Minutes of Cooloola Coastcare Meeting

Sunday April 13th 2008 at Tin Can Bay Library

Open: 2:00pm

Present: Fiona Hawthorne, Terry Tebble, Jenny Adamson, Mary Boyce, Gwynne
Klaassen, Lindsay Rigby, Alan Jones, Dorothy Pashniak, Maree Prior, Sonya Robertson,
Susie Pickin, Peter Pickin, Sarah Mitchell, Norma Sanderson, Kim Thompson.

Apologies: Joanna Martin, Greg Wood, ShirleyWilson, Fiona Loughran, Helen Schubert.

Minutes of the last general meeting Dec 1st, 2007 were displayed and read by all present.
Moved: Maree ‘That the minutes be accepted’ 2nd: Susie Carried.

Business arising from the minutes: photo/tribute of Les Boyce garden.

Action: Fiona to take photo of LB garden; Nick to post on website.
Strategic Planning not followed up on due to elections & lack of time. Take to general
business.

Correspondence In: A list of correspondence items was circulated to the meeting.

Moved: Maree ‘That the correspondence in be accepted’. 2nd:Kim Carried.

Correspondence Out: A list of correspondence out was circulated and the president asked
for any queries.
Moved: Fiona ‘That the correspondence out be endorsed’. 2nd KimCarried.

Presidents Report: nil

Treasurers Report: As per handout

Moved: Jenny ‘That the treasurers report be accepted’. 2nd: Terry Carried.

Coordinators Report: was displayed and read out.

Moved: Maree ‘That the Coordinators report be accepted’. 2nd:Alan Carried.
(see attachment)

General Business:

Fiona thanked Maree for continuing on with Coastcare tasks while on council and
through election period.
Cr Larry Friske appointed by GRC as new Coastcare council rep. Discussion ensued
about general environmental awareness in the new region and council. There is a need to
build on common ground e.g. the dam and its effects on the Sandy Straits; water supply
issues and Qld State of the Environment Report.

Current Projects.

Bush Learning Project by Fiona & Kim

Co-authored by Dr Sandy Sytsma and Maree Prior for a Community Partnerships Grant
for active lifestyles and healthy eating. The Project is being managed by Coastcare
members, Kim Thompson and Fiona Hawthorne at the Tin Can Bay P-10 School, and
incorporates Indigenous input and bushtucker in the school curriculum.
The Project will create a teacher resource through
• A guided walk in the wallum buffer zone
• Bushtucker gardens in each year area which are age specific
• City Farm partnership-plant relocation with Greencorp team / YACAH
involvement.
• Cultural aspects of Butchella people in curriculum
Nai Nai has created contact with Cherbourg & will share visits with TCB Yrs 4-7.
Construction of dorrigo and students to gather further info eg field guides/seasonal
changes/birds/bees. Project enables community to look at environment in a positive way
ie resource for food, shelter, biodiversity. A teacher’s resource manual to be developed.
Project enabled timely delivery of EATSIPS (Ed Qld policy) for TCB school.
Acquittal celebration- invite councillors, Coastcare, greencorp etc.

Greencorp Teams sponsored by Cooloola Coastcare by Sonya

Greencorp is a Federal Govt program managed by Jobfutures & provides 6 months
education and get ready for work program for 17-20 year olds. The coast will have 2
teams and 20 participants who will obtain a Conservation and Land Management cert 1,
first aid, and other training opportunities eg ACDC. Starts Tues 2nd May-Oct 08.
On-ground works to include: Slash pine removal & oval bank reveg on TCB school
grounds; Mapping transects pre fire on school grounds; City Farm seed collection and
plant propagation; Mullins Ck weed removal/landscaping/bollards installation; RB weed
eradication; Inskip birdwatching/surveys and a film for 2009 L’care awards.

Waderbirds and Saltmarsh by Dorothy

Dorothy delivered an inspiring powerpoint on the current Envirofund project at Cooloola
Cove. Saltmarsh is the vegetation between the mangroves and the wallum and is the
‘kidneys of the bay’. It is in danger of needless destruction by the unauthorized use of
4WD vehicles on the bay’s sand and mudflats. Compaction caused by one vehicle can
take the site up to 20 years to recover. Saltmarsh is the roosting site for birds inc
thousands which migrate from Siberia each year and desperately rely upon the saltmarsh
for food. Saltmarsh is also the nursery for juvenile fish and other marine species.
Photos of plant species displayed and bird counting described.
Dorothy acknowledged the expertise and assistance from Jill Denning and Kelvin and
Amelia Neilsen.

City Farm by Susie

Susie and Peter reported on the progress of the City Farm move and that the shed from
the Jupiters grant should be under construction soon. Still no absolute move date but once
out committed to new site. Work for the Dole volunteers and Peter undertaking much of
the work in consultation with council staff.
Discussion about future management ensued. It was discussed by Coastcare members
present, which included long time City Farm volunteers, that a letter be written by Fiona
offering an alternative to the proposed Gympie-Cooloola Rotary MOU with Coastcare
and forwarded to members present before posting to Rotary and Council. This was
agreed. Peter asked would any members be willing to be on a City Farm Committee and
support was shown by way of raised hands.
Action: Fiona to write letter; Maree to forward to members present.

Cooloola Coast Mapping Project by Maree.

The Mapping Project is being finalised and is up to the Final report and Presentation
stage. Presentations will be given at TCB school Student Free Day 14/04/08 to inform
staff about the natural local area and Environmental Education; and at the BMRG Coastal
Forum at Elliot Heads 19/04/08. Project Partners will be informed and the results and
presentation is now on the Coastcare website. The end product is an interactive and
ongoing data source for coastal environmental information which will assist and guide in
decision making. An offline demonstration and powerpoint presentation of the Project
was delivered at the meeting.
Fiona gave a vote of thanks to Nick (technical support) and all the project officers
(Michael, Dave & Lena) and volunteers esp Susie and Alan to see this project through.

Next meeting: Thursday 2pm, 5th June.

Meeting closed: 4:45pm