Links Inc

Nepean Conservation Group Inc.

''People who come here and their first instinct is to start clearing all the trees, shouldn't be living here, that's my feeling.''

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HOODED PLOVERS UNDER THREAT ON THE NEPEAN PENINSULA

Summer's crush takes a toll on tiny plovers

IAN SUTHERLAND

The Age September 26, 2009 writes

HOODED plovers make their nest in the most exposed and vulnerable of places. Between August and March, these tiny rotund birds of ocean beaches lay their eggs directly on the sand just metres above the high-tide mark. "[People] are amazed that a bird would lay its eggs on a beach in summer", says Dr Grainne Maguire, a researcher with Birds Australia who has studied breeding hooded plovers for the past three years.

Dr Maguire says that this year hooded plovers have already started breeding at beaches around the state, including Black Rock near Torquay, Gunnamatta and St Andrews. On her latest visit to Black Rock, Dr Maguire discovered that one of three plover chicks hatched there was already missing, presumed dead. ''Hooded plovers breed on the busiest beaches, including the back beaches of the Mornington Peninsula, but it is a struggle for them to succeed there. Even though most eggs hatch, the chicks can't feed among the crowds and get crushed, predated [eaten] or starve,'' says Dr Maguire.

Over the past three years, only 10 per cent of eggs laid by hooded plovers have survived to fledgling stage, that is, old enough to fly. Such low breeding success rates imperil their survival, says Dr Maguire. Restricted to southern Australia, as few as 400 hooded plovers remain in Victoria. "Hooded plovers are a species that people can directly and individually help," says Dr Maguire. Last year on the Mornington Peninsula, dedicated wardens ''babysat'' nesting plovers and their eggs and chicks through the summer on beaches inundated with people. Their efforts paid off when a chick was raised on busy Koonya Ocean Beach, the first success from 55 eggs laid there in the past three years.

Hooded plovers also bred successfully for the first time in 10 years at a Rye back beach, where two chicks were raised. Other busy beaches where the birds were able to raise a brood include Anglesea, Apollo Bay, Killarney, Black Rock, and Cape Paterson, thanks largely to protection measures such as signs, fences and awareness campaigns. Dr Maguire's team visited primary schools near breeding beaches to raise awareness of the plovers' plight. "When I last did talks to schoolkids, they were just so innocent and sweet, they couldn't understand why people wouldn't do anything in their power to help the chicks," she says. "They also helped make wooden tepees to be put out on beaches to give chicks hiding places.''

Unleashed dogs are especially disturbing to the birds, says Dr Maguire, and a few dog owners confuse requests for leashing near nesting sites with an anti-dog campaign. "The majority of people are happy to alter their behaviour over a small section of beach. Unfortunately, there are a limited number of people, and more commonly dog walkers, that do not understand the danger that their behaviour poses," she says. Dr Maguire says that research from Melbourne and Deakin universities has shown that most dog owners think that dogs in general are a danger to these birds but they also believe their own dog is not a threat.

In November and January, Dr Maguire's team will have telescopes in place so people can view hooded plovers. Locations include Apollo Bay, Cape Paterson, Koonya, Portsea, and Port Fairy.

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VOLUNTEERS WANTED TO HELP SAVE THE HOODED PLOVER

Beach-nesting Birds project: Is recruiting volunteers for the Hooded Plover breeding season this spring/summer. We are looking for volunteers interested in nest monitoring along the Victorian coast. In particular we are after volunteers in Gunnamatta, Portsea and St Andrews Beach (Mornington Peninsula), Breamlea and Pt Impossible (Bellarine Peninsula), Kilcunda (West Gippsland), Wild Dog Creek (Apollo Bay), Killarney (Far west Vic), and Port Fairy. We offer training to all new volunteers. For more information on the project, visit www.birdsaustralia.com.au/beach, call Meghan Cullen on 9347 0757 or email m.cullen@birdaustralia.com.au
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POINT NEPEAN COMMUNITY BULLETIN

Thursday 12th November 2009

This bulletin, from the Incident Control Centre at Rosebud, is to inform the local community of fire activity in the Point Nepean National Park and the control measures being undertaken.

Three planned burns were lit in Point Nepean National Park on Monday, one an ecological burn and two as part of an ongoing program of clearing unexploded ordnance (UXO) in an area previously used as a live firing range. The UXO burns are undertaken in partnership with the federal Department of Defence.

Two of the burns were successfully completed as planned. However, one of the UXO burns broke control lines and burnt through surrounding coastal vegetation for a distance of some 500 metres before being stopped by fire fighters that evening. The presence of unexploded ammunition at the site made direct attack by ground forces very difficult on some sections of the fire. Fire fighters have worked around the clock this week on blacking out the fire and strengthening containment lines around the perimeter.

The fire is now CONTAINED.

There is no active flame and the fire has not increased in size since Monday evening. Fire fighters continue to black out and patrol containment lines on the northern and western sides of the fire. The southern edge of the fire is not accessible to ground crews due to the presence of unexploded ammunition so it has been contained via the use of aircraft and retardant. Additional contingency containment lines have been constructed ahead of expected warmer weather this weekend. Infra-red technology is being used to identify hotspots and direct the efforts of crews on the ground.

There is NO THREAT to the public or communities in the area.

Residents of the southern peninsula need to be aware that a low level of fire activity continues within control lines, so some smoke may still be visible. This fire demonstrates that there are always risks in undertaking planned burns, however there is a greater risk in not undertaking a burns program. There is significant community expectation to increase the number of burns in preparation for this coming summer and we have already had the chance to undertake many more burns than last year. Across the state the average each spring has been around 8,000 hectares treated, this spring we are already closing in on 20,000 hectares.

The park is closed until at least Saturday (inclusive). Parks Victoria and DSE crews will continue to patrol this fire until it is completely safe. The fire is fully contained within the old firing range, an area of the park that is not accessible or readily visible to the public. Please call Parks Victoria on 13 1963 for further park information.

For up to date information on fires in Victoria and general fire safety advice, please contact the

Victorian Bushfire Information Line (VBIL) on freecall 1800 240 667. Callers who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech / communication impairment may call textphone/ telewriter (TTY) on 1800 122 969. Information is also available at www.dse.vic.gov.au/fires or

www.cfa.vic.gov.au

POINT NEPEAN NEWS

Issue 1 – 13 October 2009

Welcome to the first Point Nepean News – a quarterly update on what is happening around the park.

Quarantine Station opening
The former Quarantine Station and Officer Cadet School is to be opened to the community as part of the Point Nepean National Park from Sunday 6 December 2009. This date coincides with the 21st anniversary of the opening of the Point Nepean National Park on 4 December 1988. This significant milestone will be celebrated with a community day featuring free guided tours, loads of kid’s activities, free commemorative souvenir booklet, free bike and transporter rides, live entertainment, local produce and Ranger Roo performances. The days activities will run from 10am to 5pm, more information will be available closer to the event. From the community day, the Quarantine Station will be permanently open and accessible by walking, cycling and the transporter, a hop-on, hop-off people mover. A new walking track is being constructed along Defence Road to link the Visitor Centre with the Quarantine Station precinct.

Establishing the Quarantine Station for use
Work has commenced in establishing a Park Office. The eastern part of the former Administration building is being fitted out, and while these works are being undertaken, park staff are temporarily located in the western part of this building. A range of works are underway to support the 6 December opening for regular community use of the Quarantine Station. These include the development of a self-guided interpretive tour, establishing a public toilet complex, and installing park furniture. Parks Victoria is currently running an Expression of Interest for the establishment of a food and beverage service within the Quarantine Station. The aim of this service is to provide park visitors with the opportunity to purchase items such as a coffee and ice-cream out of a temporary facility or part of the former Administration Building.

Upcoming events
Point Nepean will continue to be busy this summer. The first event will be the Victorian National Parks Association holding their annual ‘Caring for Nature’ day on Sunday 22 November 2009. December will feature a community day to celebrate the permanent opening of the Quarantine Station. January will be the busiest month for events, with the Portsea Twilight Run and the Portsea Polo to again be held in the park. This will be followed by a major music and arts festival in mid-January.

In the park
To complete the program of planned works in the former Firing Range Area, in September, Parks Victoria prepared a further 4 hectares of unexploded ordnance contaminated land. Machinery was used to crush coastal tea-tree, prepare control lines and remove undergrowth. A prescribed burn is anticipated for late spring 2009, following the burn, the area will be subject to intensive ordnance surveying and clearance and in time the area will return to grassy woodland habitats. There has been significant progress in improving the track network in the park. Underway is the second stage of the Coles Track upgrade, linking Observatory Point with the Quarantine Station. This track will accommodate cycling and walking, and will be opened for use in December. Also to be completed by December is the walking track linking London Bridge and Point Nepean. This walk will be an extension of the long coastal walk from Cape Schanck.

Meet the team
Parks Victoria has established a dedicated unit working at Point Nepean National Park, they are: Stuart Hughes, Manager Point Nepean Victor Teoh, Ranger in Charge Dave Hasnip, Ranger Team Leader Brendan McKay, Ranger Chris O'Brien, Field Services Officer Megan Underwood, Ranger John Grinpukel, Heritage Planner Sally Hutchinson, Venue Co-ordinator Belinda Bocson, Communications Officer Along with many other Parks Victoria staff working at Point Nepean in their specialist roles.

Point Nepean National Park
Located at the end of Point Nepean Road, Portsea Open 7 days (except Christmas Day) 10am – 5pm.

For more information please call 13 1963

or visit www.parkweb.vic.gov.au <https://promo-manager.server-secure.com/ch/fwqb77/262573/5f744c7jw.html>

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Sorrento Streetscape Plan Updates

More information is available at http://www.mornpen.vic.gov.au/Files/StrategicPlanning/Ocean_Beach_Rd_Sorrento_Brochure.pdf.
Note this is a big 8.64 Mb Adobe PDF File

Support the Blue Wedges Campaign: go to www.bluewedges.org for the latest updates

Point Nepean Handover 8 June 2009