William Sloane Reserve at Savernake is to be used as a seed production site next Autumn to support Corowa District Landcare’s future conservation and revegetation projects.
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It follows approval by Federation Council to agree to CDL’s proposal to establish, in conjunction with council, the product site, with council being the Crown Land Manager of the reserve.
The land was donated to council by the Sloane Family and the reserve opened by Tim Fischer AC in 1984. CDL will direct seed with native understorey species.
The Reserve also incorporates five parcels of freehold land in the name of Federation Council. The Original Reserve dedication was gazetted on 7th August 1925.
In the open area, CDL would like to establish a native grasses seed production area that can produce seed for a future restoration project.
“The proposal is also supported by Savernake Hall Committee and Helen Huggins, who is a relative of William Sloane,” Federation Council’s director development and environmental services Sussan Appleyard said at council’s monthly zoom meeting on October 20.
“Seed production sites enable native seed to be harvested in large enough quantities to support revegetation programs. Establishing a seed production site in the Federation Council area will enable Corowa District Landcare in the future to be self-sufficient rather than relying on seed collection from remnant vegetation from roadsides and reserves.
“It will also be more cost effective rather than spending any future funding on seedlings and plantings.”
Ms Appleyard said that council will support CDL in the establishment of this site including assistance with weed control, ripping and slashing, where required and at minimal cost.
Cr Bronwyn Thomas, who is one of about 100 members of CDL, said it is an excellent project with engagement partnership between Federation Council, Corowa District Landcare, Savernake School of Arts, Sloane Family “to have the endeavour for this positive outcome for both our community and the environment”.
“A SPA (seed production area) overtime creates a resilient precinct in a landscape that can be harvested for native specific seed to be distributed to other key sites,” she said.
“High conservation sites are being reduced therefore enhancement works are progressing to restoration and restoring replicating the original grassy box woodland.”
The area has been an endangered ecological mixture of graybox and woodgrass land. The subject 3ha block of land has been used for district events, involving combined school sports, gymkhanas, the circus, field days and family gatherings.
“But it was laid out as a village with streets, roads and blocks of land,” Helen Huggins said.
“So my father, Ian Sloane, had the foresight into the future that one day it could be broken up into houses and Savernake could lose their reserve and vacant land next to the hall.
“As the family already owned a couple of blocks he decided to buy the blocks of land. This process began paying all the outstanding rates and tracking the owners to buy the blocks. This process took five to six years; also the Lands Department were approached to close the roads within the area.”Having gained the required area for park/reserve, Helen said, her father gave the land to the Corowa Shire Council for use of the Savernake district residents for community use.
“The area was a vision of Ian Sloane and he gifted it to the Savernake district as a reserve/park for the use of the community,” Helen said. “A fire station was built as part of the reserve.
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