THE BLURB

NEWSLETTER OF THE BEDFORDALE RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION http://bedfordaleblurb.blogspot.com/

Summer/Autumn 2013

Presidents Message May 2013

BEDFORDALE RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION
Margaret Paley 9399 1498 Thank you to the new Committee members that were elected at our Annual AGM and welcome to Jude our new Secretary. Everyone is very busy and some are also on other Committees, but they work to represent the residents of Bedfordale. Thanks also go to those whom attended the AGM. It is always inspiring to hear about the Associations in the area and what they do for our Community. I would like to thank Jacqui for her tireless work over the years on the committee and her organisation of the 2 sites for Clean-up Australia. Thanks also to Liz Sanders for manning the Bedfordale Hall site, this year, in Grahams absence. Helen and Keith, with their grandson, single-handedly cleaned up Churchman Brook Rd; Lyle and Ian were seen in the preceding 2 weeks cleaning up the Highway and Nola cleared up the 2 Wallangarra Drives before the day. A big thank you goes to them and also the many other volunteers that helped on the day. Thanks are also extended to Peter who gets the Blurb out twice a year and Southern Hills Christian College who print the many copies for us. Without this we would be very limited with our Communication to the Community. The Committee are now delivering as many Blurbs as possible but we would love any other volunteers to assist us. Anyone who does not receive one may be able to get one from Yul Du. Kerry was again successful in receiving a Grant that paid for the amusement for the children at our Annual Christmas Party and BBQ. Brian, Mike, Gavin, Alison and the Bedfordale Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade put in many hours as well, to again make this such a success. Tony Simpson has been a great support to the Association with his assistance with printing and postage and his attendance at many meetings and Mark Geary and Guenter Best have been great advocates as our Council representatives. We were pleased to have been successful in having a notice board installed at the Churchman Brook Hall. This is a positive step and enables us to advertise our events and those of the Fire Brigade and other community groups. We are now having alternate meetings at this Hall, the next being 13th June. Churchman Brook has also been assured that a generator will be installed in the event of loss of power to the area so that water will still be available. We have also been successful in having some areas in Bedfordale cleared so as not to pose a fire risk. We have been in contact with the City Of Armadale re the disposal of the freehold land at Lot 108 Springfield Rd. Because of this the AGM was well attended and all residents were given the opportunity to voice their concerns. It was obvious from the meeting that the residents are opposed to this and we have let the City of Armadale know of the outcome. It is now up to you, the residents, to attend Council meetings and/or write to council voicing your concerns. Also keep an eye out in the local papers as the Council will advertise any decisions and/or ask for feedback through the papers.

President:

Vice President:
Kerry Batt 9498 1957

Jude Kealty 0413 024 690

Secretary:

Treasurer:
Lyle Metcalf 9498 2855

Meetings are held bi Monthly on the second Tuesday of the month at the community hall on Admiral Road off the Albany Hwy. Come along and join us and have your say on local issues. For further information or to confirm meeting details ring Jacqui on 9498 3332. The next meeting is Tuesday the 13th June 2013 at 7.45p.m. All are welcome.

If you would like to contribute an article to the Blurb or you have any comments you would like to share, please feel free to send them to:

theblurb@ausms.com.au

Useful Phone Numbers

FIRE, AMBULANCE & POLICE (EMERGENCY) 000 POLICE (Non emergency) 131444 POLICE (Armadale Police Station) (Office Hours) 9399 0222 CRIME STOPPERS 1800 333 000 CITY ARMADALE (Office hours) 9399 0111 CITY ARMADALE (After hours incl. Ranger) 1300 886 885 STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE 1300 130 039 MAIN ROADS (Emergency) 1800 800 009 WILD LIFE CENTRE (24 Hrs) 9474 9055 (Office Hours) 9394 0885

Clean Up Australia 2013 On the 3rd March 2013 Bedfordale Residents Ass. Organized two sites for Clean Up Australia. The first site was at Bedfordale Hall on Admiral Road, where 7 people turned out. A big thank you to Ian Thompson and Lyle Metcalfe, who together, spent many days before the Clean Up Day, collecting rubbish all down the Albany Hwy. In total 40 bags of rubbish were collected. The site at Churchman Brook Community Hall had a very disappointing turnout. Helen and Keith Wildsmith and their 8 year old grandson Travis Wildsmith, did a wonderful job of cleaning up an appalling mess along Churchman Brook Road. They collected 17 bags of rubbish, 25 car tyres, an old microwave, an air conditioner, a scooter and a suitcase with contents. They were the only volunteers to appear, so unfortunately no one cleaned up the verges on Churchman Brook Estate, or the other estates, a real lack of community spirit!! Our thanks to Tony Simpson for sending out notice of this event to everyone on the electoral roll.

DARLING RANGE WILDLIFE SHELTER INFORMATION Wildcare Helpline Number 24 Hrs 9474 9055

Darling Range W ildlife Shelter, MARTIN Hours 9am-5pm 7 Days a week. 9394 0885 Fran is the Volunteer coordinator for Darling Range Wildlife Shelter. Please call Fran on 0400 802 409 if you can spare a few hours per week or weekend to volunteer at the Darling Range Wildlife Shelter on Hayward Rd Martin off Gosnells Rd East. Its a good idea to have a blanket, thick gloves and a carton in your car for carrying injured wildlife to a nearby vet. Treatment of wildlife is free of charge at all vets .The vet then deals with the care, assessment and/or euthanasia of the injured animal. Our nearest vet is the Armadale-Byford Vet on South West Highway. Remember to stay calm. Enter the Wildcare Helpline number into your mobile phone for advice. Joeys can live for three or four days in a dead mothers pouch, so please check any dead female kangaroos you pass on the road. Remember do not give cows milk or baby formula to an injured kangaroo as this will give it diarrhea. Injured roos or birds need quiet, warmth and darkness or they can die from stress. Cover an injured animals eyes with a towel. When moving native possums, remember to use thick gloves, as they can bite and have sharp claws. If you hook a pelican or another bird while fishing, please cover the birds eyes to calm it. Then carefully try to remove the hook or line. If you need help, please call W.A. Seabird Rescue for assistance Ph 0418952683. Dont forget, bandicoots are now on the vulnerable list. (They are not RATS)

BUNGENDORE PARK MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

ILLEGAL FIREWOOD COLLECTION $5000 max penalty Under the Local Government Property Local Law There are still incidents of illegal firewood collection occurring within Bungendore Park. Residents who are aware of people removing wood from the Park are encouraged to call the City of Armadale Ranger Department on 9399 0111 or 1300 886 885 after hours. If possible, recording car or trailer registration numbers will help Rangers identify offenders and administer appropriate penalties. Rangers are treating this problem seriously and will be monitoring commonly used access points. The City has been made aware of entry points through particular private properties and will be monitoring these also. Help maintain this precious resource - fallen logs provide vital habitats for many animals and are an essential part of the Park ecosystem.

Bungendore Park Management Committee is pleased to announce that four Phyto Fighter 1000 units will soon be installed at key locations within the Park. The Phyto Fighter 1000 is a self contained boot washing station for walkers, designed to minimise the spread of the pathogen. They have an easy to use, brush and spray system which removes contaminated soil from footwear, before spraying with a sterilising solution to kill Phytophthora spores. A recent study identified 9 different species of bats using the Park. A Bats of Bungendore Park brochure is currently in production with release planned for the Bush Breakfast in November. An oil painting of Bungendore Bats by Perth artist Rob Fleming will also be auctioned at the breakfast, with limited edition prints available on the day. Dieback Treatment for 2013 was recently completed with over 3.2km of dieback front treated with foliar spray and over 12,000 tree injections administered. Eight PVC artificial nest hollows or Cockatubes, were recently installed in the Park to encourage the black cockatoos to take up residence. The Bungendore Park Management Committee currently has 3 vacancies and would like to encourage interested people to join. Committee meets at the City of Armadale offices every 4th Thursday of the month at 7.30pm and deals with a number of management issues such as Dieback and weed control, f ire m anag ement, maintenance and special events. If you are interested, please call Kerry on 0402 327 393 for more information.

HAPPENING IN YOUR AREA 5one4

Dont forget, apart from the Sunday at the Bedfordale Hall, 5one4 have many activities that you would be interested in. On Wednesday nights they have a group of ladies who get together and go to the gym and then have a coffee together afterwards. On Thursdays they have a mixed group, (men, women and children) who meet down off Eighth Rd. On Fridays, the younger crowd get together for some fun. If you have any questions, queries or comments, you can eMail them to: 5one4.info@gmail.com Or phone 0411 115 434.

Armadale Art Society

The Armadale Art Society has many members and welcomes all. It runs classes most days, including drawing , watercolour, portraits in oils, mixed media and much more. Demonstrations are given at their monthly meetings and anyone interested can contact the vice president Dot Marshall on 0409 921 838 or Secretary Jean Coppendale on 9456 0362.

THE WILDFLOWER SOCIETY

The Armadale Branch of the Wildflower Society meets at 7.30pm on the second Thursday of each month February to November. Come along to the meetings and enjoy a good supper too! Tel.9498 2127 or 9399 3649 for more details. Even though it was a hot summer, we still managed our seed collecting forays in Bungendore Park. The seeds will be propagated and returned to the Park within the next few years for revegetation. There were many plants still flowering in February and the bush still looked green. After the collecting session in December, some members attended the BEAC volunteer thank-you breakfast held at the Field Study Centre. It is always a pleasure to meet members of other local environment groups . On the 26th-28th October many of our members enjoyed an excursion to Busselton where we had arranged to meet with members of the Murdoch Branch. During the weekend we visited various sites including some on the Whicher Range to look for plants, including many endemics, growing on ironstones. The Kelmscott Show on the 19th/20th October gave us another opportunity to display our wonderful wildflowers in the Flower Pavilion. The wide variety that we displayed surprised us all and again our display proved to be very popular to the public that visited the show. It is at this time of year, when is starts to become cooler, that we can look forward to Winter and await the flowering of our local wildflowers, either on the Coastal Plain or on the Darling Range. We have very interesting speakers at our meetings and we welcome you to come along. Helen Wildsmith President Wildflower Society, Armadale Branch. Visit http://www.wildflowersarmadale.gov.au

Jacqui Roo Walking the dogs along the firebreak one morning, adjacent to Churchman Brook Road, I came across a young female roo, obviously severely injured, on the road side of the fence. She had obviously been hit by a car and left to suffer all night, as she had dug a deep hole with her front paws, desperately trying to get up. I could see that she had a baby in her pouch. I took my dogs home and rang the Darling Range Wildlife help line. Their on call volunteer was there within 45 minutes and confirmed that there was indeed a baby alive. She had called the gentleman who has the unenviable task of shooting the poor creature. He arrived shortly after. We were able to rescue the baby who is now called Jacqui Roo. Please be aware that there are definite crossing points on most of the roads around Bedfordale, particularly where the animals need to access water. If you are unlucky enough to hit one, please check for young in the females, and dont leave adults to suffer. Just because it may move off the road does not mean it is not suffering. Many of the smaller ones and females are too small to jump the terrible fences that now cut them off from their feeding and watering sites and they become confused. Where there is one roo on the road there are probably several. Fog lights on cars do give you slightly more time to spot them. Please also ring the Rangers at the council offices, so that dead animals can be removed.

ORGANIC GROWERS Hi Everyone, This ye ar, we celebrate Roleystone Organic Growers 21st birthday! Kathy Moore and Tony Dowling organised our first meeting on March 11th 1992. A couple of years later Viv Keelty and I shared organising the meetings before Viv went bush a few years ago. I, with Margita (seed bank), Faye (supper and my brains trust), and Felicia (library) plus others, who help out as needed have continued to help make our group a success. To celebrate we are going to have a field day at our home along with the usual yummy afternoon tea. Kathy still has newspaper clippings from the old days and these will be on display. On our 10 acres (mostly bush) we have a Japanese garden, veggie patch, fruit trees, worm farms, fire readiness for our home etc. So, there will plenty to have a look at and fellow gardeners to chat to. Well supervised children are welcome. The date is Saturday May 18th from 2-4pm. Numbers will be limited, so if youd like to attend please email me awakeandreadyperth@hotmail.com If you receive the Blurb in time, you are welcome to attend. In June we are having Joe from Tass 1 trees speaking about Growing and Troubleshooting Fruit Trees. July Chris Oliver will be speaking about Grafting. If you would like to be updated about our meetings, you are welcome to email me and ask to be put on the Roleystone Organic Growers email list. Cheers, Lisa Porter

Adult Literacy

Are you looking for something to fill those boring hours? Read Write Now (RWN) Armadale Branch is the local unit for the Voluntary Adult Literacy Tutoring Service. At present we have approx 18 tutors but there is a growing need for more. We mainly try to offer our help to Australians who are having difficulties in literacy or numeracy. Did you know that 48% of the adult Australian population has problems with everyday functional literacy? If you enjoy reading, there is no greater thrill than to help someone discover that same joy. If all Australian students have a tutor we will also help adults from other countries that are keen to learn. All lessons are on a one-to-one basis, which is easier on both tutor and student with no set curriculum, and each course is individually prepared. Tutors do not need formal qualifications to be accepted into the programme. Good people skills and empathy are far more important! There is a short training course which gives some skills and strategies for working with adult students. There is no minimum standard of education for students and there is NO CHARGE at all. If you would like to join this enthusiastic local group as either a tutor or a student please contact our Central Office on 1800 018 802 or for more personal information please 'phone Veronica on 0408 909 915

Bushfire Ready Feedback Workshop

It was great to see many from neighbouring regions attend a Feedback workshop, run by DFES Community and Engagement team, at the Bedfordale Hall on Thursday 18 th April 2013. There were representatives from our own Bedfordale Volunteer Bushfire Brigade, Roleystone, Kalamunda and Gosnells Volunteer Fire Brigades, Emergency Services from the City of Armadale, Tony Buti, Facilitators and Street Coordinators (from these districts) in attendance. The DFES are developing a 5 year strategy and are consulting with all districts. Bushfire Ready Outcomes are to: Increase awareness of bushfire risk Increase level of preparedness Increase resilience in the community Groups were given the opportunity to speak on Benefits and Strengths and Weaknesses and Challenges of the programme. There then followed discussion on what support could be given to Facilitators and Street Coordinators and how to further develop communication and partnerships within the community. Our thanks go to Ian, Tina and Nola who organised the Hall and supper. Street Coordinators are desperately needed in Bedfordale and anyone who may be interested is asked to contact Tina on 0417 871 810.

RAINDROPS KEEP FALLING ..............

Rainfall (mm) April January to April Bedfordale 2013 20 134 Bedfordale 2012 81 149 Bedfordale 2011 56 108

The long-term averages (means) recorded at the Wungong Dam are: 1) 100 year average for April = 63mm. 2) 30 year average for April = 55mm. 3) 100 year average January to April = 122mm 4) 30 year average January to April = 113mm For the month of April we were 35mm below the 30 year mean and we were 43mm below the 100 year average. For the January to April 2013 period, we are 12mm above our 100 year aggregate and 21mm the 30 year figure. The exceptionally good rainfall in March has more than compensated for the below average for April. At the time of writing this article, the forecast for rain at the beginning of May looks very promising. Lets keep our fingers crossed as the groundwater levels have not yet reached their normal levels.

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Bedfordale Residents Association Membership Form

Cost: $10 per family per annum Name: ____________________________________________________________________ Address: _________________________________________________________________ E-mail Address (for electronic Blurb): __________________________________________ Phone (optional): _______________________Mobile______________________________ The Bedfordale Residents Association operates to maintain and improve the quality of life in Bedfordale and provides an organised channel of information between the people of Bedfordale and the City of Armadale and other appropriate authorities. The Committee meet every second Tuesday of every second month.

For details of where to send your application please refer to the phone numbers on the front page.