Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Recovery Team

Extension Officer Report July – November 2006

Actions / Notes/comments
Prepare information for Field Days, Landcare meetings, schools etc as required / School presentation given to year 3/4/5 students at Glenburnie Primary School.
Spent two days at Hamilton Sheepvention (August)– set up display and borrowed Wilderness Society RtBC suits which Claire Teselaar (DSE) donned and used to distribute RtBC info.
Assisted Kowree Farm Tree Group and Goroke Primary School with a buloke roadside treeplanting west of Goroke (Perone) in September.
TSN grant – Farm Planning Field Day is planned for 29 November, at Bangham. Tim Burnard has been contracted to finalize this. Bindi Hunter(DPI), Jeff Lawes (PMP consultant), Bryan Haywood/Troy Horn (Forestry SA), Luke Geelen (DEH) and Richard will speak on the day. A PMP brochure is also getting close to final draft. Tim developed the concept and Hansen Print is finalizing the design. Circulation to all rural holdings. TSN approved an additional $2,300 funding to assist with implementation of this project.
Attended Bangham Vegetation Links Steering Committee meetings (2). BVL staff will participate in the Farm Planning Field Day – Glenn Reardon’s property (Steering Committee Chair) will be site of property visit.
Louise Shepherd has given talks to schools (Natimuk, Goroke, Horsham) and community groups on RtBC conservation.
Train staff from CMA, DSE, DEH, local government in RtBC habitat ID / Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo –10 years of Recovery Forum organized with the assistance of Barry Clugston and Wimmera CMA. The forum, held in the Old Soldier’s Memorial Hall, Coonawarra attracted 108 registrations. Registrants included agency staff (state and federal), local council, teachers and good landholder representation.
Richard Hill and I spent the day following the forum with Marina Walkington and two staff in the Apsley area looking at centre-pivot issues.
Bangham Veg Links and Habitat Tender Steering Committee meetings attended.
Pursue legislative change/promotion to protect remnant (scattered tree exemption in Vic dead, trees with potential nest hollows in SA) / Barry Clugston interviewed by ABC (South West and South East) regarding RtBC Coonawarra Forum.
Native Vegetation Council SA tabled the roadsign (dead, hollow trees) and the media release which I had forwarded for their comment. I had indicated that additional signs could be installed west of Penola, near Lucindale and on the Dukes Highway (with Department of Transport approval). The NVC have approved up to $5000 for additional signage.
Pursue planning and policy changes to protect remnant habitat in SA and Vic, particularly regional and local government planning
Publicise the importance of nest trees to key stakeholders, industry allies and general community / Media interest in the Forum was good with articles in regional press – The Border Watch and Naracoorte Herald and a news item on WinTV.
Prepared articles for From the Ground Up, The Web, Vic babbler and Volunteer.
Sourcing quotes to produce longer lasting interpretive displays as sticker panels/perspex we are using are weathering too quickly. Replaced panels at Portland, Digby, Dartmoor and Goroke.
Provide information on what trees to protect and how. Conduct volunteer nest searches / Mt Gambier Rotary – providing assistance with development of a management plan for 17ha are they are targeting for revegetation works with a RtBC focus.
Coordinated meeting with NRM facilitators and landholder north of Telford Scrub who is keen to revegetate an area adjacent to Telford Scrub and protect remnants which link this area to Grundy’s lane NFR. Luke Geelen (DEH – Bush Management Adviser) and Sharn Lucas (Forestry SA) are assisting Neville. Collected stringy seed for a local volunteer grower to propagate trees for this area.
Produce Red-tail News / Newsletter is over due but is at the printers and will circulate this week. Next issue will be in Feb/March to promote the next annual count, which will be held on 28 April 2007.
Maintain observer network 1800 no, publicity and website / Sightings have dropped back since the annual count but still 2-3 each week.
Seek sponsorship partners
Funding/administration / We have simplified reporting (hopefully!) The SENRM Board has a MOU with the two Victorian CMA’s. Reports are generated for each CMA/NRM using NRM Tracker, the SA database used to monitor NRM projects statewide. Instead of generating three invoices SENRM is invoiced for payments on behalf of all of the CMA’s.
Agreement has been reached between DSE and Birds Australia regarding Richard’s position. Birds Australia will be invoiced by DSE, funding Richard’s RtBC work at 0.3FTE ($25,000).
Communication Strategy / VJ Russell approached me in September with option of having a NCC staff member compile notes taken at a planning session we held earlier this year. This is currently happening and I will finalize with VJ over Dec/Jan prior to taking extended leave in 2007.