Tag: bruny island

Bruny Island Ferry, FONB

SeaLink Bruny Island proposed winter timetable 2025

In late March SeaLink released a winter 2025 timetable (effective from 5th May).

We asked our members, and the wider Bruny community for feedback so that we could explore these changes and the impact on our community. Thank you to everyoe who contacted us – very consistent concerns. We have distilled these into a letter which has been sent to SeaLink and key decision makers.

The Bruny Island Ferry Reference Group (BIFG) also met earlier this week and we are hopeful that a workable outcome will be reached. Thanks to our community members who volunteer their time on the BIFRG.

Watch this space 🙂

… Since we posted this we have had the following Response from SeaLink, the Communique from the Bruny Island Ferry Reference Group , news of the Sale of Bruny Island Ferry and a revised winter timetable.

FONB will continue to monitor the situation and work with BICA in the best interests of residents and ratepayers.

FONB, North Bruny Land and Coastcare

2024 FONB AGM

The 2024 Friends of North Bruny AGM will be held on Saturday 19 October at the Dennes Point Community Centre (the Hall!) commencing at 10 am. The AGM will be followed by a General Meeting where there wil be an opportunity to discuss a number of current and emerging topics including the Draft Kingborough Council Planning Scheme. The General Meeting will end at 11.15 am. The Agenda and Annual Report are available to download.

At 11.45 am the North Bruny Land and Coastcare Group will present on ‘Towards a Weedless North Bruny’ with speakers Scott Corben (Kingborough Council) and Jim Mulchay (Mulchay Planning and Property Services). Jim has prepared a Weed Mapping Document for Dennes Point and Barnes Bay as a starting point in discussions.

We hope to see you there.

Bushfire, Environment, FONB

Are you bushfire ready?

There’s good reason to be worried about the possibility of bushfire this summer.  Winter has been much drier than usual, and the summer also promises to be hot and dry.

Members of the Tasmanian Fire Service (TFS) are coming to North Bruny on Sunday, 12 November, to participate in a community meeting about bushfire preparedness. The meeting will also involve representatives from Tasmania Police and Kingborough Council Emergency Management.

The North Bruny meeting will be held at the Dennes Point Community Hall, between 9.30 and 11.30 am and will involve:

  • Fire behaviour specialists discussing how bushfires behave, and the on-ground operations we might expect
  • Police discussing evacuation capacity and planning
  • Information from Kingborough Council Emergency Management staff

and importantly:

  • information addressing the specific needs of residents, shackies and tourism business owners
  • a Q & A panel discussing and sharing local experience and observations
  • observations on the use of TFS’s Bushfire Readiness Challenge Program

You may also wish to see a copy of the TFS Community Bushfire Protection Plan for Bruny Island, which will be discussed at the meeting.  This can be viewed here.

I encourage you to come to the meeting, as part of becoming properly prepared for the fire season, and as part of planning how you and your household and our wider community can best stay safe in the event of wildfire in our vicinity.

I hope to see you at the meeting.

Best wishes,

Simon Allston
FONB Chair

Bin Marine Plastics, Environment, FONB

Bin Marine Plastics

The primary objective of Friends of North Bruny is to protect the environment and lifestyle of North Bruny, but we are also concerned with issues which affect the whole of Bruny Island.

After a fairly long period of preparation, we have recently installed bins and associated signs at 8 locations around the island as part of our ‘Bin Marine Plastics’ project.  Our aim is for folk who are walking on the beach to collect any plastic debris that they see and put it in these bins, to get it out of the marine environment and away from seabirds and marine creatures which might otherwise eat it.  And of course, to help keep our beaches wild and beautiful!

The bins are at these locations:

  • Jetty Beach, Dennes Point
  • Stiffy’s Creek, Nebraska Beach, Dennes Point
  • The car park 2 km north of Great Bay
  • Alonnah jetty
  • Cemetery Beach, Lunawanna
  • Two Trees Beach, Adventure Bay
  • Quiet Corner, Adventure Bay
  • Pennicott car park, Adventure Bay

The artwork for the project by Gordon Harrison-Williams is very impressive, and we will be using the logo for T-shirts and car stickers as we spread the ‘Bin Marine Plastics’ message.  We hope that the project will inspire similar action in other places.

We are very grateful for the support of various organisations and individuals who have contributed to the project – Kingborough Council; the Bruny Island Environment Network (BIEN); the Bruny Island Community Association (BICA); the Inala Foundation; the Pennicott Foundation; Bruny Island Coastal Retreats; and the Matysek family.

Unfortunately, despite the signage which explains the purpose of the bins, and despite the prominent label on the top of the bins which says ‘Beach Plastic Only’, we have been finding from the outset that people are using the bins for general rubbish.  This is very thoughtless, and dispiriting.  We have made modifications to the bins to address the problem and working towards positive solutions.

We do still need volunteers to help us manage the project, particularly on South Bruny.  If you feel able to help, please contact Ros Woodburn on 0407 581070.

FONB, Kellaway Park

Kellaway Park Reactivation

We need your input!

Friends of North Bruny is currently undertaking community consultation about the possible reactivation of Kellaway Park, Dennes Point. We value your opinion and there are a couple of ways you can be involved – keep reading …

Background

Kellaway Park is located in the centre of Dennes Point off Sports Road. The land was donated by Percival Wallace Kellaway for recreational use for the people of North Bruny and named Kellaway Park as a mark of respect. This public open space, now owned by Kingborough Council, has a tennis court, cricket pitch and clubroom. Part of the land is wooded. The Park is also used for emergency helicopter retrieval from the area. There were discussions about the Park in 2016 as part of the North Bruny Background and Future Directions Plan. In the coming weeks day to day management of the Park will be assumed by the North Bruny Hall (Lennon Hall, Dennes Point) Committee.

 
  
Some young families have suggested that we investigate the level of community support to revitalise the Park. What facilities are lacking on North Bruny which might be introduced into Kellaway Park for community use? If there is enough interest Friends of North Bruny (FONB)  in partnership with the Hall Committee would need to develop a proposal and seek funding through various community grant programs as well as seeking support from Kingborough Council for any proposals. The latter is needed as the land is Council property and additional maintenance may be required.
 

How can you be involved?

There are a couple of ways you can provide feedback.

  • We are asking you to complete our online survey to assist us in gauging community support and what the priorities may be. This will be open until 31 January 2023.
  • A (free) community barbeque and discussion will be held on site at Kellaway Park on Saturday 14 January 2023 12-2pm and all are welcome. Hope to see you there.
  • You can also send us an email [email protected]

Thank you for your assistance and best wishes for the holiday season.
 
FONB Committee

FONB

We’re online!

 
Friends of North Bruny have made it to the parallel universe of cyberspace! Our website is designed to bring together and make it easier for everyone to access information about North Bruny Island. It will also provide the online platform for a fabulous audio visual on Kelly’s Point, which is coming soon.
On the site right now, you’ll find various reports and other information on North Bruny Island, a great image collection (please let us know if you have others you’d like to add), and information about Friends of North Bruny, including all our past newsletters.
What are you waiting for? Go and have a look –
www.friendsofnorthbruny.org.au