NRM in Peri-Urban Sydney

Peter Ridgeway

Greater Sydney Local Land

Services

These slides are part of

“Engaging with peri-urban

landholders: a webinar for

councils and networks” held on 2

June 2019

NRM in Peri-urban Sydney

The latest is the MaroubraWoodland snail, listed as

endangered a fortnight ago, only because volunteer Kurtis

Lindsay did the research to make it happen.

© Friends of Malabar Headland

• Sydney is special

• 179 threatened species

• 20 threatened

ecosystems

• Diverse geography &

geology = high

biodiversity

Private Land is where it’s at

• Private Land is important

for biodiversity

• This is a single tree with a

split trunk

– Possibly the oldest living

thing in Sydney?

– On a private property in

Wollondilly (not in a

National Park!)

Private Land is where it’s at

• Regent Honeyeater –

probably the rarest

animal in NSW

• Almost entirely on

private land including

in Sydney

Private Land is where it’s at

• Bankstown Hibbertia

Hibbertia puberula

ssp. Glabrescens –

found only in a single

paddock on private

land in Bankstown

Why small lots matter

• Soil fertility index

– correlation

between lot size

& soil fertility

• You can see

Sydney’s small

farms

Small lots matter

• The last Antechinus population on the entire Cumberland Plain was discovered – not in a large remnant – but living in a single hollow tree on a Golf Course

• Large areas are vital, but habitat resources are also important which can occur on small properties

When we engage landowners…

• Landowners love

biodiversity – but they

rarely get to see it, or

restore it, even on their

own property

• The more we engage

them with it the more

the community join us

doing it

Hills Shire area -

Microbat survey on

private property

…people change the world

• Result = the

creation of the

largest multiple-

property private

land conservation

reserve in the

northwest

…people change the world

• 2018 LLS project -

weed ID training for

volunteers

• One of the

volunteers clearing

lantana sent us a

selfie of an orchid…

… it was the first

population of

endangered

Sydney Plains

Greenhood

orchid found

west of the

Nepean River

Even the least promising…

…can lead to surprising results

The first Koala

in the region

(Mulgoa) in 100

years!

Private land is important

• The Koala was

radiotracked when

released

• In 60km, only went

into NP reserves

twice

– A lot of good land is

on private land

What can we do?

• We need to work with peri-urban landholders

to save biodiversity

• Where possible, visit these landowners on the

land

– Meet them face-to-face

– Talk to them about weed control, pest control,

revegetation or wildlife surveys

– One-one-one or with Landcare