WCLG’s, GROUP LEADERS ANNUAL REPORT 2008 -2009
As group leader of the Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare Group, it gives me much pleasure to present the 2008-2009 Annual Report. Although November seems a little late to present our financial status for a July/June tax year, it was voted at our 2008 AGM to move the AGM one calendar month later in order to fit in with our Accountants busy schedule and discount service.
As you will hear from our Treasurer, we have a large turnover of money that is managed well. We are not rich, but utilize what money we gain from grants, memberships and donations to maintaining the coastal environment around Warrnambool and for capacity building within our group. The gaining of funding has become ever so hard with the Federal Government changing the old system and basically squeezing us out of the new system. The GHCMA, short of funding themselves, made it tough on groups to survive and have leadership by failing to reemploy their Community Landcare Facilitators. The good news is Coast Action Coastcare have come to the rescue by making funding available to coastal groups for environmental works in the coming year.
If success can be measured by having an increase in wildlife, winning awards, raising awareness with weeds, revegetation and increased membership, then I’m sure we are doing something right. The most exciting news for us was the milestone of over 100 penguins counted on Middle Island. It has reinforced the success of the Maremma project and the planning by Warrnambool City Council for the past few years. The team effort of the penguin monitors giving up their heaters on cold evenings hasn’t gone past unnoticed either. Early signs indicate that this coming year is going to be even better again. The maremma dog project would not be able to continue without the contribution and support of the sponsors and Council. Thanks to GHCMA, Powercor and BHP for their ongoing support, but we are reaching a new phase where we need to find other sponsorship dollars as Powercor phases out. Hopefully the success of the program will sell itself and other offers aren’t too far away. With the island still closed, the Meet the Maremma Tours have proved to be very popular and we don’t seem to have enough of them to keep up the public demand. Working with WCC we are seeking some extra funding for this event.
The Maremma Dog Project has helped us win two top awards this year. We first won an Environmental Innovation Award with Keep Australia Beautiful Vic., Clean Beach Awards for all the projects surrounding Stingray Bay Beach which includes Middle island and cleaning up the Merri by kayak. Later on in the year we were fortunate enough to pick up at the top Coastcare Award at the State Landcare Awards. This award saw us in partnership with Portland’s Point Danger Committee of Management, for the similar use of using maremmas to guard Gannets. This award now entitles us to be in the National Landcare Awards to be held in Sydney next year. A sad note with the Maremmas was the accidental death of David’s dog, Esta, who was the mentor of the maremma pups, the glamour girl on the book marks and quite often was used in a photo shoot for the Standard. She has served us well and will long be remembered.
What a wonderful year we have had with the whales this year with the most sightings on record. The Whale Watch Group, is affiliated with us and are to be applauded with their continued commitment to data collecting in the cold wet winter months. They have also contributed to over 20 memberships within our group. We have also become a proponent for the Rotary Club of Warrnambool, by controlling their Caring for Country grant money in the Griffith Island Restoration Project. They have been very active in organization all the work on that island and have been very good to liaise with.
Our participation in National events continued with Clean Up Australia Day and National Tree Day with both days attracting good community participation. We also participated in Coast Care’s Life on the Edge campaign and National Volunteer Week. We attended Deakin O-Weeks with information and recruitment tables, SGAP Flower Show and just recently Warrnambools first compost and weed education ‘Dirty Weekend’. As usual we also had an active role with the Summer by the Sea Program and the Friday night Markets. Mid year we celebrated 15 Years of Coast Action in Victoria and were treated to an excellent Marine and Coastal two day Forum with special guests Reg Lipsom, John Sherwood and Marg O’Toole, passing on their knowledge of the marine environment. More group education was undertaken by 6 members attending a Governance training session in Hamilton.
Our Weed Warrior Program has continued to be run by Nicole Wood and 5 schools in the South Warrnambool Wetlands. The Bridal creeper is progressively declining with the biological agents and funding by Bush Guardians is continuing with this activity. Revegetation work at Granny’s Grave this year attracted over 120 people along with sponsors Toyota and South West Credit. We kept maintenance work up again at our Harris on Merri site and hope to finish off the riparian section of the site next year. A couple of members have also been involved with Orange Bellied Parrot and the Little Hooded Plover counts.
At this stage I would like to thank the elected office bearers for their support this year. Lisette for holding the fort while I was away and Frank for the ongoing treasury role and being there when needed. Ann for her dual role especially at Harris Street. Dave and Kristie are two special people that make this group stand out from the crowd and Amanda for her wonderful devotion to the penguin recovery program while John Sutherland was never too far away. Thanks also to Kate McInnes and Ian at the WCC for the fantastic support in time and the many contributions in keeping our group rolling efficiently. John Amor thanks for your ongoing help and support in assisting myself and the numerous needs of the group.
There always seems to be something going on in Warrnambool that our group can get involved in. there are educational programs, forums and events happening on regular occasions. As an environmental group we don’t have to look far to see a problem that needs fixing. Our group may just be the link that is needed in the chain of events to fix the problem. If you think something needs doing, talk to one of us, bring it up at a meeting and see if we can work out a solution. It may only take a small start by you to make a beneficial effect.
With the world becoming more aware of climate change and discovering there is a need to be totally sustainable with every action on the planet, it is great to see some new groups spring up in Warrnambool with this philosophy in mind. As an environmental group ourselves, I think we need to grow our ideals, share our goals and knowledge with likeminded people and where appropriate, work alongside each other when aiming for similar outcomes. There are many sustainable ideas floating around at the moment between different groups and Council planning and hopefully as we can work together in the future and contribute to a sustainable environment for future generations.
Thanks also to all our members for supporting and believing in me and I will endeavor to convey that trust into a successful group that we all can cherish.
Don McTaggart
Group Leader