Stop Start Stop Start

Well we have been busy behind the scenes. We've tripped to Town Planning and we have stage 1 underway in as much as the application for the tree/vegetation removal is in their hands now. I feel for the guys in there, because it is a process and we have been down this path before on behalf of clients. So we understand that things take time. Add to that, a new town plan brought into effect late January, and everything needs to be double checked. Suffice to say, it was a very large glass of G & T that I looked for when we got home. It's not that it was difficult, we just made it more difficult for ourselves by not lodging a building and plumbing application at the same time, as they would have negated our request for a large area of trees and vegetation for removal.


But you see, its a bit like what comes first, the chicken or the egg?

There is a process that needs to be followed, so that you have accurate information to give your builder for quoting purposes.

A building and plumbing application can only be lodged once the soil test is done and that information is passed onto the engineers so that the footings are correct and the hydraulic people so that the sewerage treatment plant and subsequent disposal area can be designed.

BUT, to get a soil test done, we (a) have to get vehicles on the site - they cant at present because of the trees, and if we did get them there, and then did the soil test (and then engineered the plans etc etc etc) but THEN removed the trees, then we have changed the outcome of the soil test. This is because one gum tree can take up tremendous amounts of water. So removing them obviously changes the structure of the soil.

Happily I can report that we have had our application approved and we can now get serious about removing the trees, repairing the dam and get ready for the rains.

That was the other issue I was concerned about. The topsoil has become compacted and so to take full advantage of the coming rain, I needed for the ground to be broken up. This way instead of running off, it will soak up, and then we can get busy planting with good quality natives that have longer life spans than the current ones, and improve the quality of the soil.

Anyone looking for information on looking after small acreages can have a look at a very clever lady called Jane Meyers. She and her hubby run seminars etc and have a website called Equiculture. Very easy to understand and good quality information. I am hoping to have her up in the Bay next year to conduct seminars.

So unless it POURS down tomorrow, the work on the dam starts at 6am bright and early Saturday morning. Did I mention I'm not really a morning person!