STEP News Fourth Edition June 2007

Southern Tablelands Ecosystems Park - a future regional botanic garden, education and ecosystem recovery centre for the Southern Tablelands ABN: 60834573059

Welcome to the first edition of STEP News by email.

The previous editions of STEP News were published in November 2004. Since then two special letters were sent to members before the AGMs in 2005 and 2006 updating our progress.

The members of STEP Committee for 2006 – 2007 are:

Paul Hodgkinson President

Warren Saunders Vice President

Cathy Robertson Secretary

Andy Russell Treasurer

Geoff Robertson Committee member

John Nightingale Committee member

George Heinsohn Committee member

Ian Anderson Committee member

David Shorthouse Committee member

STEP membership

Thank you to all our members for your ongoing support. STEP has now got sixty nine members in June 2007. Many of our members have an email address. So we thought that we would send this newsletter by email. Membership enquiries should be sent to Andy Russell: A copy of the STEP membership form is available on our new website.

STEP website

STEP is pleased to announce that we have a web site for members to view new developments, articles and resources. There are some articles on the web site about the vegetation communities of the Southern Tablelands. The link is at:

STEP Project at Canberra International Arboretum and Gardens

The STEP Committee has been working with Jocelyn Plovits, the special consultant for the Canberra International Arboretum and Gardens to develop a STEP concept plan for Block 100 at this site. The concept plan is being developed by John Nightingale, Warren Saunders and Geoff Robertson. There are several articles about this development in this newsletter.

STEP Site

The graphic below shows a bird’s eye view of the Arboretum site. (

The next graphic shows another view of the Arboretum site and the red circle shows the area (Block 100) proposed for the STEP site. (North is on the right hand side of the graphic below)

STEP Concept Plan

The Committee is currently preparing a concept plan for discussion with the Chief Minister’s Department and the landscape architects for the development of Block 100, a two and a half hectare site on the north western boundary of the Arboretum. This will be Stage 1 of the STEP project. If all goes well with Stage 1, the yellow box/red gum grassland over the boundary from Block 100 may also become part of a later stage. There is also an opportunity for connectivity with the new suburb of Molonglo, adjacent to the STEP Project on the same side of the Arboretum. There is great potential to make a green corridor connection between the central Molonglo site and STEP.

STEP proposal to work with CIA&G

It was the decision of the STEP AGM in 2006 that authorised the STEP Committee to continue discussions with the Canberra CIA&G (Canberra International Arboretum and Gardens). The Committee is looking for the best way to meet STEP’s two main objectives within the CIA&G:

  • A Southern Tablelands (ST) regional botanic garden, and
  • An education and ecosystem recovery centre.

STEP Committee members can bring a number of important strengths to this project including:

  • In-depth knowledge of ST plant (and animal) communities.
  • Understanding of (biodiversity) conservation and horticulture.
  • Experience with planning and planting natural landscapes in this region
  • Involvement in community (and community groups networks).
  • Links to government and scientific expertise.
  • Access to community resources.

Ecosystem approach to conservation

Our concept of having an ecosystem garden, rather than a taxonomic one, is consistent with government frameworks for conservation and biodiversity. Governments (Commonwealth, State &Territory) have adopted an ecosystem (conservation) approach when construction policy frameworks for biodiversity. The research done by the STEP Committee revealed that Australia is divided into eighty five bioregions (IBRA) and the ST is one of the recognised bioregions.

The STEP concept plan will be based on the ecosystem communities of the Southern Tablelands Bioregion with a focus on the threatened species belonging to the lowland grassland and box woodland communities. It will align with government policy to keep all native vegetation and recover threatened species and communities. Geoff Robertson has written an article about the vegetation communities of the Southern Tablelands this which is on our new website.

Why a regional botanic garden?

Many of Australia’s botanic gardens are regional botanic gardens. There are approximately one hundred and fifty botanic gardens and Arboreta in Australia. Eighty six of these emphasise native plants. However there is a growing emphasis on regional plants and threatened species. The Australian National Botanic Gardens has a directory of all the Australian Botanic gardens and Arboreta on its website.

It is well documented that Botanic gardens are popular places for local people and tourists to visit. The STEP proposal will make an important contribution to the development of Australian botanic gardens by demonstrating new ways of presenting flora and fauna in an ecosystem context. We plan to link the vegetation communities displayed in our garden to actual vegetation communities on the Southern Tablelands which have been scientifically documented. The STEP garden will be a permanent collection of plants and fauna open to the public. It will also have a scientific base and herbarium. We will develop innovative interpretation to engage visitors and encourage participation by the local community. It is also intended that STEP will have links to other gardens via growing and exchanging plant materials.

What is an education and recovery centre?

The STEP garden will include displays to excite all ages about our unique regional flora and fauna. A botanic garden is itself an education and resource centre. STEP will have a herbarium and other scientific materials such as publications that will add to the regional knowledge base. We envisage the Garden will have indoor displays, and access to knowledge via a centrally located resource centre within the Arboretum. In the longer term the Garden will provide education & training programs via on-site and extension programmes for schools, students, adults, professionals. We plan to have a conscious link to (and provide support for) remnant vegetation sites (and those who manage them). Everything that we do to develop the Garden will be underpinned by a proactive knowledge build up about the regional vegetation and fauna communities in the Canberra region.

How would STEP further regional conservation?

The Garden will showcase plants & animals and excite our local community. We plan to strengthen taxonomy and horticultural research. We will support and directly facilitate production of local plant material for revegetation, landscaping and local garden use. The STEP garden will also provide links to on-ground conservation work. We also intend to work with other groups to provide resources for education and training.

Draft Landscape Plan for STEP in CIA&G

John Nightingale has developed a draft landscape plan for Block 100 following a number of onsite visits and discussions with the STEP project Team. This will be considered by the special consultant oversighting this project, Jocelyn Plovits, advisors in the A.C.T. Chief Minister’s Office and the Landscape Architects Taylor, Cullity and Lathlean in June 2007. The main elements of the STEP plan are outlined below.

The vegetation types/communities proposed for planting in the STEP garden are grasslands, woodlands, dry and wet forests, wetlands, and shrub and heath lands, together with feature beds of Southern Tablelands wildflowers. Vegetation will be planted in a pattern of clumps and drifts that follow the contours, paths and natural features of the site. Ephemeral wetlands or chains of ponds and rocky outcrops will be scattered throughout the site to move water around in a natural and productive way. The issue of the inclusion of threatened species and/or communities will be addressed at the time when the planting plan is developed. There are a number of threatened species including trees, grasses and wild flowers that will be suitable for inclusion.

The scientific basis for the selection of vegetation types from among the Southern Tablelands vegetation communities has been outlined in an article by Geoff Robertson. The plantings on the site and water features will follow the contours on the site and imitate the natural progression of woodland /grassland species with trees at the higher levels and grasslands and wetlands at the base of the site. There will be interpretation of highlights and focal points. Wildflower areas will form colourful attraction points drawing visitor attention to the paths around the top of the site.

The detailed planting plan will be developed in a later stage of the project and will include about 200 trees, 1000 shrubs and 10,000 herbs on Block 100.

The STEP plan outlines how water will move around (naturally) to optimise water distribution for plantings. The water plan will provide the opportunity to demonstrate to visitors the ecosystem service of getting water to where it can be most productively used.Potential water catchment levies and swales will be included in the design as well as contour banks for water harvesting. There will be banks two to three metres apart to create a gradual slope from the highest to the lowest elevation.

Paths will cross the site in a zigzag pattern to facilitate wheelchair access. These will include resting points which will be combined with interpretation areas and points of interest. Paths will conform to the Australian Standard 1428.1 Design for access and mobility.

The paths will also include resting points which will be combined with interpretation areas and points of interest. Eventually, interpretation areas might be covered bill boards.

There will be two to three rocky outcrops/formations constructed on the site and linked to paths. These are intended to improve biodiversity and habitat values.

Ecosystem services – the design will enhance ecosystem services such as water capture and slow release, soil creation and carbon retention, enhancement of biodiversity and habitat values. Measures of ecosystems services will be undertaken by introducing photo points, water testing (using Waterwatch methods), soil testing, and observation of animals and monitoring techniques.

The STEP garden is adjacent to Blocks 101 and 102, and a very large area of woodlands outside CIA&G. There is an opportunity for STEP to take on the caretaking of theses adjacent woodlands, where there would be a focus on rehabilitation of natural vegetation, connecting of woodlands and Block 100, and recreation areas, gardens and displays, seed orchards, and extension of themes in Block 100. STEP would also like to consider the inclusion of an aboriginal trail, with buildings (gunya, etc,) and opportunity to demonstrate the aboriginal use of plants.

Weeding and maintenance of the site will also be necessary. Motor vehicle access will be necessary via alleys and within site paths to facilitate maintenance and weeding. Andy Russell has completed a record of the plant survey on Block 100 undertaken on site in May 2007. This will be a baseline for documenting the eco system changes that evolve as the STEP garden takes shape. The record includes the plants (including weeds) that are present at the commencement of the STEP project. A soil survey is also planned for the baseline benchmark.

STEP Event

The Committee is planning a STEP event on site for members in spring 2007.

Special Feature Article

The ACT Biosphere Reserve Proposal and its Potential Relevance for STEP

by Ian Anderson

The ACT Government is currently considering a proposal to nominate the local region as a UNESCO biosphere reserve.

The World Network of Biosphere Reserves, administered by the Man and the Biosphere Program of UNESCO, consists ofabout 600 reserves in 100 countries. The network dates from the early 1970's when concerned scientists from around the world, meeting under UNESCO auspices, became increasingly concerned about the effect on the environment of human activity. At that time the greatest perceived threat was the damage done to ecosystems. The World Network of Biosphere Reserves was established mainly to preserve at least one example of each of the world's major biogeographical regions.

The establishment of the Southern Tablelands Ecosystem Park (STEP) with the aim of displaying and helping preserve the flora andperhaps some fauna of the Southern Tablelands including the ACT, precisely fits the original aims of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves. In that sense STEP can have a key leadership role in the nomination and development of the proposed ACT biosphere reserve.

The purposes of biosphere reserves have been expanded since the early days.Significant changes were made at a major global conference on biosphere reserves held in Seville, Spain in 1995. In response to new environmental concerns, it was agreed that the World Network of Biosphere Reserves should also bea vehicle to promote sustainable development. The early biosphere reserves were almost all pre-existing national parks representing biogeographical regions. Since Seville there has been more of an emphasis on accepting biosphere reserves with significant populations so sustainable development can be practised. One recently accepted Australian biosphere reserve, Mornington Peninsula/Westernport in Victoria, has a population of similarsizeto the ACT.

Being a member of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves does not mean surrendering control to an overseas authority, once nomination has been approved as meeting UNESCO's biosphere reserve criteria. Biosphere reserves are run from within the relevant Member State. They can be considered as a tool to promoteconservation, sustainable development and potentially to help ameliorate climate change.

Likely benefits for STEP if the ACT becomes a biosphere reserve could include increased international interest. There would be thepotential to establish twinning relationships with other biosphere reserves.

Web address for further information: UNESCO/MAB:

If you have an article that you would like to include in the next edition, please send it to .Cathy Robertson (Editor) June 2007

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