Works near Fyshwick

This morning was time for El Camion Real to have a few spanners laid upon it so the first bit of work was by Capital Subaru who did their usual business-like effort (earning a bouquet).

The next bit of work observed was the outcome of some of the excellent, bouquet-achieving, work of the Ranger allocated to Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature Reserve.  Here are a couple of samples.

It is nice to see the Australian Pelican back again (although I suspect the William Creek Hotel will be less happy since this probably means the birds are leaving Lake Eyre).    The ducks between the pelicans are the rather rare Freckled Duck, of which a few have turned up in Canberra recently.

These reflected specimens are Grey Teal which are not rare, just attractive.

A good collection of birds were seen this morning with White-necked Heron and Baillons Crake being particularly welcomed by me.

On the other side of Dairy Road, in the Fyshwick Sewage Ponds (FSP), work of a less pleasing nature was going on.  A week or so ago a message appeared on the COG Chatline saying "access to the Fyshwick Sewage Treatment Plant has been revoked while the local utilities company conducts remediation work to the pond walls."  Thus this view from near the FSP Office was not unexpected (although the usual definition of 'remediation' seems to be stretched a bit)!

However the major activity of the horny handed sons of toil (as opposed to the other types of sons of toil found near Fyshwick) was not on the pond walls but closer to the access road.  It appears that this is setting up for the relocation of the electricity substation from the new McMansion slum to be built on the far side of the Wetlands.  I will await word as to what is actually going on there, but the preceding statement is incorrect.  Update: The substation is being shifted to the FSP but to a site between the two sets of ponds, not to where the grading is being done.  Apparently soil excavated from the sewage ponds is being dumped on the graded area but why that is so extensive is far from clear.

It is interesting that there seems to have been little discussion of the siting of the substation and its potential impact on the FSP ponds which form an important drought refuge for waterbirds.  The attitude seems to be that ACTEW lease this land so can do what they like with it.  An interesting approach to environmental sustainability by both the ACT Government and ACTEW.  A brickbat for both of them.