Friends of Mt Majura (FoMM) November 2009 Newsletter pdf
• News on Monash Drive
• FoMM submission objecting to development application (Australian Heritage Village)
• Working bee with Marist College Year 9 students Wednesday 4 November – please help if you can
• Rabbit mapping second round – field information session on Thursday 12 November
Dear Friends,
For those of you who have not seen the exciting front page news of the Canberra Times last Tuesday (27.10.2009): the National Capital Authority (NCA) will decide tomorrow on the removal of Monash Drive as a future road from the National Capital Plan (NCP). You can see the route on street and Google Earth maps. It cuts through the endangered grassy woodlands within the nature parks of the western foot slopes of Mt Majura and Mt Ainslie behind Hackett, Ainslie and Campbell. The road if build would destroy much of the listed ecological community. The move by the NCA came a long way. Following strong community lobbying during the Downer, Watson and Hackett Neighbourhood Planning process in 2003/04, the ACT Government decided to scrap the route from the Territory Plan however the route remained on the NCP. In the past years community groups including Friends of Mt Majura continued lobbying. A break-through was achieved after last year’s election with the agreement between the Labour Party and the Greens to lobby the Federal Government. I commend the effort of everyone who had a hand in the process and I’m looking forward to a sensible decision by the NCA.
Less rosy news on the north-west corner of Mt Majura: The Village Building Company has lodged an application for a dense residential development of 316 dwellings. The project is located on a site known as Australian Heritage Village and on adjacent land containing endangered grassy woodland. FoMM considers the proposed project inappropriate in terms of the location and in terms of the scale and has submitted a formal objection to the ACT Planning Authority which you can find at https://majura.org/2009/10/29/fomm-submission-da200915605/
Working bee with Marist College Year 9 students Wednesday 4 November – please help if you can
FoMM jointly with members of the Mt Ainslie Weeders will be hosting a working party with 37 Year 9 students and 2 teachers of the Marist College on the coming Wednesday 4th November. The plan is to continue mulching the seedlings planted at the old tip and to remove woody weeds.
I would much appreciate help of anyone who has time as we need adults to apply chemicals; please contact me if you can help (if you haven’t done so already).
Here are the working bee details:
Wednesday 4 November, 9.30am to 2.30pm (stay as long as you can)
Meet at the Philip Ave gate nature park entrance
Bring sun protection and body covering clothing
Rabbit mapping second round – field information session Thursday 12 November
Preparations for the second round of rabbit mapping are in full swing. We will start mapping mid of November and hope to finished by mid December; the rabbit control program will start in January next year.
We will hold a field information session with demonstrations by rangers
Thursday 12 November 6.00pm – 7.00pm
Meet at Philip Ave gate nature park entrance, car parking at Kellaway Street, Hackett
Bring sturdy shoes and something to write
What to expect:
• Information on the project;
• Demonstration of warrens;
• Registration for GPS training;
• Adopting a mapping area;
• Handouts: maps with area, field data sheet, marking tape.
The mapping area will be divided up in 4 areas with one coordinator of each area:
1) Federal Highway to the lower Hackett reservoir off Rivett St: Richard
2) Reservoir to Phillip Avenue: Liese
3) Phillip Avenue to the substation: Margaret
4) Substation east of Mt Ainsle Summit Drive to Fairbairn Ave: Sascha
You can register for any of the following GPS training sessions, which are open for those who want to refresh:
• Friday, 6 November, 10.00am;
• Friday, 13 November, 10.00am;
• Sunday, 15 November, 4.00pm.
We will work with GPS Garmin 60 units or you can use your own GPS if you have one. Those who don’t want to use GPS can work with someone who will use one.
There is more information on the on our website https://majura.org/2009/10/28/rabbit-warren-mapping-12-nov-2009/ including a poster to download – your help with promotion would be much appreciated.
I hope that you can come to the field session. However if you can’t make it, you can still register your interest as mapper.
For enquiries, to register for GPS training session or to register your interest as mapper, please contact Email: admin@majura.org Ph: 62477515
The north-west slope of Mt Majura is covered with pretty hoary sunrays. Go for a walk if you can.
Warm regards
Waltraud
29 October 2009
