The March meeting of Kiama Council has given the Jones Beach Landcare Group permission to replace the dead, probably poisoned, vegetation on the dune area (as reported in The Bugle 15 Feb) with its choice of native species identified in the 2014 Plan of Management for the beach.

The group is to be given $3000 per quarter, for up to a year, to buy the plants.

The General Manager’s report on the issue recommended that the dead vegetation be replaced with similar native species, which includes large Banksias. It said, “An inspection of the area with Illawarra Landcare representatives revealed that the pattern and nature of plant death strongly suggested that a form of poison which is more likely significantly stronger than Roundup has been sprayed over an extensive area.”

A reward is to be provided for information leading to the identification of any persons deliberately damaging vegetation on the dune system.

Howard Jones, of the Gerroa Environmental Protection Society, disagrees strongly with this interim measure, which has been agreed to while funding is sought for
a coastal management study covering both Jones and Werri beaches.

“The NSW Coastal Dune Management Manual outlines accepted practice in dune planting and the recommendations in this Manual differ greatly from the unorthodox and untested planting strategies set out in the Jones Beach Plan of Management,” he says.

“The Manual recommends a zonation of dune vegetation, where plantings range from low growing in the fore dune to larger trees in the hind dune area.

“Without the taller trees much of the sand will be lost and blown inland over time, but there is no doubt the views will be better.”