LORD HOWE ISLAND BOARD Community Information · PDF fileLORD HOWE ISLAND BOARD Community Information Bulletin December 2015 ... land. Many local people ... sis, but would you like

LORD HOWE ISLAND BOARD Community Information Bulletin

December 2015

skateboard and even fly a kite on the new runway. It was great to see the Hon Michael McCormack MP, Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minis-ter, and the Hon Leslie Williams MP, Member for Port Macquarie on the Island to officiate at the event in recognition of the substantial financial contributions from the Federal and State Govern-ments to the project.

At the Board level, we have seen a change of Chair with Phil Minns leaving to take on another position in the public sector, and being replaced by Sonja Stewart. Sonja holds the position of Deputy Secre-tary of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, and is the Chair designate.

The Island experienced a very tragic event in early December with the disappearance of young Jake Barrett while snorkelling off Middle Beach. Despite a massive search effort, he has not been able to be found. The whole Island has been deeply shocked and saddened by this loss, and our most heartfelt sympathies go to his family and friends.

In closing for 2015, I would like to wish you all the very best for Christmas and the holiday season.

Penny Holloway

Chief Executive Officer

Welcome to the December 2015 edition of the Lord Howe Island Board Community Information Bulletin, the last for 2015.

As we run down to the end of the year, you would think that we could start to relax and wind down a bit. But that’s certainly not the case at the Board or across the whole Island in fact. The last few months have been a very busy time on the Island.

Many projects have been finished or are well on their way to being completed. These include the Windy Point erosion prevention works, the removal of the fuel tanks from the old Powerhouse site and the installation of new fuel tanks at the new Power-house. A new roof on the Board Depot building is nearing completion.

In late October and early November, the film crew for “The Shallows” came to the Island, and there was not a spare bed to be had anywhere on the Is-land. Many local people and businesses were em-ployed during the filming, which was good for the local economy. But there were some disruptions to the normal peaceful atmosphere on the Island, par-ticularly at Ned’s Beach.

The completion of the Airport Runway Reseal pro-ject was marked by a grand opening event, where people had the opportunity to walk, run, skate,

Introduction

Chelsea Scott Photography

Communications and Community Engagement Survey 2015 The Lord Howe Island Board is committed to encouraging open, transparent and active relationships between the Board and the local community and other key stakeholders.

In order to do so, the Board is in the process of developing a Communication and Community Engagement Strategy. The strategy will be underpinned by strong community feedback in the form of a survey, which will provide the Board with a clear understanding of the community’s level of satisfaction with communication, as well as insights into the community’s desired relationship with the Board. The Board is very interested in the community feedback and encourages all leaseholders and stakeholders within the Island community, as well as islanders who are currently off the island for educational and other reasons to participate in the survey.

Two Communications and Community Engagement Surveys will be provided per household. The survey will also be available online through a link on the Board’s website for participation.

........................................................................................................................................................................

Computer Skills Training in 2016 Application Form

Name

Phone/Address

Skill Level (Approximate)

Preferred Time (circle one) Morning

09:00-12:00 Afternoon

03:00-16:00 Evening

16:00-19:00

Business / Government (Administration, Accounting, Human Resources, Information Technology)

Environmental (Horticulture, Conservation and Land Management, Tourism)

Health and Social Care

Application forms are available from the Board’s Ad-ministration office. Applications will close on Friday 18 December 2015.

For further information regarding the Lord Howe Island Scholarship Program please contact David Kelly, Manager Environment & Community Develop-ment, by phone on (02) 6563 2066 ext 18, or via email [email protected].

COMMUNITY INFORMATION BULLETIN DECEMBER 2015

Expression of Interest – Lord Howe Island Scholarship Program 2016 The Board is seeking Expressions of Interest from eligible persons for financial support to obtain their first tertiary qualification.

The program aims to create opportunities for persons to obtain tertiary qualifications and to return to the island and contribute to its social, environmental and economic life.

Up to $5,000 per year, over a 3 year period is available to reimburse costs associated with completion of tertiary education (including University, TAFE, and / or private tertiary education providers).

Priority will be given to the following study areas:

Trades (Carpentry, Electrical, Plumbing, Automotive (Diesel) Mechanic)

Computer Skills Training in the New Year – Book your Place Are you still working a manual ledger or handwriting reports? Are you using your computer on a daily ba-sis, but would you like to bring your skills up to the next level?

In 2016, the Board will be organising computer skills training sessions, to be conducted over a period of approximately 2 weeks. Exact dates are still to be confirmed. The training will be offered free of charge, made possible by a grant.

The aim of these sessions will be to increase partici-pants’ confidence in using a computer, and with pro-grams such as Excel, Word, Outlook as well as using things like the internet and email applications.

Sessions will be three hours each, two times per week, over a period of two weeks. Groups will be limited to approximately 6 people per skill level. Lev-els included will simply be Basic Intermediate and Advanced. Let’s see how your skills compare!

If you’d like to join in on the training sessions, please let us know by filling in the form below and dropping it into the Lord Howe Island Board’s Administration Office. Alternatively, you can email Lucy on [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


Airport Terminal Upgrade – Funding Bid success After the Runway Upgrade, now the Airport Terminal Building itself will get a much needed major upgrade.

The Board has been successful with a funding bid for $1.8million for a total makeover of the Terminal build-ing. The announcement has just been made by the State Government under the Restart NSW, Regional Airport Infrastructure Grants Fund.

Planning for the upgrade will now get underway, with detailed design being undertaken and development consent being sought in 2016. The actual works will be undertaken in 2017. More information will be provided on the project timelines once the project plan has been finalised and consultation will be undertaken on the detailed plans with all airport users.

Officially Open – The Airport Runway Performs Well

With the Parliamentary sitting times aligning, it all came down to the QantasLink planes running reliably, to ensure that the Official Opening of the resurfaced runway could take place with the Hon Michael McCormack MP and the Hon Leslie Williams MP both able to attend the ceremony in person.

Despite some cancellations on the Saturday, the planes delivered their passengers on schedule, and a beautiful day greeted the 70 people (including more than 30 kids) who turned up at the Airport Terminal to sit through some speeches then gained a privileged and rare access to the airport runway (during daylight hours). Some brought scooters, balance bikes, skate boards and a lone kite skater to run up and down the runway.

It was great to have the politicians representing the Federal and State governments who were the joint funders of the $8 million project, plus Mario Cipollone from QantasLink, Paul DeBritt from Fulton Hogan and the full Board, to witness the important milestone in the 41 year old aerodrome.

The visit by Michael McCormack also allowed some photos including him and the (remaining) Roads to Recovery signage, a great inclusion in our report to the Roads to Recovery administrators. More importantly for some resi-dents, it allowed us to remove the signs from the roadsides.

The upgrade will include a large area for passengers and visitors, new and improved toilet facilities, improved and enlarged refreshment area, a covered baggage col-lection area and quarantine facilities. However the tra-ditional look and feel of the building will be retained.

Wastewater Management : Less Smell - More Growth Some good progress has been made by Board staff in upgrading wastewater systems for Board properties to reduce our impact on the nearby areas and the groundwater.

Airport Terminal and Bureau of Meteorology (BOM)

The Airport Terminal and Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) are now running on one FujiClean Aerated Treatment plant. The treated effluent is being irrigated on the BOM’s grassed area, near Bill the Bull’s fence. When summer hits, it will be the greenest patch in the BOM’s grounds. The arrangement with the BOM will see them contribute to the ongoing management of the system, and is a good example of cost-sharing with benefits for everyone plus the environment. These systems are not complex to install, with Peter Heck and Board staff completing the work in several days.


Public Hall

The new wastewater system at the Public Hall is also under construction as we go to print. Following Board approval in late November, Warren O’Brien and Board staff have wasted no time in removing the old and failed system and replacing it with a new Earthsafe Aqua Nova AN10 Aerated Wastewater Treatment System, with nutrient removal and disinfection. The system will ultimately serve the Co-Op and the Marine Parks office, but not until the New Year. The treated and disinfected effluent will be pumped to a vegetated area between Lagoon Road and Signal Point. The new system should be installed and operational by Friday 18th December 2015.

Trenching across Lagoon Road to deliver treated effluent from the new Public Hall Aqua Nova AN10 Aerated Wastewater Treatment System to the irrigation area behind Signal Point

These two important systems, as well as approval for another FujiClean system at the Jetty, and other recent domestic installations on the Island are all good signs of progress towards improving our wastewater management to meet expectations of a World Heritage Island.

New Shade Sail for the Children’s Playground Everyone will have noticed the bare pole structure at the children’s playground. Although this could be viewed as a modern art installation, it is actually the remnant shade structure. The shade sails were ripped during a severe storm one night in August 2015 and on this occasion the damage was beyond repair.

The shade structure has had numerous failings during storms since its construction in 2008 with all the poles bar one experiencing structural failure and the shadecloth sails have been sent to the mainland for repair on at least three occasions.

The proposed replacement structure will utilise very large diameter posts and thick steel rafters, simplifying the design but making it more robust. There will be no requirement for backstays or the middle pole. Removing the middle pole from amongst the play equipment will allow the correct separation distances and fall zones that are required under the 2014 Australian Standard for Playground Equipment (AS 4685). No modifications or upgrades can be made to the play equipment whilst this pole remains in situ.

Tony Quinn of Undercover Sails has done the proposed design for the new shade structure. Tony designed and installed the fabulous sails at the Golf Club. The following drawings show the design and the shade expectations throughout the year. Modified Development Consent Application (MDC 2016-03) for the construction of a shade structure over the children’s playground is currently on display with a closing date of Friday 18 December 2015 for those who wish to make submissions.

If all goes well with the modified development consent it is expected that Tony, along with members of the Board’s Works Crew, will install the new structure in early February.

Proposed Playground Shade Structure as designed by Tony Quinn of Undercover Sails


Wastewater Management : Less Smell - More Growth (continued from page 4)

Through the remainder of this year and early in the New Year, we will be contacting leaseholders individually to discuss their plans and progress towards meeting the requirements of the Board’s Wastewater Strategy, with a deadline of 30 April 2016 for High risk (septics) system and 30 October 2017 for Medium risk systems.

Great progress has been made this year in simplifying the Strategy and removing the red tape, and allowing selected leaseholders to gain approval to install wastewater system in residential situations without a DA. The requirements are not going to be simplified any further, so please get stuck into thinking about your wastewater solution now. As always Andrew Logan and Kate Dignam are always happy to meet with you and discuss your plans and seek solutions.

Anthony - the Wright man for the job After an intensive selection process Anthony Wright was successful in securing the Field Supervisor position for the Board’s Infrastructure and Engineering Services Unit. Anthony officially commenced duty on Monday the 7th December 2015 after honouring a previously agreed five week notice period with his long standing employment as the LHI Golf Course superintendent.

Anthony’s duties include supervising and working with the Works Department (Asset Management) team maintaining the island’s assets such as parks, gardens, amenities, roads and jetty just to name a few.

The Board congratulates Anthony on his appointment. While only in the position for a short time, he has already had a positive impact at his new place of work.

Track improvements – Boat Harbour bridge Over the past few months, local contractor Jay Guess from Guess Developments has been undertaking renovations to the existing bridge at Boat Harbour. The original bridge was in disrepair and in need of refurbishment to bring it up to the current Australian standards and comply with the existing walking track grading system.

Following an engineer’s report outlining the possible options and costs associated with a total rebuild ver-sus renovating the existing structure it was decided that fixing up the original design would be the most practical approach.

The materials were flown to the site in June 2015 by helicopter and dropped in a clearing on the eastern side of the gully. Jay commenced work in late Octo-ber and stripped down the old bridge to its bearers, then rebuilt it with all new materials as specified by the engineer.

We are happy to announce that the bridge is now back in service and is much safer and stronger than the original.

Over the coming months Jay will be constructing a raised walkway across the creek at Boat Harbour beach. A deviation will be provided during construc-tion to enable continued access to the beach.


Windy Point Half Done Work on the Windy Point rock wall has been suspended to allow the nesting Mutton birds to have some peace. Just before the 23 November deadline, Board staff final-ised their work to stabilise the site and put it into care-taker mode until May 2016, after the birds leave.

The 30m section of wall completed to date looks great. The remaining rock waits on the beach, and has been stockpiled to protect the toe of the sand batter below the nesting Mutton bird sites. The sight of vegetation growing on this batter, is a pleasing result, and hope-fully the stockpiled rock will continue to protect this area until work re-commences in 2016.

As part of the finalisation of the work in 2016, sand will be backfilled into the area to bring it level with the road, then it will be revegetated to stabilise the area.

Related to the coastal area, it is unfortunate that the Board was recently advised that we were unsuccessful in receiving grant funding from the State government for the Sediment Tracing Study of the Lagoon area. This recommendation from the 2014 Coastal Hazard Study is the critical next step in understanding the Lagoon proc-esses, so that final solutions can be made put in place for the active coastal zones along the Lagoon.

Annual Woodhen survey The Board would like to thank residents and leaseholders for providing access to their properties to conduct the annual Woodhen survey. This year the Board engaged A Class bird bander, Dean Portelli, to assist with the surveys.

The Board’s Environment Unit undertook the annual Woodhen Census from 23 November to 7 December 2015. The survey team recorded a total number of 206 birds, with 98 new birds banded, 90 banded birds re-sighted or re-captured, 15 unbanded adults or large juveniles seen but not captured, and 1 bird heard.

Up until 2014, woodhens were banded with four metal bands, three colour and one uniquely numbered silver band supplied by the Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme (ABBBS). Last year the use of metal colour bands was discontinued. It was becoming increasingly difficult to identify birds because the colour bands were fading and difficult to read in the field. The uniquely numbered ABBBS metal band is still placed on the left leg, but we are now using a single yellow plastic band with a unique three digit number on the right leg for individual identification (see photos). Woodhens with the old metal bands that were recaptured this year have had their metal colour bands replaced with the single yellow numbered band. Being able to identify individual woodhens is essential to accurately monitor population changes because unbanded birds travel widely and are easily counted repeatedly.

Since it isn’t feasible to count every last woodhen on the island―especially outside the settlement area where finding woodhens is more difficult―the annual count provides us with an index of population size, which we use to monitor population trends. Early detection of population decline is critical to identifying the causes of decline and implementing actions to ensure the long-term survival of wild woodhens.

Examining the long-term trends in the population counts in different parts of the island since 1985 has revealed some interesting changes (see Figure below). The number of woodhens within the settlement gradually declined in the 1990s, but this trend has reversed over the last 15 years with an ongoing increase. In contrast, the population on Mt Gower has remained stable over the past two decades. A worrying trend is the steady decline in the number of woodhens outside these two strongholds, namely at Far Flats, below the Grey Face and Boat Harbour. The causes of these declines are not yet fully understood, but threats include predation by owls and competition with rodents for food. A small number of woodhens (estimated to be less than 50) occur in less accessible parts of the island that are not regularly surveyed, such as Big and Little Slopes, the Big and Little Pockets and Mt Lidgbird.


Left: Long-term changes in the number of woodhens counted within different parts of Lord Howe Island from 1985 to 2015. Note that the fluctua-tions result from a combina-tion of actual changes in woodhen numbers and the failure of the survey to count each woodhen that is alive in a given year.

Right – new band configuration.

2015 – A Big Year in Weeds on Lord Howe Over the 2015 Calender Year, the weed team has treated 345 hectares for target weeds. All weeders carry a Global Positioning System (GPS) which records the extent of their search effort (see map).

Key highlights for the year have been the remote area helicopter winch program onto Mt Gower and the Heli-lance spray program – an Australian First in treating weeds on cliffs.

The team has received training in Twin-Rope access, Trace (lightweight rope access) and Working at Heights to enable safe access to weeds that occur outside the general grid search or heli-based operations. Lord Howe Island’s terrain provides challenges which require a diverse ‘weeding’ tool kit and a high level of fitness!

The LHIB would like to thank the collective effort of all in helping to “Protect Paradise from Weeds” including the local community (in removing weeds on leases), the teams on ground, volunteers (Friends of LHI) and program sponsors [Caring for our Country (CFOC), NSW Environmental Trust (NSW ET), North Coast Local Land Services (NCLLS) and Foundation for National Parks (FNP).


Above: Map of search effort - LHI Weed Eradication Program 2015

Top Left: NCLLS funded weeder – Nelson Retmock ‘taking out’ a mature Silky Oak from Lidgbird South, Weed Mgt Block LS-015.

Bottom Left: Silky Oak with a view of Red Point


Rodent Eradication Project Stage 2 Planning and Approvals - Frequently Asked Questions

We are in Stage 2 of the Rodent Eradication Program, which is aimed at undertaking all the planning and obtaining all the approvals necessary for the Program to proceed. We won’t be implementing the actual eradication in Stage 3 until all the approvals are obtained and a decision is made to undertake the eradication of all rodents from the Island. Following are some of the answers to questions about Stage 2.

Why do we need to eradicate rodents from LHI?

Rats and mice are currently having a significant impact on the World Heritage, community and economic values of Lord Howe Island. They prey on and compete with a variety of threatened animals and plants, and impact community amenity though hygiene issues and spoiling of food stuffs. Eradication (rather than ongoing control) will provide the following benefits:

Significant biodiversity improvement including threatened species recovery and reintroduction

Removal of ongoing poison from the environment and associated control costs. It also removes the risk of rodent resistance to poisons

Long term positive impacts for tourism through protection and enhancement of World Heritage values and improved visitor experience

Increased productivity for the Kentia Palm industry

Elimination of current health and amenity impacts from rodents

How long is the Project going to take?

The overall Project timeline is shown below. We are currently in Stage (Phase) 2.

Where are we up to with the Project?

Following the majority vote on the eradication option in May 2015 and the Board’s decision to proceed, we have moved into Stage 2 of the project: the Planning and Approvals Stage. In this stage we are:

Continuing community engagement through a community working group and discussion with individual leaseholders and property holders about individual Property Management Plans and addressing community concerns

Developing all the required regulatory approvals and permits applications including information required to support these applications. It is expected that all applications will be submitted around March/ April of 2016 with decisions expected by then end of 2016 / start of 2017

Rodent Eradication Project (continued) Continuing to plan for implementation of the eradication subject to receiving all approvals and the Board’s

Final Go / No Go decision

What does the Approvals Process involve?

There are numerous State and Federal government regulatory approvals and permits required before the eradication can commence. Individual regulatory agencies will comprehensively assess the proposed project risks, potential impacts and proposed mitigation along with available evidence, relevant to their jurisdiction, and make independent decisions on whether or not to approve the applications.

Many of the approvals and permits have statutory public comment periods. The agencies may also set conditions to be adhered to as part of any approvals granted.

If all approvals are not received, the eradication program will not proceed.

What does the Go / No Go Decision involve?

The final technical, social and financial decision on whether or not to proceed with the eradication will be made by the two funding bodies and the LHI Board based on:

Status of approvals

Additional advice from the Chief Scientist

Ongoing community consultation

Technical advice

It is expected that this decision will occur prior to March / April of 2017.

What do the Property Management Plans (PMPs) cover?

The Property Management Plans include the agreed baiting methods for each lease, permissive occupancy, commercial lease and government property on the Island, including the settlement area. The Plans are discussed and negotiated with the leaseholders, residents and property managers individually and identify areas of concern and ways of mitigating specific risks on individual properties. The PMPs will only need to be signed once all government approvals have been received and the final decision to proceed with the eradication project has been made by the funding bodies and the Board. The PMPs will not impact on the tenure of the leases.

Has the baiting approach been decided?

The overall baiting approach has been decided and will be put forward in the approvals and permit applications for the various regulators to approve. This includes aerial broadcasting over uninhabited parts of the island and a combination of hand broadcasting and bait stations in the settlement area. Alternate methods will continue to be assessed for feasibility leading up to and during the approvals process. Conditions of approvals, when received from the various government agencies, may also influence the final baiting approach. The actual treatment methodology over individual properties will be discussed and negotiated with individual leaseholders and residents through Property Management Plans but will be in accordance with any regulatory approvals or conditions received.

What about impacts to human health?

Human health has been a major consideration through the previous project phases and has influenced the choice of bait and baiting approach. It has been shown that potential impacts to human health can be effectively avoided or mitigated in the Eradication Plan and this is supported by results of the Human Health Risk Assessment Report that show there is no significant risk to human health from any pathway including seafood. Human health will also be a major factor for government regulators to consider during the approval process. Regulators will make their decisions based on the application package including the Human Health Risk Assessment, and available global evidence and expertise. They may also undertake their own independent assessment. Conditions of approval, if granted, may also impose additional mitigation and monitoring to prevent impacts to the human health.

It is important to note that the Island’s current rodent control program also has similar human health risk issues that will continue indefinitely while rodents remain on Lord Howe.

What about impacts to non – target species and the environment?

Similar to human health, impacts to non target species and the environment (including the marine environment) have been considered carefully in the previous project phases and have influenced the choice of bait, baiting approach and development of the captive management program. It has been shown that potential impacts to non



Rodent Eradication Project (continued) target species and the environment can be effectively avoided or mitigated in the Eradication Plan. Any residual short term impacts will be far outweighed by the long term biodiversity, economic, social and human health benefits of the eradication. Key regulators will make their decisions based on the application package including the non toxic bait trials, toxicity testing, and proposed captive management programs together with available global evidence and expertise. Conditions of approval, if granted, may also impose additional mitigation and monitoring to prevent impacts to the environment and non target species.

It is important to note that rodents currently have devastating impacts on a range of a species and the current control program also has similar but ongoing environmental and non target species risks through the continued use of poisons.

What about impacts to poultry and livestock?

To minimise risks of livestock and chickens consuming baits and to reduce alternate rodent foods sources, beef cattle and chickens will be removed from the island during the baiting program. Independent valuations will be undertaken and owners will be compensated through agreements negotiated with the Board. After the bait has broken down, beef cattle and chickens can be restocked on the island.

It is proposed that the dairy herd will remain on the island during the baiting. Animals will be confined to a small paddock which will be baited with cattle proof bait stations. As a precaution, milk will not be consumed immedi-ately after the baiting until testing at an independent laboratory confirms it is safe to drink.

What about impacts to dogs?

Dogs may be at risk of primary and secondary poisoning if they consume the baits or dead rodents and owners will need to be vigilant. It should be noted that this is currently the case anyway with the ongoing baiting on the island. Dog owners will have the option of having their animals placed in boarding kennels on the mainland dur-ing the baiting program or have muzzles provided if preferred. These costs would be covered by the Board. The Board will also have a supply of Vitamin K, (which has been proven as an antidote) on the Island if pets do con-sume baits during the baiting process.

What about impacts to tourism?

It is expected that the eradication project would provide significant medium and long term positive benefits for tourism through protection and enhancement of World Heritage values which in turn protects the islands world heritage status and further improving the visitor experience. Short term impacts are expected to be minimal and will be avoided and mitigated as much as possible through appropriate timing of the program in the off season (winter) and by working with the tourism industry to address concerns and promote the benefits of the eradica-tion. It should also be noted that the project workforce will provide significant input into the local economy prior to, during and after the baiting program.

How do we keep rodents off the island after the eradication?

The LHI Biosecurity Strategy has recently been revised to significantly increase the level of protection from intro-duction (or reintroduction) of invasive species. It is important to note that biosecurity on the island will be im-proved regardless of whether or not the rodent eradication proceeds, in order to keep a wide range of invasive plants and animals off the island. If the eradication does proceed, special consideration will be given to keeping rodents off the island. The Biosecurity Strategy will continue to be revised and updated during and after the Ro-dent Eradication Program process.

Will the project progress if not everyone agrees?

The Board will to act keep people safe and to protect the island’s environment, World Heritage status and unique tourism assets. With that principle in mind the Board will make a final technical, social and financial decision on whether to proceed with the eradication or not at the end of the Planning and Approvals Phase. Not everyone may agree with the final decision.

How can I be involved?

The Rodent Eradication Program (REP) team will contact you over the coming months to discuss the best baiting methodology for your property through the Property Management Plan process. This is an opportunity for you to discuss specific areas of concern at your property or with the program in general.

There is also the Community Working Group which people are welcome to join.

Please feel free to raise any concerns with the REP team at any time so that you can make informed decisions.


Rodent Eradication Project (continued) Where can I get more Information?

Please feel free to talk to the REP team at the Board directly if you have any concerns or would like more information about any aspect of the program. Additionally the Community Working Group members are a liaison point if you prefer.

In other rodent news....... The Macquarie Island Pest Eradication Project, which was a similar project to what is proposed on Lord Howe Island, has recently won a coveted national Banksia Sustainability Award. The Banksia Awards are regarded as the most prestigious and longest running sustainability awards in Australia.

The Macquarie Island Project was awarded the 2015 Banksia Natural Capital Award which recognises demonstrated leadership and innovation in the sustainable management of renewable resources and non-renewable resources. The project was also runner up for the overall Gold Award.

Similar to LHI, the 12,875 ha Macquarie Island is World Heritage listed and is home the endemic Royal Penguin and breeding colonies of many seabird species. The pest eradication, a major project to remove the last remaining mammal species - rabbits, ship rats and mice was undertaken between 2007 and 2014. Aerial baiting of the entire island was completed in July 2011, followed by intensive monitoring by hunters and highly trained detection dogs, to detect and dispatch any surviving individuals. In April 2014, after nearly three years of monitoring with no sign of surviving individual rabbits, rats or mice, the project was declared a resounding success.

With the removal of rodents and rabbits and the resulting intensive grazing pressure, the island's vegetation is rapidly rebounding as shown by the photos below. Sea birds and invertebrates, which had suffered predation by rats, are also returning in numerous areas.

The Banksia Award judging panel described this project as:

“A mission impossible’. In the beginning, Everyone said they couldn’t do it, BUT they did it and it was a truly altruistic project-they did this all for nature! This project has made a significant difference in the ecosystem, completely transforming a whole environment and is definitely a key example of a totally sustainable project.”

Whilst acknowledging the differences between Macquarie and Lord Howe Islands, it is extremely encouraging to see what can be achieved.

For more details see the Banksia Award at http://banksiafdn.com/winners/ Or the Macquarie Island Pest Eradication Project Evaluation Report at http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/file.aspx?id=31160

‘Before’ and ‘after’ photos above of Razorback Ridge – Macquarie Island show the severely degraded state of vegetation in December 2010 (left) and the same area in May 2014 demonstrating clear evidence of recovering tussock grass. Photos: Ivor Harris/AAD

http://banksiafdn.com/awards/

http://banksiafdn.com/winners/

http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/file.aspx?id=31160


Lord Howe Island Board Rodent Control Baiting Schedule 2016

This calendar shows when rodent stations will be serviced during 2016. In order to maxi-mise the effectiveness of the control program the Board asks that all residents who place bait do so at the same time as the Board are servicing the stations.

Residents are requested to not use bait containing Brodifacoum, including Talon and other brands, as this will lead to the increased tolerance of rodents to the poison and eventually to poison resistance.

Trials have already shown that it takes around five times the usual dose of this poison to kill mice on LHI. The Board provides Ratex containing Coumatetralyl for residents use, free of charge. Supplementing poisoning with trapping can help delay poison resistance developing. Bait will be available from the Board one week prior to, and during, the sched-uled baiting period. Bring a sealable container and you will be provided with the correct amount of bait for the number of stations that you have. For further information contact the Board.

Remember: 1 cup of poison per station only at each baiting period for maximum effect.


LHI Board Pesticide Notification Over the next months Board staff may be using pesticides in the following areas:

Playground and Oval; all picnic areas; all vacant Crown Land within the Settlement area; Road Verges and Reserves; Windy Point footpath; Airport grounds and Airstrip; the former Powerhouse grounds including the Signal building; the Community Hall grounds; LHI Co-Op, Beach Boutique and Post Office grounds; Hospital grounds; Satellite dish grounds; Jetty buildings; Lagoon Foreshore; Board Residences; LHI Cemetery; PPP boundaries and

fence lines, all LHIB reforestation areas; for the treatment of grasses and broad-leafed weeds; or environmental weeds such as Ground Asparagus, Climbing Asparagus, Blue Periwinkle and Cherry Guava. Bush regeneration works will be undertaken throughout the PPP, Transit Hill and other crown reserves and roadsides/revegetation areas; working up to and including track edges.

Product/s and active constituents to be used:

For foliar spray: Clear Up Bio: active constituent Glyphosate 360g/L; Fusillade: Fluzifop-p present as butyl ester28g/L; Associate: active constituent Metsulfuron Methyl 600g/kg; Spearhead active constituent Clopyralid 20g/L 15g/L, Diflufenican 300g/L and MCPA Sierraron G: active constituent Di-chlobenil 67.5g/Kg; Starane Fluroxypr 333g/L + diesel. Product/s & active constituent (to be used for cut and paint applications) Clear Up Bio: active constituent Glyphosate 360g/L; Associate: active constituent Metsulfuron Methyl 600g/kg; Safari – (Garlon) tri-clopyr 600g/L

Board staff will also treat areas throughout the settlement for the control of the African Big Headed Ant (Pheidole magacephala): Product/s to be used and active constituent- Amdro: 7.3g/Kg Hydramethylnon; Distance Plus 5g/kg pyriproxyfen; Advion Ant Gel 0.5 g/kg Indoxacarb.

Board staff bait rodent stations with Ratex: active constituent Coumatetralyl 0.38g/kg; Roban blocks within build-ings: 0.05 g/kg Difenacoum containing Denatonium Benzoate as bittering agent .

Pesticide Use Notification Plan:

Please refer to the “Lord Howe Island Board’s Pesticide Use Notification Plan 2015” www.lhib.nsw.gov.au for spe-cific details regarding the notification of the use of pesticides on the Island. For any further information please con-tact the Board

AED Gift to the Island from the Student Heart Project As reported in the most recent Signal edition, the Lord Howe Island community was the fortunate recipient of a fully automatic ‘Zoll’ brand AED or Automatic External Defibrillator from the very generous medical students at Charles Sturt University, Port Macquarie.

The AED unit has since been mounted on the veranda of the Community Hall. The unit is housed in a black cordura bag which has the very easy to understand instructions contained in the rear pouch. The unit cannot be misused, ie: you cannot administer a charge to a patient who does not require a charge. The AED unit automatically detects whether a patient’s heart is in fibrillation requiring a charge from the unit. In addition to the written instructions there are clear voice instructions once the unit is turned on. The voice over instructs you on the procedure of at-taching the electro pads and when to stand clear prior to a charge being administered.

If you are assisting a person who has collapsed and is in cardiac arrest the basic first aid principles still apply:

D Check for Danger

R Responsive

S Send for help 000

A Open Airway

B Check for Breathing

C Start CPR: 30 compressions 2 Breaths

D Attach Defibrillator AED unit.

Utilising an AED unit for a patient who has suffered cardiac arrest greatly increases the chance of recovery. The AED unit is centrally located and it is important that everyone makes themselves aware of its location as it may be someone close to you requiring its use. The Board has an AED training DVD. If anyone would like to borrow the DVD, please come to the Board office and we’ll be more than happy to loan the DVD out.

If you get a chance to ‘google’ The Student Heart Project it’s worth having a read of what these great young people have been able to achieve.


LORD HOWE ISLAND BOARD

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AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR

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Documents

LORD HOWE ISLAND BOARD Community Information · PDF fileLORD HOWE ISLAND BOARD Community Information Bulletin December 2015 ... land. Many local people ... sis, but would you like