Ballarat Environmentalist, Hedley Thomson
Chair of Advocacy @ St Paul's
This week-end is a long week-end in Victoria. And Advocacy @ St Paul's is going walk-about on the Yarrowee River to the Nerrina Wetlands. Hedley Thomson has provided the words. Brigid Walsh has provided the pictures. Julie gives details on time and meeting place.
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We’ll meet at 3 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, 12 March, at the pedestrian bridge across the Yarrowee River that links Princes St Nth, Ballarat East & Clissold St, Black Hill (next to the Pine View Retirement Home) for our 1.5 kms stroll upstream along the Yarrowee Trail to the Nerrina Wetlands (sandwiched between Lofven St, Hillcrest Rd, Ainley St & the Yarrowee River in Nerrina).
The Trail and the Wetlands were constructed over a 10-year period between 1995 and 2005. The Trail (which extends from the Gong Gong Reservoir Park to Magpie) has become very popular with walkers and cyclists. The Wetlands were constructed for a number of reasons: to control stormwater runoff into the River, as a refuge for wildlife and as a picturesque location for community activities such as picnics, birdwatching and running events.
The Trail and the Wetlands were constructed as a result of community action, making use of a variety of funding opportunities that were available at the time. The impetus that existed in the 1990s to rehabilitate what was a very degraded environment has waned and there is a need to reinvigorate community involvement, particularly at the Wetlands. Located in the middle of our St Paul’s Parish,
Advocacy @ St Paul’s has identified the Wetlands as a place where we can put a bit of TLC back into our local environment. Because so much has been done to create the Wetlands, it’s a case of looking after the place and ‘keeping an eye’ on it on behalf of our community, including letting the Council know when some repairs, etc are required.
Following the Walk, at a date to be advised, the plan is to hold a clean up-cum-maintenance type activity at the Wetlands; nothing too big but enough to show that ‘someone cares’.
For the moment, though, the aim of the Walk on the 12th March is simply to enjoy the environment.
The Trail and the Wetlands were constructed over a 10-year period between 1995 and 2005. The Trail (which extends from the Gong Gong Reservoir Park to Magpie) has become very popular with walkers and cyclists. The Wetlands were constructed for a number of reasons: to control stormwater runoff into the River, as a refuge for wildlife and as a picturesque location for community activities such as picnics, birdwatching and running events.
The Trail and the Wetlands were constructed as a result of community action, making use of a variety of funding opportunities that were available at the time. The impetus that existed in the 1990s to rehabilitate what was a very degraded environment has waned and there is a need to reinvigorate community involvement, particularly at the Wetlands. Located in the middle of our St Paul’s Parish,
Advocacy @ St Paul’s has identified the Wetlands as a place where we can put a bit of TLC back into our local environment. Because so much has been done to create the Wetlands, it’s a case of looking after the place and ‘keeping an eye’ on it on behalf of our community, including letting the Council know when some repairs, etc are required.
Following the Walk, at a date to be advised, the plan is to hold a clean up-cum-maintenance type activity at the Wetlands; nothing too big but enough to show that ‘someone cares’.
For the moment, though, the aim of the Walk on the 12th March is simply to enjoy the environment.
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