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ABOUT THE RED HILL REGENERATION GROUP

How to join the Red Hill Regeneration Group

Public Liability insurance certificate and policy for volunteers

ACT Government's Volunteer Policy - what are our responsibilities and what is the Government committed to do.

Red Hill, South Canberra's wooded ridgeline, provides spectacular views of Parliament House and other national monuments framed by the Hill's Red Gum - Yellow Box grassy woodland. This type of woodland has been extensively cleared elsewhere and is now endangered. Red Hill is one of the few places where this woodland and its wildlife can be experienced today.

Unfortunately Red Hill has had a high weed invasion. In the late 1980s weeds covered more than a third of the hill and woody weeds formed massive thickets.

Increased community and government awareness of the need to preserve Canberra's native bushland resulted in the establishment of a bush regeneration group of local residents. In 1989 the Red Hill Regenerators formed. As part of the ACT Government's Park Care program Red Hill Regenerators are working to restore Red Hill native woodland. The Red Hill Regenerators is a Landcare and Parkcare award winning community group which spends hundreds of hours each year enhancing the Red Hill natural environment.

Parkcare installed community notice boards on Red Hill in March 2010

Most of the regeneration work on Red Hill involves removing invasive plants which form dense, shrubby clusters and destroy the open woodland character of the Park. These weeds include blackberry and common garden plants such as Firethorn (Pyracantha), Cotoneaster, verbascum (Verbascum thapsus) and Privet, and also natives not local to Canberra, such as Cootamundra Wattle. They occupied about 30% of the understory when regeneration began in 1988. Once they are removed, the original trees, grasses and wildflowers rapidly regenerate.

Erosion happens when removal or trampling of vegetation enables rainwater runoff to remove soil and carve gullies. Fortunately, erosion is not a serious problem on Red Hill. The Red Hill Regenerators Parkcare Group has carried out trackwork on steep tracks where erosion has occurred.

The Red Hill Regenerators has held regular working bees on the hill since 1989 and has issued occasional newletters from 1990. Activities are held on the first Sunday of the Month from 09.00 - 12.30 (except January).

The main Group putcome is the transformation of Red Hill to now be one of the most significant Yellow Box - Red Gum woodland remnants remaining in Australia. Red Hill is among the largest remaining remnants of its woodland type, anywhere. It supports one of the highest diversities of woodland plants recorded in South-eastern Australia, while it is significant habitat for many endangered, rare and uncommon plant and animal species.

The Red Hill Regenerators also provide an educational and recreational service, through the provision of a system of walking tracks and engagement with local residents and community groups.

In January 2010 the Group installed about 12 nest boxes built by year 7 and 8 students at Telopea Park High School. The nest boxes will provide increased nesting opportunities for native birds.

The Red Hill Regeneration Group is a member of the Southern ACT Catchment Management Group and supported by the ACT Department of Environment, Climate Change, Energy and Water.

The local community can also assist in the care of wildlife and the Red Hill environment by keeping dogs on leads, and by riding bikes only on the larger vehicle tracks.

Enjoy your time on Red Hill.

What are the Red Hill Regenerator's goals?

The purposes and objectives of the Red Hill Regeneration Group as set out in its Articles of Association are:

1. To develop awareness in the community of the value of local native vegetation and wildlife in the Red Hill reserve;

2. To promote the conservation, regeneration, planting, maintenance, and protection of the native and remnant vegetation of the Red Hill reserve;

3. To restore and improve the condition of degraded land within the reserve through measures including revegetation;

4. To increase the local population of the endangered daisy Rutidosis leptorhynchoides;

5. To involve citizens and community groups at all levels in planning and maintaining revegetation programs within the reserve;

6. To carry out revegetation activities which are consistent with the future ecological and recreational needs of the community;

7. To enhance the practical and theoretical skills of the community pertaining to the establishment, protection, planning and maintenance of vegetation; and

8. To seek the support of other organisations, businesses and the community generally for the beforementioned objects of the Association.

What are the Group's primary activities?

• Weed Control - Red Hill has a history of grazing and is surrounded by urban development, consequently it has a very high weed diversity (150+ species). In one year we removed over 20,000 woody exotic shrubs

• Walking track maintenance (building steps + roll overs).

• Monitoring woodland health. The Regenerators have five long term plots in which all plants and their cover are recorded. The plots indicate that we are winning the battle against the weeds. We also do periodic counts of a nationally endangered daisy (Rutidosis leptorhynchoides) and 12 other threatened or regionally uncommon plant species. The Button Wrinklewort daisy has increased five-fold under our care and all but one of the other rare plants have had substantial population increases. Regular woodland bird surveys also occur, the population of the threatened Speckled Warbler has remained constant. Occasional surveys of the kangaroo and rabbit warren populations are also undertaken to help the ACT Government maintain an ecological balance within the reserve.

• Encouraging community appreciation/involvement through leading organised walks and spotlighting nights and giving talks to local community groups. The group also supervisors regeneration and education activities of local schools, scout and other community groups.

• Responding to threats to the Red Hill environment by liasing and consulting with government agencies which impact the area from time to time. The principal threats the the Red Hill environment come from proposed developments on or adjacent to Red Hill, activities on Red Hill carried out by utilities organisations and some government land management practices. More...
  
  

Red Hill Regeneration Group Rules

The Red Hill Regeneration Group was Incorporated on 24 October 1994, with eight Purposes and Objectives, listed above

The Associations Incorporations Act says that associations can adopt, or adapt, the Model Rules in the Associations Incorporation Regulation 1991. The Model Rules (which are the basics of any association constitution) have been adopted mainly to avoid unnecessary bureaucracy. The Model Rules can be found at Part 3 Section 15 of the Associations Incorporation Regulations 1991.

Join the Red Hill Regenerators Group

Are volunteers insured when working with the Red Hill Regenerators?

Yes - all volunteers are insured for public liability, product liability and personal accident. Details of our insurance policy can be seen here.

Meetings

Meetings of the Association are held as required. Meeting locations should be confirmed by contacting the Secretary.

Committee for 2011-12

Committee and AGM Minutes

Contact the Red Hill Regenerators Group

Mail: 21 Bass Gardens, Griffith, ACT 2602

email: Red Hill Bush Regeneration Group