Newsletter - December 2024

Greetings Friends,

This monthly newsletter (No. 47) includes, Year in Images and AGM, DHA, quiz, plants and wildlife.

Year in Images and AGM
Lee Point DHA Housing Project
Biodiversity and Lee Point peninsula
Quiz
Plants and Wildlife

1.0 Year in Images and AGM

Images of 2024 shows what happened during the year.

Fig 1. A special thanks to all the people who showed up and stood up for Lee Point/Binybara.

Calendars with photos and artwork from 2024 are now on sale at Sunday Nightcliff Markets.

Fig 2. Front cover of calendar showing Lee Point dam.

Annual General Meeting (AGM) – Friends of Lee Point Inc held their inaugural AGM on 18 Dec 2024.

2.0 Lee Point DHA Housing Project

As of late Dec 2024, work on Stage 2 and 3 has paused.

Fig 3. Map showing Lee Point peninsula with Stage 2 and 3 in red.

Unlawful clearing – DHA knew they did not have the approvals but cleared Stages 2 and 3 anyway. NT authorities have not addressed the alleged May 2024 breach, saying only that the breach was not continuing. People are calling for action – read more

Ongoing problems with the Lee Point DHA housing project include:

Significant environmental impact
Lack of community support for the project
No affordable housing in the project
No long-term public benefit compared to other much more suitable locations – refer Planning for Lee Point.

Reports – FLP have been asking the Australian Government for reports on what other sites were considered to:

· avoid an environmental offset, and

· optimise long term public benefit.

A petition from hundreds of scientists in 2023 called on government to find an alternative location. Environmental offsets allow the destruction of critical habitat without adding to habitat.

Its time our elected representatives produced these reports.

3.0 Biodiversity and Lee Point peninsula

Biodiversity – is the variety of living things. Over half of known Australian biodiversity comes from invertebrates (animals without backbones). They include, insects, spiders, crabs, worms, snails, jellyfish, sponges, and urchins. Our ecosystems would not function without them – refer Invertebrates Australia

Fig 4. Field Lilies (Crinum spp} have sprung up with the recent rain and insects (native bees) have been busy pollinating (note orange pollen on bee).

Fig 5. Insects like Green Ants (or Weaver Ants) help pollinate and control pests on plants.

Biodiversity is in rapid decline. For Australia, it is estimated that 1 to 3 invertebrates go extinct each week. Only 30% of invertebrates have been described by science.

Casuarina Coastal Reserve – Friends of Casuarina Coastal Reserve are planning their first ever Casuarina Coastal Reserve BioBlitz for March 2025. The aim is to record as many species as possible in a 48-hour period.

Casuarina Coastal Reserve could have a new name by mid-2025 to reflect its new national park status. Should we have a new name for Lee Point peninsula?

Young Territory Author Awards 2024 – “The World Outside the Hollow” is a picture book story about a young Gouldian Finch and habitat loss – Save Lee Point gets a mention. Milkwood Steiner took out the school award for this book. It is available at Casuarina Library.

Fig 6. Front cover

4.0 Quiz

Q1. What % of animal species are invertebrates (don’t have backbones)?

Fig 7. Red Arrow Dragonfly

5.0 Plants and Wildlife

The recent rains have brought on flowers and fruit.

Fig 8. Native groundcover herb, Wandering Dew (Commelina agrostophylla).

“Commelinas” are also called dayflowers as their delicate flowers only last a day or so.

Fig 9 Native herb, (Hybanthus enneaspermus)

Fig 10. Persoonia falcata (Milky Plum) fruits are ripe and well worth tasting.

Fig 11. St Andrews Cross Spider (female)

Fig 12. Rajah Shelducks have been visiting the Lee Point dam area. They nest in tree hollows.

Wilderness Walks and MLA’s

Wilderness Walks record between 25 to 50 bird species(varies according to time of year), refer ebird for latest sightings. These self-guided walks are held on weekends, 5pm Sunday and sometimes at 7am. Please check updates on FLP Facebook plus Coastal NT mosquito calendar before heading out.

We were delighted that Kat McNamara (MLA for Nightcliff) and Khoda Patel (MLA for Casuarina) were able to join FLP for a walk around Lee Point Dam this month.

Newsletter – December 2024