Back to Blog

Black Spur Creek Wetlands Project (BSCW) - Update 29

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of these lands and waters. RESTORING THE APPLE TREE WETLANDS PROJECT Good news  finally the funding arrived in our bank account for us to commence the weed reduction and revegetation works for our project Restoring the Apple Tree Wetlands.  In late May,  Mark Rowe and the works team from Bass Coast Landcare  started spraying the weeds on the bank below the current highway. They have also been removing the sweet pittosporum trees from the...

Black Spur Creek Wetlands Project (BSCW) - Update 28

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of these lands and waters. Oh what changes we have seen in the past 3 months viewed from the Great Southern Rail Trail.  The new road is taking shape very rapidly and as I write this  half of the Minns Road bridge is up with a very large crane overshadowing it. The easterly winds have dominated our bird monitoring evenings and we have seen less birds that normal for this time of the year. We are not sure if the birds have been hiding from the winds...

Black Spur Creek Wetlands Project (BSCW) - Update 27

28 November 2021 by Sue Miles, NTVLC group president. We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of these lands and waters. Currently CPB is filling up the eastern side of the bridge over the Tarwin River (near Minns Road) with rock and soil. As you can see in the photo the work road has been called Cumming Highway as a mark of respect for Eric Cumming who spent many years developing the Rail trail for us all to use....

Black Spur Creek Wetlands Project (BSCW) - Update 26

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of these lands and waters. Kate Walsh is taking some time out for family and health reasons and Sue Miles is writing this update.  Our best wishes go out to Kate and her family. In the past few weeks CPB Contractors have installed all the concrete culverts over the rail trail for the underpass closer to Koonwarra. Workers are now building up the earth around this area to form the basis of the new section of South Gippsland Highway that will cross at th...

Black Spur Creek Wetlands Project (BSCW) - Update 25

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of these lands and waters. A major focus of the Black Spur Creek Wetland (BSCW) project has been to restore Eucalypt Forests/Woodlands and Swamp/Riparian Scrub with their diverse flora and fauna. Invasive dominating weeds can hinder this process. Sweet Pittosporum suppresses regeneration of other seedlings, especially Gum Trees, which provide essential habitat for so many birds and animals. Thus Nerrena Tarwin Valley (NTV) Landcare Group has been encouraging...

Black Spur Creek Wetlands Project (BSCW) - Update 24 February 2021

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of these lands and waters. Platypuses are now officially listed as vulnerable in Victoria. This makes the Black Spur Creek Wetland Project, and other work of Landcare and the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA), all the more important. Platypuses inhabit the Tarwin River and we see them in the Black Spur Creek Wetland project area.Fortunately the 7th February landslip, which has caused partial (so far) closure of the South Gippsland Highway...

Black Spur Creek Wetlands Project (BSCW) - Update 22, October 2020

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of these lands and waters. World Rivers Day was the fourth Sunday in September. “Rivers are the arteries of our planet; they are lifelines in the truest sense.” Mark Angelo. https://worldriversday.com/ Jacob, one of our younger Landcare members, has recently written a project (attached to this update) about freshwater fish. One question he poses is, “Why hasn’t research been done in our local rivers on the native (fish) species?” The good news is t...

Black Spur Creek Wetlands Project (BSCW) - Update 21 August 2020

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of these lands and waters.  On the home page of this website there’s an update video (made by Jill) focusing on recent Nerrena Tarwin Valley Landcare Group’s activities. It includes virtual farm walks for the “Making the Tarwin Terrific Again” project. Jill has also helped me access Mail Chimp so that readers can easily subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter. When coronavirus restrictions have allowed, small numbers of us have continued w...

Black Spur Creek Wetlands Project (BSCW) - Update 20 June 2020

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of these lands and waters. Peter and I took this photo of a large male koala on the middle bridge on May 2nd. There’s been a full time ecologist on site with the tree clearers to try and ensure any wildlife is safely re-located.We live next to the Black Spur Creek Wetland project area and last week heard the distinct call of a Barking Owl(s). Two of our neighbours have heard it also. It was a first for us Walshes but apparently they have been sighted/heard...

Black Spur Creek Wetlands Project (BSCW) - Update 19 April 2020

Much has happened since the last update 2 months ago.There has been tragedy and loss and there has also been construction, building, nurturing and regeneration.We have moved from group gatherings to social distancing whilst social cohesion, cooperation, communication and caring have become more important than ever.Our sympathy goes to all those affected by another fatal car accident involving two well known, respected and loved members of the community, one of whom lost her life. We also sympath...

Black Spur Creek Wetlands Project (BSCW) - Update 18 February 2020

While fires raged in the east, farms here have remained green and there is still water in the wetlands. Adjoining the BSCW, we’ve seen Lace Monitors, Sugar Gliders, Echidnas, Koalas, snakes and many birds including a family of 3 Wedgetail Eagles over the past few weeks. Our small patches of remnant bush and wildlife corridors might be important havens for plants and animals when other areas are struck by adversity.Thus it’s heartening to see that Indigenous Designs has begun weed control alo...

Black Spur Creek Wetlands Project Update 17 December 2019

Most of you will have heard that CPB contractors will be undertaking the $115.2 million upgrade and realignment of the South Gippsland Highway through the Black Spur Wetland area. Already some fencing of an adjoining property has commenced and we will be seeing other activity over the next few months as the project gets underway. It is scheduled to finish in 2023.We have been assured that weed control will also be commencing soon.Nerrena Tarwin Valley Landcare Group will continue to liaise with ...

Black Spur Creek Wetlands Project (BSCW) - Update 16 October 2019

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of these lands and waters.Yay!!! …for all the Landcare warriors who are quietly and effectively controlling weeds - including woody weeds like Willows, Sweet Pittosporum and Tree Tobacco ! Melissa and Luke appreciated the excellent job done by the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority burning piled willows and then burying and smoothing the residue.Congratulations also to Jindanook and Tarwin Valley Landcare Group foundation member Martin Ston...

Black Spur Creek Wetlands Project (BSCW) - Update 15 August 2019

We are proud to acknowledge the Bunurong/Boonwurrung people as the traditional owners of these lands and waters.On Sunday we joined the throngs of people on the rail trail taking in the dynamic spectacle of our Tarwin River in flood – an extensive waterscape within the landscape, - refreshing, reinvigorating, renewing and regenerating. How fortunate we are to have this soaking!Last Thursday, from the middle bridge, I watched entranced as a platypus repeatedly came to the surface and then dived...

Black Spur Creek Wetlands Project (BSCW) - Update 14

Rain came and the wetlands refilled just 2 days after 24 Friends of Cranbourne Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria visited the Black Spur as part of a South Gippsland Discovery Tour. Our landcare group executive hosted the morning activities and Luke described the work he and Mel are undertaking on their neighbouring property.Bunurong elder, Uncle Shane, welcomed everyone to country and shared the reverence, awe and excitement felt by his crew when artefacts from the past are salvaged. Archaeologist ...

Black Spur Creek Wetlands Project (BSCW) - Update 13

It’s very humbling to contemplate the hundreds of generations of people who have lived and travelled through the Black Spur. Time adds another dimension to this place. The Bunurong, with archaeologists, have generously shared insights into this history with NTV Landcare members on three occasions as they work to retrieve artefacts from the proposed highway footprint. They explained their methods, demonstrated techniques, and showed us some of their finds so that we came away with new unde...

Black Spur Creek Wetlands Project (BSCW) - Update 12

One of the really rewarding things about revegetation (or protecting remnant vegetation) is the way that the plants keep working for us ever after – growing bigger, sequestering green house gases, safe guarding water quality, enriching and stabilising soils, providing food and shelter for wild life, setting seed and growing suckers and regenerating, competing with weeds, and enhancing the environment with sights, sounds and smells to delight us.These rewards are complemented with weed control....

Black Spur Creek Wetlands Project (BSCW) - Update 11

" In 40 years I have never seen a euc seedling under a (Sweet Pittosporum) canopy. If it is not controlled we lose the eucalypt forests."  Professor Roslyn Gleadow, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University.Following on from our Citizen Science workshop, Nerrena Tarwin Valley Landcare Group has developed our own website www.nerrenatarwinvalleylc.org.au/, established links with Birds Australia, and undertaken to have community bird monitoring days every 3 months. The concept we are de...

Black Spur Creek Wetlands Project (BSCW) - Update 10

Recently I was delighted to see a platypus from the middle bridge over the Tarwin River. Did you know that the river provides water for Meeniyan and Dumbalk? During winter, water is also pumped from the Tarwin River to replenish Leongatha’s water supply.So it’s great to welcome the Koonwarra Recreation Reserve as a member of the Landcare group. They’ve been planting along the river and tending their bushland. The pretty blue Love Creeper, Comesperma volubile, is currently flowering there.O...

Black Spur Creek Wetlands Project (BSCW) - Update 9

We are blessed with at least two important public wildlife corridors in Nerrena/Tarwin Valley – the Tarwin River and the Great Southern Rail Trail (GSRT). The fact that they intersect between Koonwarra and Meeniyan gives this area additional significance.I’ve met with the rail trail committee twice and appreciated the time they’ve invested to learn about our project. We discussed possible revegetation projects on the Peninsula (River Bends) and potential funding and I’ve sent a copy of o...

Black Spur Creek Wetlands Project (BSCW) - Update 8

Car accidents happen very frequently along this section of the South Gippsland Highway and we are shocked and saddened by the recent fatality.Our June Landcare AGM was well attended. Thanks also to those who sent in proxies. Office bearers are Sue Miles President, Jill Vella Secretary, Coral Hughes Treasurer, and Kate Walsh BSCW coordinator. Jill leaves paid employment with the South Gippsland Landcare Network (SGLN) at the end of June. With others from across the region, Coral and I attended a ...

Black Spur Creek Wetlands Project - Update 7

The most significant event for me in the past 2 months was that my daughter, Addie, accepted a marriage proposal from Drew on one of the rail trail bridges.However there was plenty of other traffic along the rail trail at Easter and visitors enjoyed seeing a koala close-up on an over-hanging tree. Unfortunately it appears that trees on adjoining farmland may have been significantly impacted by aerial spraying.A small group of Landcarers met at Tanderra Park, Meeniyan for a Rail Trail walk follow...

Black Spur Creek Wetlands Project - Update 6

I aim to provide 2-monthly brief updates of less than one page so I apologise for a longer version after more than 4 months gap – it was Christmas after all! Since Update 6, our landcare group has held two well-attended friendly events – a Christmas break-up barbecue at Coral and Kevin Hughes and a farm walk and barbecue on Melissa and Luke’s property. The latter is nestled in the bends of the Tarwin immediately adjacent to the Black Spur Creek Wetlands (BSCW) project. We all appreciated t...

Black Spur Creek Wetlands Project - Update 5

The wetlands have been replenished with plenty of rain over September and a few more old trees were knocked over by high winds. The joyous frogs’ chorus along the vistas was silenced only when they were they were completely flooded over !To see the spectacular vimeo of drone footage “Tarwin River in Flood – September 2017: An aerial view of the river and Black Spur Creek confluence,” go to the Nerrena Landcare Group webpage or facebook page (Thanks Jill!). It is also posted on the Great ...

Black Spur Creek Wetlands Project - Update 4

At our recent Annual General Meeting, Nerrena Landcare Group agreed to merge with, and adopt the name of, the Tarwin Valley Landcare Group. Both groups have a proud history of community activity and share similar interests in caring for the land within the Tarwin catchment. Sue Miles was confirmed as the President and Coral Hughes the Secretary Treasurer. On behalf of Vic Roads, the Indigenous Design crew have been undertaking archaeological  surveys in the BSCW area. Both Bunurong and Gun...