Johns River

In addition to the federal funding which paid for the first segment of boardwalk at the Koolyangarra Reserve (see opening with Rob Oakeshott here), our village is proud to once again be funded, this time for new landscaping equipment!

The funding application for $2860 was written by JRCPA President David Shepard, who states "This is just one of many written by Management Committee members on behalf of the community over the past years.

"The federal government has kindly agreed to offer funding for a wide variety of gardening equipment as well as Eksies, thermoses, hot and cold packs for volunteers whilst on the job.

"This current funding from the federal government will go towards some good mowers, a much-needed good brushcutter, a whipper-snipper, a backpack sprayer, possibly a blower-vac and a range of gardening and landcare tools and equipment," said the association president.

The roadbuilding Alliance returned to Johns River today to present a cheque for $500 to the Johns River Community Progress Association.

The Alliance, which built the Johns River bypass and all of the 33km Coopernook to Herons Creek Pacific Highway upgrade, consulted with the community on landscaping prior to the building of the bypass to ensure appropriate species and locations were chosen. Paul Shimpke on behalf of the Alliance hands over $500 to the community

Amongst the main feature species chosen were the Hoop Pine and the Silky Oak, but unfortunately the Silky Oak did not arrive at Johns River as originally planned!

So, to make it up to the Johns River Community, the Alliance kindly promised to provide the $500 to make up for the oversight, and so the community could make it's own decisions on what sort of colour they'd like for planting around the entrance areas for the village.

What Colour Do YOU Like?

After some fairly exhaustive research, field work, several meetings, and community consultation, the first edition of the Village Plant List is complete!

Several on-site meetings and many many exchanges of phone calls and e-mails later, we have boiled down our Village Species List to the following items. It's not an exhaustive list of possibilities — but where possible, the following are simply preferred at this point:

• Tallowoods—Eucalyptus micocorys
• Turpentine—Syncapia glomulifera
• Tree fern—Cyathea cooperi
• Burrawang—Lepidozamia~peroffskyana
• Red Flowering Gum—Corymbia ficifolia
• Brush Cherry or Scrub Cherry—Syzygium australe
• Lilly Pilly—Syzygium smithii
• Dawson River Weeping Bottlebrush—Callistemon viminalis
• Kangaroo Paw, Cats Paws—Anigozanthos, Humilis
• "Albery's Red" NSW Christmas Bush—Ceratopetalum gummiferum
• Grevilleas Superb, Honey Gem, Moonlight, Pink Surprise, or Coconut
• Tussock Grass—Poa Labillardieri
• Club Rush—Isolepsis nodosus
• Blue Flax Lily—Dianella caerulea
• Narrow-leaved Palm Lily—Cordyline stricta

If you would like to see other species added to the list, or have any particular reason for one to be excluded, please e-mail us on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it so we can adjust our list as needed.

So, let us know which species you like the most -- and where you'd lke to see them!

 Part of the Johns River Village Plan

The Purfleet-Taree Local Aboriginal Lands Council owns the forested reserve known as Koolyangarra between Washtub Creek and Station Street in Johns River.

See Also the Boardwalk Construction and the Official Opening

Below:    The Koolyangarra Reserve on a foggy morning

The road along the reserve, formally the Pacific Highway prior to the opening of the Johns River bypass in March 2010 was renamed Koolyangarra Way.    The new road extends south from the creek to another Lands Council property next to the on-ramp for the new highway. 

There is also a significant portion of Council land immediately adjacent to the reserve, and also across Koolyangarra Way extending south from Johns River Road.

Shared stewardship for the reserve was begun in 1985, with a smoking ceremony and Aboriginal dancers performing for the community and schoolchildren.   A formal memorandum of understanding was put in place in 2010 just prior to the formal opening of the Johns River 150^th Jubilee celebrations in September. 

The opening of the Koolyangarra Reserve was well-attended with just over 50 villagers making it out of bed and down to the new boardwalk area at the reserve at 10am.

The boardwalk was funded largely by a grant from the federal government, and was administered with additional funding by Greater Taree City Council. In addition to the construction of the actual boardwalk, the Johns River Community Progress Association carried out extensive landscaping works, with the Johns River Public School continuing its involvement as stewards of the reserve.

Check out the full history of the Koolyangarra Reserve Project Here

Progress Association President David Shepard welcomed the assembled villagers and guests, outlining the order of ceremonies, and introduced first Nardja Davies of Johns River, a local Biripi woman who acknowledged Biripi Country, and· spoke on local knowledge and language, and the reserve.·· Her informative and instructive speech was very well recieved by the audience, and after a round of applause, she handed over to our federal Member for Lyne, Rob Oakeshott, MP.

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The Koolyangarra boardwalk is under construction with handover to Council on 15 April!

Over 2300 screws are going in now, into the kiln-dried hardwood planks from the mill at Heron's Creek.   Matt Worth and his crew have been working feverishly on-site using prefabricated trestles, spanning over 15 metres from the Koolyangarra Reserve entrance down to the pedestrian bridge over Washtub Creek in Johns River.

This is just the first of four main segments planned from Station Street up to Royan Street, with your JRCPA Management Committee and Greater Taree City Council seeking funding through grant-writing and other sources to get the projects completed.

Despite one or two heavy patches of rain, the crew has done exemplary work in getting the structure together and to specification.  You can see the actual plans done by GTCC for the project in our Plans Gallery here.  

Thanks must go to all villagers for walking around this project whilst the timber treament and the paint dries over the next week, as well as to the Abbotts of Station Street for most kindly supplying both electricity and water to enable the concreting of the staunchions. 

Read more on the background and plans here

The Koolyangarra Reserve was rededicated as part of the 150th Jubilee celebrations in Johns River, and will feature more landscaping, benches, and information panels on the Three Brothers legend.

Timber, rock and plants are on the way!

The Timber has been ordered for the first segment of board-walk going in along Koolyangarra reserve down to the pedestrian bridge over Washtub creek.

According to GTCC, the contract for the Johns River Boardwalk has been awarded to local building contractor Matthew Worth, from Worth Building.

Matt has done fine work in the past in our area, most recently the ramp, steps and wood enclosure at the store before it became Rosie's.

The plan to the right shows the new boardwalk’s approximate length, and the Initial Planting Area  for the upcoming work project.

Matt has ordered the timber, and will do an on-site survey around the 25th of this month.  Actual construction work should begin at the end of the month, weather-permitting.  He will do pre-fabrication off-site, and then around 2 weeks on-site undertaking earthworks and construction.

The boardwalk will be built with trusses made out of green ironbark, with kiln-dried dressed blackbutt for the joists and decking, with pine posts in concrete footings supporting the structure.  The timber will be treated with a CN protective emulsion to last years, with only minor re-treating needed later.

Once construction is complete, Stan “Davo” Davies, our Landscaping Chair will jump in with tube stock, mulch and some great feature stone and gravel from our friends and neighbours at Boral Quarry.

The boardwalk will be a solid addition to our village streetscape, and once complete, will extend from Station Street to Royan Street on the east side of Johns River Road, with concrete walkways along the west side.

We’d like to invite any villagers who’d like to lend a hand to call Davo to arrange a good date and time for you to help out.  Amongst the tasks will be distribution and placement of the stones in the creek-bed, planting of tube stock, spreading and compacting of gravel, and clearing of non-native weed species from the area.

We’ll have a sausage sizzle set up for a big community gardening day, and will update you soon with a letterbox drop and notice online at  www.johnsriver.com.au .

The Timber has been ordered for the first segment of board-walk going in along Koolyangarra reserve down to the pedestrian bridge over Washtub creek.

According to GTCC, the contract for the Johns River Boardwalk has been awarded to local building contractor Matthew Worth, from Worth Building. 

Matt has done fine work in the past in our area, most recently the ramp, steps and wood enclosure at the store before it became Rosie's.

Showing new boardwalk approximate length, and the Initial Planting Area for the Koolyangarra Reserve Boardwalk

The plan above shows the new boardwalk’s approximate length, and the Initial Planting Area  for the upcoming work project.

Matt has ordered the timber, and will do an on-site survey around the 25th of this month.  Actual construction work should begin at the end of the month, weather-permitting.  He will do pre-fabrication off-site, and then around 2 weeks on-site undertaking earthworks and construction.

The boardwalk will be built with trusses made out of green ironbark, with kiln-dried dressed blackbutt for the joists and decking, with pine posts in concrete footings supporting the structure.  The timber will be treated with a CN protective emulsion to last years, with only minor re-treating needed later.

Landscaping Draft

Landscaping and Beautification Chair Stan Davies has been working hard putting together an initial draft plan for key areas of village landscaping, and is presenting to the management committee this week the plans for the area between the new boardwalk (going from the pedestrian bridge at Washtub Creek to the service station), and Thomas Street.  

Further clarification of land ownership is needed before planning proceeds in a more detailed fashion for the area between Koolyangarra Reserve and the Tavern along Koolyangarra Way, including the bus turnaround.

Much of this area is a conglomeration of old travelling stock route, road reserve and Crown Land.    The Lands Office in Taree has offered to assist Council in sorting out this area, so the community can be assured of ownership and possible approved uses.

Future JRIG meetings will help to illuminate this area, and to ensure any use is in-line with community expectations and those of the adjoining property owners of course as well.

If you’re interested in Landscaping,  or can donated much-needed supplies, give Stan (Davo) a call on 6556 5005!

10am—Noon, Friday 10 December

All readers are cordially invited to a River Walk hosted by ID Landscape Management on behalf of Northern Rivers Catchment Management Authority (CMA) with informative talks on riverbank erosion, and the control of common weed species such as Camphorlaurel along the banks of our local watercourses such as Stewart’s River. If you'd like to come along for the walk, bring along sturdy shoes, a hat, and enjoy a morning tea with the group, which is meeting at the property of Joe and Gloria Malvicino, 38 Isaac’s Lane, at 10am.

One of the highlights of the morning will be a visit to a riparian restoration site to understand the basic issues and methods involved in the restoration of our river zones, including interesting information on erosion and weed control, given by the CMA’s Alex Statzenko, Catchment Officer. The Senior Weeds Officer for Greater Taree City Council, Wendy Bushell will also be onhand with helpful information for property owners and enthusiasts alike.

Don’t miss the hands-on demonstration in how to effectively control Camphorlaurel, given by bush regenerator Tim Wray.

Feel free to bring along some weed samples from your property for identification, so you become your own expert on weed control. Please RSVP by this Wednesday, the 8th of December to Daintry Gerrand on 6556 5099. This field day is offered as part of the Stewarts River Targeted Rivers Program, which is funded by the Northern Rivers CMA, and delivered by I D Landscape Management Pty. Ltd.