Building a Group at Frenchmans Creek
Support and increase community engagement to raise the awareness of the value of peri-urban bushland
Local Links - Stronger Communities - LLCI033-090
The issue
A parcel of land adjacent to the cemetery in North Bellingen is well used by locals and heavily impacted by weed infestations. Forestry NSW gifted this 17 ha section of old plantation forest and identified koala corridor to the community because of its peri-urban location, and popularity for folks walking dogs, cycling and just playing. With a beautiful creek running through the lower section, Camphor Laurels have colonised as the dominant plant and tracks are blowing out from flooding. Forestry NSW, Envite and Landcare would like to cultivate a sense of ownership amongst locals and encourage them to help reinstate biodiversity and preserve it as a forest to enjoy. Forestry NSW sees the site as a multi-use site with environmental rehabilitation as one potential objective.
The solution
Initially we received support from Forestry and funding from the Federal Government Biodiversity Fund to carry out weed control and planting in certain sections. The results have been pleasing and we wanted to maintain the work with a local volunteer group. The Local Landcare Coordinator Initiative (LLCI) allowed us to foster a new group of local people interested and supportive. A letterbox drop and some local media attracted a few neighbours to come along to our first get together. We have been able to provide guidance and up to date insurance for this fledgling group. We are now about to host our third working bee with many supportive folk. We hope to reciprocate by providing interesting events, training and or expert speakers to foster this interest. One idea was to bring a dog trained to search for koalas and host a spotlight event.
The impact
This is still a work in progress and one of the key factors in building this project is the importance of a sound partnership at the outset. Understanding the different agendas and finding a common ground and vision has been very important for us to proceed with the various parties and interest groups, including community interests. Landcare has a vision but there are many uses for this site. Importantly people are coming to realise the value of bush in peri-urban settings and the need for maintaining them.
Key facts
- Creating a group from scratch requires accommodating a variety of interests and expectations
- Social Media plays a key role in grabbing an audience's interest
- Clear guidelines with all stakeholder groups involved will be set up in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)