OAG have built on past work of the Olinda Primary School community by establishing a restoration and re-vegetation program that will re-instate Charlemont Bush Walk, between the Olinda shops and the school, as a public asset.

Keep watching this space ... Charlemont Bush Walk, Olinda-Monbulk Road, Olinda.

19 October 2002

Angled onion (onion weed), climbing ivy, holly, montbretia...

You name it, this land was infested with it

November 2002

An extensive weed removal program was started.

Some doubted our wisdom -it looked so green before - but restoration of degraded spaces takes time

2002-2005

100's of bags of environmental weeds were hand-removed from the site.

December 2003

The last of the dumped rubbish is removed.

Hopefully the dumping of rubbish will stop occuring as it becomes obvious that this site is being cared for.

2004-2005

The locally native plants that were unable to break through the dense weed growth before, are now germinating and flourishing.

This one is Soft Crane's-bill, Geranium potentilloides.

These were hiding amongst great masses of uncontrolled holly and ivy.

Tasman Flax-lily, Dianella tasmanica, and Mother Shield-fern, Polystichum proliferum are commonly found in the local bush.

22 April 2006

The targets.

Seedlings of Ivy, Holly, Pittosporum

We're getting on top of it...

22 April 2006

Mark and Paul concentrated on the Ivy starting to climb the two mature Mountain ash located in the Olinda shops carpark area

22 April 2006

The fungi are amazing

22 April 2006

Many people are noticing the changes - and loving it! We were told a number of times today, "I feel so guilty walking past you. You are doing a fantastic job".

2 July 2006

The Sycamore Maples & dead Sweet Pittosporum are felled on the site

2 July 2006

Piles of timber from the woody weed removal litters the site for the time being...

11 November 2006

The objective - clean up the front section of Charlemont Bush Walk, & prevent flowering (& subsequent seeding) of Summer weeds.

11 November 2006

Although the large Sycamore Maples have been removed, there was a carpet of seedlings coming up that needed to be removed.

11 November 2006

Chris & Anja take a break to try out Anja's tricycle on the new pathway

11 November 2006

An hour later, and we have a cleaned up area ready for Autumn planting on March 4, 2007 - Clean Up Australia Day.

OAG have successfully lobbied for the installation of a pathway to link the Olinda township with sporting and cultural facilities. OAG are now actively involved in an environmental weed eradication program along its length.

3 March 2004

While the boys were busy posing for photos, the girls and the kids were digging holes, planting trees and shrubs, cutting back and poisoning blackberries, holly & ivy and securing tree guards around the new plantings.

Once done, we'd headed off for a well earned lunch before the boys got their working gear dirty.

This section of the path is between the helipad and Olinda-Monbulk Road.

Check out the new work completed on National Tree Day 2005 & 2006

OAG are interestedin talking to anyone who has an interest in the propagation of indigenous (locally native) plants. Local public spaces will be re-vegetated with these plants

OAG currently source its plants from community nurseries such as Candlebark Community Nursery and Southern Dandenongs Community Nursery. The Shire of Yarra Ranges support us in doing this, through the supply of vouchers.

OAG members also grow some indigenous plants to supplement these supplies, re-vegetating the local area with seed stock sourced locally. Would you be interested in volunteering some time & garden space to help with this activity? No special knowledge is required, just an interest in learning & participating. Feel free to talk to us if you'd like to share your knowledge or find out more.

OAG are regularly invited to have representation on working groups and committees to further environmental and community issues for the Shire of Yarra Ranges and more specifically, for the Olinda & Mt Dandenong communities.

In 2006, OAG is represented on the following working groups or committees:

• The Hills Project - chaired by SYR
• Ridge Top Communities Group - the community representative group
• theHillsOnline.info Steering Group - chaired by OAG

At the Shire of Yarra Ranges Council meeting of 25 June 2002, a 7 point resolution concerning the Olinda community was passed unanimously. Point 4 stated: "An Olinda Township Plan be prepared in consultation with the community, including plans for retention and revegetation of trees within the township."

OAG & OCH hold a community meeting to discuss the future of the Olinda township from a resident’s perspective. 90 people attend. OAG & OCH invite the Shire of Yarra Ranges to participate.

The Olinda/Mt Dandenong Community Ideas Report (2mb PDF file) is presented to the Planning Group for approval before becoming a public document. You can offer your thoughts and/or participate in its recommendations. Find out how by downloading a copy.

The Planning Group now declare themselves the interim group and call for nominations for the ongoing Group.

OAG have lobbied for Shire of Yarra Ranges wide environmental compliance and education initiatives to be accelerated and supported, including the Mountain Ash Protection Program and the Register of Significant Trees

National Tree Day events

July 30, 2006

National Tree Day 2006 - pre event promotion

You too can be part of the pre-event publicity for 2007. This photo made it into the local papers & helped us drum up some local enthusiasm

Image courtesy of Steve Tanner, photographer, Free Press Leader

National Tree Day 2006 - pre event promotion

Getting in the swing of it before the big day

Image courtesy of Steve Tanner, photographer, Free Press Leader

National Tree Day planting
July 30, 2006

The preparation had been done, the rain held off & 23 people enjoyed the commaraderie of a single purpose - planting 250 understorey trees and shrubs to complement previous years plantings and weed control works outside Olinda helipad on Olinda-Monbulk Road.

2006. What teamwork!

Friends, neighbours, TAFE students & strangers (until today!!) joined forces to dig, plant, stake, bag, water & mulch the tubestock. Great job.

The coffee & cake afterwards was pretty good too!

2006

Geoff's water tank & pump was a welcome sight! Watering in the plants is always the tough part when working on a site nowhere near a garden tap.

This was a great addition to last years tree planting plans. We hope to see a much improved survival rate this year.

2006

After the team hand-pulled Fog Grass (weed species) and supplemented last years plantings, Sarah & Mark followed up with a much needed mulch layer - we are hoping to out compete the weedy grasses this year.

There's a good layer of the groundcover Bidgee Widgee growing here. Gilda was interested to learn that this is a 'good one' to encourage at her house - it will help to suppress unwanted weeds. Some people dislike the seedheads that appear in Summer - they get caught in your socks - but if kept away from your paths, they'll do their thing without worrying you.

2006

Once we finished one plant cell, we moved onto the next. We had 4 plant cells to work in this year.

OAG will routinely come back over the course of the year to check that weeds aren't taking over the planted areas.

ParksVic & Shire of Yarra Ranges mow the larger grassed areas surrounding the plant cells.

We love the look of rows of tree guards...

2006

Thank you to everyone for coming & working so hard. "More hands make light work," Christina observed. OAG couldn't have done it without you.

Thank you to Mark, Geoff, Bruce, Sue & Joe from OAG (for all the behind the scenes preparation work). Thank you to Gaye & Kelly (SYR environment department) for their help & support in preparing the area & ordering plants. Thank you to Southern Dandenong Community Nursery for their work in propagating the plants. Thank you to David & Monika at 'For Evergreen on Olinda' for fabulous coffee & cake afterwards & welcoming us working clothes & all!

Bring on Tree Day 2007!

July 31, 2005

National Tree Day planting
July 31, 2005

What do 35 people, most who have never met before, have in common?

A belief that their small contribution can make a big difference.

Glenn lives within walking distance of this area on Olinda-Monbulk Road, and felt that participating in National Tree Day was something positive that he and his family could do for their community.

Molly took to the planting day with great gusto. She's looking forward to watching her plants grow.

2005. Understorey plants go in

This area used to be choked with ivy and holly. Over the past 2 years these have been removed, canopy trees planted and now... understorey plants are going in.

Andrew, Catherine & Hannah came from Silvan today to lend their support to the Tree Planting Day. They have been revegetating their own property and are enthusiastic about supporting other people and communities who are working to restore the natural bushland.

Their help, enthusiasm and expertise was much appreciated.

2005. Time for a chat

As always, the boys are standing around chatting while the girls are at work in the background!

The tree in the left foreground was planted 18 months ago.

It was 15-20cm tall when it was planted, and is now 2 metres tall. We have an amazing growing climate in the hills.

2005

More plants. More stakes & tree guards.

Watch this space grow - Olinda-Monbulk Road pathway, in front of the helipad.

People came from Chirnside Park, Silvan, Mt Dandenong, Olinda, Kalorama, and Wantirna to join in the fun.

Unknown to the local community, the Minister consented to Optus Singtel instaling a fibre-optic telecommunication cable through Dandenong Ranges National Park from Liverpool Road, Kilsyth to Burkes Lookout, Mt Dandenong via a Section 27 Licence. 7 kilometres of trenching is required.

This site has full exposure along the western face of Mt Dandenong, from the surrounding suburbs. The Parks Victoria Management Plan for this area categorises it as "significant".

The planning process had been underway for approximately 18 months.

Signs were erected on Burkes Lookout gates to indicate proposed works and provide contact telephone numbers. An excavator was being used on the pathways within the Park

A local resident contacted OAG for its support after discovering that the early morning noise was Optus Singtel starting work, without prior community knowlege.

The Fibre Optic Cable Deployment Environmental Management Plan (EMP) and Environmental Assessment (EA) was sought. Discussions were held with the works engineer.

Works were stopped for a period of 1 week, pending further discussions.

There were major contradictions between the EMA and EA reports and the information supplied by the Optus  works engineer. OAG raised these issues with Caroline Carvalho ( Shire of Yarra Ranges Environment Department Manager), Paul Mechelen (SYR Senior Arbourist) and Rob Hauser (SYR CEO):
1. EMP stated that "..native tree removal would be avoided.. and root damage would be minimised by avoiding disturbance within tree drip lines." The project involved trenching from 600 to 1000mm deep and 300mm wide.(EMP, page 15). Contrary to this, the engineer advised that the trench would be as close as 1.2m to very large, mature trees. Some tracks would be widened and trees removed.
2. The EMP stated that "..backfill is to be the material removed from the trench.." (EMP, page 5). Optus intended using concrete.
3. The EMP recommended "..no work over winter because of potential water quality and fauna breeding impacts." (EMP, pages 13 and 8). The work was starting now.
4. There had been no formal fauna study or comprehensive flora study (EA, page 17). Why not?
5. There was an expertise requirement, during works, for 'Cultural Heritage' issues that arose. No such requirement was documented for other fields of expertise - environmental, drainage etc. (EMA, page 22). Why not? This Park is classified as "environmentally significant". Who was working in the Park? What expertise did they have?
6. What other options were considered? Why go through a National Park?
7. There was no community consultation - a requirement of this type of work. Why not?

Optus agreed that the concerns were legitimate. The cable will be going through the Park, but the meeting resolved that:
1. A zoologist be employed to do a fauna assessment of the area, to be done in co-operation with Parks Vic. The findings would guide the timing of the works. Work was postponed pending the zoologists report
2. A Shire recommended arborist be employed to be on-site & guide the trench digging. Hand digging would be undertaken where necessary to avoid root damage of the trees.
3. Diverting the proposed path of the cabling would be investigated for the Burke Lookout end of the project as the existing walking track that the cabling route is planned to follow is quite narrow & steep through this section with a dense tree coverage
4. Trenching would not divert off existing pathways
5. Community will be advised about the project. Consultation, apparently, is not required under the legislation. Parks Vic will take this issue up with the appropriate body
6. All contractors and sub-contractors would be required to have adequate training
7. Parks Vic would meet with workers at the site every day

Follow-up meeting is organised by OAG with all key stakeholders to see a draft of the revised EMP and review progress on the undertakings Optus agreed to. Very disappointing meeting, with technical reports not being presented by Optus. With much difficulty one community member had been able to procure them just before the meeting. Tactics to control the flow of information we wondered?

The community & Shire reps believed that there were 'shortcuts' being taken on the agreed undertakings from 24 June meeting. Lessons were learnt in ensuring that clear, agreed minutes are recorded at such meetings.

Many concerns are raised with Parks Vic, James Merlino MP, Shire and Optus. It was considered that pieces of the arborist and zoologist reports were being taken without considering their full context.

A disturbing side issue of the immediate concerns was that the commissioned arborist reported significant prior damage to vegetation when the existing path was put in. How could this occur in a significant area of our National Park?

Community members and Paul Mechelen agree to roster a walk down the track each day to watch progress.

The arborist and zoologist reports are emailed to OAG, Paul Mechelen and community members from Optus via Parks Vic. Concerns are raised with Optus about works beginning without an arborist being onsite, as agreed 24 June.

James Merlino MP and Paul Mechelen work actively to assist.

James Merlino MP advises OAG that Optus had now agreed to more testing of potential to vegetation damage, as requested, with Paul Mechelen and an independent arborist onsite.

Works postponed until a satisfactory report is received.

"Telstra is wanting to go through Bunyip State Park, but after this experience, we will ensure that community is brought on board early in the planning stage."

Special thanks is due to James Merlino MP, Cr Noel Cliff, Paul Mechelen and the management of the Shire of Yarra Ranges for the support they gave the local community on this. Their support were important factors in OAG having confidence that serious potential impacts on the forest were properly considered by Optus.

It is a pity that Parks Victoria had, weeks before, given approval to a project that had so many unresolved issues around it. The local community had to scrutinise this project and devote much energy to convincing Optus to examine these issues and their implications for the fauna and flora in a National Park. Even with our limited expertise, it was obvious that there were many inconsistencies between the Optus EA and EMP. Some important recommendations of the EA and EMP were going to be ignored and without any justification or additional evidence. Optus' own Environment Manager said many of our concerns were valid and needed to be addressed.

Essential services, we learnt, have right of access to public spaces. OAG certainly learnt many things along the way, and feels that others did too. Lets hope.

The EMP and EA stipulate follow-up monitoring of the vegetation and pathways along the fibre-optic route over many years.....

If you haven't been there, it's a great place to go for a walk and is a good example of different vegetation types as you move down the pathway. From wet forest at Burke's Lookout, narrow-leaved peppermint gum, mountain grey gum, long-leaved box and messmate to Grassy-dry forest in the mid section and Shrubby foothill forest at the Kilsyth end. Enjoy!

An electricity company made evening telephone calls to some local residents living in the area of what is now called 'The Stump', advising that a dangerous tree was being removed the next morning and the road would be closed.

Some residents asked a few questions and learnt that the root system of this tree, one of just a handful of old growth Mountain Ash, Eucalyptus regnans, remaining in the Olinda township had been severed. The tree was now dangerous.

Despite the local community banding together that night & the next morning and trying to save this tree, it was felled. The damage had been done, irrepairably. It was the direct consequence of poor development practice and monitoring.

At the time of its death the Mountain ash was 100 years old, 43 metres tall and had a spread of 22 metres. Mountain ash live for up to 400 years. Mountain ash are the worlds tallest flowering tree and found in only a few localities - a small area of the upper Dandenong Ranges being one. Mature Mountain ash provide habitat to innumerable species of native flora and fauna. It is a special environment we inhabit.

Progress.

Charlemont Bush Walk pathway begins. Roadbase goes down. (The Lilydale toppings have since been added).

and.... The Stump works have begun.

OAG would like to thank Jane Sinnamon, SYR Urban Design Landscape, for her work to hurdle past barriers and get this project completed. Thank you Jane.

The seat is installed & the Lilydale toppings are in place for the path. The plaque is in its final design draft before construction...

It's heading toward an August finish date

Eucalyptus regnans, Mountain ash, are the world’s tallest hardwoods (flowering plants). They live up to 500 years of age, reaching 95 metres in height. Mountain ash are indigenous to this area and provide habitat to a wide variety of local fauna. The Olinda community’s distress at the sudden and premature loss of this tree has brought us together to consider the way we all impact on the environment we value. We invite you to now stand at this site and consider how we can all work together to protect the natural beauty of this area for future generations.

Age: 102 years; Height: 43m; Girth: 6m; Spread: 22m

Accompanied by an historical photo of Olinda, circa 1908, showing the tree as a sapling

Clean Up Australia Day events

Clean Up Australia Day, March 5, 2006

This is the first year OAG has registered for this event. It was the perfect opportunity to hang out with friends, make new ones and do some preparation for National Tree Day in July.

What can a few people with 2 hours, secauters and a dabber bottle do?

Clear the understorey of this beautiful treed site from environmental weed

Tony, an OAG member, brought the sad state of disrepair of the Kyeema memorial site to OAG's attention. He wondered whether OAG would be able to do anything about this. We were looking for local stories of interest at the time, to be included on theHillsOnline website.

Mac was identified as a local person who knew a lot about Kyeema. We arranged to interview him, and find out more.

As a consequence of this story, OAG began discussions with Mt Dandenong & District Historical Society about the memorial site, and their interest in joining forces with us in improving the site. (At the same time, the Historical Society had considered reviewing and re-publishing a booklet they had previously commissioned about Kyeema).

A partnership developed to progress a plan for improved signage and access to the memorial.

An on-site meeting between OAG representatives (Mark & Sue), Mt Dandenong & District Historical Society representatives (Pat, Geoff & Mac) and James Merlino.

As a group, we decided to pursue a Cultural Heritage funding grant to erect interpretative signage in the carpark area, and directional signage to the memorial cairn, with improvements to the carpark area.

Next steps: investigate what the Shire will assist with in terms of carpark management. Investigate best grant options, investigate land ownership boundaries & do some groundwork into what signage/information would be valuable.