The Margaret River fires that destroyed over 3400 hectares of bushland and 30 buildings was a devastating blow for the community and natural environment of the area. However the people of Margaret River are a hardy lot and as soon as the smoke had cleared the cleanup work had begun.
Within a week John McKinney, Environmental Officer for the Augusta Margaret River Shire Council (ARMSC) had set up an environmental rehabilitation committee to focus on planning the actions required to assist with the recovery of the natural environment. Key stakeholders included Dept of Environment and Conservation, Cape to Cape Catchments Group, Margaret River Coastal Residents and the South West Catchments Council.
The group consensus was that the majority of the area would recover naturally therefore rather than focusing on mass planting immediately, the committee took a ‘wait and see’ approach in terms of the revegetation of the burnt out zones. However a small order of local native plants has been placed to revegetate areas around public spaces and for community volunteer days. There was concern that there may be an invasion of weed species such as arum lilly and marram grass that tend to thrive after fires, so a weed control program has been put in place for susceptible areas.
Another main issue was that the burnt out zones are very susceptible to erosion, so pedestrian and vehicle access to the beaches was formalised with temporary fencing, bollards and the replacement of steps and walkways. The majority of this work was carried out by the Bunbury Prisoners Work Camp and the AMRSC.
SWCC Coastal Facilitator Blair Darvill assisted the committee by developing a public information brochure highlighting the importance for people to stay off the burnt out zones. This was also developed as a poster and signage. Approximately 50 posters and 3000 brochures were distributed throughout the community before the Christmas holidays, in order to get the word out as much as possible before people went to these areas on masse. Local feedback was very positive and there has been little informal access within the burnt areas since the fires.
While the coastal reserves and public spaces have been the focus for the committee, another priority is to assist local residents with replanting their gardens and yards. There is some concern that people may unwittingly grow ‘garden escapees’- weed species which can end up invading the native plant population. Therefore SWCC has also sourced funding through the Regional Landcare Fund and Coastal Community engagement budget, to develop a ‘Coastal Gardens’ booklet and seminar to inform and educate the public on landscape gardening using native coastal species. A template has been kindly provided by the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges NRM Board, who have developed a successful guide and workshop program throughout South Australia. These will also incorporate information on landscaping and planting to minimise the risks of fire. The seminar is currently planned for the 14th of April at the Augusta- Margaret River Council Chambers.
Please contact Blair Darvill on 9755 3432 for more info.
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