Upper Williamsons Creek Landcare

Upper Williamsons Creek Landcare Group

The Upper Williamson's Creek Landcare Group covers an area of approximately 10,000 hectares, including the rich volcanic soils around Mount Buninyong and Scotsburn, and areas of Durham Lead and Clarendon. The Upper Williamson's Creek district is part of the Leigh River Catchment and has about 500 landholders, spanning the City of Ballarat and Moorabool Shire Council municipalities. The group has about 30 members, with over 150 landholders having had direct contact.

The group is represented on the committees of the Leigh Catchment Group, the Ballarat Region Gorse Task Force, and the Mount Buninyong Management Committee. It has a weed management strategy for the control of Gorse, Blackberry, Cape Broom, and Hemlock, developed in 1995, and is working to increase public awareness and on-ground works for weed control as there are very large infestations of Gorse and Blackberry in the local area. There are many roadsides with significant remnant vegetation within the district which have now been signposted to help protect them from grazing and timber removal.

The group's catchment strategy was developed in 1998. It addresses water quality issues for the whole area and in particular Williamson's Creek and Back Creek. Work on fencing streamsides, protecting remnant vegetation and revegetation is a priority. The group is also involved with control of pest animals such as rabbits and foxes.

The Young Landcare Project at the Scotsburn site of the Buninyong Primary School is a direct initiative of the group. Children from both Scotsburn and Buninyong use the facilities to grow indigenous trees and shrubs, plant at local revegetation sites, build nesting boxes and participate in many other environmental activities.

As an on-going commitment to landholder education, the group provides the community with interesting guest speakers to promote many other Landcare issues including sustainable land management, pasture quality, fertilisers, and plant identification.

The group meets bi-monthly on the second Thursday of even months at Scotsburn Hall, 7.30pm.

Contacts:

Upper Williamson's Creek Landcare Group Inc.

6499 Midland Highway,

Clarendon, 3352

upperwillylandcare@gmail.com