Coastcare on the Derwent
Over the past 19 years, Bellerive Bluff Land & Coastcare Group Inc has addressed the degradation, under-development and under-utilization of a 2-3 km section of the Derwent Estuary foreshore, from Hobart’s Waterfront Hotel to the western end of Bellerive Beach. And they have been able to effect extraordinary changes.
With the assistance of Clarence Council and several other groups (including school groups), working bees has seen unwanted vegetation removed, thousands of native species planted, and pathways, fences, sediment ponds and water courses constructed.
The group has been successfully operating since 2001
‘As a consequence of improvements, the usage of the area by pedestrians and cyclists (both locals and from beyond) has increased ‘gi-normously’,’ group spokesperson Graeme Rainbow.
Years of uncontrolled dumping of garden waste, propagation of numerous weed species, inadequate substandard stormwater flow, erosion problems had resulted in the overall degradation of the area.
But the group’s ‘domain’ has been improved significantly. Weed infestations have been eliminated, erosion problems addressed, and the public use of this area has increased markedly.
‘The major challenge centres round the difficulty in getting new volunteers,’ said Graeme. ‘The regulars are starting to feel the pinch through old age – some have been with the group for the past 19 years.’
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