Bywong and Wamboin Greenways

LATEST NEWS - Walk to Millpost Hill Sunday 18th September

Spring is sprung, the grass is riz… I wonder where dem Greenways iz?

 

The 40 or so people who walked to Millpost Hill in Wamboin on an unusually hot, windy Sunday morning are no longer in any doubt where "dem Greenways iz". The plan was for a short walk starting from Majors Close, Wamboin to head towards Millpost Hill (about 2.6km return) and for people doing a longer walk (about 10 km return) to meet up with the shorter walk on Millpost Hill. We had locals from both Wamboin and Bywong and a few ring-ins from Canberra and far away as Sydney, and we all enjoyed a small feast at the hilltop on our arrival.

photo: Nora Stewart

 

Nature highlights along the way included seeing an echidna (scurrying to hide in the base of a dead tree), a shingleback lizard (ditto the scurrying) and many different birds including the White-throated Treecreeper, Striated Thornbill, Yellow-rumped Thornbill,Striated Pardalote, White-eared Honeyeater,Red Wattlebird,and the Grey Shrike-thrush. There is a full listing ofthe 19 different birds spotted by our expert David McDonald, on the Bywong Community website (see address below) ,which includes photos and audio of each bird calls.

 

There was one lowlight, and that was meeting two large dirt motorbikes roaring along the Greenways from Harriot Road towards the Bywong Hall ( I later saw them leaving the area in a ute with a Canberra registration). A number of residents had reported this to me earlier and there is some work to do on all the Greenways to ensure that motorised vehicles are limited to driveway access points only.

 

DOING THESE WALKS - If you would like to do these walks, DOWNLOAD A MAP from our website (see at the end), the longer trip from Bywong Hall followed Tracks 1 from the Hall heading South then East,  then Track 3  heading South and Track 4  heading West (the latter leads to Millpost Hill).  The shorter walk started from the end of Majors Close and followed Track 3 heading North, turn left at the pink tape marker and walk up Track 4 to Millpost Hill.

 

WHO’S WHO: This walk was organised by the Greenways Renewal Working Group (GROW), who are interested in expanding the existing Greenways network and are connected with the Bywong Community Association (Inc). The Greenways are legally owned and managed by the Palerang Council, assisted by the Greenways Management Committee, whose role it is to maintain and manage the existing Greenways.  GROW liaises with the Palerang Council and their staff and committees to ensure coordination of effort.

 

THANKS to all in our GROW group and others who helped to make this walk a success - Mel Hillery for leading, Samantha Vine, Martin Largey, David McDonald and to Ulli Brunnschweiler for the lovely photos.

 

Nora Stewart

GROW Coordinator

More photos of this walk can be found here

Bywong and Wamboin Greenways - MAP

The Greenways of the Bywong/Wamboin area of Palerang Council is a unique and valuable community resource. It is a network of public walking and riding trails created for the use of local residents .The Greenways also act as wildlife corridors and are essential resources for the welfare of local flora and fauna.

The network was originally based on land dedicated as Crown road reserves and road verges.  It was Yarrowlumla Council policy to include Greenways  into new subdivisions as many of these larger blocks also included public land, i.e. Crown road reserves. The Bywong/Wamboin Greenways now comprises a network of 30 kilometres and you can see a map here.  They were established as a 'pilot project'within a vision of a Shire-wide network of Greenways, and Greenways supporters hope that the network will be expanded within Palerang Council boundaries.

NEW!!! A brochure explaining some highlights of TRACK 1 of the Greenways that runs roughly South from the Les Reardon Reserve and then West towards the bottom end of Newington Road.

New Greenway Coming End 2011 To Link Woolshed Lane with Norton Road

Many of you would have noticed the small development being carried out along Warramunga Close.  The development includes a new greenway which will link Warramunga Close with Norton Road.  We will donate this land to the people of Bywong (ie to Council) and expect to have the 'linen plan' approved by Council towards the end of the year.  Once this happens and title for this section of land passes to Council, the greenway will be opened for public use.  Until then it is our private land and should not be traversed. Keith & Diana Gascoine

Two Groups

There are now two local groups involved in the Greenways:

1. The s.355 Greenways committee of Palerang Council. The role of this committee is to manage and maintain the existing Greenways network. Cr.Anne Goonan is the Council representative and Maria Taylor is currently the Secretary.

2. GROW - Greenways Renewal Working Group. The role of this group is to expand the existing Greenways network. The co-ordinator for this group is Nora Stewart (02) 62303305.

Management

The Greenways are managed by a management committee of the Palerang Council comprised of local residents. The management committee will respond to all issues and complaints and refer any complaints to Council they have been unable to resolve, such as repeated use of motorised vehicles on the Greenway.  Complainants are entitled to responses in writing and all communications should be directed to the Secretary.
Maria Taylor, Secretary Ph: 62369386 media AT palerangbulletin.com.au

Greenways Conditions of Use

The Greenways Management Committee oversees the good management of the corridors, in cooperation with the community and user groups for the benefit of the conservation of nature and use by the community.

To help us maintain them in good condition as a community resource for the use and enjoyment of all, the following rules apply:

• No motorised vehicles,**
• All noise to be kept to a minimum,
• All users must respect private property and the adjacent residents' privacy,
• The carriage of firearms or other weapons and hunting activities are not permitted,
• All rubbish to be removed,
• All gates should be left as found,
• No neighbouring residents are to fence, obstruct, plant on or otherwise interfere with the Greenways,
• Dogs should be under control at all times,
• No camping,
• No lighting of fires,
• Remain on the defined track,
• No collection of natural or archaeological items, and
• All users are encouraged to report issues or problems to the management committee.

The Committee may place restrictions on the use of any or all of the Greenways if degradation occurs or is likely to occur due to prevailing conditions of environmental concerns.

**Note: The use of unregistered motorised vehicles (especially trail bikes) may expose the riders of these vehicles to serious liability risk if an accident were to result.

Principles and objectives for management of the Greenways

Principles

• That environmental protection be observed in relation to the management and administration of the Greenways;
• That the Greenways (both land and its other resources) be used and managed as a sustainable resource, and;
• That multiple use and enjoyment of the greenways be encouraged.

Objectives

In providing for the good management of the Greenway and in carrying out duties, the committee has the following objectives:

To encourage and otherwise ensure the conservation of natural flora and fauna, to raise public awareness of the importance of the Greenways and to encourage any community participation in :    

• Any actions required in the management plan  

• Use of the Greenways in accordance with the Management Plan                                                                                                  

• To minimise the effect of trampling and soil erosion caused by user groups,
• To deter the introduction and spread of feral plants and animals,
• To protect the waterways, ephemeral or permanent,
• To protect all identified significant areas or sites, whether environmental or cultural,
• To provide and maintain the amenity of the Greenways for the enjoyment of the community

History of the Greenways Project

 Public demand for riding trails in the Bywong/Wamboin area first arose in the early 1980s, and in 1985 the Palerang Council established a working party to develop a Shire-wide approach to a Greenway network that resulted in Palerang Council adopting "Access to the Countryside" as their Bicentennial theme in 1988.

In 1989, the then Geary's Gap Community Association (GGCA) developed a case for the establishment of the first Greenway in the area. The GGCA held public meetings as part of public consultation process. As a result of community action and support, the Palerang Council provided an initial grant to establish the first Greenway in 1990. Two key residents in developing the concept and negotiating with Council, were the founder of the local Pony Club and later Shire Councillor, Suzanne Ridley and the late Julian Thompson.

In 1991, the Palerang Council established a Steering Committee to recommend a network of Greenways and to advise on general land use, fencing and any associated issues. Another role of that committee was to liaise with adjoining landowners and to advise them of the proposal. It also became evident to the steering committee that the conservation values of many sections of the Greenways were very high. This was because most proposed Greenways were Crown road reserves. As a consequence, they were protected from clearing, and where fenced,from grazing.  

This added considerable impetus to the creation of the Greenway network, as they would provide wildlife corridors that are now recognised as essential to the welfare of flora and fauna. Strong support and technical advice was received from well known local environmentalist, Geoff Butler.  

In 1994, the Palerang Council implemented a pilot Greenways project in the Bywong/Wamboin district as outlined above.