Hi everyone, There has been some interest from birders external to the Hunter in how to access Hexham Swamp (part of which lies in the Hunter Wetlands National Park). In the past couple of months we’ve had some great birds here, including both Eastern and Green-headed Yellow Wagtails, 2 Ruff, 3 Broad-billed Sands, at least 2 Pectoral Sands, 50+ Marshies, 150+ Curlew Sands, 4000+ Sharpies etc…even some shorebirds we’re having trouble identifying! Please see below for instructions on how to access the area, noting the additional text I have added in the email I forwarded to our local chat group. If anyone needs any further clarification they should contact me off-list. Cheers Mick On Thursday, 16 January 2014 5:24 PM, Mick Roderick <mickhhb@yahoo.com.au> wrote: Hi all, Please see the below message about accessing Hexham Swamp via Woodlands Close. There was no attached newsletter so I have asked Kath to send that to me. If anyone’s interested in receiving that they can email me or Kath direct. It is all pretty self-explanatory and the situation seems to be working quite well out there, but note that you must carry a mobile phone so you can contact the security officer to exit the site. I think this is a much more workable situation than we had previously in accessing Hexham Swamp, so please take note of the procedures in the message below and you shouldn’t have any troubles. In an effort to try and quell the number of queries I have had about accessing the swamp, “Woodlands Close, Tarro, New South Wales” in Google Maps shows you exactly where this is, but be mindful that you can only access it from the east (ie there is no right turn coming from Maitland direction). The turn off is immediately after you go over the rail bridge on the highway near Tarro. The security vehicle will take you close to the main pipeline track that runs roughly north-south into the swamp. The majority of birds are seen from about 3km south of where you get onto the main track (there is a house straight ahead – do not go there, go left down the track), after you pass a track to your left (which comes in from the old derelict house near the railway line). They are mostly seen south of this track-head to the Fishery Creek, which is where the track ends. I hope this makes things easier for everyone. Mick On Thursday, 16 January 2014 11:27 AM, Kath Elliott <Kelliott@kmh.com.au> wrote: Dear Mick, As discussed on the telephone recently, the Upper Hunter Valley Alliance (UHVA) is constructing the Hexham Relief Roads Project (the Project) on behalf of the Australia Rail Track Corporation. Please find attached a copy of the November 2013 Newsletter which provides an overview of the Project and a map for your members’ information. The Project will take approximately 15 months to construct. Please be advised that construction activities include a number of mobile plant and equipment which can be hazardous if safety measures are not followed. As part of the construction, UHVA has implemented safety measures to ensure that workers, neighbours and visitors who enter the site are protected. Practically speaking this means that during construction access through the Project site will be restricted under escort. Access is controlled via two gates with gatehouses in place on Woodlands Close; one at the northern end (approximately 500m from the New England Highway ) and another located further south. Would you please advise your members of the following safety procedures which they should adopt if they are visiting the site. · Arrive and depart via Woodlands Close from the New England Highway end. · On approaching the gatehouse a security officer will attend the vehicle and request name and contact details of the driver and record the vehicle registration. Visitors will be asked what the purpose of their visit is and where they are likely to be. It is useful if bird observers are able to provide location information and the approximate duration of their visit. · Visitors will be escorted through the project area by a light vehicle with flashing light and UHF radio, and in the case of bird observers who are travelling to the Hexham Swamp, the escort will cease when they leave the project boundary at the southern end. · The escorting security officer will give the visitors a phone number to call when the visitor is returning to the project boundary, so that an escort can meet them and escort them back through to the northern gate. This may mean that the visitor has to wait for up to 15 minutes. · Please note that the project boundary is clearly marked with small white posts approximately 50m apart and one metre high with a yellow top. · Visitors should not enter the project boundary unescorted at any time. · Security officers are in attendance 24 hours a day. · At some times, if an escort is already underway, a visitor may need to wait at the gate for a security officer to return and this could take up to 15 minutes. Visitors’ patience is appreciated. UHVA has a Road Occupancy License issued by Newcastle City Council which authorises UHVA to control access and safety on the project site. Anyone who enters the site unescorted puts themselves and others at risk. Thankyou for your patience, UHVA is very happy to work closely with your members to ensure that their access is facilitated, with minimum inconvenience. If there are any issues please do not hesitate to contact us on the 24 hour toll-free UHVA Community Contact line: 1800 722669 or email: mailto:contactuhva@artc.com.au Kath Elliott Principal Consultant KMH Environmental P: +61 2 9468 9300 M: 0412 003 272 F: +61 2 8008 1600 E: kelliott@kmh.com.au Suite 902, Level 9, North Tower, 1-5 Railway St, Chatswood NSW 2067 PO Box 5487, West Chatswood NSW 1515 www.kmh.com.au Kath Elliott Project Manager – Comms KMH Environmental P: +61 2 9468 9300 F: +61 2 8008 1600 E: Kelliott@kmh.com.au Suite 902, Level 9, North Tower, 1-5 Railway St, Chatswood NSW 2067 PO Box 5487, West Chatswood NSW 1515 www.kmh.com.au ___________________________________________________________________________ This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended for use by the Addressee only. The confidential nature of the information contained in the email and/or file is not waived, lost or destroyed if it is sent in error to other than the Addressee. Use or dissemination of the information contained in the email and/or files by a recipient other than the Addressee may cause commercial damage to both/either the Sender and/or Addressee. If you are not the Addressee of this email/files, please immediately contact the Sender and delete this email/files. P please consider the environment before printing this email ___________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
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