0060 Email: bobwhiteway@optusnet.com.au
Cheltenham Primary School Sanctuary
Contact: Cheryl Clark Phone: (03) 8585 3200
Enviro Kids
Enquiries to Barbara Jakob Phone: 0408 032 963
Email: cheltenham.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au
Friends of Brighton Dunes
76 C2
Co-ordinator: Jenny Talbot Phone: (03) 9592 2109
Friends of Cheltenham Park
86 G1
Coordinator: Valerie Tyers Phone: (03) 9588 0107 Email: valerietyers@hotmail.com
Friends of Donald MacDonald Reserve
86 B6
Coordinator: Kim Croker Phone: (03) 9589 2443 Email: kcroker@bigpond.net.au Coordinator: Val Tarrant Phone: (03) 9598 0554 Email: vtarrant@ozemail.com.au.
Friends of George Street Reserve
86 B1
Friends of Gramatan Avenue Heathland
86 C6
Coordinator: Ken Rendell Phone: (03) 9589 4452
Friends of Long Hollow Heathland
86 D5
Coordinator: Rob Saunders Phone: (03) 9515 3383 Email: srednuas@hotmail.com
Friends of Merindah Park & Urban Forest
77 B12
Coordinator: David Cockburn Phone: (03) 9598 6148 Email: davidcoc@optusnet.com.au
Coordinator: Pauline Reynolds Phone: (03) 9598 6368 Email: pauline.reynolds@bigpond.com
Friends of Native Wildlife
Coordinator: Michael Norris Phone: (03) 9521 6879 Email: Bayfonw@hotmail.com
Friend of Picnic Point Sandringham
Coordinator: Terry Reynolds Phone: (03) 9598 2978 Email: Reynolds_family@hotmail.com
Friends of Ricketts Point Landside
86 C9
Coordinator: Sue Raverty Phone: (03) 9589 2103 Email: sraverty@westnet.com.au
Friends of Table Rock
86 E10
Coordinator: Ken Rendell Phone: (03) 9589 4452
Friends of Ricketts Point
86 D9
Coordinator: Moira Longden Phone: (03) 9589 2725
Marine Care Ricketts Point Inc
86 C9
Phone: (03) 9589 4452
NED (New Environment Directions) at Elsternwick Park
Coordinator: Neil Blake, Port Phillip EcoCentre Phone: (03) 9534 0413 Email: neilblake.ecocentre@iinet.net.au
St. Leonards College Conservation Group
Contact: Luisa Ingram Phone: (03) 9909 9300 Email: Luisa.Ingram@stleonards.vic.edu.au
banksia bulletin — summer 2013/2014
January, February, March 2014 TIME
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
10.00 am – noon
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10.00 am – noon
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Contact Jo Hurse (Citywide) 9283 2052 4.30 pm – 6.00 pm 10 .00 am – noon
10.00 am – noon
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Bayside City Council encourages people from our local community groups to submit articles of interest, share experiences and news about any upcoming events. All articles are reviewed prior to publication and Council reserves the right to omit or edit submissions.
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9.00 am – noon Contact School 9583 1614
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9.30 am – 11.30 am
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Every Tuesday morning
Every Tuesday morning
Every Tuesday morning
10.00 am – noon
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10.00 am – noon
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Editor Simon Hill, Manager Environmental Sustainability & Open Space.
10.00 am – noon
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Content Coordinator Triér Murphy Sustainability Promotions Officer.
1.00 pm – 3.00 pm
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Autumn 2014 7 February for early March release
1.00 pm – 3.00 pm
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Winter 2014 9 May for early June release
8.00 am – 10.00 am
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Editorial Policy The purpose of publishing the Banksia Bulletin is to circulate information, report on events, and to profile relevant environmental issues important to our community. The Bulletin is also published to support the network of people involved in enjoying and protecting our local environment.
10.00 am – noon 9.30 am
Acknowledgements Thank you to all the people who have contributed to this issue of Banksia Bulletin. Disclaimer The views expressed in the Banksia Bulletin are not necessarily those of Bayside City Council nor its representatives.
Copy deadlines 2013/2014
Banksia Bulletin is published quarterly by Bayside City Council to service people interested in enjoying and protecting the local environment.
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12.30 pm – 2.30 pm
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10.00 am – noon
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banksia bulletin — summer 2013/2014
If you would like to be added to the Banksia Bulletin mailing list, please contact Bayside City Council on 9599 4444 or email: banksia@bayside.vic.gov.au Please indicate whether you would prefer to receive your Banksia Bulletin by post or via email. Corporate Centre PO Box 27 Royal Avenue SANDRINGHAM VIC 3191 Telephone: 9599 4444 www.bayside.vic.gov.au banksia@bayside.vic.gov.au Hours of business 8.30am – 5pm Monday – Friday (except public holidays)
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Subscribe to the Banksia Bulletin today To receive your copy please refer to our website
www.bayside.vic.gov.au/ environment_banksia_bulletin
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banksia bulletin — summer 2013/2014