Marburg Residents' Association Inc | Marburg | Lowood | Rosewood | Fernvale | Tarampa | Larkhill | Glamorgan Vale | Prenzlau | Two Tree Hill | Mt Marrow | The Bluff | Tallegalla

Marburg town lies in the upper part of the Black Snake Creek catchment. Like many similar areas in Australia, this catchment exhibits many symptoms of poor natural resource management practices, both currently and in the past. However, it is in much worse condition than many other catchments in that it has a major salinity problem – i.e. there is a high and very salty watertable throughout much of its length.

The West Moreton Landcare Group and the Glamorgan Vale Water Board combined to make an application to the National Landcare Program for funding to investigate salinity issues the catchment, undertake remediation action on several demonstration sites, and to provide information to landholders and residents of the catchment about these issues. The project is due for completion at the end of 2008.

All three plantings described below complement this project. In addition, four piezometer tubes have been installed in the town area of Marburg. (Piezometers are tube wells that are used to measure the depth of the water table.) Apart from providing valuable technical information, these will be used to inform the community of the height of the water table in the town area as part of an ongoing education program. Currently, most residents have very little awareness of the effects on the environment of their use of water domestically, e.g. what is the impact on the water table of flushing toilets?

The ‘Greening Marburg’ project in the town centre
Black Snake Creek runs through the town of Marburg. As part of flood mitigation works associated with the construction of a detention basin upstream of Marburg in 2004, the town section of the creek was straightened. The straightened section of the creek (approximately 1 km in length) is primarily grassed. It currently has few trees and is grazed by horses. The development and implementation of this project aims to transform this unsightly and largely unused area of land in the heart of the town to provide an attractive public amenity through revegetation and minor landscaping of the area adjacent to the channel. The revegetation will also assist in alleviating a major salinity problem in this area of Black Snake Creek and the area downstream of the town. This project complements the National Landcare Program funded project in the Black Snake Creek catchment (described above).

Initial funding for this project was obtained from SEQ Catchments (the regional natural resource management group) as part of the National Action Plan on Salinity and Water Quality in October, 2006. Then followed twelve months of community awareness activities, lobbying the local Councillor, and planning the project with Council staff before earthworks on the first stage of this project commenced in October, 2007. Students from the Marburg State School undertook the first plantings (about 80 plants) in December, 2007. The School successfully applied for two separate Junior Landcare Grants (from Australia Post and Bi Lo) to assist this project. A local resident maintains this site since and continues to add to its plantings (now around 300 plants).

Stage two of this project will be undertaken in the 2008/2009 financial year. When completed, the section of the creek between Edmond Street and the showgrounds will be revegetated and connected with a walking/cycling path which will include park benches and perhaps sculptures.

Revegetation at Marburg Quarry Road intersection
On behalf of The Main Roads Department, Greening Australia (Queensland) was looking for areas to plant locally. Through the West Moreton Landcare Group, the intersection of the Rosewood-Marburg Road and Marburg Quarry Road was selected as a site. It was planted (about 150 trees) in October, 2007 by members of West Moreton Landcare and Marburg and District Residents’ Association. Councillor Sheryl Bromage attended and assisted with the planting. A local Landcare member has maintained it since. Progress has been excellent. When it matures, it will provide a visual barrier for the spillway of the detention basin when travelling towards Rosewood.

Edmond Street remnant rehabilitation
There is a small (approx 1 ha) patch of remnant and regrowth dry rainforest at the western end of Edmond Street. This area should be revegetated, walking tracks installed and interpretative signage and picnic facilities established. Apart from enhancing the western entrance to Marburg, this would provide an easily accessible area of dry rainforest (the original vegetation of this area, known locally as the Rosewood Scrub) for educational and amenity purposes. AS far as is known, there is no other easily accessible dry rainforest on public land in Ipswich.

After much deliberation, Council officers have agreed that the Residents’ Association can revegetate this. However, it lies on a road reserve and Council currently are not willing to devote many resources to it.

Left to Right , Native Plumbago (Plumbago zeylanica), Australian Cornflower or Native Thistle (Stemmacantha australis) , Crown of Gold (Barklya syringifolia),Pavetta (Pavetta australiensis) Little or Rusty Kurrajong (Brachychiton bidwillii), Blue Quandong (Eleocarpus grandis)

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