Mount Roland

The Senior Citizens' Hall at Sheffield was transformed on Thursday 24th August, when Mount Roland Rivercare celebrated the completion of a project designed to increase community awareness of natural resource management.

The group received an Australian Government Envirofund grant of $10,370 and added around $20,000 of their own funds to undertake a range of activities designed to raise community awareness of natural resource management issues. These include production of a series of publications including three illustrated panels, formatted and printed by Nova Design and Print. The largest panel is to be mounted on the information bay in Sheffield, another framed one is on display at the Visitor Information Centre and the third as presented to Kentish Council.

Other publications included an illustrated brochure giving a brief outline of the group's objectives and work, and a useful weed calendar to pop on the fridge or filing cabinet, providing information on when and how to tackle the weeds found most commonly in the catchment. The calendar was sponsored by Roberts Limited's Sheffield store, and is available from the store on request.

The group also released a 30 page report on their activities and the lessons they have learned over the last six years. Titled Mount Roland Rivercare - the story so far, the report will assist other groups and will also inform land managers in the Mount Roland catchment about work undertaken in the district. It is available from the Secretary at secretary@rivercare.org.au

The group has purchased water monitoring equipment, and members living along the three rivers in the catchment (the Dasher, Minnow and Upper Don) have now set up a regular schedule for gathering data on water quality. Results of the monitoring will be distributed to local landowners and made available to Kentish Council and DPIW.

At the launch of the publications, the group also promoted their newly developed website at www.rivercare.org.au. The Administration Officer employed with financial assistance from the Tasmanian Government's Living Environment Program is responsible for the website design and maintenance.

Speakers at the function were Senator Richard Colbeck, representing the Australian Government; Minister David Llewellyn on behalf of the Tasmanian Government and Councillor Don Thwaites on behalf of Kentish Council. Guest Senator Christine Milne spoke on the importance of ensuring funding for ongoing maintenance of the structures in and work along the rivers.

Members of the Mount Roland Rivercare group heard from several speakers that the work of the group is nationally recognised and often lauded as a model of best practice. This in itself made the celebration event worthwhile.