Lagoon planting party prepares ground for cockatoo comeback

Any glossy black cockatoos finding quality shelter in the Bellambi Lagoon in the future might have Keiraville CWA members to thank after a recent planting blitz.

The volunteers of all ages came together to plant 100 native trees on April 16 April as the Country Women’s Association branch, in partnership with Wollongong City Council, hosted a community planting day to restore habitat for native birdlife.

Council supported the effort by providing the plants and equipment, and pre-digging of holes to ensure the day was accessible for all.

“We choose five areas of study each year, and this year one of them was the glossy black cockatoo and the she-oak,” says Louise Harry, agriculture and environment officer for Keiraville CWA. 

“The glossy black cockatoo is listed as vulnerable nationally, but they are returning after the bushfires. They need their natural habitat restored, and that’s what we’re planting today.”

To prepare for the project, Louise spent months gathering information on the rich history of the area, speaking to community members about how best to preserve and enrich the natural environment.

“I started to talk with the community members in Bellambi, and they told me what they knew about the history, what they liked and what they remembered,” Louise says.

“It’s got a really rich history, just this lagoon, and it’s changed shape quite a lot. It’s so important to the locals – the houses are named after the shipwreck, Bellambi Public School got their bell from the Munmorah shipwreck… there’s important Aboriginal sites here, it’s so interesting and important.”

Louise says that the planting day is just the beginning for a community that is keen to contribute to long-term restoration efforts.

“I'm really pleased with how many people have turned up today and the beautiful weather. There's a lot of people who would like to follow up and continue on,” she says. 

“The locals want to restore this area. They want to look after it and see native animals populate the area again, especially the glossy black cockatoo.

“The cockatoos need hollow logs to nest in, and actually nesting boxes will be good in the future, which we've started to talk about.”

While the planting day was a success, Louise says that ongoing efforts are needed to ensure the long-term success of environmental projects. 

“I’ve done the research about what Wollongong City Council have done in the area, and there’s actually many bush care groups and other people who’ve taken interest,” she says.

“The council is well and truly under way with the uptake of caring for the glossy black cockatoo, but between the grants, there are funding gaps so there’s no one to look after these projects in between times,” 

“The ongoing monitoring and surveying of these projects is the main issue. As far as advocacy is concerned, those are the issues I’m most concerned about.

“It’s the uptake of volunteers that’s needed, and also the education of the younger people coming through.”

Louise hopes that the success of the planting day will encourage more people to join the CWA and contribute to their communities. She is eager to break the traditional “tea and scones” stereotype and show that the group offers meaningful opportunities for everyone.

“The main thing would be to involve more people in the CWA and let them know that it’s not just women,” Louise says. 

“We have lots of these days that anyone can join in. Any kind of planting is going to suit most birds of the native variety, so it doesn't matter what you plant today, it’s going to be good for animals of all kinds.”