We had a small number of people at the meeting in January, thanks to those who made it.
We were all happy with the vision statement as worded, so consider that confirmed. We also agreed that drafting a master plan should go ahead including the following elements/zones: - an area of native vegetation "re-wilding" (no planting, no mowing, just weed management to encourage natural regrowth - an area of deliberate native revegetation, with plantings, to act as a safety buffer under the large hollow-bearing tree closest to the cricket nets - an outdoor classroom/ community gathering space, including a fire pit space - a bike track, possibly integrated with a more weather-proof walking path along the existing goat track - community use edible plantings near the chapel end We also agreed that getting a professional ecological assessment would be of value, to give guidance on the features we should focus on conserving / promoting, as well as any weedy species to control. It would be good to consider the water flow patterns at the same time, to determine if modifications would be useful. Next steps: Fiona has a horticulture and graphic design background, and has kindly agreed to help draft a master plan layout for consultation (thanks Fi!). I will reach out to Allan and enquire about access to ecology advice, which will help inform the design, along with the elements identified above. Once we have some draft options, we can meet to review and agree both a layout and our first priorities, and this will form the Action Plan for TCCS to approve. There is also a new grant stream announced as part of the Environment Grants this year, specifically to support small volunteer groups like ours. It’s called the Environmental Volunteer Group Assistance Stream, and we can apply for up to $5000. https://www.environment.act.gov.au/act-nrm/grants-and-support-packages/act-environmental-grants This round closes in a month (April 4th), so we would need to get moving. It can be used for developing landscape plans, creating promotional material, running workshops and participating in training. If you have thoughts on some training we could attend, or a workshop we could run, please reply asap. I’d be keen to engage with Traditional Custodians and other expert consultants on the local ecological systems and the best ways for us to support them, and maybe get some signage done. If you are keen to contribute to any of the above activities, please get in touch. Let’s set the next meeting date for Thursday 17th March at 5:30pm Thanks all, Maree
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