Sand Dune Walk
Sunday 8 January 2023
When: Thursday 12 January 2023
Where: Meet at the carpark
Join a small group of us for a casual wander around the dunes, identifying local plants. We're hoping that some of you who don't live here permanently will be able to join us. This will also be a good time to assess the condition of the dunes after the previous wet year and see if we need to start targeting weed removal.
Everyone welcome! Bring your plant related questions with you...
Contact: Di Clark 0402 555 330
Bushfire Memorial
Thursday 15 December
Take a walk to the footbridge over Saltwater Creek - our bushfire memorial has been installed today.
The sign marks the enormity of the New Year's Eve 2019 bushfire which devastated our community and razed so many homes. We hope it's a reminder to future generations of the risks of bushfire and a place of reflection for us all on Rosedale's loss and renewal.
Many people to thank – Vicki Smith for coordinating, Council’s Karlee Van der Meulen for design, Christine Shiel for the initial idea, and Celia Davey for help looking at alternatives. And thanks to Council for sharing some of the costs with us.
Dune Weeding
Sunday 13 November
On Remembrance Day a small group of us spotted fleabane and the mauve floweing beach gladioli on the southern main beach dune. We pulled them out and carried away the plants with seeds to prevent germination.
Since the start of our dune project these weeds are much diminished and endemic plants are now prolific.
Our next target is the Marram grass ... harder to identify.
If you'dlike to be a helper in one magical work site please contact Katy on 0428 563 173
Rosedale Roundabout
Friday 27 October
Work on the George Bass Drive/Rosedale Parade intersection is well underway and may be finished by Christmas.
It is further to the east that we would have liked (to avoid the expense of moving services). The lack of prior consultation on the design and siting of the roundabout is frustrating. We wrote to the Mayor and Council to register our disappointment with the consultation process and asked them to negotiate directly with neighbouring landowners on ways to lessen the impact of the roundabout on their properties.
Rosedale residents have mixed feelings, with some upset about the loss of verge and trees and proximity of the roundabout to houses. Others welcome a safer intersection with improved visibility, pedestrian islands and bus pull out lanes – all of which we have lobbied for over the years.
New Fire Danger Ratings
Saturday 22 October 2022
Despite the incessant rain, we’re now weeks into the Bushfire Danger Period. Fireys are warning of a heightened risk of fastmoving grassfires this bushfire season.
All that rain has caused rampant growth in vegetation – and it’ll dry out once the weather warms up.
So keep an eye out for these new simplified bushfire danger signs, being rolled out across Australia.
Each warning level has clear actions. See the RFS site here.
Breeding Rabits - Beware!
Wednesday 9 June 2022
A group of eight from the Rosedale community gathered last week to learn how to use Council’s handheld Trimble GPS data logger. Invasive species officer Paul Martin also helped us understand rabbit behaviours.
Our aim is to record the exact location and behaviours of the pests in three concurrent dusk and dawn transects of Rosedale streets. The Trimble captures the information immediately so appropriate control can happen in a timely way. Monitor and control, monitor and control...will be our mantra!
Dune Erosion Control - Before....
Wednesday 9 June 2022
The power of the sea...
Just look at the scar in the dunes from Knowlman Rd stormwater runoff in front of the cabins. The big seas in late Autumn deposited a very fragile seam of sand that needed stabilising with plants. See below!
And After....
Wednesday 9 June 2022
At a jovial planting session last Sunday morning we began to stabilise this part of the dune. We hope plants and their guards will direct foot traffic away and along the one path. That path also needs attention - next project.
A New Discovery
Wednesday 9 June 2022
One of the joys of weeding the dunes is discovering the survivors. Identifying finds like this coastal beard heath (right) helps us get to know what’s precious for our plant diversity and also what we need to remove.
As well as this find, our weeding session last Sunday morning attacked the super resilient fleabane, bridal veil creeper and deadly nightshade across the foredune. Great to see some new faces adding to our Rosedale weeding and planting team!
New Shark Protection at Rosedale
Monday 30 May 2022
You may have noticed a new red buoy bobbing in the water off Rosedale Beach.
It’s one of 15 new SMART (Shark Management Alert in Real Time) drumlines between Surf Beach and Broulee. They're deployed offshore in daylight hours to target great white, bull and tiger sharks.
The buoy is attached to a baited hook linked to a GPS communications unit. When a shark takes the bait and puts pressure on the line, the comms unit is triggered to alert the drumline operators, who tag, relocate and release the shark.
Be alerted when there’s a shark off Rosedale - download the SharkSmart app on your phone.
For more, see this short video .
Easter Weedathon
Tuesday 19 April
Thanks to everyone who helped us weed the dunes in Easter Saturday's idyllic weather.
We attacked the marram grass (right) and emergent fleabane we'd missed before - although some of us mistook the native forget-me-not for young fleabane. A good lesson - the forget-me-not is a keeper.
Easter AGM - 16 April 2022
Seventy-one members joined us for our annual AGM on Easter Saturday. After all the rain, it was great to bask in the sun.
Most of the meeting was taken up with discussions of developments to the west, impacts on Saltwater Creek, our dune restoration project and problems with eroded tracks.
If you couldn't make it, the full AGM minutes are here.