Last week Inspector Ian Cook
Community Protection Planner | Planning & Environment Services (North)
NSW RURAL FIRE SERVICE
visited the Community Centre and Garden to catch up with the community and to see how the management of the APZ area was progressing.
His main concern is the fire preparedness around the Cove, particularly as the moisture content in the soil has not recovered in most of the area of northern NSW. This will mean that this summer we need to be more vigilant.
Ian pointed to the regrowth strip along the Ridgeway and Yallawah Park and suggested this area had been planted by the NAC gardeners. No was our response, this is regrowth with a wide range of species native to the area. Yes there are some casurinas, needle bottle brush and grevillias growing up however most of the species are understorey plants.
Ian agreed that this area will remain out of the slashing zone as long as the taller species cropped to about 6 feet so that there is no contact with the canopy. So some of the taller species have been pruned already, and others will be once they have finished flowering.
Take a look next time you are up in the area and see if you can recognise some of the species;
Hardenbergia violacea False Sarsparilla
Correa alba White Correa
Boronia Pinnata
Callistemon needle bottle brush
Prickly moses (Acacia ulicifolia)
Grevillea crithmifolia
Grevillea sericea
