Community Involvement
Working with the Community on the Coomonderry Swamp - Revive Southern Rivers Wetlands Project
*Contributor: *Jen Byrne
Revive of Wetlands Project Officer
Conservation Volunteers Australia
PO Box 5447 Wollongong NSW 2500
T 02 4228 9246
E jbyrne@conservationvolunteers.com.au
Web www.conservationvolunteers.com.au
H4. Coomonderry Swamp
Coomonderry Swamp is the largest freshwater coastal wetland in the southern region of NSW, representing 40% of this wetland category within the State. The swamp covers approximately 670 hectares within a 1530-hectare catchment, filling a depression stretching for more than five kilometres from Beach Road in the north to Shoalhaven Heads in the south. Part of the swamp and its catchment is within Seven Mile Beach National Park but most of the swamp is on private property, with a small section owned by Shoalhaven City Council.
Revive Our Wetlands
Established by Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA) & BHP Billiton in 2001, Revive Our Wetlands is the largest national wetlands rehabilitation program in Australia. The Southern Rivers Catchment Management Authority (SRCMA) is a significant regional partner and through the ‘Revive Southern Rivers Wetlands Program’ (Revive) provides support to Coomonderry Swamp, Tom Thumb Lagoon, Werri Lagoon, and Lake Conjola, by enhancing the capacity of local communities to restore and conserve these natural areas. At Coomonderry Swamp, Revive teams are assisting the Department of Environment and Conservation: Parks and Wildlife Division (DEC: PWD) with implementing their weed control strategy and aiding in the protection of this highly significant wetland.
Community Involvement
Over the next two years, the program hopes to expand to include weed control, revegetation, and fencing on private property within the catchment. This of course requires the support of landholders, so on Sunday 26th of March 2006 and with the support of the SRCMA; CVA and DEC:PWD held a BBQ and guided wetland walk for local community members.
The BBQ was an opportunity for 130 community members and representatives from the Jerrinja Local Aboriginal Land Council to share their local knowledge about the Swamp with representatives from the SRCMA, CVA, DEC:PWD and the Shoalhaven City Council.
Funding
Funding and on-ground assistance programs that are available to property owners within the catchment to undertake environmental works, such as weed removal, revegetation, fencing and voluntary work through the Revive program were highlighted during the BBQ. Examples include;
- Southern Rivers Catchment Management Authority – Round 2 of the Southern Rivers Bush Incentives (SRBI) program that focuses on landholders in the sub-catchments of Boro, Nerrimunga Reedy Creek and the Endrick River and mid-Shoalhaven north-west of Braidwood. Visit: http://www.southern.cma.nsw.gov.au/pdf/MRsrbi2006.pdf
- Shoalhaven City Council – has funding to spend up to 3 days working on any private property within the catchment to control environmental weeds. Visit: http://www.shoalhaven.nsw.gov.au/
Wetland Information and Guided Walk
The Member for Kiama, Matt Brown officially launched the new education brochure entitled “Coomonderry Swamp – a site of significant regional biodiversity” which was produced by DEC:PWD, with significant contribution by CVA and Dr. Nicholas de Jong, who had studied the vegetation of Coomonderry Swamp during his PhD.
The guided wetland walk was led by Dr. Nicholas de Jong and stoped at three significant locations around the northeast margin of the Swamp, allowing community members to see the change in plant communities. Participants were able to view areas of sedgeland, open water communities, paper-bark scrub, she-oak forest, and extensive swamp mahogany stands, which contain very few introduced plant species and provide valuable habitat for a diverse range of birds, mammals and frogs.
Some feedback from the day:
“Thanks for a great day on Sunday – weather was fine, food great and walk fantastic, what more could one ask for!”
John O`Connor (Environmental Officer Tory Toyota Motor Group)
Anne-Louise Graham-Bell (Editor of Shoalhaven Heads News)
“Thank you so much for today. It was both enjoyable and inspiring. Inspiring to watch you and your team work together to give us such a great day, inspiring to share Nick’s passion for the swamp and inspiring to meet so many friends and neighbours and people who are also passionate about the bush.”
Bill Pigott (Chair of Berry Landcare)
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