Further information Kooragang City Farm Address PMB 2010, Paterson NSW 2421 Phone (02) 4964 9308 Fax (02) 4964 9307 Mobile phone 0418 669 438 Email rob.henderson@cma.nsw.gov.au Website www.hcr.cma.nsw.gov.au/kooragang/

How to get there

Kooragang City Farm is situated on the Ash Island site of Kooragang Wetlands.

By car, bike or on foot It is accessed via Ash Island bridge, 100m east of McDonalds on the Pacific Highway at Hexham (12 km west of Newcastle). From Sydney, take the F3 north to the end of the freeway. Turn right towards Newcastle and travel 7.5km along the Pacific Highway until you reach the Ash Island bridge.

By public transport

Train: From Hexham Station (on the Hunter Line), travel 2.5 km east along Pacific Highway to Ash Island bridge. Bus: Blue Ribbon 140 (Newcastle Station to Raymond Terrace), ask the driver to stop at Ash Island bridge.

CITY FARM

KOORAGANG

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Kooragang City Farm involves people Working in community gardens: Groups of people and individuals come to work in our gardens in a healthy, stress– and chemical-free environment, where social interaction is as important as the vegetables and fruit that are grown. Organic growers have built herb gardens, Green Corps groups have helped build a worm farm, orchard and boardwalks. `PRA on King’, a social welfare group currently maintains the gardens at Millam’s farmhouse ruins. Learning about the land: Students from the University of Newcastle and elsewhere have investigated aspects of City Farm’s natural ecosystem, pasture assessment and weed management. Field days are held regularly where we share the things we have learnt about working with wetlands, permaculture, organic gardening and holistic cattle management, with different groups including international holistic managers. Schools, landcare, community and farmers’ groups are always welcome.

Enjoying a rural atmosphere close to the city: Family groups, cyclists, fishermen, birdwatchers, walking and other community groups come to get away from the hustle and bustle of life on the other side of Ash Island bridge and to explore the walking tracks and cycleways of City Farm and its surrounding wetlands. Volunteers: Volunteers play a large role in making things happen on Kooragang City Farm, especially in the Community Gardens. If you have time, come along on Tuesdays and/or Fridays between 8am and 2pm to work with others in our vegetable and bush food gardens or orchard. If these times don’t suit, let us know. We can find something for you to do at another time.

KOORAGANG

CITY FARM

ASH ISLAND

Front Cover Photo: View to the south overlooking, pastures, forestry, wetlands, cattle yards and bush food garden. Photo by Rob Henderson.

Kooragang City Farm is an integral part of the Kooragang Wetland Rehabilitation Project administered by the Hunter-Central Rivers CMA.

farming in harmony with wetlands

LYN LAMBERT

Overseas students grow together

City Farm Jetty

Field day for holistic managers

Volunteer gardeners take a break

Living off the land ... times past Before Europeans: Non-tidal areas of islands of the Hunter River estuary were once covered by floodplain rainforest. These forests and adjacent wetlands provided materials for medicines, weapons, utensils and culture for local Worimi and Awabakal aboriginal peoples as well as fruits, tubers and wildlife to supplement their mainly seafood diets. Early Settlement: The islands were cleared of prized timber such as red cedar, rosewood and ash during the first 20 years of European settlement. Despite this early timber getting, most of the rainforest canopy remained for the next four dec-ades, with only small areas cleared for market gardens and orchards. Major land clearing and draining occurred in the mid 1860s when the largest of the estuary islands, Ash Island was sub-divided into smaller farms. The non-native pasture grass, Kikuyu, was introduced at this time. Dairy farming: For 100 years some 17 dairy farms were worked on Ash Island. Crops of sorghum, maize and millet were grown as winter feed. Where City Farm now stands, the Milham family established a productive farm from 97 head of `well-bred Alderney’ milk cows imported from Germany. The farm, like the rest of Ash Island, suffered from periodic

flooding of about 30cm every seven years and about one to two metres every 50 years. A major flood in 1893 wiped out Milham’s entire herd.

Land in waiting: After a devastating two metre flood in 1955, the NSW government resumed Ash Island for future industry. The land was leased back to farmers who ran beef cattle. By the 1980s uncontrolled grazing and little land improvement had degraded the land. For various reasons the industry planned for Ash Island (western end of Kooragang Island) did not eventuate. Concerns over habitat losses: The Kooragang Wetland Rehabilitation Project (KWRP) was set up in 1993 to help redress the loss of fisheries and other wildlife habitat lost prior to 1993 on suitable sites in the Hunter River estuary. It was also to act as a buffer between adjacent internationally important wetlands and nearby industrial/urban areas. To date, most rehabilitation works have taken place on the Ash Island site, an area that is now protected under the 2001 Newcastle City Council LEP (Local Environment Plan). Kooragang City Farm was set up as an integral part of KWRP to help manage coastal wetlands.

Working with ... not in wetlands Kooragang City Farm is investigating and promoting agricultural techniques that are productive, yet in harmony with surrounding wetlands on 150 hectares of Ash Island. We started managing this area in 1996. An holistic approach: Kooragang City Farm considers financial, environmental and social goals when making decisions on how to manage an area which includes wetlands, protected riverbanks, wildlife corridors, gardens, an orchard, 90 hectares of managed pasture as well as heritage and recreational facilities. More beef from less land without over grazing: On City Farm we fence our wetlands in, keeping them for frogs, birds and other potential managers of insect pests. We also move our cattle frequently through a series of paddocks whose arrangement is dictated by wetland presence or absence (see map overleaf). The resulting land improvements are obvious from photos taken of the same area before and after City

Farm management was put in place here in 1999. The bare, erosion-prone wetland swale has become lush providing plenty of habitat for wildlife helpers. The adjacent pasture is also benefiting from long rest periods in between

grazing events, resulting in better quality cattle. These differences are even greater when you consider that 1994 had normal rainfall, while 2002 was a drought year!

A wetland swale:1994, a year normal rainfall

Restoring vegetation Recovering the land: In non-wetland areas we are restoring vegetation to increase the size and biodiversity of small patches of indigenous trees and shrubs that have survived past ravaging by livestock. Not surprisingly many of these remnants contain thorny species such as Thorned Cockspur. The revegeta-tion helps to provide pro-tection from the sun and winds, habitat for birds and other animals and serves as a link to other natural vegetation in the surrounding wetland areas. Recent wildlife sightings on City Farm include Black-necked Stork, Ruff-banded Rail and Latham Snipe to mention the less common. City Farm also supports a wide diversity of frog species.

Kooragang City Farm has Cattlecare and Meat Standards Australia Accreditation. This ensures healthier, happier cattle in safer conditions.

Since 1996 Kooragang City Farm has:

• removed hundreds of introduced Juncus acutus weeds;

• planted more than 10,000 indigenous plants, enhancing

over 10.5 hectares of the farm to improve biodiversity and add to wildlife corridors adjacent to the farm;

• protected one kilometre of riverbank with 2500 trees;

• produced high quality beef from the farm’s Poll Hereford

herd;

• developed an holistic management grazing strategy and

gained Cattlecare and Meat Standards of Australia accreditation;

• developed a 0.2 hectare integrated permaculture orchard

and an organic market garden;

• established several research projects to investigate

sustainable farming practices;

• commemorated history of early farming in the estuary at

Milham’s Farm heritage site;

• constructed dedicated access around the farm;

• held regular national and international field days;

• provided a welcoming and nurturing environment where

people come to learn and participate in sustainable gardening and farming practices.

Milham’s farmhouse. Photo: circa 1920

JEAN BUTLER

Same wetland swale: 2002, a drought year

Our Poll Hereford steers enjoy fresh pasture protected by shelter belts.

ROB H

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The boundary 5 years after plantings. Photo: 2002

This boundary was devoid of trees in 1994. ROB H

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WELCOME TO KOORAGANG CITY FARM

Various walks enable you to explore Kooragang City Farm and enjoy expansive river views. The walks take you past points of interest while keeping your feet dry. In addition a cycleway takes you to a number of heritage and recreational areas such as Milham’s Farm and Riverside Park.

Community Gardens: Our gardens incorporate principles of permaculture design, organic gardening, composting, integrated pest management, companion planting and crop rotation. The gardens include a beehive, worm farm and a forest-like permaculture orchard which provides an exciting selection of sub-tropical and temperate, exotic and native fruits. A long pole perch for predators has been erected in the gardens to encourage visits by birds of prey to help deter vegetable-loving feral animals such as hares.

wetland area

Scotts Point

i Kooragang Wetlands Information Centre

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Ash Island bridge

Written in concrete: The sandstone and seashell mortar ruins of the 1860s original farmhouse, plus the remains of an old mini floodgate, dairy and other foundations give insight into the life of a bygone era and provide a great backdrop for a picnic (or wedding!).

wetland area

Flexible grazing plan—steering beef production towards sustainability: Our Poll Hereford herd are fenced out of all wetland, revegetation and other sensitive areas. Lightweight, solar powered fencing allows frequent, flexible cattle movements between some 40 paddocks (varying in size from 0.3 to 4 hectares). The frequent cattle movements prevent overgrazing and allow pasture recovery.

Help

While exploring Kooragang City Farm please:

• keep to roads, walking and

cycling tracks

• leave gates as you find them

• don’t touch fences, they may be

electrified

• take your rubbish with you

• keep dogs on a leash at all times

• no fires, no camping

• remember— taking without asking is

still stealing

• report any problems to Farm

Manager on 4964 9308. If you wish to volunteer to work at Kooragang City Farm call 4964 9308.

• Work in the Community Gardens on

Tuesdays and Fridays between 8am and 2pm.

• Adopt a patch and work at a time that

suits you.

• Come to our planting days on the third

Sunday of the month, 9.30am start finishing with BBQ lunch (8.30 am start I in Nov., Jan. and Feb.).

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Hunter River — North Arm

Hunter River — South Arm

Recovering the land - with trees...and shrubs: We have planted more than 10,000 indigenous trees and shrubs to help protect the riverbanks and increase areas of native vegetation. This includes 3600 eucalypts of 6 species planted as a farm forestry demonstration. This revegetation provides shade and protection for livestock, wildlife, riverbanks and people, and helps lower the water table. It also increases the biodiversity and long term sustainability of the farm by increasing habitat value of the area, and potentially replacing timber used on the farm.

Schoolhouse Rd

Ramsar Rd

Milham’s Rd Cabbage Tree Rd

wetland area

wetland area

rainforest

Bush Food Garden

Riverside Park

Community Gardens

Farm Forestry lanes

wetland area

wetland area

Estuarine Interpretive

Centre

wetland area

Milham’s farmhouse

ruins

The Lane

City Farm Jetty

wetland area

Pacific Hwy.

wetland area

wetland area

wetland area

wetland area

KOORAGANG NATURE RESERVE

(HUNTER ESTUARY

WETLANDS)

Ramsar site

mangroves

mangroves

wetland area

area enlarged

KWRP Ash Island

site

SCALE

200 0 400m 100 300

KOORAGANG CITY FARM

part of

KOORAGANG WETLAND REHABILITATION PROJECT

Ash Island site

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Carpark

Water trough

Picnic shelter

Weed bait tank

Cattle yards

Fence

Area managed by Kooragang City Farm

Walking track

Cycleway

Recreation facilities: Cycleways, walking tracks and boardwalks have been incorporated into the design of City Farm to enable you to enjoy and explore the farm more fully. Or you can fish from the riverbanks and generally soak up the serenity. Four good spots for picnicking are Riverside Park, Milham’s Farmhouse, and our Community and Bush Food Gardens. A jetty at Riverside Park gives you access from and to the river.

Contented cattle turning kikuyu into beef.

Cycleway

Great views and fishing along the Hunter River

KWIC

Community Gardens Community Gardens

Milham’s farmhouse ruins

Farm Forestry lanes

Kooragang City Farm is working to help restore wetlands and manage suitable areas in the Hunter River estuary. Guided tours can be arranged (phone 02 4964 9308). For more information call in at the Kooragang Wetlands Information Centre (KWIC) open 9am to 5pm weekdays.

ROB H

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wetland area