| CONSERVATION, REHABILITATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENHANCEMENT PROJECTS AT BANNISTER CREEK |
| Bannister Creek Reserve was originally a series of wetlands which extends from Brampton Way (the edge of the Jandakot Mound) to the Canning River (the east side of Canning Vale) in Western Australia. The Bannister Creek Catchment is the area from which Bannister Creek collects its water. The catchment covers 2 300 hectares where all drains within this area feed into the main drain. Waters from Bannister Creek are the accumulation of nutrients and water from each of these drains. The site in which we, Lynwood Senior High School, care for is the creek that lies near Metcalfe Road. Our area was once described as a large open drain that runs into the creek with fairly deep banks and mainly grass. There was one large Eucalypt growing on one side of the drain. This was before we began the project. Five years later after consistently carrying out many conservation projects, we now see a quite significant change. There is a path alongside the creek as well as many native trees and bushes. These have grown a lot since they?ve been planted. If you listen closely, you can hear birds calling out to one another amongst the sounds of traffic. Although there is still a fair amount of weeds, this is decreasing due to many weeding sessions. The grass is lush and green, the creek inhabited by ducks and turtles, the trees with squirrels and birds and the bushes with small birds and lizards. Bannister Creek appears to be healthy and full of life- but that?s just the start. We still have lots more to do?.. WHERE DID IT ALL START AND WHY WAS THE PROJECT ESTABLISHED? Since 1979, the creek has been used as a main drain, carrying large quantities of stormwater from the urban catchment. The creek travels through the Canning Vale Industrial Area and the Jandakot Mound. Today, the section of the creek from the Whaleback Golf Course to the Canning River is open to the air. Bannister Creek was heavily polluted due to a dump being built at the top of the creek. Local residents became concerned about the numbers of serious pollution events, the clearing out of bushland in the reserve and the use of chemical weed control used in the Bannister Creek waterway. The people that lived within the Bannister Creek Catchment knew their water supplies depended on the quality of the creeks water. The creek was severely overrun by weeds and many residents found that they had lost that usable, recreational land that Bannister Creek had once provided. To redeem this land, they knew something had to be done and someone had to do it. One resident in particular, Julie Roberts (who lives on Bannister Creek Reserve) came up with the idea to look after the creek. She started a group called, ?Friends of Bannister Creek? in 1996 The way Bannister Creek had been set up and treated over the years contributed to the death of many native animals. These include birds which eat insects; they encourage the return of natural pest control to revegetation areas. Some of the residents decided to look for a more environmentally sensitive way of helping the reserve. Then in 1997 the Bannister Creek Catchment Group was incorporated and sought funding for the implementation of their objectives from the government. The Bannister Creek Group and The City of Canning have been working together and have shared great success in the restoration and the care of the Bannister Creek Reserve with the help of many schools, volunteers and organisations. WHAT PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT? 1.) Sending flyers to people within the catchment area reminding them that what enters the drains, enters Bannister Creek. 2.) Spray painting slogans or pictures with stencils near roadside drains as reminders that what enters the drains, enters Bannister Creek. 3.) The removal of exotic plants. Mowing and spraying with fusillade is no longer carried out. There are sessions to remove weeds with groups or if you?d like just get in there and start weeding. We have removed water weeds such as juncas microephalus, A Sydney Sheoak, A Sydney Golden Wattle, fleabanes (conyza sp.) and flatweed (hypochaeris sp.). 4.) We have reintroduced the local native plants of Bannister Creek Reserve to provide food and shelter for its inhabitants. This has revegetated the area in the hope that it will eventually be returned to its natural form. This will create larger amounts of food and shelter for our native animals. Birds and amphibians need to feed off the native insects which live on native plants. The introduced plants cannot be eaten by our native animals. Their stomachs are not suited nor evolved to eat a different type of plant. Lynwood Senior High School has contributed by planting thousands of wetland and dry land plants in the past 5 years. On the 18th of June 1999 alone, students planted 1200 plants. In March 2000 the majority of the plants survived and some Eucalptus calophylla grew over 1m in height. Most plant deaths seem to be caused by the lack of canopy cover (shade). 5.) Schools within or nearby the catchment area have had much involvement whether its hands-on-activities or learning in classrooms for educational purposes. These schools have adopted a section of the creek each to care for. Bannister Creek has been incorporated into the curriculum framework at our school. We have also raised, received and won money for projects to be undertaken. Today decisions are being made for the go ahead of some projects with the $1000 won for the school in 2003. Schools have used a Ribbons of Blue Technology kit to monitor water. At our school we have created pamphlets, books and videos. We have set up displays and made Bannister Creek?s name important through many speeches and class interactions. We have studied the inhabitants, created artwork and collected seeds from the Jarrah, Banksia and Tuart trees. 6.) The Bannister Creek Catchment Group holds a few community events. Every second Saturday of every month, the Group carry out weeding and planting sessions at the Living Streams Project in Lynwood. 7.) As part of the Green Corp Project, the City of Canning?s Green Corps team fenced the drain in July 1999. Post and rail fencing was used rather than high ring lock type fencing. This was done so that the plants would be protected without the school and community feeling fenced out and excluded from the site. 8.) A significant job must be fulfilled in order to restore the creek. This involved machinery to revert the soil back to its original state. Before all projects were implemented, Bannister Creek was bulldozed so that the path of the creek was a fast flowing stream that cannot support much life. As most of it is today. The top of the creek has been fixed where the ground is much flatter more basin, creek like as it once was. One day, this will be done to the whole creek. 9.) To cater for the lack of bats homes, we can make Bat Roost Boxes. Bats roost in small hollows where they are not readily available. By constructing these, we improve the bats? chances of survival by giving them shelter during the night. 10.) If hollows are unavailable to other animals such as squirrels and birds- artificial ones can be made. These provide a home for many animals which are too dependent of hollows. Especially when there are none in the area. 11.) To make sure our creek is kept in optimum condition we must enforce and maintain the laws. If a law is breached the violators will be billed for the cost of the reversal and violation. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU? Bannister Creek is of much importance to us. Many residents jog through the reserve, have a picnic or leisurely just hang out. It is used for recreation, learning, conservation, fitness and family bonding. If Bannister Creek were not located where it is, we wouldn?t be as close to nature as we are. It is quiet, yet enjoyable and has a peaceful unique ambience. Bannister Creek has many uses which cannot be found anywhere else. |
 |
| Welcome to Bannister Creek... |
 |
|
| Our vision for the creek... |
| Drain with stencilled message, 'Clean Drains- River Gains'. |
| My class studying the effects of pollution in the waterways. |
 |
| Perfect, calm and beautiful... |