Minutes 26 October 2008 PDF Print

LOCATION     Community Room, MLA Kezia Purick’s office, Coolalinga.

1. Meeting Opened at 2.30 pm.

Present: Alan Anderson, Gemina Corpus, Michael Stott, Leisa Baldwin, Strider, Cynthia Croft, Philip Croft, Heather Boulden, Jeremy Hemphill.      

Apologies: Denise Goodfellow, Jane Moore, Penny Wurm, Peta Banks.

2    Minutes of meetings
•    23 August 2008. Acceptance moved Jeremy/Leisa. Carried.
•    13 September 2008. Draft minutes amended to include Wayne Bennett attending, Gemina an apology.  Acceptance moved Jeremy/Cynthia. Carried.
   
3        Business arising from minutes
a)    Lanoline treatment for Woodland to Waterlily boardwalk – awaiting P&W OK.
b)    Fogg Dam equipment list from Ken Levy – awaiting return of Monika (overseas)
c)    Monsoon Forest Interpretive signage – Alan & Strider - in abeyance pending replacement of boardwalk.
d)    Donation boxes – awaiting response from P&W.

4.    Correspondence:  Out:
•    3 Oct, thank you letters to Minister Anderson for attending Field Day and to
Minister Lawrie for providing transport for the Field Day.
•    6 Oct, thank you letters to supporters: Birch, Carroll & Coyle; Darwin Film Society; Hanuman Restaurant; Skinnyfish Music; Cancer Council NT; Nightcliff Amcal Chemist; SBA Distributors; ConocoPhillips; Coles Casuarina; Crocosauras Cove; and TIO.
•    6 Oct, thank you letters to Ligia Pizzatto and Michael Crossland for their presentations.
•    Notes accompanying prizes to winners: Louise Paynter (Hanuman); Leona Sullivan (Gurrumul); Grusha Leeman & Rosemary & Brendan O’Brien (Deckchair cinema); Ann Glasson & Lyn Harry (BCC tickets).
•    17 Oct, internet response to Draft Management Program for the Magpie Goose 2008-2013.
•    20 Oct, emails to Territory Regional Weekly and Darwin/Palmerston Sun thanking them for publicising the field day.
•    19 Oct, Acceptance Form and Tax Invoice to Landcare & Aust Post re grant.
•    20 Oct, online registration of FOFD on National Landcare Directory.
•    22 Oct, email to Mark Fogarty, P&W Fogg Dam, asking for update on construction of M/F boardwalk and asking about possibility of FOFD undertaking the lanoline treatment of the Woodland to Waterlily boardwalk.

Correspondence In:
•    17 Sep, email from Aust. Post/Landcare enclosing letter advising success of our application for $3,000.00 grant
•    22nd Sep, email from Kezia Purick  congratulating on the field day and enclosing Hansard question of Mr Gunner, MLA, concerning repairs to the m/f boardwalk.
•    24 Sep, email from Kezia Purick, asking to let her know if the Field Day is to become an annual event and if there are ways she can help.
•    25 Sep, email from ATDW saying the Fogg Dam Field Day had an entry on Tourism NT’s travellers website and would love to continue displaying the event and have updated the listing for 2009 – it remains ‘unconfirmed’ until we hear from you.  If there are a couple of images and logo you would like to display, an image authorisation form gives specifications.
•    29th Sep, email from Adrienne Francis, responding to invitation.  She had just returned from leave and asked if there are any new developments/news that might be on interest to a wider ABC audience?
•    Emails from Peter Foster, Landcare, re grants available.  Fed. Grant for environment & heritage has eligibility of 50 financial, voting members.
•    21 Oct, email advising FOFD is listed on the National Landcare Directory.
•    21 Oct, email from Peter Foster, advising of grants available for voluntary environment & heritage organizations – eligibility includes a minimum of 50 financial members.
•    22 Oct, email from Mark Fogarty re boardwalks.  M/F boardwalk viewing platform is completed and work is coming back from there.  Work has also started on replacing the shorter boardwalk past the toilets.  The track has been closed 2 weeks.   He’s happy for FOFD to apply lanoline to the other boardwalk, good to get it under way soon.
•    25 Oct, email from Prof. Rick Shine, advising of Fed. Environmental/Heritage grants.

Correspondence accepted: Jeremy/Gemina

5.    Business arising from correspondence:
a)    Field day. Agreed the recent field day was a worthwhile exercise. Discussed frequency of this and agreed not to attempt on 2009. A possible annual event to be held earlier in the year when there is more water and bird life about, eg April or May – propose to check with P&W and Traditional owners and take account of  school and public holidays. Suggested we approach P&W for approval to base activities on the western side of the dam with transport to and from walks. Response to ATDW.
b)    Application of lanoline to Woodland to Waterlily boardwalk. Concerns raised about environmental issues eg whether lanoline acceptable, wastage, method of application (spray, roller, etc). Alan to check with P&W and Total Environment Centre. Looking to a mid-November Working Bee.
c)    P&W advise the Monsoon Forest boardwalk should be complete in approx 6 weeks, ie around 7 Dec.  Options for celebrating and media opportunity discussed. Agreed to test Minister Anderson’s availability around 3.00 pm on Sunday 14 December and, in view of the length of the walk, that members bring a plate and drink.

6.    Field Day Evaluation:
What worked well:
•    Publicity (need to document to assist organization of next event); meet & greet volunteers; Hunter Safaris minibus  ferrying people across causeway; bus transport from Palmerston, PA and walkie-talkie system

What didn’t work well:  
Roster of FOFD members for meet-greet/ car park and FOFD table couldn’t be followed. An extra person (for back-up) was needed at the FOFD table. Membership forms were not noticed. Program not known to visitors before they arrived – some had already taken place, some needed to chose between a talk and an activity occurring at the same time. Guides and treasure hunt used only one of the walks. Few people bothered to see displays at the western end of the causeway. Few people completed questionnaires despite prizes. Minister missing opening, band and bush tucker walk didn’t happen. Not everyone having access to water and food (limited hours of Litchfield Lions kiosk). Prefer to have large water containers for people to refill from rather than lots of small bottles.  Many visitors parked on the open dirt area along the causeway rather than proceeding to the designated car park.

Proposals: Separate the program and survey forms. Publish the actual program before the event. Advise people to take own food drink. Evaluate by having someone go around asking attendees what they think of the event. Hold talks on western side of the dam.

    Aim to put photos on the website.

7.    Australia Post/Landcare Grant:
•    PR: The grant will not be provided until FOFD submits a public relations plan. Leisa agreed to be the media contact person and prepare the PR plan.  Media messages include success in gaining the grant, Working bees – lanoline for boardwalk: and weeding, interviews arranged, articles published, meetings held, membership and new members, numbers of members at working bees, photos of working bees and other events.
•    Equipment purchase: Alan agreed to seek firm quotations for the equipment to be purchased.: 
•    SIGNAGE: Information about the history & heritage value of the rice project
4 areas plus the front available.
2 x 895mm high and 895mm wide
2 x 112mm high and 410mm wide
1 x 112mm high and 905mm wide (info sign at front) 

Jane Moore and Peter Walker have both offered artwork assistance. May also ask P&W to assist as cost likely to exceed our budgeted amount.

Leisa, Alan and Jane to liaise on the message by email.

FINAL PROJECT
Report on:
•    new members, training, partnerships with local schools
•    estimated volunteer hours contributed
•    other community and social outcomes
•    area of weeding (hectares)
•    area of vegetation/habitat protected (hectares)
•    number and/or type of info resources produced (booklets, guides, newsletters, powerpoint presentations, cds.
•    Number of events and people/volunteers attending
•    Number of media items (articles, interviews)
•    Attach map to illustrate types of on ground activities and location, plus photos of project events and results
•    Attach media releases, articles published, transcripts (if any) of interviews, names of volunteers attending working bees.

8.    Finance:  still awaiting auditors report.

9.    Other business –
•    Reminder about sending in old photos.   Please contact for details about how to send in.
•    Leisa provided a copy of the Cairns Botanic Gardens’ tourist brochure.
•    Jeremy advised he will prepare a submission for a shed to store the FOFD equipment under the Telstra Shop Darwin and Winnellie Community Grants program, closing 31October.
•    Its understood FOFD’s Honorary Member, Ted Kilpatrick, collapsed during the Masters Games in Alice Springs. To check on his health.    .

10.    Next Meeting
    A working bee commencing 8.00 am Sunday 16th November at Fogg Dam Rotunda to apply preservative to the Woodland to Waterlily boardwalk. To be followed by a lunchtime meeting.

11.    Meeting Closed 4.15 pm. Thanks to Kezia Purick for use of the meeting room

12    Summary of issues to follow up.
•    Lanoline of boardwalk – check with P&W (Heather) and any environmental issues (Alan)
•    Working Bee  - Sunday 16 November – check with P&W (Heather)
•    Aust Post/Landcare Grant – prepare and submit media plan (Leisa), message for sign (Leisa, Jane, Alan), quotations of equipment prices (Alan)
•    Annual return – auditing of accounts (Michael)
•    Telstra Shop Community Grants submission – shed for equipment (Jeremy)
•    Documentation of how field day was organised/publicised
 
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