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This page will be used to publicise those documents, plans, freebies and public notices that become available from time to time.
About the Molonglo Catchment
We have prepared a factsheet about the Molonglo Catchment; hardcopies are available from the MCG office, Greening Australia, Environment ACT, and Council Offices.
Download "About the
Molonglo Catchment" Factsheet
Landcare / Parkcare is about community and government working together, to reduce land and water degradation to develop sustainable land use. Our environment is naturally fragile and damages easily. Sustainable land use helps keep our land and water healthy and productive, so we don’t risk
Why should I care? We all depend on the land for the food we eat, the water we drink, the clothes we wear, and our housing and recreation needs. We all need to work together to care for our land, to maintain our standard of living and to keep food costs down. The brochure is available from from the MCG office, Greening Australia, Environment ACT, and Council Offices.
Download "Getting
Involved" brochure
Lake Burley Griffin Willow Management Plan
We have long wanted better ways to look at and observe our natural environment so that we could improve its sustainability. This was reflected in the title of the report after the investigation of the nature reserves in the Australian Capital Territory: Facing the challenges: positioning our nature reserves for the 21st century. Its recommendations included developing and implementing a nature reserve monitoring strategy. Monitoring biodiversity in our natural environment is relevant not only to nature reserves but also to other land holdings in the region where a key element is the condition of the vegetation. This project builds on tools and techniques for monitoring biodiversity in the ACT and Capital Region developed by Sarah Sharp and Lori Gould. Initially they produced the ACT Vegetation Monitoring Manual: a step by step guide to assessing and monitoring vegetation and habitat in grassy ecosystems, which is a comprehensive set of tools to undertake core vegetation condition monitoring. That Monitoring Manual was developed by active involvement of community groups interested in the conservation of our natural environment now and into perpetuity. Many people in our community groups have also been active citizen scientists by participating in the biodiversity monitoring, and providing valuable feedback to the project leaders and the authors. This active involvement of community groups and their feedback has also led to this publication, generally known as the Vegwatch Manual. The Vegwatch Manual provides the techniques and key tools for community groups and landholders, who will find it to be a useful tool to monitor their sites as citizen scientists. This enables the collection of robust and consistent data that can be used not only to monitor the vegetation at individual sites over the years, but also across multiple sites in the region. It could be part of national comparisons, too. Molonglo Catchment Group is also hosting the database so that the valuable data collected by our citizen scientists and community groups will be available for analysis to better inform decision making. The contribution of citizen scientists in monitoring our biodiversity is highly valued. Assisting them with soundly developed tools and techniques is also highly valued. The Vegwatch Manual will continue to strengthen their contribution towards wider appreciation and better management of our natural environment, not only in the ACT and Capital Region, but also nationally.
Download the manual (
Download the Vegwatch recording sheets
(
Glovebox guide to frogs of the ACT region
Glovebox guide to Waterplants of the ACT region
Biodiversity in the Paddock - a land
manager's guide "The grassy woodlands of the south-east are an Australian icon. The widely-spaced eucalypt trees, dry grass, stockmen, sheep, cattle, and remote homesteads are part of Australia’s national identity." "This booklet is about the role that native pastures have in a landscape that was once grassy woodland but which now supports a range of land uses."
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David Eddy, WWF "The aim of this booklet is to provide background information, guidance and encouragement to managers of native grasslands. Considerable variety is found among the native grasslands of temperate south-eastern Australia. However, many of the ecological concepts and management requirements are common to all. This booklet is based on experience of the NSW Southern Tablelands, but is written in general terms so that the information might be useful throughout the NSW Tablelands and beyond. Much of the information should also be useful to grassy woodland managers throughout and beyond the Tablelands." This is just one of many, many documents available for download from the WWF website! See www.wwf.org.au/publications.
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The handbook sets out how landholders and farmers can improve their land and farm sustainability while also generating carbon credits that can be sold on domestic and international markets. The CFI, which opened for business in December 2011, encourages farmers, land owners, local government and other stakeholders to generate extra revenue by reducing agricultural and landfill waste pollution. Several methodologies are already approved under the CFI, including flaring landfill gas, methane in piggeries, planting native tree species and reducing pollution from savanna fires. Further methodologies are currently being developed with the CSIRO, universities, other research bodies and the Federal Government, working together to create dairy cattle food supplementation, enhanced efficiency fertilisers, manure management and soil carbon. With the serious risks associated with climate change threatening the future of Australian agriculture and food production, farmers and landholders have an important role to play in our nation’s clean energy future by increasing the land sector's resilience to climate change and improving long term farm productivity. The Australian Government, over the next six years, will support the land sector by investing $1.7 billion dollars of carbon price revenue to support the CFI and other programs to improve productivity, sustainability and profitability.
Download the CFI Handbook (
Australia's Native Vegetation Framework
COAG Standing Council on Environment and Water Australia's Native Vegetation Framework was released on behalf of the COAG Standing Council on Environment and Water on Thursday 19 December 2012. Australia’s Native Vegetation Framework will guide native vegetation management across the Australian landscape. The framework recognises that native vegetation is crucial for the health of Australia’s environment, that it supports our economy and productivity as well as our biodiversity and that it is embedded within Australia’s cultural identity. The vision of the framework is that native vegetation is managed in an ecologically sustainable way that promotes its enduring environmental, economic, social, cultural and spiritual values. For more information and to download the Framework, visit the National Vegetation Framework webpage.
All Groups who wish to use the manual must register their details, via the registration process on the In Safe Hands website to receive the In Safe Hands Toolkit, workshop updates, content updates and support. Registrations will be open until June 30 2013.
WET eBook: Workbook for Managing Urban Wetlands in Australia
Play Catchment Detox at www.catchmentdetox.net.au to see if you can repair a damaged river catchment and create a sustainable and thriving economy. It's an online game where you're in charge of the whole catchment. You get to decide what activities you undertake - whether to plant crops, log forests, build factories or set up national parks. The aim is to fix environmental problems and provide food and wealth for the population.
National Trust (ACT) has prepared a number of brochures for self-guided heritage walks and tours of different areas in Canberra. The brochures available free of charge in hard copy from the National Trust (ACT) Office, from the Old Parliament House Shop or downloaded from the ACT National Trust website. Tours in the Molonglo catchment include:
See the ACT National Trust website for the full list of self-guided tours.
Self-guided walks in the Molonglo Catchment by ACT Parks, Conservation and Lands
Guides for other walks are available for download from the ACT Territory and Municipal Services website Maps of reserves in
Canberra Nature Park are available from the TAMS website at
Information on native grasslands and woodlands of southern Australia can be accessed at the new Woodland Web website designed by researchers at Charles Sturt University. Visit the Woodland Web at www.csu.edu.au/herbarium/woodlandweb/
The Atlas of Living Australia has been developed to build a better picture of the Australian biosphere. It already holds over 23 million records on the distribution of Australia’s fauna and flora, in addition to maps, images and literature. Members of the public can help to build the database by contributing local photographs and information. The website at, www.ala.org.au, focuses on Australia’s amazing plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms. It provides access to an array of information, including species pages, names lists, ID keys, over 23 million records, photos, mapping tools and more. But more information about all Australian species is needed to help researchers and others protect and manage Australia’s biodiversity. You can help by contributing photos and information to the site. The Atlas project is a national scientific collaboration between the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), the Australian natural history collections community and the Australian Government.
The Canberra Nature Map project allows you to report your rare plant and animal sightings as well as any of the many treasures in and around the ACT. The Canberra Nature Map App allows you to quickly upload your own sightings and browse species guides when you're out and about exploring - even without any mobile reception. Visit the Canberra Nature Map website, GooglePlay or Apple iStore to download.
Two, new tools have been developed as part of a Bureau of Meteorology project sponsored by the Managing Climate Variability program. One tool shows a range of rainfall scenarios for most rainfall recording stations in Australia and the other is an online product to find out what factors are influencing the climate in their region by clicking on an interactive map. For further details visit www.bom.gov.au/watl
Serrated Tussock National Best Practice Management Manual
This is a great resource now available to those who wish to know more about serrated tussock and keep up to date with research. The guide can be downloaded from www.weeds.org.au/WoNS/serratedtussock
Designed to help provide effective management solutions for blackberry within the context of integrated weed management, this manual brings together detailed information about the plant itself, as well as best practice information about existing control and management options. By reading this document you will discover that there is no one best method for control; instead, there is a range of factors that need to be considered and weighed up for each particular situation. The manual can be downloaded from www.weeds.org.au/WoNS/blackberry The document has been divided into seven files so that it can be downloaded in smaller sections to make it more accessible to people with slow internet connections.
National Willows Management Guide
The Sustainable Canberra Garden website has been prepared by Edwina Richardson AILA, and the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) with assistance from an ACT Government Environment Grant. The website consists of a series of fact sheets and case studies illustrating how Canberra residents can improve the sustainability of their gardens. Topics addressed are about designing a sustainable garden that:
and presents 5 case studies that demonstrate these principles.
Although the VicNature 2050 website focuses on Victoria, the suggestions are equally applicable to the Molonglo catchment. The following is an excerpt from the website's introduction:
The life and times of most of these birds are described in this book, illustrated with brilliant colour photographs and abundance graphs. Birds of Canberra Gardens describes the abundance and distribution of birds, and discusses how they are likely to be found at different times throughout the year, and in different places. The book also provides some ideas on how your garden may be made more attractive to native birds. Birds of Canberra Gardens is an excellent introduction to the birds of Canberra. It demonstrates graphically the delights of nature that are available to us here in Canberra, as long as we open our eyes and our ears. The book is for sale from COG (through Martin Butterfield martinflab at gmail.com) for $25.00.
Greening Australia Publications
Aboriginal Scarred Trees in NSW : a field manual NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change
'Aboriginal Scarred Trees in New South Wales' has been written to help those who wish to record Aboriginal scarred trees or who wish to distinguish between Aboriginal scarring and scars that are the result of natural processes such as tree disease and lightning strikes. Hardcopies of the publication can are also available for $10.95; visit http://www.shop.nsw.gov.au/pubdetails.jsp?publication=7964
Download from the DECC website (
Stories from Ngunnawal Country Stories from Ngunnawal Country is a video cultural tour that takes the viewer to three significant locations in Canberra where stories of the Ngunnawal peoples are told on film. In putting together the Stories from Ngunnawal Country project, the team at DEEWR wanted to create a new resource that would foster cultural awareness and build a deeper understanding of Canberra’s history from the perspective of the Ngunnawal peoples, who are the traditional owners of the land on which the DEEWR national office stands in Canberra. The team collaborated with Adrian Brown, the ACT Parks and Conservation Service Caring for Ngunnawal Country Ranger in Canberra. Adrian agreed to be the team’s cultural advisor and storyteller for the videos. A Ngunnawal man, Adrian traces his own family history in the region back to the early 1800s. Adrian recommended filming at three locations in inner Canberra - Mount Ainslie, Black Mountain and the Jerrabomberra Wetlands. Visit deewr.gov.au/stories-ngunnawal-country to view and/or download the videos.
Ngunnawal Plant Use
The ACT’s Traditional Owners, the Ngunnawal people used and continue to use the plant resources of this region for food, medicine, tools and weapons, fire, ceremonial purposes, water, fibre, dye and paint. Ngunnawal Plant Use provides information on the native plants of the ACT region and their many Ngunnawal uses. The Field Guide is a robust, full-colour, A5, spiral-bound, 96-page field guide, and includes:
The book can be purchased for $22 (GST inclusive) including postage and handling:
Funding for the book was provided by the Australian Government. The book was developed by the Environment and Planning Directorate (EPD) in partnership with the ACT Parks and Conservation Service, the United Ngunnawal Elders Council, the Ngunnawal community, Greening Australia, EPD Aboriginal trainees employed under the Caring for the Cotter catchment project and Murrumbung Yurung Murra staff (a network of ACT Govermnet Aboriginal staff working in NRM, Herigage and Parks. For further information about the book - call 13 22 81 or email AboriginalNRM@act.gov.au
Property Management PlanA framework for environmental management A Property Environmental Management Plan (‘the Plan’) will provide a framework for the environmental management of your property. It can help you work towards best practice and sustainable land management practices. The Plan will assist you to document management practices employed on your land. It can be used to identify and develop practices to maximise conservation of the native flora and fauna, and their environmental benefits. It can also help to minimise the impact of the activities conducted on the property, on the environment, the local community and surrounding developments.
The format of this template has been developed to allow property or business owners to devise a Plan without in-depth knowledge of natural resource management or environmental protection and enhancement. Resources and information provided in this document and in the references at the end of this guide, are available to assist in the completion of the initial Plan. Officers from your local council are also valuable contacts for information about your local area. This publication is based on material prepared for the Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW) by Hornsby Shire Council. Funding was provided by the NSW Government through its Stormwater Trust under the Urban Stormwater Education Program.
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Horse properties on the rural urban fringeBest practice environmental guide for keeping horses
"Horse properties on the rural urban fringe" is a best practice environmental guide for keeping horses. This guide provides practical advice on how to protect and improve the natural environment on and around horse properties and gives practical advice on caring for horses. It provides insight into land and water management issues commonly encountered on properties where horses are kept and techniques for minimising the environmental impact of these properties. This publication is based on material prepared for the Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW) by Kimmerikong Pty Ltd. Funding was provided by the NSW Government through its Stormwater Trust under the Urban Stormwater Education Program.
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Books from NSW AgricultureAlthough not free, books from the NSW Department of Primary Industry offer invaluable information for prospective small area farmers at a reasonably low price. Visit www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/farm/planningor click on the images below.
Managing for and recovering from drought - factsheets The NSW Department of Primary Industries have released an updated series of fact-sheets to guide planning for drought and drought recovery. They are equally applicable in considering how to manage for the very likely climate change:
See the latest publications on www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture
The NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) has developed and recently released the NSW WeedWise App. The App profiles more than 300 noxious and environmental weeds in NSW. It combines weed profiles and control information as well as the legal requirements under the Noxious Weeds Act 1993 in one easy-to-access location. Each weed profile contains a physical description of the weed, an image gallery and detailed information about its impacts, where it occurs, how it spreads and its preferred habitat. The latest control options are described for each weed and the herbicides registered for its control are listed, including application rates and techniques. The App also allows users to directly report sightings of high priority weeds via email or SMS. The NSW WeedWise smartphone app is free and available for iPhone and iPad on the App Store and for Android smartphones on Google play. The app will also scale up for use on most Android tablets. You can download the App at the iTunes Store or Google Play. In addition to the NSW WeedWise App, the DPI has revamped its online weed information with a new component called 'NSW WeedWise'. These web pages provide weed profiles, legal requirements and control options including registered herbicide options for over 300 noxious and environmental weeds in NSW. These pages combine profile information previously published in Primefacts and Weed Alerts; legal requirements under the Noxious Weeds Act 1993 previously contained in the Noxious Weeds Database, and herbicide options published in the Noxious & Environmental Weed Control Handbook.
Understanding Our Native Grasslands
Books from the Institute for Rural Futures Weed Detection and Control on Small Farms: A Guide for Owners
This booklet is the result of a project led by Professor Sindel and funded by Land & Water Australia in which the ‘best practice’ weed detection and control practices used by Australian landholders and weeds officers were identified. During this research, the project team confirmed the findings of other research which suggests that owners of small ‘hobby’ farms find it more difficult than professional farmers to control weeds on their land, often due to lack of time and labour, insufficient knowledge and lack of appropriate equipment. Nonetheless, research also suggests that small farm owners are motivated to improve their ability to control weeds. The booklet is designed to draw on this enthusiasm by suggesting easy to implement methods for controlling weeds on small farms. It discusses the importance of controlling weeds, the principles of weed detection (where and when to look for weeds on the farm, how to identify an unknown plant and what to do when a new weed outbreak is found), weed control responsibilities and methods appropriate to small farm owners, guidelines for responsible herbicide use and accreditation, and available weed control assistance. The booklet is available for free download ( Weed Detection and Control on Small Farms: A Guide for Owners
(Adapted from UrbanNRM) Greywater use has become so widespread in many parts of Australia that it is now more a case of who isn’t using greywater to keep their gardens alive. This is great news for water conservation efforts. Greywater use is not an exact science, though, and successful greywater irrigation depends on a number of factors including soil type, plant type and ultimately which chemicals and elements make up your greywater. Typically, laundry and bathroom water
are the most common and safest waste waters to use depending on which products
you are using. The Alternative Technology Association (ATA), in conjunction with
Associate Professor Barry Meehan and RMIT University’s Environmental Science
Department, has completed a
study looking at the impact of bathroom products on soils ( "The study has shown that when bathroom greywater is to be used as a source of irrigation water, then the selection of appropriate products is critical. It was found that the effects of greywater on soil will vary depending on the type of soil present." A previous study by
Lanfax Laboratories
had looked at laundry greywater. Lanfax has recently updated its
study of laundry powder detergents ( Understanding the effects of greywater on soil and subsoil is important for the management of wastewater treatment systems in rural areas. "No 'safe in septic' standards or acceptable guidelines exist, and no laundry product can be 'environmentally friendly'."
The Upper Murrumbidgee Catchment Coordinating Committee has produced a number of publications tailored for small property owners and managers in the Upper Murrumbidgee catchment. Look after your natural assets
Unearthing Wetlands of the Upper Murrumbidgee... Fact Sheet for Rural Landholders
In the past wetlands were seen as problem areas - land lost to production because of waterlogged soils or that created difficulties with access. It was a common practice to fill or drain boggy land without understanding its importance and value. This fact sheet is designed to assist rural landholders to identify and manage wetlands in the upper Murrumbidgee catchment. The fact sheet is available through the UMCCC's Rural Display Units in various locations around the Upper Murrumbidgee Catchment, and at Cooma-Monaro Shire, Queanbeyan City and Palerang Council Offices, and the Murrumbidgee CMA Queanbeyan Office.
Download (
Living with Drought for Small Rural Blocks in the Upper Murrumbidgee ... Fact Sheet for Rural Landholders
Groundwater in the Upper Murrumbidgee - understanding your bore... Fact Sheet for Rural Landholders
Willow Management - A strategy for the Upper Murrumbidgee
There is a strong history of willow management in the upper Murrumbidgee — many of the accepted strategies and techniques began or have been tested in the region. An early ‘Willow Warrior’ in this region, Kurt Cremer, spent much of his later life observing, mapping and developing some of the management techniques that are included in this strategy. The work that Kurt began personally has been carried on by the Upper Murrumbidgee Catchment Coordinating Committee — documented and extended by the development of a formal position, successful application for funding, and the appointment of two project officers during the life of the project to date. Tom Nilsen began the role and Douglas Kerruish has completed the writing of this strategy. Review by Molonglo Waterwatch Coordinator, Dr Stephen Skinner: Yet another willows document ... but this one is different. The scene is set and a little historical background is added. Then there is a natural history of willows in eastern Australia and the behaviours that make them weedy. The byzantine nature of willow identification is presented well. The resourceful anatomy and physiology of the willow is summarised clearly, and the disruption this causes in Upper Murrumbidgee riparian areas is well documented. In all, Chapter 3 is a great read both as a presentation of Salix species as what they are, and as a clear exposé of what they can and will do in our waterways when we let them. There is an outline of the mapping and the strategy to control the spread. The last chapter presents the status of willows in each of the 9 catchments that make up the Upper Murrumbidgee. The reader is engaged with both local ‘what needs to be done’ and ‘who else has similar problems’ in a readable way with plenty of meaty information. The reference list is comprehensive. Read this willows document! You will come away well informed and with realistic expectations about willows management. Well done Doug and all those who contributed! A limited number of hardcopies of the strategy are available. The Strategy is available on CD from the Upper Murrumbidgee Catchment Coordinating Committee. The Strategy is available for download in 5 parts:
Part 1 (
Part 2 (
Part 3 (
Part 4 (
Part 5 (
Peri-Urban Weed Management Study Exploring Agents of Change to Peri-urban Weed Management Darryl Low Choy and Jo Harding
The management of invasive species is of increasing concern to land managers. National and state listed weeds are a particular threat to agricultural production and biodiversity. This study has confirmed that rural lifestyle landowners are often limited their ability to respond to weed issues on their properties. These limitations are due to a lack of awareness, lack of knowledge of the problem, different value sets from those of traditional rural landowners, and a lack of time and resources. It has, however, been noted that this new wave of rural lifestyle landowners tend to be typically well-educated, have high incomes, and value natural landscapes. To ensure that future weed management strategies are successful in this new and changing rural landscape, management agencies will need to fully engage this critical group of emergent landscape managers.
Download (
Rural Landholder’s Guide To Environmental Law in NSW - 4th Edition
The topics covered in this booklet include:
The
127 page guide (
EDO NSW has recently released a number of new and updated publications:
Visit the EDO website at www.edo.org.au/edonsw/site/publications.php
The Birds in Backyards website, www.birdsinbackyards.net, is designed to link old and new bird lovers alike into the magic of Australian birds. An initiative of the Sydney-based Birds in Backyards program supported by Birds Australia and the Australian Museum, the site is focused on urban birds, habitats and conservation issues and is relevant for the 85% of Australians who live in urban areas. Special Features include:
Florabank aims to increase the availability of high quality native seed for large scale revegetation projects across Australia and bring people together to share information and resources about seed management. Florabank recognises and shares the best available knowledge from research and practice in native species seed management. Florabank supports a professional and clever seed industry, encouraging quality and choice for buyers of native Australian seed. The website includes best available knowledge from research and practice in native species seed management. Florabank develops locally and regionally adaptable online decision support tools on the website for the native seed industry including a:
Foster a market of "premium price for premium seed" by recognising different standards of seed collection, handling and storage procedures. Visit www.florabank.org.au
Australian Soil Resource
Information System The ASRIS site is designed as an interactive web tool to give Australian farmers new productivity gains through access to world’s best practices and technology. It will provide information to enable regional natural resource management groups to plan, monitor and evaluate their investments in soil management. ASRIS can be accessed online at www.asris.csiro.au and further advice is available from CSIRO on 02 6246 5922 or email aclep at csiro.au
Catchment Modelling toolkit
Developing greater awareness of weeds and their management in the wider community will be more achievable by starting with the younger generation in schools today. With this purpose, the following resources and projects have been developed through the education program of the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Australian Weed Management and the University of New England. Visit the University of New England's School of Environmental and Rural Science Weed Resources for Schools section at www.une.edu.au/about-une/academic-schools/school-of-environmental-and-rural-science/research/plant,-soil-and-environment-systems/weed-science where you can find: misbehaving plants lord of the weeds ghastly guests weed wipeout
Weeds management game and competition for schools Weed Wipeout is an interactive computer game where the player is in a position of managing a farm with weed problems. The player is required to make decisions regarding the most appropriate weed management strategy, and then discovers the results of these decisions. Humorous and unexpected events appear, keeping the job at hand very interesting. The game simulates real life with the player using their bank account to deal with the weed problems on the farm. Players are exposed to problems such as build up of herbicide resistance, the costs and time involved in controlling weeds and other problems that are associated with managing a farm. This game was developed through the Weeds CRC with the purpose of providing a fun and enjoyable way to learn about weed management.
Understanding Canberra's wetlands A school curriculum program for the study of constructed urban wetlands
ELA 2 - The student understands and applies the inquiry process ELA 19 - The student understands and applies scientific knowledge ELA 20 - The students acts for an environmentally sustainable future These units build understanding of what a wetland is and the place of wetlands in larger systems. They explore the practice of managing urban stormwater by constructing urban wetlands. In order to understand that the Canberra region hosts a diverse array of wetlands, information is provided on sites such as the Jerrabomberra Wetlands, Ginini Flats, Nursery Swamp, Horse Park and Lake George. A case study focuses on the David St, O'Connor urban wetland, constructed in 2001. Understanding Canberra's wetlands: a school curriculum program for the study of constructed urban wetlands (2010) - can be downloaded from the ACT Department of Environment, Climate Change, Energy and Water website.
Reducing the current risk of serrated tussock expansion Lori McWhirter, Agronomist, DPI Goulburn and Sherryl Broderick, National Serrated Tussock Coordinator have released a fact sheet about reducing the current risk of tussock expansion. Research indicates that serrated tussock germinates mainly in autumn but can germinate throughout the year given adequate soil moisture and temperature. When they first germinate tussocks are only one fine leaf blade and are difficult to see. However, the seedling stage is the weakest part of the lifecycle and the most effective time for preventing expansion. In the coming months, germinating seeds may have little competition for soil moisture, nutrients and light. The best chance of preventing further spread of infestations is to promote rigorous competitive pastures and to maintain a rigorous mechanical or chemical control program to prevent growth and seeding. The fact sheet advises assessment of the proportion of groundcover to enable concentration on rehabilitating areas at the greatest risk of invasion.
The Flora of South-East Yarrowlumla - A Preliminary Assessment (Peter
Barrer, 1997) The report is available for downloading - caution large file. Hardcopies are available from Carwoola Landcare Group for $10 plus postage.
The Bushlands of Mt Foxlow
- Harrisons Peak - A Preliminary Ecological Assessment (Nicki Taws, 1998) The report is available for downloading - caution large file. Hardcopies are available from Carwoola Landcare Group for $10 plus postage.
Best Practice Guidelines for Urban Irrigation In a first for the water industry in Australia, a national set of best practice guidelines for urban irrigation and home garden irrigation was developed in 2006. This major achievement for the industry is the result of a project funded by the Water Services Association of Australia and the Irrigation Association of Australia. The Guidelines come in two parts: Guide to Good Garden Watering: a 4-page publication is a simple
reference for home gardeners and provides basic information about irrigating
home gardens. Download your free copy
Guide to Good Garden Watering ( Urban Best Management Practice Guidelines : a publication intended as a guide for the commercial irrigation sector for $10 for non-members. Visit the Irrigation Australia website for more information.
BUSHWISE IN QUEANBEYAN: living with bushland
The book contains information on Queanbeyan’s special relationship with bushland, local native flora and fauna, sustainable gardening and issues related to water and fire. The information in this book was compiled with the help of local scientific, landscape and landcare experts, rangers, residents, officers of Queanbeyan City Council and senior students and staff from the University of Canberra. It is based on feedback from a survey of Queanbeyan residents conducted in 2005 to determine interest in issues related to living with bushland and to identify information that residents would like to have. This project has been assisted by the New South Wales Government through the Our Environment – It’s a Living Thing program and is a joint initiative of Queanbeyan City Council and Carwoola Landcare Group. Bushwise in Queanbeyan: living with bushland is a free book. It will be distributed in early August 2006 to all Queanbeyan residents whose properties are next to bushland. For those Queanbeyan residents who do not receive a copy, further copies may be obtained at the Environmental Services counter at 257 Crawford St, Queanbeyan City Library, the Tourist Information Office or the Queanbeyan Nursery. It may also be downloaded from the Queanbeyan City Council website.
Download
Bushwise in Queanbeyan: living with bushland ( If you have any enquiries about Bushwise in Queanbeyan: living with bushland, please contact Natasha Abbott of Council’s Environmental Services, on 6285 6270.
Promoting urban biodiversity in the ACT
The project commenced in 2002 with the Lower Sullivans Creek Catchment Ecological Survey (LSCCES). The survey, Australia’s first comprehensive ecological survey of an urban study site, aimed to learn more about the fauna of the urban sub-catchment, and the role of urban landscapes in providing habitat for local species.
Urban Habitat Guidelines for the ACT ( Provides a guide to understanding the importance of urban habitat. The Guideline includes principles for managing urban habitat, steps to reduce human induced threats to urban biodiversity, and practical guidelines for developing habitat gardens and landscapes. The guideline includes many links to ACT specific information, educational resources and contacts.
How to build cat-proof fencing and enclosures
This booklet, produced by the Victorian Department of Primary Industries provides provides instructions for building:
The instructions in this booklet should be easy to follow for people with basic D.I.Y. skills. Staff at your local hardware store may also be able to help answer any questions. However if you find the D.I.Y. instructions in this booklet too difficult, you could pay someone else to do the building, or buy a commercially available product (look under “Pet Shop Suppliers” in the Yellow Pages).
Download booklet (
Horses Land & Water Management guidelines The Horses Land and Water Community of Practice is a group of like-minded people who share information about a set range of topics, in this case, horse keeping and good land management practices. The Horses Land and Water Management guidelines for whole of property, paddock management and intensive horse keeping can be accessed at www.horseslandwater.com. Other resources available include workshops, forums and newsletters.
Horse property management
Weeds website: Weeds in Australia
With the Minister for Conservation, Senator Eric Abetz, and the Assistant Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, John Cobb, Mr Ross launched a new website - www.weeds.gov.au - to help people identify which plants can be a problem in their local area, and to provide advice on how to manage them. The website is part of a national campaign to highlight the problem of weeds and to prevent their spread into the environment. “Some of the most invasive weeds in our environment have escaped from gardens into adjoining bushland, waterways and national parks,” Senator Abetz said. “Of the 20 weeds identified as Australia’s worst, 16 were introduced for ornamental purposes. “Weeds are now a $4 billion annual drain on agriculture in lost production and weed control costs.”
Weeds are a problem for everyone. We can all
take action to defeat the weed menace.
On Australia Day, 2011, the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre in partnership with many key groups released a new and improved RabbitScan website and a new online mapping tool for anybody to use anywhere in Australia – see www.feralscan.org.au/rabbitscan The website contains improved facilities for anyone with a rabbit problem, including on-line resources, links to funding grants you may be eligible for, information on rabbit control and monitoring damage, and support agencies in your local area. The website will also soon provide a photo gallery for rabbit management photos. Feedback previously provided has also been used to re-develop the RabbitScan Google mapping tool to allow you to map rabbit sightings, rabbit damage and/or control being used for rabbits in your local area. This will enable you to create a Rabbit Management Map for your local area. We encourage you to revisit the web-site to learn more about what it can provide. Previously registered users need not register again – registration details have been retained except for password. (You will need to obtain a new password using the Forgot Password page on the website.) Your previous sighting data will also be accessible for you to review/update, and new records can easily be entered by following the Online Instructions. Once logged in, please update your details (as appropriate) by clicking the My Profile button. We welcome and encourage you to enter new rabbit sightings, damage data or control information into RabbitScan to create a rabbit management map for your local area. This will also help to track changes in rabbit populations across Australia. FeralScan is a new ‘citizen science’ project providing a free national web-based feral animal mapping and reporting tool that will have direct benefits to farmers, community groups and individuals managing pests and their impacts. Purpose
Species Over the coming 6 months, FeralScan will provide species scanning web-sites for many species including:
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About the Molonglo Catchment Group Contacts Links PrivacySend mail to
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Molonglo
Catchment Group has hosted the 
A
national framework to guide the ecologically sustainable management of
Australia's native vegetation
In
Safe Hands is a Safety Management System designed for
community groups in practical conservation. The content and processes have been
adapted from Conservation Volunteers Australia's own system and is based on 30
years of knowledge and experience in managing volunteers in practical
conservation. Recent enhancements and access to this toolkit and workshop
opportunities for Landcare and other community Groups has been made possible
through funding from the Australian Government's Caring for our Country
initiative.
Management
and control options for blackberry (Rubus spp) in Australia
Nearly
230 bird species have been recorded in and around Canberra suburban gardens over
the past 27 years in the Canberra Ornithologists Group’s Garden Bird Survey.
A
new field guide, Ngunnawal Plant Use, was released in October and is available
for purchase.
939KB)
Sindel,
B. & Coleman, M. 2010. Weed Detection and Control on Small Farms: A Guide for
Owners. 
From
the foreword to the Strategy by Drew English:
Rural
lifestyle landowners occupy peri-urban areas—the non-urban landscape close to
urban or regional centres. These landowners do not derive their living directly
from their properties as they have chosen these locations essentially for
‘lifestyle’ purposes. Because the rural lifestyle is increasingly popular, the
landowners are key stakeholders in future landscape management.
The
ACT Department of the Environment, Climate Change, Energy and Water and the ACT
Department of Education and Training have produced a 56 page coloured booklet on
constructed and natural wetlands. Units of work are provided for early
childhood, later childhood, early adolescence and later adolescence. They focus
on three essential learning achievements: 
Contrary
to popular belief, cats don’t have to roam. Providing their basic needs are met,
cats can enjoy longer and healthier lives when safely contained to the property.
They won’t be hit by cars, injured in fights, become lost or catch fatal
diseases such as feline AIDS. Containing cats to the property helps protect
wildlife from predation, and prevents neighbourhood disputes about cat nuisance
issues. Cat confinement is also a legal requirement in new Canberra suburbs.
