STEP Inc Sydney | Non-profit organisation

STEP Inc Sydney

Phone: +61 2 9144 2703

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• Non-profit organisation
• Community organisation
• Environmental conservation organisation

25.01.2022 Have you spotted these on your walks yet and done your bit for citizen science ? The Department of Planning, Industry and Environment and the Water Research Lab...oratory (UNSW Sydney) have teamed up to develop CoastSnap - an innovative citizen science beach monitoring program that enables park visitors to help monitor change on NSW beaches. A fixed phone cradle aimed at beach landscape allows anyone to take a snap of exactly the same view. These images are uploaded and used to measure change such as sand distribution, erosion and impacts of sea level change and extreme weather events. Royal has been selected to host two CoastSnap stations, at Garie North Head (overlooking Garie Beach) and in the Southern side of Thelma Head (overlooking North Era). Both sites have reasonable phone coverage. You can learn more at this link: https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au//citizen-science/get-in https://www.google.com/url

23.01.2022 Hi all, WEPA would like to extend an invitation to STEP members to join us at this free online meeting. https://wepaparksevent.eventbrite.com

21.01.2022 Upcoming sale of the Girl Guides Glengarry Camp Miowera Rd North Turramurra STEP and residents of North Turramurra are very concerned about upcoming sale of 8.1 ha of Girl Guides’ land in North Turramurra. The Girl Guides are selling the land by asking for expressions of interest with a closing date of 25 November. See the ad link below. https://raywhitecommercialwesternsydney.com//land-/2402967...Continue reading

20.01.2022 Please send an email to Campbelltown Council by the 6th November 2020 If you can change the message or add to your comment all the better [email protected] The General Manager Campbelltown City Council File number 2984/2020/DA-CW I oppose the removal of trees, filling in of dams, and delivery of thousands of tonnes of soil to Mount Gilead (Figtree Hill) to allow for the development of homes on the property The destruction of koala habitat and wildlife corridors on the property is not acceptable and the council should not allow the development to go ahead. PLEASE ADD YOUR CONTACT DETAILS AND IF YOU DO NOT MIND YOUR TELEPHONE NUMBER

18.01.2022 Cicada Super Year. Definitely louder than it has been for many years!

18.01.2022 Join local environment WEPA online next Tuesday (1 Dec) at 7pm to listen to a fascinating and free presentation from Gary Dunnett from the National Parks Associ...ation of NSW and then switch over to watch 'Wildlife Australia - After the Fires' on ABC tv. A great night about nature from the comfort of your couch! Register for the parks' presentation by clicking on the photo below. https://wepaparksevent.eventbrite.com See more

17.01.2022 You know it is November when the Dwarf Apple is in flower. Happy bees as well

15.01.2022 FURTHER UPDATE ForestinDanger has been contacted directly by Mirvac to state that "Mirvac are not using poisons, pesticides or any other such chemicals on any p...art of the site". ForestinDanger accepts their assurance, retracts any statements that could have been construed as suggesting that Mirvac may have been involved in spraying poison and unreservedly apologizes for any distress that the posts may have caused Mirvac. ForestinDanger has requested that Mirvac investigates the cause of the die-back over such a large area over 100 metres in length.

15.01.2022 SNOWY HYDRO MUST NOT BE RUBBER-STAMPED Snowy Hydro has chosen the cheapest and most environmentally destructive option to connect Snowy 2.0 to the electricity grid. Experts are calling for #nooverheadtransmissionlinesinkosci when they could be placed safely underground. Send an urgent letter to the editor at [email protected]. We need to stop this happening now please Matt Kean MP.

15.01.2022 More on the discovery of the rare Eastern Australian Underground Orchid in Ku-ring-gai #savingourspecies

13.01.2022 Barra Brui Action Group Petition against a synthetic grass field at Barra Brui Reserve St Ives This is another poor choice for the site of a plastic grass sportsfield in Ku-ring-gai. The Barra Brui Action Group opposes Ku-ring-gai Municipal Council's plans to rip up the grass oval at Barra Brui Reserve and allow the Northern Sydney and Beaches Hockey Association to turn the field into a wet-based artificial regional hockey field that denies recreational access to the local co...mmunity. Anyone who has visited this field knows how bad access is. How does Council propose to keep residents and players safe in this bushfire high-risk area located next to Garigal National Park? Barra Brui Reserve should be kept as a natural grass and bushland space for the enjoyment of everyone and the protection of existing flora and fauna. Please sign Barra Brui Action Group’s petition against the artificial field, link https://www.change.org/p/ku-ring-gai-council-keep-barra-bru

10.01.2022 Looks like more fudging by the Fed Environment Minister pretending to do something about Koala extinction. Approving clearing of 50 hectares of koala habitat at Brandy Hill, Port Stephens last week is not convincing.

08.01.2022 2021 Cut to University Funding for Environmental Science What Consequences for our Future? It seems good that the cost to students of environmental degrees has been cut but the direct government funding has been cut too. Student costs to take effect from 2021 have been cut from $9,698 to $7,700 per year but the total university income per student will be $24,200 compared to $34,144, a cut of 29%. Environmental work involves the use of technology (drones, satellites, DNA an...alysis) as well as field work, all very expensive to provide. No doubt the universities will have to cut the quality of the experience they can provide to students and/or the number of places available. It might be cheaper for students to study, but how ‘job-ready’ will they be? Will the mantra of the government’s university fee changes be achieved that workers will be encouraged into STEM fields? Australia’s response to climate change already being experienced and planning for the future requires the use of environmental expertise. Even the COVID-19 pandemic has been linked to an increase in humanwildlife interaction following land clearing. New diseases are emerging all the time that have a debilitating effect of people’s health, eg Lyme disease and Ross River virus. Once again, this government has demonstrated their short-sighted approach to managing our most important asset, a healthy environment. Published in STEP Matters 208 #Science #Education #Environmentaleducation #universityfees

08.01.2022 FORESTINDANGER - IBM BUILDINGS - MIRVAC DEMOLITION - YOUR SUBMISSION GUIDE Please make a submission to protect the ForestinDanger, the wildlife and the neighbou...rs. Don't forget to include your own individual comments to make your submission really count. Submissions close 14 December 2020. If you want to read the DA documents, the ForestinDanger 21/11/20 Facebook post tells you in the "Notice of Proposed Development" how to access them. Objection to IBM / Mirvac Demolition DA - 55 Coonara Ave, West Pennant Hills - DA 585/2021/HC We object to the demolition of the award winning IBM buildings. Knocking down perfectly good buildings is not acceptable. They could and should be repurposed. Having said that: The subdivision and dedication of the Forest area must be done with this DA not a future DA. 1,253 trees are proposed to be chopped down many of which are over 30m high. That's 10% of all the trees on the site, with hundreds more to be removed from the carpark and surrounds at a later date. The demolition area should not just be clear-felled for this DA as the environmental impact would be unacceptable. Almost 30% of the trees to be chopped down are Blue Gum High Forest and Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest species. Areas with large concentrations of these critically endangered Forest species within the demolition site should be retained and protected. As many stands of these significant trees as possible should be retained and the building footprints designed around them, particularly the unit blocks where there are many of these trees. It is a cheap and environmentally unacceptable solution to clear fell the whole of the demolition area. This is an important environmentally sensitive site and all works should avoid impacts on the regrowth critically endangered ecological communities of Blue Gum High Forest and Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest. Written guarantees must be provided that works will not be undertaken within 100 metres of any Powerful Owl nest tree during the breeding season if the nest tree is used by the Powerful Owls. Appropriately licensed wildlife spotters/catchers must be engaged prior to and during any vegetation removal and demolition. All native wildlife, including any wildlife living under the buildings, are to be relocated into the E2 area at an appropriate distance from the demolition site. Protocols for working in close association with wildlife and managing injured wildlife must be provided prior to DA assessment. Protocols for preventing the spread of pests and fungal disease must be provided prior to DA assessment. Myrtle Rust in particular impacts on Myrtaceae species, which includes eucalypts. It has the potential to decimate the critically endangered remnant Forest on the site if adequate precautions are not taken. Unexpected finds protocols for Aboriginal artefacts and other heritage artefacts must be provided prior to DA assessment. No demolition or construction work should be done on Saturday afternoons. The Environmental Protection Authority recommends standard hours of work are Monday to Friday 7am-6pm, Saturday 8am-1pm and no work on Sundays or public holidays. The EPA advises noise from construction works on a Saturday afternoon can annoy most residents by interrupting leisure activities. Residents should not be subjected to longer work hours than recommended by the EPA. The out of hours 'Noise Management Trigger Level' for adjacent properties will be exceeded by noise from the excavators. Noise reduction methods must be implemented at the outset of demolition works, not only after complaints are made. The proposed one hour period of respite in the afternoon will not compensate for the noise levels, particularly as a high proportion of residents are working and entertaining at home due to COVID-19. Protocols for use of dust suppression mist units must be provided. Hoardings with 6 metre high shade cloth must surround the site to help prevent dust egress. Dilapidation reports must be provided for all neighbouring impacted properties ("Residential Receivers") at the start and finish of demolition works. This is essential as the Demolition Noise and Vibration Management Plan states "It is impossible to predict the vibrations induced by the excavation operations on site at potentially affected receivers". Vibration could impact on the foundations of the houses. The guarantees and protocols must be exhibited for public comment prior to any development assessment as further information requested by Hills Shire Council. They should not recommended as Deferred Commencement Conditions when the public can no longer make comment. Remember, every person in a household over the age of 18 can lodge a submission. Please email your submissions to: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

07.01.2022 Local species spotlight The Eastern Bent-wing Bat (Miniopterus orianae oceanensis) is listed as ‘Vulnerable’ in NSW. It weighs up to 20 grams with a length of j...ust 6 cm and wingspan of 30-35 cm. It roosts in caves, storm-water tunnels and other buildings. The image shows females congregating in maternity ‘caves’ (housing up to 100,000 bats), where they will give birth to a single young in December. Australasian Bat Society Sydney Bats Read more http://www.allaboutbats.org.au/eastern-bent-wing-bat/

07.01.2022 NAIDOC WEEK 8-15 November This week we encourage our community to explore, learn about and appreciate the wealth and breadth of Indigenous Nations, languages a...nd knowledges of this continent. National NAIDOC Read about local Indigenous history http://bit.ly/2IdyPAJ Read about NAIDOC Week https://www.naidoc.org.au

07.01.2022 Lyrebird Track Bushwalk Are you a regular walker or keen to discover our beautiful local bush? Expert Andy Burton will lead a group through the Garigal National Park spotting and listening to a range of small birds. FREE for residents. Thu 4 Feb, 8-10.30am. Book http://bit.ly/3ioS0pZ

06.01.2022 :|: Grass trees & Carpenter Bees :|: Xylocopa (Lestis) sp. love to create habitat in the dried out Xanthorrhoea flower spikes. Both are endemic to Australia. When searching, keep an eye out for the obvious holes, sometimes guarded & the disposed of shavings at the base.

05.01.2022 Seeing as they are reported to be flowering again, my shot of Pink flannel flowers at Mt Hay, probably around 2008. I'm heading up to the mountains to see if I can find some shortly

04.01.2022 Please share far and wide URGENT COMMUNITY SUPPPORT NEEDED 'Reg' the Australian Fur Seal left the Central Coast on Saturday and is now back on the northern beac...hes of Sydney as he makes his way south. The ORRCA team have been monitoring this guy for over 2 months and we need to ask for the communities HELP while he is still gracing our shores... For YOUR safety and the SEALs... PLEASE stay well back if he hauls out on your beach. Over 40m away as a minimum. See the images for examples of what is safe and allowed by law. Never block his path back into the water! Reg is a protected species and can be very dangerous. Keep children and pets well away at all times! with thanks to M. Bortolin and NPWS

02.01.2022 Black-eyed Susan - Thunbergia alata This scrambling climber is like an octopus; trace each of the arms or runners back to the rooting stem and then pull out the... entire plant. This weed is in flower now and needs attention before it sets seed and expands it incursion into our bushland. #lovinglivingkuringgai #stepincsydney #landcarensw

01.01.2022 Plan for flying foxes - have your say We're looking for your feedback during the first stage of updating the 2013 Ku-ring-gai Flying Fox Reserve Plan of Managem...ent. This area is recognised as nationally significant for the survival of this threatened species - critical pollinators of eucalyptus, banksia and other native trees. Complete the 10min survey http://bit.ly/3irw9ym