The Nature Conservation Council of NSW, the State's peak environment organisation, celebrated its NSW Environment Day Conservation Awards on Thursday 7th June.

Frances Bray, the President of the Lake Wollumboola Protection Association Inc won the Dunphy Award for the best effort of an individual. She was recognized for "her outstanding commitment during 14 years as an activist for the NSW environment, and remarkable success in protecting Lake Wollumboola."

Frances has been instrumental in protecting Lake Wollumboola and its catchment and contributing to protection of the natural and Aboriginal heritage values of the region. Members of the Association are delighted that her vision, dedication and leadership have been recognized through this award.

In accepting the award, Frances said, "I am passionate about ensuring that both Lake Wollumboola, with its thousands of birds and complex, diverse ecology and the Lake catchment with its threatened species are protected. The key to maintaining and protecting the Lake is keeping the catchment in its natural state, undisturbed by development expansion."

Lake Wollumboola, together with the Shoalhaven Estuary comprises the most significant coastal bird habitat in NSW, with both migratory and native bird numbers sometimes reaching 20,000. It supports species at critical stages such as the migratory Little Terns that nest on the sand bar in summer and the thousands of native water birds that gather during drought.

The Lake and catchment support many species, which are now threatened as a result of the loss of at least 60 % of coastal wetlands in NSW due to development.

Lake Wollumboola is the South Coast's largest shallow saline lagoon. It is surrounded by largely undisturbed wetlands and forest. Its long periods of closure and extremes of water level, result in a unique ecology.

Frances first took action in 1993 to protect Lake Wollumboola and its catchment when she learned about the proposed 3000 lot urban development mainly in the northwest catchment of the Lake. Stage 1 Long Bow Point was refused in June 2000, because of the likely impact on the water quality and ecology of the Lake itself and destruction of the coastal forest and wetland and threatened species of the catchment. With three expert independent Inquiries supporting protection of the Lake and catchment and opposing development expansion, her vision has received resounding endorsement.

The NSW Government has accepted that the Lake Wollumboola catchment is unsuitable for development, and is taking steps through the South Coast Regional Strategy released by the NSW Minister for Planning in February 2007, for it to be rezoned for "Conservation" and acquired for the NSW national park system.

Frances has also contributed in practical ways to protecting the Lake Wollumboola environment and enhancing community understanding.

She is a NPWS Shorebird volunteer, caring for the Little Tern nesting site at Lake Wollumboola sand bar each summer. 48 Little Tern chicks survived to depart on their migration to north Asia this summer and 40 the previous year, in large part due to the volunteer effort.

Frances is also an active member of the Lake Wollumboola Bushcare Group working to maintain the natural wetland along the Lake's northern shore and an enthusiastic observer of the Lake environment, its birds and wetland vegetation.

On Frances's initiative the Lake Wollumboola Protection Association Inc has purchased a bird- spotting telescope, which it intends to use to show members of the public the Little Terns and other wildlife at Lake Wollumboola.

In accepting the award, Frances recalled that the Association's work was very much in the spirit of Myles Dunphy who together with the National Parks Association, worked during the 1940's to 1970's to encourage the NSW Government of the time to protect Lake Wollumboola and the Beecroft Peninsula.

Frances Bray is a most worthy recipient to honour the work of Myles and Milo Dunphy.

Lake Wollumboola South of Culburra Beach
Lake Wollumboola Protection Association Inc. Contact Frances Bray 444 72185.



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