BACKCREEK

BRIEFINGS

March 2010

Sunday March 7^th 2010 is

Clean Up Australia Day:

10:00 am – 12:00pm Cornell Street entrance to Back Creek.

The Newsletter of

FRIENDS OF BACK CREEK INC. - FOBC

ABN 43 819 801 067

 

The photocopying of this newsletter is courtesy of Bob Stensholt local MLA for Burwood. Funds supporting the printing and distribution of newsletters provided by Melbourne Water

Greetings friends and other residents interested in Back Creek.  This is the 33rd edition of BACKCREEK BRIEFINGS.

Progress made is as follows:

Membership subscription: Membership subscriptions for 2010 are due. If you would like to become a member and or make a donation, contact our treasurer Bob Strickland on 9830 0749 or print off a membership form from our website and send us your subscription.

FOBC WEBSITE:

Check it out. It contains details of 2010 working Bee dates as well as photo’s of the creek and recent activities

www.friendsofbackcreek.org

Working Bees: Our first working bee for 2010 will be this Sunday March 7th 2010 "Clean Up Australia" day. If you would like to attend bring along gloves and firm foot ware.

The following working bee will be focusing on preparing and clearing ground for planting during the second half of 2010. You may have noticed that with assistance from Council we have extended our planting to include along the pathway south of Cornell St towards Linden Park. In particular along the west boundary adjoining the convent and vacant land. The block recently sold for around $25m, is earmarked for development of 70 houses and units. Planting efforts by FOBC and Council will soften the appearance of this boundary by covering up some of the developments visual impact on the local amenity. We also aim to plant along the east boundary of the path.

Details of the FOBC event dates are as follows:

March 7^th 2010 – Clean Up Australia day

April 18^th 2010 - Preparation Quinton Sth

May 16^h 2010 – Preparation Quinton Sth

June 20 ^st 2010 – Preparation Cornell St

July 18^th 2010 – Preparation Cornell St

August 1st 2010 – National Tree day

August 22^nd 2010- Cornell Street planting

September 19^th 2010 – Spring Planting Festival

October 17^th 2010 – Spring Planting Festival

November 21^st 2009 – Spring Planting Festival

December 20^th 2010 – (only if numbers permit)

Melbourne Water Capital Works Update

Early last year Melbourne Water completed the first stage of a program to improve Back Creek between Riversdale Road and Cornell Street in Camberwell. The project focused on the area between the Quinton Road ramp and the footbridge at Riversdale Road and involved willow removal, rock work to stabilise the creek’s bed and banks and planting about 2,500 native plants.

The River Health team at Melbourne Water is now reviewing the next stage of works to take place downstream of the Quinton Road ramp. Melbourne Water remains committed to improving the area and, together with the Friends of Back Creek and Boroondara City Council, will consider a number of options including some softer approaches requiring less extensive rock work than in Stage One. Interestingly the slender knotweed indigenous to the area and previously almost wiped out from the creek is thriving and has begun to grow over the rock beds created.

The main issue concerns access to the creek for heavy machinery and removal of willows. Options considered by Melbourne Water have included accessing the creek from the Cornell Street end or from Quinton Rd end. Removing willows in one concentrated 6- 8 week period or alternatively selectively removing them over a longer period of time. FOBC continues to maintain contact with both Council and Melbourne Water and any further proposed changes to their original staged plan will be reported in this newsletter.

For more information you can contact Melbourne Water on 92877334 or via email Martin.Stern@melbournewater.com.au We will provide more information about the next stage of works between Riversdale Road and Cornell Street in the next newsletter around the middle of the year.

FOBC South

Our affiliated group Friends of Back Creek South operates in Glen Iris end of the creek near Denman Avenue. Work conducted along the creek bank and pathway was messed up by storms over the Christmas New Year peiod. Last Month members cleaned up and restored some of the washed away jute mat and plantings., FOBCS meet every first Sunday of the month from 10:00 am – 12:00pm.

Those interested contact Albert Toet on 9889-1787

FOBC Committee:

The FOBC AGM will take place in April during which Committee members will be elected for 2010 year.

President - Robert Brierley – 9836 3779

Secretary –  Chris Walta - 9888 4461

(29A Cornell Street, Camberwell, 3124)

Treasurer – Bob Strickland – 9830 0749

Committee members – Barrie Gallacher, Eleanor Stephenson, John Cott, Jim Breen,