Carp Removal from Elsternwick Park Lake - Bayside City Council

issue number 46 — summer 2012/2013 

Seed Collecting in 

Bayside’s Bushlands 

Winter in the 

Marine Sanctuary 

Carp Removal 

from Elsternwick 

Park Lake 

New Neighbours, 

New Friends

2 

From the Mayor 

I am pleased to have this opportunity 

to make contact with readers of 

the Banksia Bulletin, which has long 

provided valuable information on 

Bayside’s natural environment. 

Bayside’s natural areas, such as the 

coast and inland bushland reserves 

are a vital part of our identity and are 

what makes living here so special. 

Having diverse natural areas so close 

to the city of Melbourne is a great 

privilege for local Bayside residents. 

These areas include the magnificent 

marine life found at the Ricketts 

Point Marine Sanctuary and the 

biodiversity rich inland heathlands. 

There are many values in having 

these areas so close to our homes. 

Not only are they a living museum of 

what this area was once like, they also 

provide us with the pleasures of nature 

based activities such as bushwalking, 

observing wildflowers and snorkelling. 

Importantly they are also a home and 

refuge to a range of native animals. 

To help you discover our natural 

coastal environment, Bayside City 

Council is contributing to a “Summer 

by the Sea” educational program. 

This program will involve a range of 

outdoor activities that all can enjoy. 

Please read on to find out more. 

I wish all Banksia Bulletin readers 

an enjoyable and relaxing summer. 

Cr Stephen Hartney 

Mayor 

Bayside City Council 

banksia bulletin — summer 2012/2013 

Front cover image 

Common Sea Star at Rickett’s 

Point. Photograph by Ray Lewis 

Back cover image 

Clematis microphyla 

by Pauline Reynolds

In this ISSUE 

Special features 

8 

10 

Program 

Liftout 


Bayside Bushlands 

Lara Nulty 


New Friends 

Michael Norris 

17 

Carp Removal 

from Elsternwick 

Park Lake 

in the 

Marine Sanctuary 

20Winter 

Ray Lewis 


Other articles 

Tree Controls in Bayside’s 4 

Residential Areas 

Friends of the Brighton Dunes 5 

Jenny Talbot 

Springtime Colours in the 6 

George Street Reserve 

Valerie Tarrant & Pauline Reynolds 

Family Life Open 7 

Garden Day 

Stephanie Werner 

Table Rock Planting Day 15 

Taliesin Galloway McLean 

Microbats in 16 

Cheltenham Park 

Friends of Balcombe Park 18 

Joan Couzoff 

A Welcome Guest in 19 

My Garden 

Pauline Reynolds 

Citywide New to the Crew 19 

Justin Gorwell 

Commotion in the 21 

Long Hollow Heathland 

Rob Saunders 

Working Bee Calendar 22 

3

4 

Tree Controls in Bayside’s 

Residential Areas 

The significance of trees and the tree canopy to neighbourhood 

character, landscape and broad community enjoyment is well 

recognised by the Bayside community. This is reflected in the existing 

planning policy and local law controls that apply across Bayside. 

The Draft Review of Vegetation Related Provisions in 

the City of Bayside (Sept 2011) has aimed to further 

develop and improve vegetation management within 

the residential areas of Bayside by setting out the 

current situation and identifying areas for improvement 

in Council’s policy, controls and processes. 

The draft review has been endorsed by Council and it 

is now the community’s opportunity to have a say by: 

• Making a submission to Council; and/or 

• Participating in a focus group. 

In order to assist you in making a submission, relevant 

explanatory information and a survey form are 

available from: 

• Council’s website at www.bayside.vic.gov.au/ 

haveyoursay; 


• The Bayside Corporate Centre, 76 Royal Avenue, 

Sandringham; and 

• The Bayside Library branches (Beaumaris, Brighton, 

Hampton and Sandringham). 

Council is also organising three small focus group sessions 

to run in February 2013. The focus groups will enable 

interested community members to consider the review 

in much greater detail and provide direct feedback 

to Council officers and the consultants. Each session 

has 15 available spaces and bookings are essential. 

If you wish to register your interest in participating in 

a focus group discussion, please contact Council’s 

Urban Strategy team on (03) 9599 4444. 

Your feedback will help Council decide what to do 

next. Submissions close 5pm Friday 1 March 2013.

Friends of the Brighton Dunes 

It has been the loveliest spring I can remember since starting 

work in the Dr Jim Willis Reserve 18 years ago. 

The Coast Tea-tree (Leptospermum 

laevigatum) have been heavy 

with profuse white flowers, the 

Pomaderris (Pomaderris paniculosa) 

rich with fawn/pink and beige 

flowers, the Rhagodia (Rhagodia 

candolleana) rampant and the 

Clematis (Clematis microphylla) is 

flourishing – a veritable paradise! 

In early October we observed 

Superb Fairy Wrens, Pacific Gulls and 

Willy Wagtails, we also saw a kestrel 

flying over us. Our Bayside suburbs 

are where people want to live 

because of our lovely natural areas. 

It appears that meteorologists are 

optimistic about the weather. They 

say this summer will be ordinary 

as the strong La Nina event which 

brought us all the rain has ended 

and there is likely to be no shift back 

into El Nino. The dams that were 

64.6% full in November 2011 are 

81.5% full in 2012 (The Age, 13/11/12). 

The downside of such a wonderful 

clement spring is of course, the 

proliferation of weeds. We have 

pulled out lots of Pampas Lily of 

the Valley (Salpichroa origanifolia), 

one metre high Annual Veldt 


Grass (Ehrharta longiflora), and 

Galenia (Galenia pubescens). 

Many thanks to our volunteers and 

Liam Bucknell from Citywide, and 

in particular to Jo Hurse who does 

such an outstanding job as leader 

of the Citywide Bushland Crew. 

Jenny Talbot 

Coordinator 

Friends of the Brighton Dunes 

5

6 

Springtime Colours in the 

George Street Reserve 

The lovely bronze and gold of the Egg and Bacon Pea (Bossiaea cinerea) 

are at their best in late winter and early spring, bringing splendid colour to 

the heathlands. During these times, walkers along the track from the Big Heath, 

close to the Tulip Street entrance, will be rewarded if they continue through to 

the area most recently burned in a wildfire, as the Egg and Bacon is flowering 

prolifically on both sides of the path. 

Less spectacular than wildflowers, but worth a look, is 

the bracken growing thickly at the corner of George 

and Tulip Streets and near the sliprail. People sometimes 

ask if bracken is a native of Australia, and Austral Bracken 

(Pteridium esculentum) certainly is, and indigenous to 

Bayside. This plant grows well in dry soils and will tolerate 

salt-laden winds. As a child, I (Val) was told of its use for 

the relief of bull-ant bites and I remember grabbing a 

bunch of young fronds and rubbing them on to a nasty 

sting, with some benefit. 

Bracken was used by Aboriginal Victorians. ‘The Kulin 

people ate the rhizome after roasting it and beating 

it to a paste’.(Rob Scott et.al., Indigenous Plants of the 

Sandbelt, Earthcare, Melbourne, 2002). 


Outside the Reserve, an enthusiastic group of Friends 

and volunteers led by Pauline Reynolds worked on 

19 August to extend the plantings on the Tulip Street 

nature strip. This project is a great success and shows 

the diversity of flora which flourish in our local heathlands. 

At one point, a magpie with young flew over the workers 

– a reminder of the value of the Reserve as habitat for 

our fauna. 

Valerie Tarrant and Pauline Reynolds 

Joint Co-ordinators 

Friends of George Street Reserve

Family Life Open Garden Day 

Sunday 21 October 2012 

A wonderful community 

day was had by all 

who attended the 

annual Family Life 

Open Garden Day 

on Sunday 21 October. 

Close to 800 guests enjoyed 

wandering through six beautiful 

gardens and one intriguing driveway 

in Brighton. Over $35,000 was raised 

for Family Life’s important community 

strengthening services. 

Bayside City Council has been a 

major sponsor for many years, and 

was a major contributor to the success 

of the event. As well as sponsorship, 

Bayside City Council contributed on 

the day by operating a stall which 

provided information to guests about 

composting, sustainability and other 

environmental hints. 

Guests also enjoyed live music 

provided by local school groups 

and musicians, informative exhibits 

from nurseries and sponsors and 

the chance to view some fantastic 

sculptures by local artists. 

For many, a courtesy ride in one 

of the amazing vintage cars was 

a highlight. Guests were also able 

to enjoy the sausage sizzle or 

delicious Devonshire tea on offer. 

Run by a team of dedicated 

and hardworking volunteers, the 

Open Garden Day is an important 

fundraising event for Family Life. 

Family Life is a non-profit community 

organisation that helps local families 

by providing services such as 

counselling, support groups, training 

and community development in 

the Southern Metropolitan Region 

of Melbourne. 

Family Life would once again like 

to thank the sponsors, volunteers 

and the committee for organising 

and contributing to such a successful 

community event. 

Stephanie Werner 

Community Relations Officer 

Family Life 

All photographs by Pauline Reynolds 


Musicians from St Leonards entertaining visitors 

Henry, George and Paddy 

with their chooks 

7

8 


Bayside’s Bushlands 

It’s one of the first warm November days of the year and in many of the 

reserves around Bayside a sound vaguely reminiscent to the ‘popping’ 

of popcorn can be heard. 

In actual fact, this is the sound of 

Showy Bossiaea’s (Bossiaea cinerea) 

pods bursting open with new seeds, 

and to the trained ears of Citywide 

Horticulturalist Erika Anderson 

from Bayside Community Nursery 

it signifies the start of the seed 

collecting season. 

Every year the Citywide bushland 

crew, along with the team from 

Bayside Community Nursery and 

numerous volunteers, scour the 

reserves around Bayside, collecting 

the various seeds of wild grasses, 

ground-covers, shrubs and trees. 

They carefully collect and catalogue 

the seeds to ensure our indigenous 

flora has the best chance to flourish 

for generations to come. 

Those who take the time to appreciate 

the myriad of indigenous flora 

Bayside is laced with, have most 

likely, never given a thought to the 

maintenance and propagation 

of the plants and would take for 

granted that in some of the densely 

populated areas of Melbourne 

suburbia, Australian wildlife 

is prospering. 

The fact of the matter is that most 

of the indigenous plants found in 

abundance throughout Bayside 

are a result of the hard work, 


determination, expertise and 

a little experimentation from the 

Citywide Bayside horticultural teams 

and volunteers. 

Maintaining indigenous flora is 

a constant cycle that begins with 

collecting the native seeds at the 

start of a longer period of warmer 

weather. If the seeds haven’t 

opened, then various methods 

are used to encourage them and 

according to Erika, sometimes just 

leaving them in a paper bag on 

the dashboard of your car in the 

sun is enough.

This year, seed collecting started later 

than in previous years as a result of 

the drought finally breaking. Erika says 

it’s a sign the land is slowly reverting 

back to how it was in less droughtstricken 

times. 

“It’s really the heat that gets everything 

going,” says Erika. “In the past few 

years we have had to start collecting 

much earlier as the plants have been 

drying out and heating up quickly 

after winter. This year they have 

only just begun and it’s already 

mid-November”. 

After collection the seeds are planted 

and cultivated into the seedlings 

that are seen covering almost every 

surface in the Bayside Community 

Nursery come the start of the planting 

season in March. Different techniques 

are used to germinate the collected 

seeds. Most of Australia’s indigenous 

plants need heat to propagate and 

some are even reliant on bushfires. 

In special cases like Victoria’s floral 

emblem, the Common Heath 

(Epacris impressa), a bushfire is 

simulated through a special process 

of seed smoking in order to get the 

plant to germinate. 

Erika describes the Australian 

indigenous flora as “pretty incredible” 

and says that every year she looks 

forward to seeing the first of the 

wildflowers with excitement and a little 

apprehension of the huge task ahead. 

“The seed collecting is hard work but 

is really good fun once you get into it. 

You get to see your hard work literally 

grow before your eyes”. 

Lara Nulty 

Marketing Communications 

and CRM Co-ordinator 

Citywide 

If you are interested in 

volunteering for Bayside 

Community Nursery, please 

contact Erika Anderson on 

03 9583 8408 


Clematis microphylla 

Austrostipa mollis 

Austrodanthonia setacea var. setacea 

9

10 


New Friends 

All the regulars at our monthly working bees live north of, or near, Bay Road 

Heathland Sanctuary. For the last few months we have been like house-proud 

gardeners, clearing overgrowth, planting for the coming year, tidying up for 

Spring Opening visitors, weeding, picking up litter and more weeding… 

The overgrowth was mainly Twiggy Daisy-bush (Oleria 

ramulosa) which has grown at the most recent 

ecological burn site. Removing its shade should enable 

the sun to stimulate a wider variety of plants. However 

this may turn out to be one of the patches where natural 

regeneration of heath is difficult. This is because it might 

have been affected by past human activities, like the 

scout camps, or simply left too long before being burnt. 

A student at the Australian Research Centre of Urban 

Ecology (ARCUE) studied the Sanctuary seed-banks and 

recommended burning all the land once every seven 

or so years to avoid losing species. 

For our planting sessions we were joined by people who 

the Friends of Native Wildlife had invited to “work, walk, 

and talk”. Most of the plants were propagated, by our 

wonderful Community Nursery from seed that we and 

others had collected from the Sanctuary. One exception 

was our State floral emblem, Common Heath (Epacris 

impressa). We have tried to grow it in the past but only 

one plant survived – and that was next door! 


“Next door” is behind us in the photo above in which 

we are collecting litter and weeding – mainly Panic 

Veldt-grass (Erharta erecta) – along the public walkway 

on “our” side of the fence. Soon that old factory building 

will be demolished to make way for the “Sandyhill” 

development with its 450 apartments. Following a 

successful campaign by the Friends in 2004/5 it will 

have special setbacks and lighting standards, and 

plants that are “complementary and compatible with 

the Heathland species”. 

Soon the people of Sandyhill and the ecology of the 

Sanctuary will become neighbours and, we hope, good 

neighbours. All will be very welcome to join us in caring 

for this wonderful refuge. 

Michael Norris 

Coordinator 

Friends of the Bay Road Heathland Sanctuary

BAYSIDE AREA ACTIVITIES GUIDE 

2 January to 27 January 

The Department of Sustainability 

and Environment’s annual 

festival for the Victorian coast 

Discover the wonders of Bayside’s 

special coast this summer.

Summer by the Sea hosts over 300 free family friendly, 

events along the beautiful Victorian coastline. 

Activities are fun, educational and explore the ecological diversity of Victoria’s coastal environments. 

Different activities are suitable for different age groups, with opportunities for both kids and 

adults to get involved. Take a tour of the dunes, learn how to stand up paddle board, join in 

a guided coastal walk or ride or go on a treasure hunt! 

CALEnDAR oF EVEnTS (BAySiDE AREA) 

Guided coastal walk 

Discover Bayside’s coastal flora 

and fauna on a guided walk 

towards Sandringham 

Date: Tuesday 8 January 2013 

Time: 9 – 11am 

Location: Meet at Love Street 

car park, Black Rock. 

Suitable for children 

and adults 

Bookings: Bookings essential. 

Phone Barbara Jakob 

on 0408 032 963 or email 

BaysideFriends@gmail.com 

Geology rocks 

Presentation and guided tour by 

Sandringham Foreshore Association 

about Bayside’s changing dunes, 

the summer/winter beaches, fossil 

discoveries, impacts of climate change 

and coastal processes. 

Date: Wednesday 16 January 

Time: 5:30 – 7pm 

Location: Brighton Life Saving Club, 

Esplanade, Brighton. 


Phone Bayside City Council 

9599 4444 or email 

brighter@bayside.vic.gov.au 

Ride on the wild side 

Learn about local flora and fauna on 

a guided bike ride along Bayside’s 

foreshore towards Black Rock 


Time: 9am – 12pm 

Location: Meet at car park 

opposite Trey Bit 

Reserve, Sandringham. 


and adults 



on 0408 032 963 or email 


Stand up paddle 

boarding 

Free 1 hour introductory stand up 

paddle boarding lesson 

Date: Friday 18 January 2013 


Location: Meet at Sandy Beach 

HQ and kiosk Jetty Road, 

Sandringham. 

Suitable for 12 – 17 

year olds 

Bookings: Limited places. 

Bookings essential. Phone 

Bayside City Council 9599 

4444 or email 


There is 

something for 

everyone with local 

activities supported 

by Bayside City 

Council. 

Stand up paddle 

boarding 

Free 1 hour introductory stand 

up paddle boarding lesson 

Date: Friday 11 January 2013 


Location: Meet at Sandy Beach HQ 

and kiosk Jetty Road, 

Sandringham. 

Suitable for 12 – 17 

year olds 

Bookings: Limited places. 

Bookings essential. 

Phone Bayside City 

Council 9599 4444 

or email 


Dog’s breakfast 

Breakfast for dogs and their owners 

Dates: Saturday 19 January 2013 


Location: Sandringham Harbour, 

Jetty Road, Sandringham 

in front of Sandy HQ Kiosk 

Bookings: Bookings not required

KEy ACTiViTiES MAP 

Meeting points 

for activities: 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

Geology rocks 

Brighton Life Saving Club, 

Esplanade, Brighton 

Stand up paddle boarding 

Sandy Beach HQ and kiosk 


Dog’s breakfast 

Sandringham Harbour, 



Trey Bit Reserve, Sandringham 

Coastal walk 

Love Street car park, Black Rock 

Treasure hunt 

Donald MacDonald Reserve, 

Beaumaris 

Junior ranger 

Ricketts Point Tea House Gardens 

Guided coastal walk 

Discover Bayside’s coastal flora 

and fauna on a guided walk 

towards Beaumaris 

Date: Sunday 20 January 2013 

Time: 9 – 11am 

Location: Meet at Love Street 

car park, Black Rock. 


and adults 


Phone Barbara Jakob on 

0408 032 963 or email 


Junior ranger: mud 

pies and other sandy 

adventures 


Time: 9:30 – 11:30am 

Location: Meet at Ricketts Point 

Tea House Gardens 



on 0408 032 963 or email 


1 

2 

DENDY ST 

HAMPTON ST 

BEACH RD 

PORT 

PHILLIP BAY 

SOUTH RD 

BAY RD 

3 

4 

5 

RESERVE RD 


Learn about local flora and fauna on 

a guided bike ride along Bayside’s 

foreshore towards Black Rock 

Learn about local flora and fauna 

Date: Sunday 20 January 2013 


Location: Meet at car park 

opposite Trey Bit Reserve, 

Sandringham. 


and adults 



on 0408 032 963 or email 


Modern treasure hunt 

Join in a modern treasure hunt 

(geocaching) with GPS supplied 

Date: Sunday 27 January 

Time: 6 – 8pm 

Location: Meet at Donald MacDonald 

Reserve playground, Cnr 

Keating and Stawell St, 

Beaumaris. 


8yrs + with a parent 



on 0408 032 963 or email 


NEPEAN HIGHWAY 

BALCOMBE RD 

BEAUMARIS 

BAY 


WARRIGAL RD 

Modern treasure hunt 

Join in a modern treasure hunt 

(geocaching) with GPS supplied 

Date: Tuesday 22 January 

Time: 6 – 8pm 

Location: Meet at Donald MacDonald 

Reserve playground, 

Cnr Keating and Stawell St, 

Beaumaris. 


8yrs + with a parent 



on 0408 032 963 or email 


For more information 

and a copy of the full 

program guide, please visit 

the Summer by the Sea 

website at www.dse.vic. 

gov.au/summerbythesea 

Summer by the Sea is an initiative of the Department of Sustainability and Environment and Parks Victoria with local activities supported by Bayside City Council.

Conserve our Coasts 

Throughout the world’s 

oceans lurks a silent killer. 

It will outlive us, outswim us, 

and threatens to undo us. 

Sharks and sea snakes are 

minnows by comparison. 

Box jellyfish and blue ring 

octopus don’t even rate. 

The predator is plastic 

and it’s floating in an 

ocean near you. 

For further information visit 

www.bayside.vic.gov.au/summerbythesea 


What’s at stake? 

Around one million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals 

are killed every year by this silent killer. 

Plastics enter the bottom of the food chain through 

zooplankton, which confuse their regular prey for tiny 

plastic pieces. 

An estimated 1500 seals and sea lions become tangled 

in marine debris and die every year in southern Australia. 

Unlike naturally-based paper or glass, plastic never truly 

goes away; it just breaks down into smaller pieces. 

That means that every piece of plastic you and i have 

ever used is still around today. 

This is a global problem, with a truly local solution. We can 

turn our plastic addiction around. We can spread the word, 

change our habits, break the deadly cycle and save our 

marine life. 

Here are a couple of tips to get your started. 

• Reduce your use of disposable, single-use, 

unnecessary items. 

• Say no to bottled water! 

• Stop using plastic bags! Buy a reusable bag 

and keep it with you. 

Source: Australian Marine Conservation Society

Table Rock Planting Day 

A while ago now, on Sunday 24 June, lots of Bayside families met up for a 

special tree planting working bee at Table Rock, Beaumaris, to help save our 

environment. The day was organized by Citywide Open Space, Enviro Kids, 

the Bayside Environment Friends Network, the Beaumaris Conservation Society 

and the Beaumaris Sea Scouts. 

This day was lots of fun. There were hundreds of tiny seedlings planted all over the foreshore reserve. We put on our 

gardening gloves, picked up a trowel and started digging holes. To help take care of the plants, we had to insert 

a little bit of special gel into each hole before putting in the plants – this will help to keep moisture around the plant 

roots while they are growing, (this was one of the most fun parts!). Digging the holes was a bit tiring, but fortunately, 

to help speed up the process a special hole-making tool was used. 

We planted seedlings all over all the 

reserve, but my favourite place to 

work was near the edge of the cliff, 

because there were spectacular 

views over the bay. 

All together, the volunteers planted 

650 plants in just under 1.5 hrs. It 

looked so fantastic when we had 

finished! We planted a variety 

of indigenous plants that are 

specialized to cope with the salty 

and windy conditions in the area. 

The species included: 

• Bower Spinach 

(Tetragonia implexicoma) 

• Seaberry Saltbush 

(Rhagodia candolleana) 

• Tea Tree 

(Leptospermum laevigatum) 

• Boobialla (Myoporum insulare) 

• Matt Rush (Lomandra spp.) 

• Kidney Weed 

(Dichondra repens) 

Michael Norris inspecting the work of budding young naturalists at Table Rock 


• Wallaby Grass 

(Austrodanthonia caespitosa) 

• Spear Grass (Austrostipa mollis) 

The hard workers were rewarded with 

a BBQ afterwards. Now we are all 

looking forward to the next working 

bee, when more Bayside families 

will return and help weed the area 

to keep the seedlings healthy. I hope 

you can come too! 

Taliesin Galloway McLean 

Environment Captain, 

Sandringham House Primary School 

15

16 

Close up of a Gould’s Wattled Bat 

Close up of a Gould’s Wattled Bat 

Upcoming Event 

Microbats at Cheltenham Park 

Microbats range from the size of a moth to a hand, 

and live off mosquitoes and other insects. 

These tiny, not to mention interesting 

looking creatures are extremely 

important for the liveability of our 

neighbourhoods, eating up to 600 

mosquitoes an hour! 

Melbourne University with the Bayside 

Environment Friends Network and 

Friends of Native Wildlife are inviting 

you to become a bat detector for an 

evening in the name of conservation. 

Bayside Environment Friends Network 

Are you interested in native plants and animals? 

Do you have a passion for the environment? 

Then the Bayside Environment Friends Network may be just for you! 

Members of Bayside’s 17 Friends groups and others interested in the 

natural environment of Bayside meet regularly to discuss their latest 

projects and other environmental issues. 

Enviro Kids 

Mums, Dads and Kids! 

Come along and discover the magic of Bayside’s 

bushlands and learn about your local environment. 

Enviro Kids is a fun activities-based environmental playgroup in Bayside 

coordinated by Barbara Jakob of the Bayside Environmental Friends Network. 

Activities have been developed by Barbara and qualified teachers. 

Children from three to five years, with their carers meet monthly in one of 

Bayside’s beautiful bushland or foreshore reserves to discover and appreciate 

their local environment through play. 

For more information contact Barbara Jakob at baysidefriends@gmail.com 


Participants will conduct night surveys 

searching for and trapping bats. 

You will discover microbat habitats, 

nesting locations and learn about 

the threats facing microbats. 

When? 

Saturday, 2 March 2013 

Enviro Kids session from 5-7pm and 

all are welcome from 6pm onwards 

to help set up traps throughout the 

park. An information session will begin 

at 7.30pm with a BBQ. 

Where? 

Cheltenham Park 

Melway Reference 86 G1 

Meet at the BBQ area near the 

scouts hall off Park Rd, Cheltenham 

Cost? 

Free! 

Contact 

Please RSVP to attend 

Barbara Jakob 

Coordinator – Bayside Environment 

Friends Network 

baysidefriends@gmail.com 

Mob: 0408 032 963 

Meeting Times 

25 February 2013 

25 March 2013 

29 April 2013 

27 May 2013 

4.30-6.00pm 

Beaumaris Senior Citizen Centre 

Reserve Road, Beaumaris 

Meeting Times 

2 March 2013 (Bat Event) 

24 March 2013 

28 April 2013 

26 May 2013 

9.30-11.30am at various locations 

with the exception of the bat event. 

* A small fee of up to $7 may 

be applicable for some events 

to assist with the payment 

of materials.

Fishing at Elsternwick Park Lake 

Carpe Diem 

Bayside City Council Seize the Opportunity to Remove European Carp 

from Elsternwick Park Lake 

Elsternwick and Elwood Parks are 

frequented by large numbers of 

people for sporting and recreational 

activities. To improve water availability 

for irrigating the parks, Bayside City 

Council and Port Phillip Council 

have teamed up to undertake 

a project to harvest stormwater 

from the Elster Creek Drain. 

This project involves diverting a 

small percentage of the flow in the 

Elster Creek Drain into a treatment 

wetland located on the Elsternwick 

Golf Course. This treated water 

will then be transferred into the 

existing lake in the southern area of 

Elsternwick Park. From here it will be 

distributed to nearby recreational 

and sporting facilities for irrigation. 

To prepare the Elsternwick Park Lake 

to become a storage facility, it has 

been drained. While this drainage 

was occurring, Bayside City Council’s 

Open Space team saw a golden 

opportunity to try and rid the lake 

of European Carp (Cyprinus carpio) 

which is known to be present there. 

European Carp is an introduced 

pest species and now one of the 

most abundant large freshwater 

fish in water bodies throughout 

south-eastern Australia. Thanks 

to their breeding habits and 

resilience, carp could eventually 

become widespread throughout 

the country. They have a wide 

range of detrimental impacts on 

natural ecosystems, such as: 

• Reducing water quality through 

uprooting vegetation and stirring 

up sediments during feeding 

• Eroding of river and 

lake banks due to their 

destructive feeding habits 

• Reducing native fish 

populations through increased 

competition for resources 

Around this time of year the carp in 

Elsternwick Park Lake lay their eggs in 

the reeds and vegetation fringing it. 

By lowering the level of the lake for 

the stormwater harvesting project, the 

eggs have been exposed to the air 

and dried out. This will ensure that a 


large percentage of the future carp 

population has been eradicated. 

To remove the existing adults 

and juveniles from the lake, two 

qualified carp fisherman ran nets 

around the lake on 23 November. 

The total catch for the day was: 

• 260 Carp (360 kg) 

• 2 skateboards 

• 1 engine block 

• 4 cricket balls 

Rather than simply turning the 

removed carp into fertiliser, they 

can be processed in a number of 

innovative ways. Fresh whole carp 

and fillets are sold for domestic and 

international consumption. In the 

Czech Republic carp is a traditional 

Christmas food and is eaten in a 

number of different ways. The skin 

of the carp will be used for leather 

and scales in the production of paint. 

While some carp remain in the lake, 

their numbers have been reduced. 

This will hopefully improve the quality 

of the lake for native wildlife. 

17

18 

The “Clematis Elephant” by Pauline Reynolds 

Friends of 

Balcombe Park 

Good winter rains meant that 

Balcombe Park became an 

amazing sea of flowering native 

plants this spring. 

An elephant even came to visit us! Well, not really, it 

was actually a Clematis (Clematis microphylla) in full 

flower covering an old tree which we think looked just 

like an elephant. 

During spring, orchids were also abundant, especially 

greenhoods and maroon hoods. Balcombe Park is 

also known for its fungi and a coral fungi was found 

this year in the site of the 2008 ecological burn. 

Joan Couzoff 

Coordinator 

Friends of Balcombe Park 

Coral fungi by Jane Hart 

banksia bulletin — summer 2012/2013

Eastern Rosella by Pauline Reynolds 

A Welcome 

Guest in my 

Garden 

Sometimes an Eastern Rosella appears 

in my garden. One spring day the 

beautiful male bird in the photo visited 

for nearly the whole morning feasting 

on all the goodies he could find. 

I was lucky to get this picture as he was too far away 

from me most of the time, but suddenly came quite 

close to my back door where I was able to take a 

couple of photographs before he flew away. 

Completely by chance of course he sat where the 

picture also contains, in the background, two pottery 

birds, “Bronzewings”, sculpted by Carmen Skrobonja. 

Carmen managed the Bayside Community Plant 

Nursery until last year when illness forced her into a 

prolonged absence. When able she creates some 

amazing pieces. I had the opportunity to purchase 

a few which look beautiful in the garden. 

Pauline Reynolds 


Citywide New 

to the Crew 

Recent university graduate 

Justin Gorwell is new to 

Citywide’s bushland crew. 

Before commencing work at Bayside I studied 

Conservation Biology and Ecology at La Trobe 

University. From this degree I grew a passion for 

the natural Australian environment and knew that 

I wanted a career working in this field. 

I joined the Citywide Bushland Crew about six months 

ago and was given the role of looking after three 

of the inland Heathland areas, Donald Macdonald 

Reserve, George St Heathland and Woodland 

Reserve and Gramatan Avenue Heathland Sanctuary. 

Very quickly I realised this job was exactly what I 

wanted, one where I could use my passion for the 

Australian environment whilst building a career. 

Since working at Bayside I have grown a greater 

appreciation for the diversity of native plants 

found within the heathlands and especially in the 

ecologically burnt areas. The richness of species 

and even just the aesthetic beauty of these burnt 

areas is so much greater than that of the nonburnt 

areas. Many of the species found in the 

burn sites such as Small Grass-tree (Xanthorrea 

minor) or Wedding Bush (Ricinocarpus pinifolius) 

are nowhere near as abundant in the non-burnt 

areas. This highlights how important ecological 

burning is within these vegetation communities. 

The wildlife found in the Heathland areas is also 

quite amazing. I have spotted many interesting bird 

species since working 

here such as a Southern 

Boobook and Eastern 

Spinebills. I look forward 

to continuing to work in 

the heathland areas. 


Bushland Crew #1 

Citywide Open Space 


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Crustacean fossil by Ray Lewis Mouth of Toad Fish by Ray Lewis 

Square Biscuit Star by Tim Forster Tuskworm cone by Terry Valentine 

Winter in the Marine Sanctuary 

At Marine Care Ricketts Point, we have begun to take our nature observations 

and in particular underwater photography, to a new level. We are now so 

familiar with life underwater that anything out of the ordinary attracts our 

attention. That goes for water birds too. 

Also, we are now well underway doing local water testing, 

which should be of general benefit as we come to grips 

with the water quality throughout the year and develop 

local ground rules for when it’s safe or not safe to dive. 

Marine Care membership numbers are strong at 

around 120, and our recent winter events including 

a walk through the Williamstown wetlands, our Annual 

Winter Solstice walk, and a special bayside marine 


groups ‘Ngargee’ event (Boon wurrung for parley, dance, 

etc) at the Beaumaris Yacht Club were all successes. The 

Ngargee in particular, showed us all that everyone who 

is associated with the Bay from painters through to dog 

walkers, fishermen and divers, all speak with a common 

voice when it comes to protecting this most splendid 

asset we enjoy. 

Ray Lewis

Commotion in the Long 

Hollow Heathland 

On 26 August 2012, during the Long Hollow Heathland working bee, 

the Friends heard quite a commotion amongst the small birds that call 

the Heathland home. 

These birds included a White-eared Honeyeater 

and several Pardalotes. Searching for the source of 

the commotion, we saw the smaller birds chasing a 

female Fan-tailed Cuckoo (Cacomantis flabelliformis) 

with its distinctive barred, wedge-shaped tail and 

yellow eye-ring. 

Fan-tailed Cuckoos are a relatively common species 

in eastern Australia, but are rarely seen in Bayside. They 

are known as “brood parasites” which means they lay 

their eggs in the nests of other bird species. Cuckoos will 

commonly remove an egg from the nest of another bird 

species and lay one of their own in its place. There are 

remarkable similarities in the markings of the cuckoo’s 

egg and that of the host species. Unaware of this switch, 


the host parents will continue to incubate their eggs and 

that of the Cuckoo. The young Cuckoo generally hatches 

earliest and proceeds to eject the host’s other eggs or 

hatchlings from the nest. The new parents are then left 

to rear a single Cuckoo chick which often grows to be 

much larger than the parents themselves. 

It may have been that the Cuckoo in Long Hollow was 

looking for a host nest. However the other birds made 

sure it only stayed around for 10 minutes before being 

harassed off the premises. 

Rob Saunders 

Friends of Long Hollow Heathland 

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Working Bee Calendar 

FRIENDS/ ENVIRO GROUPS 

MELWAY 

REF 

Friends of Balcombe Park 86 C4 

Friends of Bay Rd 77 B11 

Bayside Environmental 

Friends Network 

Bayside Bushwalking Club 

(Charman to Cromer Rds, Beaumaris) 

Bayside Community Nursery 77 D12 

Beaumaris Conservation Society 

Black Rock and Sandringham 

Conservation Association 

Friends of Brighton Dunes 76 C2 

Friends of Cheltenham Park 86 G1 

Cheltenham Primary 

School Sanctuary 

Friends of Donald 

MacDonald Reserve 

Enviro Kids 

86 B6 

Friends of George Street Reserve 86 B1 

Friends of Gramatan Avenue 

Heathland 

86 C6 

Friends of Long Hollow Heathland 86 D5 

Friends of Merindah Park & 

Urban Forest 

77 B12 

CONTACT DETAILS 

Coordinator: Joan Couzoff 

Phone: (03) 9589 1060 

Coordinator: Michael Norris 

Phone: (03) 9521 0804 Email: menorris@ozemail.com.au 

Coordinator: Barbara Jakob 

Mobile: 0408 032 963 Email: baysidefriends@gmail.com 

Contact: Jo Hurse 

(Citywide) 9283 2052 

Contact: Erika Anderson 

319 Reserve Road, Cheltenham 3192 

Phone: (03) 9583 8408 Open Thurs and Sat 10am – 12pm 

President: Chris Sutton 

PO Box 7016, Beaumaris 3193 Email: ggd@netspace.net.au 

Coordinator: Bob Whiteway Phone: (03) 9502 0060 Email: bobwhiteway@optusnet.com.au 

Co-ordinator: Jenny Talbot 

Phone: (03) 9592 2109 

Co-ordinator: Elizabeth McQuire 

Phone: (03) 9592 6474 

Coordinator: Valerie Tyers 

Phone: (03) 9588 0107 Email: valerietyers@hotmail.com 

Contact: Marg McIntosh 

Phone: (03) 9583 1614 Email: mcintosh.margaret.h@edumail.vic.gov.au 

Coordinator: Kim Croker 

Phone: (03) 9589 2443 Email: kcroker@bigpond.net.au 

Enquiries to Barbara Jakob Phone: 0408 032 963 

Coordinator: Val Tarrant 

Phone: (03) 9598 0554 Email: vtarrant@ozemail.com.au. 

Coordinator: Pauline Reynolds 

Phone: (03) 9598 6368 Email: pauline.reynolds@bigpond.com 

Coordinator: Ken Rendell 

Phone: (03) 9589 4452 


Phone: (03) 9589 4452 

Marine Care Ricketts Point Inc 86 C9 Phone: (03) 9589 4452 

Friends of Native Wildlife 

NED (New Environment Directions) 

at Elsternwick Park 

Friends of Ricketts Point Landside 86 C9 

St. Leonards College 

Conservation Group 

Friends of Table Rock 86 E10 

Friends of Watkins Bay 86 D9 

Coordinator: David Cockburn 

Phone: (03) 9598 6148 Email: davidcoc@optusnet.com.au 

Coordinator: Michael Norris 

Phone: (03) 9521 0804 Email: menorris@ozemail.com.au 

Coordinator: Neil Blake, Port Phillip EcoCentre 

Phone: (03) 9534 0413 Email: neilblake.ecocentre@iinet.net.au 

Coordinator: Sue Raverty 

Phone: (03) 9589 2103 

Email: sraverty@westnet.com.au 

Contact: Luisa Ingram 

Phone: (03) 9909 9300 Email: Luisa.Ingram@stleonards.vic.edu.au 


Phone: (03) 9589 4452 

Coordinator: Moira Longden 

Phone: (03) 9589 2725 

banksia bulletin — summer 2012/2013

January 2013 to March 2013 

TIME JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH 

10am – noon 27 24 31 

10am – noon 12 9 9 

4.30 – 6.00pm 25 24 

Contact Jo Hurse 

(Citywide) 9283 2052 

10am – noon 

10am – noon 15 5, 19 5, 19 

8am – 10am 8, 15, 22, 29 5, 12, 19, 26 5, 12, 19, 26 

10am – noon 3 3 

9am – noon 

Contact School 9583 1614 

16 17 

10am – noon 3 3 

9.30am-11.30am 2, 24 

10am – noon 20 17 17 

1pm – 3pm 3 3 

1pm – 3pm 27 24 24 

10am – noon 

9.30am 

1.00pm – 3.00pm 15 19 19 

12.30pm – 2.30pm 29 26 26 

10am – noon 30 27 27 


Editorial Policy 

The purpose of publishing the Banksia 

Bulletin is to circulate information, report on 

events, and to profile relevant environmental 

issues important to our community. The 

Bulletin is also published to support the 

network of people involved in enjoying 

and protecting our local environment. 

Bayside City Council encourages people 

from our local community groups to submit 

articles of interest, share experiences and 

news about any upcoming events. All articles 

are reviewed prior to publication and Council 

reserves the right to omit or edit submissions. 

Acknowledgements 

Thank you to all the people who have 

contributed to this issue of Banksia Bulletin. 

Disclaimer 

The views expressed in the Banksia Bulletin 

are not necessarily those of Bayside City 

Council nor its representatives. 

Editor 

Simon Finlay, Acting Manager 

Environmental Sustainability & Open Space. 

Copy deadlines 2013 

Copy deadlines are set for the first 

Friday of the month of release: 

Autumn 2013 

1 March for release end March. 

Winter 2013 

7 June for release end June. 

Banksia Bulletin is published quarterly by 

Bayside City Council to service people 

interested in enjoying and protecting the 

local environment. 

If you would like to be added to the Banksia 

Bulletin mailing list, please contact Bayside 

City Council on 9599 4444 or email: 

banksia@bayside.vic.gov.au 

Please indicate whether you would 

prefer to receive your Banksia Bulletin 

by post or via email. 

Corporate Centre 

PO Box 27 Royal Avenue 

SANDRINGHAM VIC 3191 

Telephone: 9599 4444 

www.bayside.vic.gov.au 

banksia@bayside.vic.gov.au 

Hours of business 

8.30am – 5pm 

Monday – Friday 

(except public holidays) 

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Do you want to know more 

about Bayside and the 

Banksia Bulletin? 

Please refer to our website 

www.bayside.vic.gov.au

Carp Removal from Elsternwick Park Lake - Bayside City Council

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