Committee Meeting Minutes 25 September 2011 held at Coolalinga.

1.         Present Heather Boulden, Wayne Bennett, Jeremy Hemphill               

         Apologies: Leisa Baldwin, Lyn and Brian Reid, Jo Vandermark, Jane Moore .

2       Minutes of meeting 19 June 2011.   Not considered, insufficient members to endorse.

3       Business arising from minutes & ongoing issues

·       Letter to Minister re the need to extend boardwalk area on Woodland to Water Lily Walk – still to be done.  

4.          Correspondence:  Out:

·       20 Jun 11, email to Michael Crossland, thanking him for the most interesting talk about recent research at the Sydney Uni Tropical Research Centre at Fogg Dam.

·       26 Jul 11, email from The Growers, offering premium wines from $5 per bottle.

·       29 Jul 11, Newsletter 2 distributed.

·       1 Aug 11, email to NRMB, progress report on Olive hymenachne

·       25 Aug 11, email to Ellen Fogg Turner, asking if she wished to continue membership with FOFD.

·       29 Aug 11, email to NT members informing of Rice Trail Grant and inviting involvement on working group.

·       31 Aug 11, email to NRMB, advising that our final report is delayed due to accessing details from P&W.

·       1 Sep 11, email to NRMB, Final report on Olive hymenachne sent.

·       2 Sep 11, email to NRMB, amended page 6, acquittal, of Report sent.

·       6 Sep 11, email to Thomas Madsen, asking if he’d be available to speak at our AGM.

·       21 Sep 11, email to Karen Moir of Heritage, thanking her for emailing documents and advising they will be returned in a week or two.

Correspondence In:

·        29 Jul & 5 Aug 11, emails thanking for newsletter from Minister McCarthy, Stuart Blanch, Beryl Rantall.

·        undated letter from Minister Karl Hampton, advising application to continue working on eradication of Olive hymenachne within Fogg Dam catchment area has been approved and inviting to afternoon tea on 7 September.

·        7 Sep 11, email from Thomas Madsen, saying he’s unsure whether he’ll be here at the time of the AGM.  Attached papers about the biomass at Fogg Dam.

·        8 Sep 11, email from Anne Walters – Min. Advisor, advising that installation of the sluice gate was planned for this year but there is too much water behind the dam wall to do it this year and it will have to wait until next dry season, possibly next financial year.  There is no commitment on the FOFD wetland proposal.   It will be explored and depend upon: 1, having funding to add to the planned works; 2, not having adverse implications for other species, eg snakes and rats; 3, support of the TOs.

·        16 Sep 11, email from Karen Moir, Heritage Branch NRETAS, advising approval of FOFD Heritage Grant and attaching: Conditions letter; Grant Agreement; Schedule 1, and Schedule 2.

·        19 Sep 11, email from Wendy Walsh, NRETAS, attaching two letters (1) conditions of grant for Olive hymenachne & attaching schedules 1&2 plus Agreement to be signed & (2) formal letter of offer.

5.          Business arising from correspondence: 

·       Grant offers – see under separate item.

·       The Traditional Owners are in favour of the wetland proposal.   Heather and Jeremy to discuss with Greg Brown of Sydney Uni and Thomas Madsen of Wollongong Uni to ask about impact of proposal on snakes and rats, then follow up with letter to the Minister. 

6       Newsletter.  

         2^nd edition distributed on 29 July.  Positive feedback received and stimulated membership renewal.

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

         Final Report with acquittal have been sent.

8       2011 EnvironmeNT

·       Offer of $8,000 to continue working to eradicate Olive Hymenachne.

·       Paperwork to accept the grant to be undertaken with P&W including plan and budget.

·       Working bees for the project to be advised.

9       Heritage Grant for Rice Trail.  

·       Applied for $13,410.00 and have been advised of offer of $10,000. 

·       To cover design of a logo for signs, production of signs and a downloadable commentary on the rice project. Need working group, especially anyone with experience to do with downloading tourist info on MP3 players.

o   Wayne will check on sign design/production.

· The rice mill at the 14 mile has deteriorated considerably – Heather/Jeremy to arrange photos and track history of buildings, originally WW2 vintage.

10     Field Day, 29 April 2012.  

·       Applied for $5,000 funding but no advice –although Minister’s off ice understands we have been successful.  Jeremy to seek formal response.

·       Suggestions for cost savings if no funding granted, eg Parks to fund toilets.

·       Working Group for planning:  Leisa, Audrey, Heather,   others?

11     Opening Fogg Dam water & wetlands proposal

·   P&W project to install the sluice gate and dredge open water has been deferred to the dry season next year, probably next financial year.

·   Bird & open water monitoring  – photo points still to be identified with P&W staff.

12.    Donation box & brochure holders – nothing new to report – with P&W.

13     Finance

         Since the June meeting $215.45 was recieved in donations ($30 from Gerry Wood, remainder from campers at Eden at Fogg Dam.

Bendigo Bank accounts: $500.00 in fixed deposit.   $1,992.82 in general account.

14     Memberships:   45 members ( 31 NT; 8 Interstate; 6 Overseas)

15     Other business

·       1 Sept Jeremy attended a Landcare meeting  covering the Infonet for Landcare groups, the finalised NT Integrated Natural Resource Management Plan 2010-15.

·       3 Sep.  Visit by Prof. Thomas Madsen, Wollongong University.

·       7 Sep.  Jeremy attended EnvironmeNT & Heritage Grant afternoon tea hosted by Minister Karl Hampton. 

16    AGM 23 October 2.30pm at Coolalinga with a brief general meeting following afternoon tea.

Summary of issues to follow up.

                     Meeting closed 3.15pm.