Kalinga Park Restoration Project

Progress from June to end of 2009
Progress in 2010

Kalinga Park Restoration Project

Bush regeneration contractor (David Colbert) clearing the chinese elms from the steep slope near the Carew Street stairs. (Photo: Emma Maltby)

Late in 2008, the Kedron Brook Catchment Branch was awarded a grant to undertake a habitat restoration project on the northern banks of Kedron Brook in Kalinga Park (Nundah). The grant is a Federal Caring for Our Country Grant and project funds must be acquitted by August 2010.

The original impetus for this project was the weed “blitz” conducted by Council following the safety concerns in this stretch of the Kedron Brook bikeway and pathway network. After the weeds had died, it revealed just how much of this bushland was weed infested and also the steep gradient of much of the slope. In some areas, this bushland has a good cover of healthy and native canopy species, but there is little or no native understorey.

The project being undertaken is primarily concerned with the restoration of locally native plant species, habitat creation and with ensuring slope stability. Other possible activities include the restoration of the pathway leading to the old coal mine at the base of the escarpment and the installation of some interpretive signage.

To implement the project, the Branch is working with a local bush regeneration contractor (see photograph), local residents, schools and the Brisbane City Council. Some parts of the project site are unsuitable for community involvement due to the steep slopes and the high level of fill (or rubbish) in some areas (a legacy of our dumping past!).

Enthusiastic group of local residents at the community consultative workshop on 26 June. Photo: (E. Maltby)

From our perspective, it is great to have a grant that has a life span of longer than one year. Good restoration projects require a long term approach, and with the funding continuing until August 2010, it means that we can take a longer term approach to the project and ensure that the site is well maintained after plantings begin.

Progress from June to end of 2009

On 26 June, we held a community consultation workshop at the site, known as the Kalinga Consultation Workshop.
All local residents were invited to attend. The enthusiastic group, who attended the workshop appreciated the opportunity
to be involved in the planning process. At the workshop, the proposed works at the site were discussed and we sought the
input, ideas and concerns of those who attended. Those who attended are keen to establish a community based bushcare group at the site.

The slope at the base of Carew St has been cleared of the dominant chinese elm trees (Celtis sinensis) and madeira vine
(Anredera cordifolia); two very pervasive weeds in Kedron Brook Catchment. This slope has a large amount of rubbish
(concrete slabs, old pieces of machinery etc) on it, and there is little top soil. The chinese elm trees were lopped and the
trunks removed using chainsaws. Admittedly, it looks like a large area of the slope has been cleared of the chinese elms,
but this was deliberate - due to the nature of chainsaw works, all the chinese elms were cleared at the same time so that
new plants will not be damaged by further chainsawing operations once they were in the ground.

The chinese elm branches and trunks have been mulched on-site and the branches have been kept for use in slope
stabilisation. The stumps have not been treated with herbicide yet. This has been done deliberately so that the root
systems stay intact and continue to provide some stability to the slope. As the weather warms up, and the summer rain
comes, the chinese elms will reshoot, and the plan is to continue to remove this regrowth. Once the slope has been stabilised adequately with plantings, coir logs (coconut husk bound together into a “log” which will ultimately decompose)and terracing, the chinese elms will be treated with herbicide.

Top

Mike Wilson and his three children (right) work amongst the volunteers on the steep slope in revegetation activity on 17 October.

The first community working bee at the site was held on 17 October. This was done at a flatter section of the site, downstream from the steep sloped area. The morning was very successful morning, with many local residents coming along to help plant over 150 native ground covers and mid-storey trees. Other activities undertaken were watering, staking and mulching the new plants. We were visited by the local Councillor, Kim Flessor, who dropped in to say 'Hello', meet the volunteers and to see what the local community is doing in the area.

After the morning’s efforts, we all enjoyed a delicious morning tea provided by a fabulous local caterer, Jerry at FoodFX. Over morning tea, there was much talk and interest in the possibility of a bushcare group beginning at the site. The Kedron Brook Catchment Branch is very keen to see this evolve and we were currently seeking out what the options were. Since this planting morning, we have received some good rains, which has helped the plants get off to a good start.

Progress in 2010

On 27 February, a group of residents from the suburbs surrounding Kalinga Park met to discuss the potential for becoming a Habitat Brisbane group. It was apparent early on that this was an idea that the group was keen to pursue and the first step to solidifying their ommitment was to decide on a name for the group. In a very democratic way, the apt name Kalinga Park Bushcare Group was decided upon.

Stuart Forysth finishing off the planting with a thorough watering at the working bee on 27 March.

Following this important decision, the group has elected to meet every two months in the lead up to their bid to become an official Habitat Brisbane group, at which stage if they are successful they will consider revising to more frequent meet ups. In keeping with this decision, another working bee was locked in for the Saturday 27 March. However, the group decided that after this working bee future meetings of the Kalinga Park Bushcare Group will occur every two months on the third Saturday of the month, except that this first May meeting will be on the 10th.

On the 27 March, the working bee was focussed on dealing with weeds at the site in order to aid the native plants that have previously gone in at the site. However, after such good rain in the month leading up to the working bee it was decided that a few more plants to fill the gaps could be put in, along with two larger trees on the Brook side of the path, while the soil was still nice and moist.

The main weeds targeted on the day were woody weeds such as Ochna and small Chinese Celtis, weedy vines such as Balloon Vine and Madeira Vine, and various weedy grasses. As for the in-fill plantings, these included a variety of native ground covers, shrubs and trees, such as Blue Flax Lily (Dianella sp.), Australian Indigo (Indigofera australis), Foambark tree (Jagera pseudohus) and Tulipwood (Harpullia pendula). The two trees planted on the Brook side of the pathway, a Moreton Bay Fig (Ficus marcophylla) and Creek Lilly Pilly (Syzygium smithii), have been put in to replace a large weed tree that had previously been removed. They will eventually fill a large gap in the riparian canopy, which will help shade out weeds in the future while providing bank stability.

All in all the future of the Kalinga Park Restoration Project site is looking very bright! Hopefully the groups bid to become a Habitat Brisbane Group will be successful. For more information on the project, or to become involved, please contact our Kedron Brook Creek Ranger, Anna Bourke. Anna is coordinating this project and can be contacted on mobile phone 0439 788 459, or .

AB/EM/CI  15/06/2010

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CI  15/06/2010