The 2022 year saw the MBCG have another successful year and I would like to thank the committee and members, partner organisations, including, the City of Joondalup and its Natural Areas team, conservation funding organisations including the State Natural Resource Management Program (Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development), Coastwest (Department of Planning Land and Heritage), Landcare Australia, Primary schools and secondary colleges within the locality, Volunteer support organisations, and the many community volunteers for their support last year and to help make it a success.
Although our coastal conservation activity schedules were affected and delayed by COVID-19 shutdowns caused by the State borders were again reopened, there were 16 community educational events between July 21st to June 22nd, with high attendance of Cleanup Australia day and WA Beach Cleanup Day held on September 21st and March 22nd respectively.
In July to December 2021, we were invited by the Belridge Secondary Education Support Centre to be involved in their Workplace Learning program with 2 students regularly attending Mullaloo beach attending weekly to understand and develop skills in coastal conservation. The program assistance was well received and in early 2022, Belridge offered and expanded program for Terms 3 and 4 2022 involving eight students.
As part of our partnership with Belridge SESC we all provided weekly programs for a small group of high needs students as well as a larger group of year 10 students. This group, self- named Team Bandicoot cleared and planted around the northern toilet shower block at Tom Simpson Park.
We also successfully undertook and completed a number of conservation projects in the Bushforever 325 coastal foreshore reserve, as well as a number of activities in Korella Park with Mullaloo Beach PS. There were three funding organisations, Landcare Australia, Coastwest and State NRM.
All grant projects were successfully completed on time and on budget.
For this year we successful in obtain another State NRM grant as well as a small grant from Landcare for a Corporate event.
All conservation projects continued community efforts to improve the biodiversity in coastal foreshore, being well supported by a number of local school and youth Cubs and Scout groups, Mullaloo Beach PS, Mullaloo Sea Scouts, Ocean reef HS Surf cadets, Prendiville and Mater Dei Colleges, Conservation Volunteers Australia and members of the community, who all participated in Weed Seed head removal, seedling planting and post planting weeding, dune erosion hot spots and blowouts.
The extreme hot weather in summer caused a noticeable loss of seedlings.
One major disappointment is the lack of foredune fencing to clearly identify and delineate the beach front from the fragile coastal foreshore, a conservation reserve, which is continually being damaged by members of the public entering the dunes – to watch the sunset and MSLSC beach activity.
Issues raised were the poor condition of all the beach access pathway fencing and the potential danger of partially exposed broken fencing wire previously used beach front lack of fencing and signage.
With the commencement of the Ocean Reef marina breakwater a number of Mullaloo residents began to notice plastic cord pollution washing up along the beach. The matter was referred to the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation and the source of this was eventually conformed by DevelopmentWA that they were responsible with the plastic bring shot cord used in blasting limestone rocks used in the breakwater.
At the same time an enormous amount of plastic sticks were also being found along the beach and the eventual source was tracked back to coming out of the sewerage outflow pipes from the Beenyup waste Water Treatment works located in Craigie.
Other matters
A number of illegal camping sites and dumping matters were referred to the City of Joondalup for action. These problems continue even though they are formally raised through the info@joondalup.wa.gov.au email system
With the focus on removing the large amount of invasive weeds to improving the vegetation and biodiversity of the dune along Merrifield Place residents were noticing the increased birdlife in the area.
Also raised was the now very noticeable significant damage and loss of dunes caused by erosion at Hillarys Dog Beach at Mullaloo (Pinnaroo) Point, and the very obvious lack of direct acknowledgment and action by the City of Joondalup. With this erosion it was now exposing buried rubbish and remnants from the beach shacks that use to exist along that section of coast.
