PROPOSAL FOR VEGETATION AND WILDLIFE CORRIDORS
IN TYAGARAH

This is a proposal by the residents of Tyagarah,
supported by the Tyagarah Progress Association and the
Tyagarah Sustainable Community Alliance, for the
official declaration of wildlife and vegetation
corridors in Tyagarah.

We have drafted what we consider to be minimal areas
for:
- conservation of existing local native vegetation and
wildlife
- eventual restoration of habitat continuity and gene
flow between coastal and inland indigenous ecosystems
- catchment protection
- a balance between human use requirements and natural
values
- preservation of the unique character of the Tyagarah
area for present and future inhabitants

The corridors we propose are marked on the attached
map, along with some of the current and future
projects by Tyagarah residents.

We will be encouraging landowners to plant corridors
of local native vegetation to connect existing
remnants. This will enable plant species and animals
to move freely between the ocean and the mountains,
increasing gene flow and thus increasing biodiversity
and the chances of long-term survival of all the
species present.

We will be suggesting landowners apply for grant
funding to assist them with vegetation restoration and
community education projects, and encouraging
networking and sharing of skills, information, ideas,
equipment, and seeds.

We will be suggesting that Tyagarah landowners
consider joining the "Land For Wildlife" Voluntary
Conservation Scheme of the National Parks and Wildlife
Service, to enhance the community's ongoing
involvement in conservation issues.

We will be providing support for any landowners who
decide to restore and re-vegetate their properties.
This support will take various forms, including
administrative, advisory, networking, hands-on, etc.

Given our keen interest in the conservation of nature
in Tyagarah, we therefore offer our full support for
any plans Council may have at present or in future to
set aside land as wildlife corridors or nature
reserves that protect and link up any existing native
vegetation pockets in the Tyagarah area. We ask to be
consulted about any such plans so that we can
contribute our expertise and knowledge of the area,
and apply for relevant community grants to expand upon
your work.

Following is a summary of current and future projects
by locals, which are marked on the attached map along
with the proposed corridors.

CURRENT PROJECTS

GONDWANA SANCTUARY ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION
Gondwana is a 100-acre multiple occupancy on Prestons
Lane whose shareholders are creating a sanctuary for
native flora and fauna. It was formerly a dairy farm
consisting mainly of kikuyu, seteria grass, camphor
laurel and privet. Simpsons Creek, part of the
Brunswick River catchment, flows through the property
where it is within the Proposed Wildlife Corridor. In
the 1990's a joint-venture project with State Forests
resulted in the flood-prone lowlands being planted out
with 6,000 Eucalyptus grandis. More recently Gondwana
received two rounds of NHT and Envirofund grants for
two Landcare projects for riparian work along Simpsons
Creek. Under these grants, over 700 local provenance
rainforest species have been planted in fenced areas
and are now thriving. More areas will be restored as
funding becomes available. Removal of camphor laurel
over the whole property is proceeding to facilitate
natural rainforest regeneration. In addition there is
a long-standing ban on cats and dogs on the property
to encourage ground-dwelling native wildlife. Both
common and rare fauna species are present and
thriving.

JIM AND BEV CROFT'S PRIVATE RAINFOREST RESTORATION
Jim and Bev Croft of Prestons Lane have worked on
their land for fourteen years and now have a
well-established rainforest and indigenous arboretum.
Expansion and improvement of this rainforest and the
adjoining remnant paperbark forest are ongoing. The
area connects with the area under restoration by Lisa
and Robert Bleakley of McInnes Lane. See next entry.

LISA AND ROBERT BLEAKLEY'S PRIVATE VEGETATION
RESTORATION
Lisa and Robert Bleakley of McInnes Lane have a
long-term restoration project on their 120-acre
property to re-plant rainforest on the denuded dairy
land and to protect and extend the wetland paperbark
forest that abuts the Tyagarah Nature Reserve. To date
5,000 trees have been planted and cattle fenced out of
the wetland. This project extends the easternmost part
of the Proposed Wildlife Corridor and extends it
inland north towards its northern branch. The area
connects with the area under restoration by Jim and
Bev Croft of McInnes Lane. See previous entry.

ANNA HILL'S MELALEUCA WETLAND REGENERATION PROJECT
Anna Hill holds a 2002 - 2003 NSW Wetland Action
grant, administered by the Tyagarah Progress
Association, to restore, regenerate and extend wetland
on her property in West Tyagarah as part (stage 1) of
a broader wetland conservation plan in the area. Her
remnant wetland has been declared significant under
the Byron Shire Flora and Fauna study. The project
aims to develop a management plan, re-instate water
flows, exclude grazing and horticulture, involve the
community in the restoration work, promote public
education, and link with neighbouring landowners
(particularly projects by Karl Kloessing and Russell
Groves) to form a wetland corridor which joins and
extends the Proposed Wildlife Corridor. The eastern
part of Anna's site links with the remnant wetland on
the Tyagarah Turf Farm. The project is working
co-operatively with the Gondwana Landcare project and
the first 300 trees have already been planted.

KARL KLOESSING AND MELANIE MANTON
Karl and Melanie have 115 acres of land in West
Tyagarah, half of which is high quality wetland
remnant that falls within the Proposed Wildlife
Corridor. The owners received a letter from Council
informing them that they have "the biggest undisturbed
wetland holding in the area". They plan to protect,
preserve and extend this significant wetland, and tree
planting and cattle fencing have begun. The project
works co-operatively with Anna Hill's and Russell
Grove's projects also in West Tyagarah.

RUSSELL GROVES
The property of Russell Groves, which straddles
Pinegroves Road in West Tyagarah and adjoins Anna
Hill's property, contains paperbark wetland forest
remnants and mixed Eucalypt which will be preserved
and extended. There are longer-term plans to restore
some of the original catchment patterns of the
property.

TYAGARAH FLORA AND FAUNA SURVEYS
Bob Oehlman recently conducted a fauna study of the
three properties held by Anna, Karl and Melanie, and
Russell (see previous entries) and discovered various
significant species present in the remnants. This
information will become available on the TSCA website:
www.tyagarah.org and will also be held in hard copy by
the Secretary.

Two East Tyagarah properties including Gondwana
Sanctuary recently applied for a change of title, and
undertook flora and fauna studies as part of their
development applications. Many regionally significant
and some vulnerable species were found to be present,
and the management plans have been written to enhance
habitat for these species. For the list of species
present on Gondwana, see www.tyagarah.org

TYAGARAH TURF FARM CORRIDOR
The Tyagarah Turf Farm includes a large remnant of
paperbark forest. The Farm has expressed a willingness
to join this remnant to the ones on Anna Hill's and
Russell Grove's properties with a belt of suitable
trees along their southern fence line.

WAL AND BARBARA CAMPBELL
Wal and Barbara own a large property of approximately
200 acres abutting the Proposed Wildlife Corridor in
West Tyagarah along the Pacific Highway. They have
planted a large number of local native trees along
their boundaries with the railway line and the
highway, and along the creeks on their land. They have
grown a plantation of Swamp Mahogany, Tallowwood and
Brush Box to protect their avocado trees, but the
native trees are also providing koala habitat. Wal and
Barbara have removed significant areas of camphor
laurel in the north-western part of their property,
and have been controlling groundsel infestations in
the remnant paperbark forest in the south-eastern
corner for the last 4 years. This remnant connects
with another remnant across the Pacific Highway in
East Tyagarah which is also part of the Proposed
Corridor.

PROPOSED PROJECTS

PRIVET REMOVAL ON GRAY'S LANE
In the picnic area at the entrance to Gray's Lane
along the first section of the Old Brunswick Road the
Tyagarah Progress Association proposes to seek funding
to remove privet and encourage restoration of prime
local indigenous Forest Red Gum and Swamp Mahogany
forest, accompanied by the provision of educational
material on site for public use.

TYAGARAH HALL NATURE RESERVE
It is proposed to declare a nature reserve adjacent to
the Tyagarah Hall on the northern edge of the
airstrip, to encompass part of the remnant swamp
mahogany which is within the Proposed Wildlife
Corridor. This project would connect in a continuous
corridor with the Tyagarah Nature Reserve ecosystem.
The community will be encouraged to participate in the
restoration of indigenous ecosystems in the new nature
reserve, using the Hall as a focal point for
activities and education. Significant species are
present in this area.

WALKING AND BICYCLE TRACK
The Tyagarah community is planning to open up a
walking, bicycle and possible horse-riding track
through old road reserve areas in East Tyagarah. We
are seeking permission to cross private land from some
landowners to enable continuity of the track. It may
also be possible to get a Government grant to help
with building a footbridge over Simpson's Creek on the
McInnes Lane road reserve.

WILDLIFE HIGHWAY CROSSING POINTS
We have identified a need for enhancement of highway
crossing points for wildlife, including the only
existing one through Tyagarah Swamp which is within
the Proposed Wildlife Corridor. This one is also a
potential crossing point specifically for koalas,
since it is flanked by one of their main local food
trees, the Forest Red Gum, Eucalyptus tereticornis.
However at present the Red Gum patches do not connect
through the crossing point. We will be approaching the
landowners on the eastern side of the highway about
planting corridors of this species on their land to
link up the pockets on either side of the highway
around the bridge so that koalas may move between east
and west Tyagarah at this point.

In addition the RTA will be approached about
constructing more wildlife crossing areas, for example
where the Proposed Wildlife Corridor crosses the
Pacific Highway at the Brunswick interchange.

CATTLE EXCLUSION
There is a need for further fencing out of cattle from
Simpson's Creek and East Tyagarah wetlands on various
private properties, and this issue will be addressed
as resources become available.

GRAY'S LANE TRAFFIC SPEED
We will be applying for a considerable reduction of
traffic speed on Gray's Lane as a special case. This
is because of the vast increase in number and speed of
cars entering since the "upgrade" of the Tyagarah
beach access road and car park in the Nature Reserve,
and the consequent increase in wildlife fatalities on
Gray's Lane. A significant problem has also developed
with dust and safety for cyclists and pedestrians.

REHABILITATION OF FORMER RTA DEPOT
The land on the east side of the Pacific Highway
between the airstrip road and the Tandy Lane
interchange, formerly used as a depot by the RTA, is
showing signs of natural regeneration of paperbark
forest. As this would increase the habitat available
for migratory birds, we would like to see that
regeneration protected, and the hardened area
rehabilitated with the same kind of vegetation.

Prepared by Dianne Trussell, BSc Hons (Ecology)
Email: tyagarah@diannetrussell.com