Projects
Our Projects
The Southern ACT Catchment Group is currently running several projects based on the aims and objectives outlined in our sub-catchment plans.
Listed below are a range of projects being run by the SACTCG.
For more information about these or any other projects please contact the SACTCG Coordinator.
National Landcare Programme: Community Support Component: Landcare On-ground Works
Funding Body: National Landcare Programme - funded through the ACT Government and the Australian Government
Year: 2002
Project Description: This project aims to improve the condition of riparian zones and water quality; control soil erosion through revegetation activities and establishing perennial, native grasses; raise community awareness of local catchment and Landcare issues; enhance the capacity of volunteer Landcare groups to undertake local projects; and tackle a number of serious, problem weeds.
Bringing life back to Tuggeranong Creek
Funding Body: Landcare Australia and PricewaterhouseCoopers
Year: 2006
Project Description: The aim of the project is to increase the community's awareness of the social, cultural and environmental values of the Tuggeranong Creek-line as it passes the historic Tuggeranong Homestead and to further increase effective community participation in efforts to rehabilitate the creek, in an attempt to improve the biodiversity values of the area.
Desilting Five Dams on "Castle Hill" Farm, Tharwa
Funding Body: Envirofund ? Commonwealth Government
Year: 2006
Project Description: This project will help in drought recovery by de-silting five older but key dams on Castle Hill farm, all of which were dry by the beginning of 2003. To protect environmental damage in future, three of these dams and a connecting waterway to one will be fenced off from livestock, with water access transferred to nearby troughs. One of these dams has been a permanent frog monitoring site for some years, and fencing will also provide protection of the remnant red gum and yellow box woodland adjacent to all three dams.
Project Update...
Bringing life back to Tuggeranong Creek
What do the world's largest professional services firm, a heritage-listed rural property in the heart of southern Canberra (operating as conference and events centre), a local High School and community based heritage and natural resource management groups have in common?
On Tuesday 7th November seven PricewaterhouseCoopers staff along with members of the Southern ACT Catchment Group (SACTCG) and the Minders of Tuggeranong Homestead (MOTH) undertook the first plantings of native vegetation designed to rehabilitate the now dry section of Tuggeranong Creek that runs through the Homestead site.
Located in the suburb of Richardson, the 31 hectare Tuggeranong Homestead site holds many layers of history. Before European settlement the location offered a reliable water hole and food sources for the local Aboriginal people. This section of Tuggeranong creek was drained and a concrete water channel was built in its place when the suburb of Richardson was constructed. The Homestead also has heritage values associated with its convict connections, its pastoral period, its links to Federation and its association with the writing of the Official History of World War One.
The project to rehabilitate the creek-line began in 2001 with funding from ACT Government enabling a study to be conducted into the feasibility of returning water flows into this section of the original creek-line from the nearby stormwater channel.
The end result of this study showed that whereas it would be possible to return some flows, the cost of $300 000 may be prohibitive. The SACTCG along with MOTH and support from the Homestead lessee decided to at least start returning life to Tuggeranong Creek by clearing some of the woody weed regrowth from the original Homestead orchard and by undertaking some planting of indigenous native trees, shrubs and grasses.
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) through Landcare Australia had previously sponsored a project with SACTCG that had not been undertaken due largely to drought conditions and ‘competition’ from other environmental programs. In August 2007 PWC agreed to transfer this sponsorship to the Tuggeranong Homestead project. Their investment includes a substantial cash contribution ($7700) and involvement of their staff in project activities. The first of these activities was held recently and another planting day will be organised in Autumn.
Calwell High School (CHS) is a large Secondary School located within walking distance of Tuggeranong Homestead. CHS is dedicated to providing a quality educational curriculum that meets, extends and cares for the needs of individual students. The school’s goal is to work with students, parents and the wider community, through strong partnerships, to ensure all the young people in care achieve success and are prepared for further study, training or work.
Through the Australian Government’s Adopt a School program CHS has committed a number of the Year 8 students, their teacher and school chaplain to the Homestead project. By being actively involved with all stages of the project from planning to monitoring outcomes it is envisaged the students will gain a broader knowledge of conservation and land management issues. On Thursday 22 November 2007 fifteen students spent the morning learning some of the Aboriginal and European heritage associated with the site along with concepts of natural resource management and site rehabilitation. In the afternoon students developed preliminary sketch plans for the creek and orchard area at Tuggeranong Homestead.
The plan is to continue this cross-community involvement at Tuggeranong Homestead with further work-parties in autumn and beyond. The creek-line will be returned to predominantly native vegetation and hopefully one day have water returned to it, providing a valuable refuge for native plants and animals and increasing biodiversity in suburbia.
Volunteers from PricewaterhouseCoopers and Minders of Tuggeranong Homestead start the revegetation process.
RIPARIAN REHABILITATION IN DROUGHT AFFECTED AND FIRE DAMAGED SOUTH WEST RURAL ACT (FENCING PROJECT)
Final Report has been finished. We are currently waiting on an audit report to be completed by the auditor so we can send all documentation back to Envirofund and they will invoice us for the unexpended funds.
Interested in Our Past Projects?
Click on the below link to find out more about the projects the SACTCG has run in the past
