8. THE IMPORTANCE AND DESTRUCTION OF AUSTRALIAN BUSH ROCK
bush rock is naturally exposed, gradually weathered, lying loose on the ground's surface, mosses and lichens growing on its thousands of years, an animal shelter for lizards, insects, invertebrates, frogs, snakes and small mammals, adapted to a rock strewn environment, here these small communities can avoid extreme weather conditions and escape bushfires, bush rock acts to restrict bushfires by providing areas of flat rock which will not fuel its course, the speed, spread and intensity of fire is thereby reduced, in areas where the rock cover has not been disturbed, the moist environment under rocks enables them to live through summers, so it is inevitable that both private and commercial bush rock collectors, will cause extensive and irrepairable damage to the nature of australia, bush rock just doesn't look good next to yet another suburban house, as a woolworth's quality accessory with a painted gnome on top, the rocks look undignified, false, implanted, plasticine, glued or thumped on, silly putty rocks, out of place, lichen shrivels on the sides, slaters go deeper in, spiders dry and drop off, it's a sterile garden ornament, marsupials disappear into the ochre of a painting, it's this desire to recreate the natural environment in their own gardens, that is steadily killing the country, removing rock from native areas leaves gaps in the land, affects native plants and animals, allows weeds to invade the outback, while torn up bush rocks doze in frontyards |
