Wangaratta Urban Landcare Group

President Treasurer Secretary Newsletter Winter Dear members and friends, Thank you for rejoining the Group and for supporting the Save Merriwa Park campaign. We appreciate your interest and support. Merriwa Park success Our group has a long history of concern regarding parking arrangements in Merriwa Park. This culminated in June last year following the Councils proposal to add an extra 100 car parks, including 40 to be placed on two decommissioned tennis courts. Strong public opposition was expressed but the Council paid no attention. However by January this year the opposition had intensified. The WULG received vital support and expertise from Louine Robinson, Simon Quilty and the Save Merriwa Park group. This resulted in the establishment of a network and access to copies of a petition objecting to the parking arrangements in Merriwa Park. These were spread widely throughout the community. The response was amazing with 2000 signatures being received. Also many letters were written to the Chronicle, the State Minister and local member Tim McCurdy. Public response to the Councils request for submissions on the matter was also well supported. The Council responded with a resolution made on 26th March. In short this said that Council not proceed with the compromise plan for Merriwa Park and withdraw the existing application to the Ministerthat a full review of the Merriwa and Kaluna Parks Master Plan be undertaken, including how to address * access for disabled, * car parking requirements, * access to the Soundshell and Kaluna Park, * future use of redundant tennis courts and opportunities for improvement and that an Expression of Interest process be developed to form a working party based on an appropriate skills/interest group matrix to undertake a review of the Merriwa and Kaluna Parks Master Plan. President, Adrian Twitt wrote to the paper thanking all who had supported the campaign. He noted that alternative car parking sites near the CBD It is with great pleasure we welcome Adele Ritchie to the position of Bush Regeneration Assistant with the Rural City. Adele studied the Advanced Diploma of Applied Environmental Management by distance education through the National Environment Centre, graduating with distinction. She was named the winner for Excellence at the TAFE NSW Riverina Institute. Since her appointment she has been working with us in Kaluna Park, doing some very necessary spraying and showing much interest in the park. Andrew Snowdon has also joined us on several occasions and is on the track of a fox and some rabbits; signs of which have been observed. The park was flooded again in early March but by the 15th it was gone and no major problem resulted. Many plants thrived, so our keen Thursday workers have been kept busy removing weeds. Elaine noticed that the floodwaters had left some of the signs very muddy, so one day she brought down her cleaning material and gave them a wash, which was a great improvement. As we weed we have been delighted to have yellow-breasted Robins sit on low branches and trunks, and watching as the soil is uncovered. One day we heard a Barking Owl in the distance, and Jim quietly traced it to a large tree. We were able to observe it quite clearly and have since seen two in the same spot. Spreading the word had been identified and expressed the hope that they would be considered in the future by Council. Kaluna Park Adrian Twitt PO Box 584 Sally Carr Elaine Jacobsen Helen Curtis helenc4@westnet.com.au No. 69 June 2012

Recently we joined with many other volunteer groups by decorating a volunteerscape with our activities and projects. Sally Carr, Jim Mc Ginlay and I had fun decorating the model with photos of many of
From right - Sally Carr and Helen Curtis

A civic precinct for South Wangaratta is planned for the former Ovens College site in Greta Road. New sporting infrastructure and a fire brigade running track is planned for Avian Park. The former tip site in Vincent Road to be transformed into Vincent Green, a local park for the area. A redundant manufacturing site in Newman Street would become a bulky goods homemaker destination.

Plastic Bag phase-out in Los Angeles Los Angeles has become the largest city in the US to ban plastic bags. The phase-out will begin following completion of a four-month environmental review. Larger stores would then have six months to get rid of the plastic bags, while smaller stores will be allowed 12 months to phase them out. (The Age 25.5.12) This good news reminds us of how remiss Wangaratta is in this regard. In 2004 a trial in supermarkets proved that people could do without them and would ultimately have accepted taking their own bags or baskets. But it was not followed up, so plastic bags now continue to proliferate as a source of litter and a blight in landfills, and waterways. It is surely time for state governments to stand up to the plastic industry and follow Americas Lead in this regard. Some uses for a paper bag while travelling. A paper bag is very useful to have in the car when you are travelling. For example: Use it to keep all holiday maps and brochures together, or for rubbish collected along the way. And, it is easy to dispose of in an environmentally friendly way when no longer of use. Solar Panel use in Australia A Clean Energy Council spokesman said that while early solar adopters were mainly environmentalists, many in the past 5 years had been average working families wanting to counter the escalating cost of electricity. About one in 20 Victorian houses has panels, compared with nearly one in 10 nationally. Dubbo 28% and Caloundra 27.3%, compared with Victorias highest Echuca 13.3% and Wodonga 13.2%. (The Age 6.4.12). Best wishes. Helen Curtis

our groups volunteers, adorning our logo with plants and creatures of Kaluna Park and captions of the groups various projects. Many volunteer groups were represented at the very well organized day in the King George Gardens and the decorated models provided entertainment, amusement and interest. The ukulele band played and gifts were given to the volunteers and a lovely lunch provided. Good news for reduced lighting costs ??? On April 20th The Chronicle informed us that an ambitious $1.1m project which includes replacing every bulb in Wangarattas street light could help council cut its carbon emissions by 15 per cent. Replacing all light globes has been costed at $600,000 and council applied to get $300,000 of that from the Federal Government and $180,000 from the State Governments green light plan. A council report states that replacing all 1195 mercury vapor lights on council streets with efficient lights would see a reduction in street light related greenhouse gas emissions of 54 per cent. A wonderful plan !! But three weeks later, we are told, the plan will have to be reviewed because the state money has evaporated, after the government cut its $20 million Green Light Plan in the budget. Mayor Roberto Paino expressed Councils disappointed, and acknowledged the importance of the issue for all council. He said, Carrying out our plan in stages will have to be looked at. Well have to reexamine that part of the budget and see where we go next. We wish them well. Great news for the future use of four key South Wangaratta sites was announced in early May