Eurobodalla wins 2016 Australian Coastal Award

Council has taken out another major environmental award, this time for its themeda grasslands project at Dalmeny.

Council was among the four winners announced at the 2016 Australian Coastal Awards in Perth last night, taking out the planning and management category. The award was collected by Clr Danielle Brice who attended the conference and awards on Council’s behalf.

Council introduced annual burning of the headlands between Kianga and Dalmeny three years ago, following the ancient practice of local Aboriginal people to destroy weeds and reinvigorate the native themeda grasses using fire.

Themeda grass headlands are classified as an Endangered Ecological Community, and without active management, they have a tendency to shrub over and exotics like kikuyu easily smother the native grass. Unlike slashing and mowing, burning knocks back the exotics and other weeds and allows the headlands to develop a rich diversity of wildflowers and grasses.

Council’s environmental services manager Deb Lenson said the award is fantastic recognition. “The project has been attracting the attention of land managers all over the country for a while now. Our project leader Tom Dexter has been speaking at conferences and the project has already won a couple of state awards,” Ms Lenson said.

“Last night’s national award is significant and I’d like to thank the Australian Coastal Councils Association for hosting the awards and recognising the contribution of organisations like Eurobodalla Council to the sustainability of the coastal environment.

“I also want to acknowledge the tremendous community support we’ve received for this new management technique. Local residents have been really interested in the process and joined our environment team in droves for a planting day to fill bare spots last November.”

Ms Lenson said the next burn will take place in August, once again with the invaluable help of Dalmeny Rural Fire Service who control the burns for Council.

Winners of the 2016 Australian Coastal Awards are:

Eurobodalla Shire Council (NSW) for the Reconciliation in the Grasslands project - Australian Coastal Award for Planning and ManagementPeron Naturaliste Partnership (Western Australia) for the Peron Naturaliste Partnership Coastal Monitoring Program - Australian Coastal Award for Climate AdaptationTweed Shire Council (NSW) for the Kingscliff Matters Shopfront project - Australian Coastal Award for Community EngagementCity of Rockingham (Western Australia) for the Rockingham Beach Foreshore Master Plan - Australian Coastal Award for Annual Achievement.

2016 Australian Coastal Award citation: Award for Planning and Management - Eurobodalla Shire Council (NSW) Reconciliation in the Grasslands project

The judges commented that this project adopted a unique approach to fire management at the Themeda Grass Headland, using traditional indigenous knowledge. The judges also noted that it has helped to influence NSW coastal policy reform in relation to legislation covering environment protection. The nominated project has been an inspiration for several other NSW councils who are working with local indigenous communities to apply the methodology. In the view of the judges the knowledge gained from the project will have relevance in the management of many other coastal grasslands.