1.         Meeting Opened at 1.00pm at the Rotunda at Fogg Dam

Present: Leisa Baldwin, Wayne Bennett, Alan Anderson, Gemina Corpus, Heather Boulden, Veronica Edwards, Jeremy Hemphill, Claire and Jim Edwards, Bob and Rosie Hulands.

         Apologies: Jane Moore.

         Heather advised the meeting of the death of another traditional owner, Stephen Kenyon in November.  Heather & Jeremy attended the funeral representing FOFD.

         Heather welcomed Bob and Rosie Hulands and Veronica’s parents: Claire and Jim Edwards. Bob and Rosie were holidaying in the area and had seen on internet that FOFD was holding a working bee and meeting. Bob had worked on the rice project in the late 19502 early 1960s and brought his photographs of the project.

2       Minutes of meeting 24 October 2010.   No quorum for Nov meeting/working bee. Acceptance moved Jeremy, seconded Leisa. Passed.

3       Business arising from minutes & ongoing issues

Donation box at Fogg Dam – see Item 9

Updating the Business Plan – see item 11

4.         Correspondence:  Out:

·    25 Oct 10, email to Ellen Fogg Turner advising membership has expired and informing details of family membership.

·    2 Nov 10, Environment Grant acquittal emailed.

·    5 Nov 10, email to Simon Ward with cc to Norm Greenfield, thanking him for the recommendations and asking P&W Fogg Dam to help with marking areas for study.

·    14 Nov 10, email to George Kasparek, advising that Kezia Purick suggested we contact him about the next working bee to see if Humpty Doo scouts would be interested in being involved.

·    15 Nov 10, email to George Kasparek, thanking him for his email, saying we’ll let him know about future working bees, and wishing well for the Christmas party/camp.

·    17 Nov 10, email to Contracts NRMB NT with cc to P&W Fogg Dam, enclosing NRMB NT application to control Olive Hymenachne, seeking $4,700.00 with appendix.

·    17 Nov 10, email to P&W Fogg Dam, forwarding response from NRMBNT.

·    25 Nov 10, email to Alice Leppitt, congratulating her and thanking her for a copy of her thesis.

·    11 Jan 11, email to Anne Palmer, NRMB, enclosing acceptance papers for NRMB grant to control and eradicate olive hymenachne within Fogg Dam catchment and invoice for $4,700.00.

·    18 Jan 11, email to Jennifer Cunningham, thanking for email and advising she’s been included on the mailing list.

·    24 Jan 11, email to Ailsa Robertson, thanking for email and interest in FOFD, advising of working bee date and inclusion on mailing list.

Correspondence In:

·    26 Oct 10, email from Ellen apologising for being out of touch due to travel.  Says she will never give up the memberships.

·    28 Oct 10, email from Lesleigh and Jim Agnew, saying to keep their double membership payment for their subscription next year.

·    2 Nov 10, email from Chantal Bramley, inviting members to the NRMB workshop on Tuesday 7 Dec 5-8pm at Brown’s Mart – for community input into prioritising identified management actions.

·    4 Nov 10, email from Simon Ward, with recommendations for (A) the bird counts (B) need for a defined protocol (C) provision of a pro-forma for each count at each site.

·    5 Nov 10, email from Chantal Bramley, asking to check link on website to check that details are correct.

·    12 Nov 10, email from Peter Walker of Imagineer, advising that he has renewed FOFD domain name for another two years.

·    15 Nov 10, email from George Kasparek, advising that the Humpty Doo scouts have an all day Christmas party/camp on Sunday 28^th, otherwise they would be there.

·    17 Nov 10, email from Dean Lonza P&W Fogg Dam, attaching draft NRMB NT application seeking. 

·    17 Nov 10, email from Norm Greenfield, attaching a photo showing the location for installation of the sluice gate at Fogg Dam.

·    17 Nov 10, email from Contracts NRMBNT, thanking for the application and advising that we will be notified of the outcome in early December.

·    25 Nov 10, email from Alice Leppitt, enclosing a copy of her Honours Thesis on the aquatic vegetation at Fogg Dam.

·    25 Nov 10, email from Chantal Bramley, re Integrated Natural Resource Management Plan Review – the NT regional management actions are on the web:  www.nrmbnt.org.au

·    30 Nov 10, email from Chantal Bramley, inviting FOFD to participate in Community Prioritisation Workshop for Territory-wide and regional Management Actions, on Tuesday 7 Dec.

·    10 Dec10, email from Chantal Bramley, with offer to include FOFD activities to be included in the NRM/Landcare/Community Board’s hardcopy calendar for 2011.

·    10 Dec 10, email from Anne Palmer, NRMB, thanking for grant application and advising that offers should be made by 17 December.

·    20 Dec 10, email from Gabriel Crowley NRM CDU, thanking for comments on the Management actions profiles and priority ratings.

·    17 Dec 11, letter from Kate Andrews, NRMB NT, advising that our grant application to control and eradicate olive hymenachne is successful, enclosing acceptance form, asking for this to be completed and returned with an invoice for $4,700.00.

·    18 Jan 11, email from Jennifer Cunningham, asking to join FOFD mailing list.

·    20 Jan 11, email from Anne Palmer, NRMB, attaching remittance advice of $4,700.00 to FOFD bank a/c for the olive hymenachne grant.

·    24 Jan 11, email from Ailsa Robertson, saying she would like to join FOFD and to include her on mailing list of working bees.

Correspondence accepted: Jeremy/Wayne

5.         Business arising from correspondence: 

NRMB workshop Tuesday 7 Dec 5-8pm at Brown’s Mart. – Jeremy attended putting a case for Fogg Dam and Harrison dam areas to be ranked as high priority management areas.

6       NRMB grant with P&W Fogg Dam to Control & eradication of olive hymenachne

         Project Milestones:

         Jan                 Weed identification training, airboat operations, GIS training

                                 Map infestation sites & identify priority sites

         Jan-Mar         Chemical control of olive hymenachne

         Apr-Jun          Follow up control after initial treatment

         May                 Burning dead plant material

         Ongoing        Monitoring of control sites, mapping post work populations

         July                 Admin, insurance, report preparation and submission.                                

7       Humpty Doo Rice Trail.    

·    Funding to be sourced for posts/markers along the Rice Trail and for messages to be made available for downloading onto MP3 player. Round of applications for Northern Territory government grants is anticipated in April.

Heather is seeking offers to prepare a grants proposal.

8       Opening Fogg Dam water & wetlands proposal

·   We have been advised that the P&W project to install the sluice gate and dredge open water has been deferred to the dry season next financial year. This puts the proposal of Greg Miles to create ponds adjacent to the downstream side of the dam wall on hold.

·   Bird & open water monitoring – photo points still to be identified with P&W staff. Heather is seeking offers to assist with monitoring. 

9       Donation box & brochure holders

         Door has been removed. Sign to be installed when door securely replaced.

10     Finance

         $2,000.00 in fixed deposit.   $6,053.83 in regular account.

On 31 Dec $986.00 transferred into the fixed deposit A/c in order to gain better interest. $4,700.00 in general account is NRMB grant funding.  

         Heritage Grant for Humpty Doo Rice Trail acquitted last year.

11     2011 Business Plan

         The plan prepared by Heather and Leisa was presented.  

12     Membership  - No new members.

          13     Wildfowl hunting 

Jeremy reported goose numbers at Harrison Dam were low for much of the hunting season so there was less shooting than in 2009 and most hunters kept away from private property boundaries.  Instances of permit breeches were reported to the Police. A report will be prepared for Parks and Wildlife.

14     Other business –

 An informal meeting to celebrate the new year was arranged at the Trailer Boat Club from 6.00pm on Sunday 13 February.

In view of changes to personnel within P&W it was agreed a report be prepared to advise P&W management of the works undertaken by FOFD at working bees and problem areas identified, eg scrub fowl mound across Monsoon Forest Walk, the need to complete information signs at the observation decks. .

15    Next meeting: Sunday 27 Feb. following working bee at Fogg Dam  

Summary of issues to follow up.