NEW WEB SITE LAUNCHED

http://helenaaurorarange.com.au/

New website has been launched - for detailed information please visit the above link.

Birdlife Voulenteers

BirdLife Australia has just started a project in the Great Western Woodlands and will be organising bird surveys across the region, including at Helena & Aurora Range. See the website for more information and how you can be involved.

 http://www.birdlife.org.au/projects/great-western-woodlands

 

Baby Willie Wagtail - Photo by Laura Holmes 

 

Easter Camping Trip

Hi All! I am pleased to be able to tell you all there is going to be a Easter Camp out at the H&A range from Friday the 6th to Monday 9th. This is a organised event to find out more about its values and the threats to it and help spread the word of our cause. People need to be self-contained and bring plenty of water plus own food etc. OVERVIEW 1.Its a 6-7 hour drive from Perth to the camping s...pot in the HA Range. 2.We drive to Southern Cross on the Great Eastern Highway (~350km) and then turn north for Koolyanobbing (~50km) and then along a good dirt road to the HA Range (~50km). 3.For those that can, we will meet at the Southern Cross BP Roadhouse at 1pm on Friday 6 April to drive in convoy to HA Range. 4.The camping spot is on the north west side of the Range. Signs will be put up. 5.People need to bring camping gear including tent, food and plenty of water. 6.It is likely we will have some experts in local flora with us so informative walks are 'go'. 7.Several of the area's Traditional Owners have also been invited and may come. 8.The best maps (which you can get from Perth Map Shop etc) are "2837 Bungalbin 1:100,000" and "SH50-12 Jackson 1:250,000". DETAIL TRAVEL NOTES The quickest way to Helena and Aurora Range is via Southern Cross to Koolyanobbing (active mine site) ~50 km, 45 min. At Koolyanobbing you travel ~1km past the Koolyanobbing 'workers village' towards K Pit, turning sharp right before the pit. After another ~1km you will come to a Stop! sign at the haul road (to K Pit); Cross the haul road and then almost immediately there will be a track on your left saying to Mt Dimer. Take this track. It is a dirt track that will take you to the south-western ('bottom') end of Helena and Aurora Range. The track crosses another Haul Road (with Stop! sign)(the Koolyanobbing to Windarling Haul Road); once crossed it follows parallel to the haul road for a while then veers away towards H&A. Eventually you will come to a T junction (takes approx an hour in total), head Left to travel around the west and north side of H&A to camping spot (approx 6 kms from T junction). There are some side tracks so stay focussed! We will put up some green tape to mark correct route - but its pretty straight forward. Should any one like further information, please contact me as I have some maps I can email you. It's all happening now!!!!

Facebook page created!!!

Finally got my act together and have created a Facebook page. For those that wish to keep up to date and find out about any up coming events or was to help Save the Helena & Aurora Range go to: http://www.facebook.com/HelenaAuroraRange or just search Helena & Aurora Range.

The EPA

I thought it was about time I posted up the link to the EPA Bulletin about the Mount Manning Reserve (MMR). If you take the time to read this, what the EPA strongly states is that the H&A range is a significant biodiversity hot spot and needs to be made into an A Class reserve. For some reason (my guess in money) our Government has not only ignored the advice of the EPA (a department created in order to protect our environment) but previously over turned the rulings of other BIF ranges (Windarling & Mungada).

http://epa.wa.gov.au/EPADocLib/2500_B1256.pdf

I have also added the map of the deposits that they currently want to mine. Carina is an active mine site and they are about to start Exploration Drills on J4 - This has been referred to the EPA for review but my concern is that they don't state WHERE they will be building their camp. This is because they plan to put their camp at the base of Bungalbin hill. Once they are in there, it will almost be impossible to stop them.

Although we do not want any of this area mined, J5 & Bungalbin East are the most important ones to save. We know that the Department of Mines and Petroleum gave permission for exploration drills on J5 without consulting the Department of Conservation or the EPA. Considering this is well within a Conservation reserve and one that should be an A Class reserve, that is unacceptable.





I think if Ayers Rock was here in WA and someone found something worth money in it, that too would be gone. We cannot sit by and let this happen.

REMEMBER - THOSE THAT STAND FOR NOTHING WILL FALL FOR EVERYTHING!

On their way...

Thorny Devil - Moloch horridus Photo taken 2009 near Helena & Aurora Range by L. Holmes

An application has been lodged for an exploration camp at the base of Bungalbin hill. If this is approved, we will no longer have access to this amazing area and it will only be a matter of time before it is gone for good.

We need to act now. The Helena and Aurora Range Advocates (HARA) are working on saving this place. If you want to join I can send you the forms to register. They are working on their website at the moment and once it is up and running I will post a link here.

Why it is important

This region is a biodiversity hotspot due to high flora and fauna diversity, Declared Rare and Priority flora, Declared, Threatened and Priority Listed Fauna and unique vegetation communities restricted to Banded Ironstone Formation (BIF) ranges.

The Helena and Aurora Range is one of the more significant biodiversity assets in WA. However, other ranges in the Mount Manning Region, including the Die Hardy Range & Yorkradine Hills, the Windarling Range, the Jackson Range and the Koolyanobbing Range, also have very high environmental significance but the majority of these are now also home to large mining companies and exploration drilling. As BIF ranges are important to maintain the genetic diversity within populations of endemic rare flora and to allow survival during periods of adverse climate, it is important that we take action to prevent the Helena & Aurora range from being dug up and put on the back of a boat and sent overseas.

The entire Mount Manning Reserve has exceptionally high landscape diversity, including interconnected intact sandplain, woodland and salt lake habitats of critical importance for fauna and flora that are not represented in other reserves.

Since the Koolyanobbing mine expansion was approved, it has become apparent that further mining of BIF ranges of highest conservation significance in the Mount Manning Reserve region is likely to result in major impacts to BIF species and communities. Therefore, we should do all we can in order to stop all of these ranges from being destroyed.