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Ropes Creek receives tender loving care

Ropes Creek at Minchinbury, NSW, is receiving some overdue tender loving care thanks to Margaret Bottrell, of the Western Sydney Community Aboriginal Corporation, and an Australian Government Envirofund grant.

The Western Sydney Aboriginal Landcare Group received around $18,000 through funding as part of the Australian Government's Natural Heritage Trust (the Trust), which helps communities undertake local projects aimed at conserving biodiversity and promoting sustainable resource use.

The Ropes Creek Riparian Regeneration Project will use the funds to manage and treat weed infestations threatening to degrade a remnant of Sydney's Coastal River Flat Forest. The area is home to a rare eucalypt species, the Coastal Grey Box. And although only 20 x 460 metres, the spot was identified by the NSW Department of Primary Industries as threatened because of the number of trees in this area being logged to make way for local factories.

Ms Bottrell, who undertook TAFE training and is now studying Certificate III in Land Management, Conservation, and Natural Area Restoration, is supervising the project. Armed with Community Development Employment Project (CDEP) volunteers, and funds from the Australian Government Envirofund grant, she will be able to undertake weed control and native vegetation replanting that will link fragments of remnant vegetation and help stop erosion along the riverbank.

The project will also provide environmental education, training and awareness to Aboriginal people - an aspect of the project that gives Ms Bottrell a lot of satisfaction. "I can help make a difference to the local environment and have a great time doing it," she says.

According to Ms Bottrell there are several stakeholders who have made significant contributions to the regeneration project. These include the Blacktown Council who organised signage and gates around the designated area. Greening Australia who organised fencing, and the Richmond TAFE that taught the volunteers how to erect it.

Ms Bottrell said initially the project began as a pilot for Aboriginal Landcare groups in Western Sydney. And the group is well placed to undertake this project given their winning performance earlier this month at the Blacktown Council Environmental awards. The Corporation won the Diamond Award for Koori's Caring for Rope Creek, the Community Organisation Category and the Blacktown Council Community Organisation Category for their significant contributions to the local environment.

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