Rainwater Diverter: Picture this, it has been dry for some weeks and that promising rain turns into a shower that lasts two minutes and all it succeeds in doing is washing all of the dust and garbage off your roof and into the tanks. No more! For around $25.00, if you have to buy the fittings, install one of these gismos and all you get is clean water. This design [see above, right] is based on 90mm PVC pipe because anyone can put it together - in fact I made one this week in under an hour using pipe offcuts and fittings I already had. Paint it up and they look a million dollars. My sketch shows a typical situation which can easily be adapted to suit yours.

​

Instead of the initial "flush" flowing directly to your tank it drops to ground level and into a 90 degree bend which is approximately one metre long: a screw cap is fitted at the end of this bend so if all you get is a shower, the pipe will partially fill but no water flows to the tank unscrew the cap and drain the water out - you will be surprised what you will see. If it keeps raining, the pipe fills until it reaches the T-piece and overflows to the tank but the majority of debris is trapped down in the bottom bend.

​

As the saying goes ... Every home should have one! These two proven ideas are relatively cheap, easy to fit and really work and no, I'm not a used car salesman.

​

Give Me Water, and Lots of it

(By Bruce Teakle)

It's never the same having a shower at my parent's place in Brisbane. Unlike our home at Mt Glorious, where we bask in the comfort of wood heated rainwater showers, my family must shower in chlorinated dam water, pumped for tens of kilometers from dams which cover flooded countryside, and processed in huge treatment plants. Not only does the water come from questionable sources, but its future is hardly something to be proud of: mixed with poo and wee, processed with another huge energy using plant, and dumped in the sea.

​

I've been cooking up a scheme for a while to do some thing about all this. The obvious first step seems to be to reduce the household water consumption by reusing the waste water on the garden. The "grey water", as it's called, from laundry. kitchen and shower could be put on Mum and Dad's garden, instead of using new drinking-quality water.

​

Some of my neighbours on the mountain have a little concrete tank where all the greywater is collected. There is a pump which sprays it onto the garden.

​

How to calculate how much water your house collects

You can calculate the amount of water gathered by your roof. The rainfall in millimetres by multiplied by the roof catchment area in square metres equals the number of litres; thus 12mm (half an inch) of rain on a catchment area of 350 square metres should give 4,200 litres (or about one fifth of an average tank).

​

By looking at the rainfall figures, you can estimate whether your tank storage is sufficient, or whether you need to modify your water usage. Alan Tarbit (Mountain News) noted that "although your roof may collect sufficient yearly rain water, it usually comes in bursts at the beginning of the year and so sufficient storage is necessary to hold water for the dry spells. Many of us know this only too well! We also discovered, when our offspring graduated from being juveniles - at which age washing is something to be avoided if possible - to teenage, when a long time under the shower became the norm and clean clothes once or twice a day a "necessity", that our water consumption rose dramatically." In the 1980s, the lean months were from June to August.

​

Human Waste

In the absence of normal sewerage disposal, there is a need to deal with "greywater" waste (from bathroom and kitchen sinks, showers, etc.) and "blackwater" waste (from toilets). Until recently houses commonly included a greywater collection tank and a septic system. Greywater is simply collected in the tank and sprinkled onto vegetation for disposal. Septic systems include a large sullage-tank which settles out solids, with the blackwater leeching through a constructed sand bed from the sullage-tank into the ground where bacteria to deal with it. To ensure proper functioning, these sullage-tanks require periodic pumping out as part of their ongoing maintenance and there are restrictions regarding what can be flushed down such systems.

​

In an effort to minimise possible pollution from human waste disposal, the Moreton Bay Regional Council, along with other Councils around the country, are now becoming much more restrictive in what types of disposal are permissible. New systems may no longer use aerial spraying to dispose of greywater and traditional septic systems are now prohibited in new dwellings.

Fortunately Councils are also much more interested in good alternatives. Composting toilets of most standard designs are allowed (and many reduce water consumption since they are dry systems), as are complete in-ground treatment systems dealing with combined waste – many of which treat the waste-water to a quality enabling its re-use. Low cost, low technology reed-bed treatment systems (for both grey- and blackwater), trialled extensively in northern New South Wales by Southern Cross University, are also now being trialled in the Shire with some approved for use.

​

Toilet Talk

(From the Dayboro Grapevine and Bruce Teakle, Mountain News)

Toilets, and what we do in them, is a subject that gets very little adult attention these days. Up to the age of about 15, children seem to find it hard to stop talking about it, but after that it seems to become a distinctly unpopular topic.

​

Sewage has had a lot of attention lately, but the discussion seems to focus on how to get rid of it, without thinking very hard about what we are trying to get rid of. The most important part of sewage is, of course, what we put into toilets. This is colloquially known as poo and wee. When we eat food, some of it is absorbed into our bodies and provides nutrients for living. Waste and excess, notably nitrogen compounds, are excreted in the urine. The food that isn't absorbed just passes to the large intestine where several hundred type of micro-organisms further metabolise it, much of the bulk of faeces being microbes.

​

Poo and wee have all the fertility that went into the plants that made the food. This fertility is precious, in a country as infertile as ours. We use huge quantities of fossil fuel energy to catch nitrogen from the air and process it into a form we can put onto the fields. In nature, and in traditional farming, this fertility is recycled many times over before it is gradually lost down the river in floodwater. Animals eat plants, and then return the fertility to the plants in the form of poo, wee, and eventually their dead bodies. Natural systems are very careful to guard their nutrients carefully- look at the roots in rainforest soil, and imagine being a bit of plant food trying to escape past without being noticed. Humans are unusual animals in the way they waste the fertility of their food.

​

Overall, as long as we use a bit of care, we can quite safely use our home made fertility to grow plants. There are many ways to process the poo and wee, but the one which stands out as most sensible is the composting, toilet. Instead of having a bowl of fresh water under the seat, the composting toilet has a chamber in which the bodily wastes, along with other compostable materials like kitchen scraps, paper, etc. are allowed to compost for up to a couple of years until they are gradually withdrawn for use in the garden. As well as saving fertility, a large proportion of the household's water use is avoided.

​

Disadvantages? Well, the hardest bit is to change our attitude to our toilets. Instead of flush and forget, it is not hard to learn to take a concern for the new compost heap, worry over whether to add some more grass clippings, agitate for when it's time to take out a bucket full of compost for the citrus trees. Does this mean anything for Dayboro or Samford or anywhere else? It's up to them. There are many choices in every situation, not just the ones which seem the most expedient at the time. "Flush and forget" doesn't solve a problem, it just sends it somewhere else.

​

Toilet tip of the month: Wee is one of the best liquid fertilisers for the garden and orchard. It has low disease risk, very quickly available nutrients, and you can make it yourself. If you use a bucket of sawdust to collect wee in, the sawdust will stop the smell, and contribute to the soil when it's all tipped on the garden. This is a concentrated brew, so dilute it before applying, and wash it in well afterwards.

​

Household waste

In the absence of a garbage collection service residents must deal with household waste themselves. This has presented an opportunity, taken up by residents, to manage waste effectively by recycling much of what is typically sent to landfills.

​

The communities of Mt Nebo and Mt Glorious share a Waste Transfer Station. Residents are "encouraged" (in the strongest possible terms) to separate out "garbage" into non-recyclable waste, glass, tin, car batteries, waste oils, paper and associated recyclables (e.g. plastic bottles, etc.), or clothing, and to then dispose of each into its appropriate receptacle provided at the Station. There is also a place, Treasure Island, where residents can leave unwanted items that may be of use to other residents (e.g. kitchen appliances, old tools, etc.)

​

Garden waste is also handled at the Station, however residents are urged to treat dangerous weed plants as non-recyclable waste and to dispose of them accordingly. I.e. the diligent resident who digs out dangerous weeds from their garden should dispose of them as if they were the threat that they actually are and not leave them with other plant material at the tip where they may invade surrounding bushland. (See the discussion of feral plants for further discussion of dangerous weeds.)

​

The Transfer Station does not accept builder's waste (which must be deposited at the Samford or other rubbish tip).

​

Composting kitchen waste provides residents with a means for reducing their disposable waste while producing valuable material for the garden.

​

Mail

Mountain mail is handled through the Mt Nebo Post Office and delivered by local contractors to most households. Some residents make use of the Post Office boxes and collect their mail from there. Bulky, undeliverable items are generally kept at Samford Post Office and householders are notified to collect it from there.

​

Schools & School Bus Service

The only school on the mountain is the Mt Nebo Primary School, on Mt Nebo Rd. It caters for students from Prep through to Grade 7. The Steiner School in Samford is the nearest alternative school. Many high school students travel off the mountain to the Gap High School and other high schools in Brisbane, traveling on the school bus service.

​

The school bus service to and from The Gap currently runs services as follows. There is an early morning bus from Mt Nebo down to The Gap (arriving approximately 7am) and another later service also down to The Gap (arriving approximately 8:30am). There are two afternoon return services (departing The Gap at approximately 3:15pm and 4:30pm).

​

There is also a local bus service to and from Mt Nebo Primary School, collecting students from along the range in the morning and returning them in the afternoons.

​

After School Care

There is an after-school care facility on weekdays during the school term. For further details on these services see the information provided by the Mt Nebo School.

​

Driving on Mountain Roads

Drivers on local mountain roads need to bear in mind some special problems that can arise. The roads are narrow and winding, with few places to overtake and very steep drop-offs. Traffic speeds vary enormously between commuting locals (familiar with the roads) and sight-seeing tourists (who may be travelling a very slow speeds), with the ever-present risk of high-speed motorcycles. Patience is required – remember, dangerous maneuvers may risk life and limb for a time-saving of only a couple of minutes travelling time. Drivers should:

​

• Pull over to let faster traffic pass.

 

Weather conditions can also present dangers. Wet and foggy conditions are often encountered and demand appropriate driving behaviour.

​

• It is wise to drive with lights on (day or night) in foggy conditions (some say always).

 

After heavy rain, it is not uncommon for minor landslides to deposit rocks on the road, and large trees will sometimes fall across the road. Drivers should bear in mind that:

​

• There may be dangerous obstacles just around the next corner.

 

Lastly, the abundance of local wildlife means it may frequently be encountered on roads. High speeds will often result in road-kills. This may also attract further wildlife onto the road to feed on the carcass. Drivers should:

​

• Be aware there may be wildlife on the road.

• Roadkill should be removed from the road to avoid further deaths.

 

Drivers might consider using wildlife deterrent whistles which emit a high-pitched sound inaudible to human ears at vehicle speeds above about 50km/hr.

​

Your Garden

(Condensed from Cassian Humphreys, Mountain News)

In SE Queensland there is little virgin forest left. What we see in our bushland is various stages of regrowth. Part of the damage that was done was the infiltration of our native bushland by introduced plants which became "weeds". Therefore most people view our native bushlands, Australia's floral heritage as a "straggly mess", compared to the pristine plant communities that were once here, that is a reasonable summary.

​

Because of Australia's shallow infertile soils, the plant flora that evolved here, evolved to be diverse (since 'development' of SE Queensland there are still over 4,000 species native here). The diversity is integral to what was once the "pristine forest", due to the soils the plants supported each other by association with bacteria, fungi, soil organisms, micro-organisms and each other. Where the systems (or plant systems as I term them) have been breached by "development", stress on a grand scale has occurred.

​

The regrowth that has resulted did so on those poor nutrient weak soils. Many understorey plants in much regrowth is only just starting to regenerate now. It is my belief that except for patches of "virgin" forest remaining the flora of Australia is under a stress that left to its own devices (i.e. without management) would take hundreds of years of regeneration to repair itself. Therefore, we have an impaired model to observe in Australian nature.

​

Back to our domestic gardens, we also have an impaired model since the majority of our urban flora is from other locations in the world, other countries. Each species of plant has been designed by the environment it evolved in. Each plant had its own set of plants and soil organisms to associate with.

​

As we have all seen with our introduced plants that without the control, i.e. fertilisers, irrigation systems, growth regulators, pesticides, soil improvers etc, we have plants that become stressed and fail. Those same plants in the plant systems they evolved in like Australian flora required no management, maintenance or control.

​

Control is also necessary with those plants that grow "too well" in our climate. Control such as repeated pruning, root barriers, growth regulators, herbicides etc etc. Those plants in their natural plant systems would have had their growth "monitored" by their natural environments. Essentially in its "pristine" state nature is functional, no energy is wasted, a fallen leaf by one plant is nutrition for another.

​

With the right kind of help, by planting the right plant in the right place, nature can be healed sooner. We can have gardens which function, by working with nature, creating plant systems. This means beautiful uplifting gardens, with low to no maintenance irrigation system free, and wildlife attraction.

​

I define a plant system as the plant component of an ecosystem. A group of plants that are indigenous to the area they are growing in have evolved together, support and associate with each other. A plant system is a self maintaining, self perpetrating system that is by nature functional. Of course regarding water requirements, a plant that is growing in the area of its evolution, in the right environment, will only need the water that falls from the sky.

​

Some introduced plants have naturalised, are non competitive, fit in with Australia's flora. Others that are established, and do not propagate themselves, can fit in with a plant system. It is only the weed species which are to be removed. Where an introduced plant is to be retained a plant system is to be of a compatible theme for function to occur. In conclusion of this article I believe the history of horticulture has led us to this point. when we will start to work with nature rather than continue to control and contain her. I am committed to research of SE Queensland plant systems, the co-creation of such systems, care of our established trees and education of the public. I have been running Tree Care for the last 5 years. Tree Care is now the arboricultural division of Naturaculture. Naturaculture is Latin for the culture of nature.

​

Native Plant Nurseries, Growers and Advice

​