Council Minutes - Town of Cambridge

COUNCIL MINUTES
TUESDAY 28 AUGUST 2012
The community is encouraged to make sustainable transport choices. Regular women's
cycling workshops, bike maintenance workshops and senior's bus trip are coordinated by the
TravelSmart Officer. The TravelSmart Officer has assisted with the development and
implementation of the Town's Bike Plan as well as providing ongoing support.
The Town of Cambridge, in partnership with the Department for Planning and Infrastructure,
recently updated the Town of Cambridge Local TravelSmart Guide. The guide helps people
determine ways to get around their local area and to find the quickest way to a major
destination without needing a car. Additional trips were also added to Route 84 during the
morning and afternoon peak periods.
2. Biodiversity Management
2.1. Town of Cambridge Biodiversity Action Plan
Biodiversity refers to the variety of all life forms including the range of plants, animals and
fungi, the genes they contain and the ecosystems of which they form a part.
A Biodiversity Action Plan was endorsed by Council in February 2011. The plan builds on
the aim of the Bushland Biodiversity Conservation Strategy 2006 to "…integrate the
conservation of biodiversity into everyday Council operations and in leading by example
encouraging the community to appreciate the value and the diversity of life in our Town."
The Town's Biodiversity Action Plan furthers the work of the strategy by incorporating
management recommendations into a biodiversity management program across the Town's
natural areas.
Actions included in the implementation program of the Biodiversity Action Plan are:-
• weed mapping - to determine the location and density of weed infestations
• weed control and monitoring - to reduce weed infestations and prevent further weed
invasion
• re-vegetation - to restore local native species to degraded areas and to prevent weed
invasion
• control of access using bollards - to define natural area boundaries and to reduce
uncontrolled access to bushland areas which leads to degradation
• installation of bins and removal of rubbish - to improve the appearance of natural
areas and to reduce potential weed infestation that accompanies the dumping of
garden waste
• educational signage/activities - to educate the public about the conservation value of
natural areas and appropriate use or access to these areas
In July 1200 seedlings were planted in a bushland area at the Wembley Golf Course. The
planting program was arranged as part of the Town’s Wembley Sports Park Development in
Jolimont where 65 Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo habitat trees will be removed. Plant species
including Tuarts, Banksias and Hakeas, which are favoured by cockatoos for feeding and
roosting, were planted.
2.2. Arbor Day
The annual Arbor Day planting and nature appreciation activity is very popular with local
schools. The Town partners with Cambridge Rotary and Birdlife Western Australia to provide
an educational experience for students at Roscommon Park while improving the biodiversity
value of the reserve.
H:\CEO\GOV\COUNCIL MINUTES\12 MINUTES\AUGUST 2012\B DV.DOCX 97