Budgewoi Beach Dunecare Inc

Maintenance

Working with the Seasons

SUMMER : December January February	AUTUMN: March April May	WINTER: June July August	SPRING: September October November
Manual weeding & maintenance (open areas)	Primary weeding period both herbicide & manual operation.	Primary weeding period both herbicide & manual operation.	Manual weeding & maintenance.
Watering recent plantings during dry hot weather	Planting tube stock & back up watering where necessary	Planting tube stock & back up watering where necessary	Planting tube stock & back up watering where necessary
Propagation Nursery maintenance Seed collecting, pricking out.	Propagation Seed & cutting collection, pricking out.	Propagation Nursery maintenance. Seed collecting, pricking out.	Propagation Seed collecting, pricking out.
Access Repair	Access Repair	Access Construction	Access Construction
Foredune stabilising fences maintenance	Foredune fertilising stabilising fence construction, planting.	Foredune fertilising stabilising fence construction, planting.	Foredune fertilising stabilising fence construction, planting
Open area vegetative maintenance	Canopy vegetative maintenance	Transplanting cuttings on hinedune areas	Seeding spinifex on foredune face
Monitoring vegetation	Monitoring vegetation	Monitoring vegetation	Monitoring vegetation
	Community Field Days	Community Field Days
	Shaping Dune profiles	Shaping Dune profiles

Coastal Vegetation Maintenance – (following primary restoration works.)

The biodiversity of coastal areas is particularly vulnerable to

The loss and fragmentation of habitat through clearance of native vegetation Human activity – on soil and water.
Impacts of weeds and feral animals
Dynamic weather conditions and sand movement.

Following any primary restoration works a vegetation maintenance program needs to be established to ensure a vegetation mantle of endemic native species is able to be established and not compete with weeds for survival. This program should be operating within 12 months from the completion of primary restoration works, and needs to address seasonal weed germination and growth rates. Ecosystem restorations are integral components of contemporary dune management and provide biodiversity.

Coastal weeds

Along the coastline, weeds are best thought of as plants that do not occur naturally in the area and pose a threat to the values of the area. Weeds capacity to establish and spread leads to invasion and displacement of native plant communities, thereby reducing biological diversity.

The three worst weeds of the NSW coastline are Bitou Bush, Asparagus Fern, and Lantana. This status gives regard to three main factors, distribution, impact and difficulty of control, and was established at the 2000 Dune Care Conference in which BBDC was the facilitator.

Listed are weeds found at Budgewoi Beach.

Bitou Bush	Chrysanthemoides monilifera
Asparagus Fern	Asparagus fern
Lantana	Lantana camara
Golden wattle	Acacia Saligna
Turkey Rhubarb	Acetosa sagittata
Crofton Weed	Ageratina adenophora
Madeira Vine	Anredera cordifolia
Cobblers Peg	Bidens pilosa
Mother of millions	Bryophyllum delagoense
Rhodes Grass	Chloris gayyana
Camphor Laurel	Cinnamomum camphora
Fleabane	Conyza albida
Cape Ivy	Delairea odorata
Coral Tree	Erythrina X sykesii
Indian Rubber Tree	Ficus elastic
Pennywort	Hydrocotyle bonariensis
Common Morning Glory	Ipomoea indica
Paspalum	Paspalum spp.
Pelargonium	Pelargonium
Fireweed	Senecio madagascariensis
Tobacco Bush	Solanum mauritianum
Blackberry Nightshade	Solanum nigrum
Parramatta Grass	Sporobolus indicus
Buffalo Grass	Stenotaphrum secundatum
Cocas Palm	Syagrus romanzoffianam
Stinking Roger	Tagetes minuta
Black Eyed Susan	Thunbergia alata
Blackberry	Rubus fruticosus
Cassia	Cassia
Scurvy Weed	Commelina cyanea

Primary Weed Control – Large infestations

Braking the weed (bitou bush) cycle

Herbicide Spraying ( aerial or quick spray units)

When bitou bush is not contained for more than 15 years in coastal fore dunes, it has the capacity to create a monoculture and its permanent removal requires several phases.

Southern Budgewoi had 10 hectares in which 95% of the vegetation was bitou bush.The primary weeding program initial step was to herbicide spray the entire area with a glyphosate based herbicide. These works need to be carried out during April when bitou has its main flowering period and weather temperatures are less than 22 C . The herbicide dilution rate of 250:1 was to minimise impact on surrounding native vegetation. A minimum time of 5-6 weeks is required for the herbicide to kill the bitou bush, before commencement of removal or burning of the bitou carcass.

Primary Weeding
Secondary Weeding
Injection Watering

Maintenance

Coastal Vegetation Maintenance – (following primary restoration works.)

Coastal weeds

Primary Weed Control – Large infestations

Primary Weeding

Secondary Weeding

Injection Watering