Recognition for bush care

The Pearl Beach Bushcare Group, formed in April 2000, has been officially recognised after working for many years as the Street Trees Committee of the Pearl Beach Progress Association.

Gosford Council's Bushcare Officer, Ms Robyn Urquhart, said official BushCare status meant the group received tools, training and contact with the Natural Heritage Trust for advice on suitable species, legislation and insurance.

Official status also meant the group was in a position to apply for Natural Heritage Trust or Catchment Management funding, she said

This grass-roots environmental group began in 1965 when concern arose about the erosion of the tiny beachfront picnic reserve.

The reserve was being wrecked rapidly by the effects of drought, the nor-easterly summer breezes and especially by increasing human traffic walking haphazardly from the road onto the beach.

An approach was made to Gosford Council and the reply was simply that "council funds were not available to erect fences on beachfronts".

So, the Progress Association elected a sub-committee for the preservation of the reserve.

Cake stalls and raffles were held to raise money for wire and posts. With council permission and voluntary labour, the remnant dune in front of the post office store was fenced and pedestrian traffic was channelled diagonally onto the beach at each end.

Not everybody was happy.

Some locals felt that their civil rights were being challenged and under the cover of darkness they would cut the wires and re-establish old pathways through the banksias to the beach.

The next day, the sub-committee would repair the fence and gradually the fence won the day.

It is interesting to note that council in following years extended the fenced dune area at Pearl beach and now practically every beach on the east coast of Australia has fencing installed by local councils to protect dunes and beachfront reserves.

The sub-committee was unstoppable and became the Street Tree Committee as it went on to initiate a project of planting trees on street verges.

It worked towards establishing an original theme of flowering trees based on the fame and success of the jacarandas in Grafton.

After considerable debate and research, a pale pink callistemon was chosen and propagated by a local resident, Mr Percy Cousins.

Some of these callistemons are still evident today, while many have been replaced by more suitable indigenous species.

Over the years, as individuals have come and gone, the group has waxed and waned.

However, the current Bushcare group is a dedicated team of people all intent on continuing the important work of keeping Pearl Beach green and beautiful.

Lois Westlake, January 31