Our Projects
We generally work on regenerating or maintaining various location in our site, but we also have a series of ongoing major projects.
These are usually funded by special grants from Federal or State government agencies and have a specific objective of remediating a particular environmental issue. These projects may take one to two years to complete, and involve many stakeholders in the process as well as the grantor, such as
Central Coast Council
Local community organisations - Progress Association, Surf Club etc
Local residents
Aboriginal community
These are usually funded by special grants from Federal or State government agencies and have a specific objective of remediating a particular environmental issue. These projects may take one to two years to complete, and involve many stakeholders in the process as well as the grantor, such as
Central Coast Council
Local community organisations - Progress Association, Surf Club etc
Local residents
Aboriginal community
Some of our recent major projects - supported $127,000 of grants
- Bounty Hill Walkway below Scenic Road – Catchment Management Authority grant of $8000 to repair drains and steps to reduce erosion into the Tudibaring wetland and planting of weed infested wasteland.
- Dunes and lagoon edge from the Tudibaring steps to the Tudibaring beach access walkway – Local land Services grant of $15,000 to remove asparagus fern and mother-of-millions and plant native species to stabilise dunes. (This project has just been approved at the time of writing and will commence later in 2016 for completion in 2017.
- Dunes between Bounty Hill and Tudibaring beach access walkways - Local Land Services grant of $15,000 to control asparagus fern, bitou and lantana.
- Lagoon and roadside edge along The Scenic Rd - Catchment Management Authority grant of $11,000 to remove weeds and add interpretive signage
- Lagoon edge from Tudibaring steps west to the Lakeside Drive Wetland – Envirofund Grant of $34,000 and Catchment Management Authority grant of $10,000 to remove weeds, plant native species, rebuild 1974 rock wall to stabilise it and insert silt control matting, build all weather pathway to reduce surface erosion and.
- Dunes north of the Surf Club to corner of Gerda Rd – Natural Heritage Trust Caring for Country Grant of $44,700 to control weeds and build a viewing platform with seating and interpretive signage.
All of these grants totalling $127,700 were further supported by Council by funding additional work by contractors, provision of approved seedlings and advice on strategy and construction.
Volunteers work on the site in 2008
Some of our projects, in brief
Bounty Hill Walkway rehabilitation
The walkway up Bounty Hill was a key souce of siltation of the wetland behind the Progress Hall because of poorly constructed or informal drains that were eroding, poorly constructed steps and weed infestation.
Grants from the Catchment Management Authority allowed us to construct rock walls and silt traps in the drains, reconfigure the steps and remove weeds and plant native vegetation to improve diversity and habitat.
Cockrone Lagoon Foreshore Walkway
The rock walls of the Lagoon foreshore were built in the 1970's, but had gradually collapsed, allowing soil to run into the lagoon and wave action to undercut the banks, leading to siltation of the Lagoon.
The lack of a properly constructed path resulted in surface erosion further adding silt to the lagoon and to compaction of vegetation and denuding of the area.
A grant from the Federal Government's Envirofund, a major contribution by Gosford City plus our own funds have meant these problems have been removed. It has financed a local earth & rock siteworks business to place over 300 tonnes of sandstone rock and place silt screens to rebuild the rock walls. They also constructed 250 m of cement-bound crushed sandstone pathway.
Volunteers planted 400 native plants planted to enhance the site and stabilise the lagoon edges.
Council have also stopped mowing the site, allowing sedges and shrubs to grow to further enhance the stability of the site. The Bushcare Group has now put the site into it's "care & maintenance" program, and will gradually remove non-native grasses, to allow local herbs, sedges and shrubs to regenerate the site.
Tree seedlings will be planted to ensure that young trees will grow through to repace the mature trees as they approach old age and die. The replacement trees will be carefully sited to minimise the impact on residents' views.
Funding has been received to remove weeds and complete the revegetation of this site and work will commence after consultation with adjacent property owners Funds are still needed to complete the pathway to Lakeside Drive.
Beach Viewing Platform - Cnr Gerda Rd & Marine Pde
MacMasters Beach was the only local surf beach without a viewing platform for surfers & fisherfolk to easily check out the waves, or visitors to enjoy the magnificent view.
This has resulted in illegal destruction of native vegetation to obtain a clear view.
A Federal Government "Caring for our Country" Grant, support from Gosford Council and signifcant input by local Bushcare volunteers allowed us to have a properly designed viewing platform to be built at the foot of Gerda Rd, with a view 180 degrees out over the dunes and past the shrubs. Paved with local sandstone and with two bench seats built from recycled plastics, the platform adds significantly to the amenity of MacMasters Beach.
The grant plus volunteer input and funds raised by Bushcare also allowed us to rehabilitate the dunes there, removing asparagus fern and other exotics and garden escapees.
Cockrone Wetland Rehabilitation
Cockrone Lagoon is listed on the Register of Nationally Important Wetlands, is part of the City's' Coastal and Open Spaces network, has Endangered Environmental Communities within it and at least one threatened plant species (Melaleuca biconvexa), so is well worth preserving and protecting.
A recent grant from the Hunter Central Rivers Catchment Management Authority allowed the Bushcare Group to engage bush regeneration contractors to assist in removing weeds from a two hectare site running from the corner of Lakeside Dr and The Scenic Road, for 200m westward. Weeds such as lantana, asparagus fern, fishbone fern, crofton weed, buffalo grass, a cocos palm and two coral trees were removed. Council then financed further work westwards, using funds in its Protection of the Environment Trust. This will improve the diversity of native plants as well as improve the views of the lagoon from the road.
Follow-up work is undertaken from time to time to maintain the site.
The walkway up Bounty Hill was a key souce of siltation of the wetland behind the Progress Hall because of poorly constructed or informal drains that were eroding, poorly constructed steps and weed infestation.
Grants from the Catchment Management Authority allowed us to construct rock walls and silt traps in the drains, reconfigure the steps and remove weeds and plant native vegetation to improve diversity and habitat.
Cockrone Lagoon Foreshore Walkway
The rock walls of the Lagoon foreshore were built in the 1970's, but had gradually collapsed, allowing soil to run into the lagoon and wave action to undercut the banks, leading to siltation of the Lagoon.
The lack of a properly constructed path resulted in surface erosion further adding silt to the lagoon and to compaction of vegetation and denuding of the area.
A grant from the Federal Government's Envirofund, a major contribution by Gosford City plus our own funds have meant these problems have been removed. It has financed a local earth & rock siteworks business to place over 300 tonnes of sandstone rock and place silt screens to rebuild the rock walls. They also constructed 250 m of cement-bound crushed sandstone pathway.
Volunteers planted 400 native plants planted to enhance the site and stabilise the lagoon edges.
Council have also stopped mowing the site, allowing sedges and shrubs to grow to further enhance the stability of the site. The Bushcare Group has now put the site into it's "care & maintenance" program, and will gradually remove non-native grasses, to allow local herbs, sedges and shrubs to regenerate the site.
Tree seedlings will be planted to ensure that young trees will grow through to repace the mature trees as they approach old age and die. The replacement trees will be carefully sited to minimise the impact on residents' views.
Funding has been received to remove weeds and complete the revegetation of this site and work will commence after consultation with adjacent property owners Funds are still needed to complete the pathway to Lakeside Drive.
Beach Viewing Platform - Cnr Gerda Rd & Marine Pde
MacMasters Beach was the only local surf beach without a viewing platform for surfers & fisherfolk to easily check out the waves, or visitors to enjoy the magnificent view.
This has resulted in illegal destruction of native vegetation to obtain a clear view.
A Federal Government "Caring for our Country" Grant, support from Gosford Council and signifcant input by local Bushcare volunteers allowed us to have a properly designed viewing platform to be built at the foot of Gerda Rd, with a view 180 degrees out over the dunes and past the shrubs. Paved with local sandstone and with two bench seats built from recycled plastics, the platform adds significantly to the amenity of MacMasters Beach.
The grant plus volunteer input and funds raised by Bushcare also allowed us to rehabilitate the dunes there, removing asparagus fern and other exotics and garden escapees.
Cockrone Wetland Rehabilitation
Cockrone Lagoon is listed on the Register of Nationally Important Wetlands, is part of the City's' Coastal and Open Spaces network, has Endangered Environmental Communities within it and at least one threatened plant species (Melaleuca biconvexa), so is well worth preserving and protecting.
A recent grant from the Hunter Central Rivers Catchment Management Authority allowed the Bushcare Group to engage bush regeneration contractors to assist in removing weeds from a two hectare site running from the corner of Lakeside Dr and The Scenic Road, for 200m westward. Weeds such as lantana, asparagus fern, fishbone fern, crofton weed, buffalo grass, a cocos palm and two coral trees were removed. Council then financed further work westwards, using funds in its Protection of the Environment Trust. This will improve the diversity of native plants as well as improve the views of the lagoon from the road.
Follow-up work is undertaken from time to time to maintain the site.