Koolyangarra

The Koolyangarra Reserve is on track for its facelift!

As reported in our second edition of the JRJ, the small bush reserve on the corner of Station Street and the Pacific highway, known as ‘Koolyangarra’, will soon receive much needed rejuvenation.

The JRCPA Eco Sub-Committee Chair, Deena Lane recently hosted an onsite meeting with Glen Rennie, CEO of the Taree Purfleet Local Aboriginal Lands Council (PTLALC), Sheree Quinlivan, Principal of  Johns River Public School and JRCPA Committee Members Chris Bawn.

As the reserve is owned by the local Biripi people, approval from the PTLALC is required prior to any works being commenced.

The group reviewed what was a well-kept area complete with seating and native plants, developed by the Johns River School children back in the mid 1980’s.  Mr Rennie was shown how the years of minimal maintenance in the reserve has lead to many weed species taking hold with seating structures and native plants now gone.

See more Koolyangarra photos in the Village Gallery Now

The JRCPA Eco Committee has been working on plans for the rejuvenation of the reserve, which will be done in conjunction with the Johns River School.

The plans were presented to Mr Rennie and he has given the design his ‘tick of approval’. The plan of design and management for the reserve will include new seating, a new wooden amphitheatre for children’s story time, new earthen mounds, which will be landscaped with bird attracting native plants, and a new pathway circuit. New logs designating its boundaries will also be sourced to add the finishing touches.
Work in the reserve will commence in the new year with the clearing out of weeds species.
Subsequent steps will include the creation of the mounds, planting of the native species of flora and acquisition of the seating and bench materials.
The Johns River School Principal, Ms Sheree Quinlivan is excited that the area, which was once created by the school children some 20 years ago, has the chance to again become an area under their care.

We are looking for assistance by way of materials, machinery or labour to assist with the rejuvenations works. If you can assist, please contact either Deena Lane or Chris Bawn on the number on the back page of this issue.

Stage II of the plan, to be considered in the second quarter of 2009, will include restoration work and landscaping of the pedestrian bridge and walking track area between the Johns River General Store and the Public School. In the interim, however, the JRCPA Management Committee has been in discussions with Greater Taree City Council to clean up the area to remove overgrown weeds and to ensure the safety of pedestrians walking to and from the Village and school precinct