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Bushland management

Despite being one of the most densely populated municipalities in Australia, Waverley has a number of unique bushland areas. Some are found along the coastal walks and enjoyed by thousands of people each day, and some a stone’s throw from our most cherished beaches like Bronte and Tamarama gullies. Other precious sites are scattered among the cliffs, rock shelves and dunes found along the coastline and through the suburbs.

These bushland sites provide vital habitat and resources for the wildlife that still survive in the face of many external threats. All our native species of flora and fauna are special, and we work to prevent any further degradation or loss of any species from our bushland areas. By ensuring the essential habitat resources are maintained and threats are diminished, the animal populations can persist and flourish.

Discovering native birds, lizards and frogs migrating through residential backyards is a sign of this success. You can become involved with regeneration of our bushland areas or carrying out fauna surveys or act to make your own spaces more welcoming for them by Gardening with Native plants.

Waverley Council's management of our urban bushland includes:

• Supporting volunteers to care for our urban bushland and improve the vegetation corridors along our coastline through the Waverley Bushcare Volunteer Program.
• Engaging professional bushland regeneration contractors to care for our remnant bushland. In addition, Council obtains funding from sources such as Caring for Country.
• Integrating bushland management with other council policies such as Plans of Management for parks and reserves, tree preservation and weed control policies, and planning and development applications in conservation corridors.
• Waverley Council has invested in the long-term restoration of bushland areas such as the Ecological Restoration Framework and Action Plan (ERFAP) for Tamarama Park and Gully. The works onsite are an fusion of council, volunteers and professional regenerators and, after just one year, the change is remarkable. Come down and see for yourself!

Bush Regeneration and Waverley’s remnant vegetation

Remnant vegetation refers to areas that have escaped development and have some intact native vegetation at the site. Mostly, this is due to the inaccessible or precarious locations.

These areas are typically small and isolated and face many external impacts and threats. If rarity accounts for value, then Waverley’s remnant bushland is priceless. Waverley contains six hectares of remnant bushland, which provide valuable habitat, food and shelter for local wildlife and are irreplaceable features of our natural heritage. For these reasons such sites are a priority for environmental protection works.

Owing to our sandy soils, much of Waverley’s bushland is a low-growing plant community known as heathland. Where less exposed conditions are found, tall trees will dominate to form a canopy layer.

Waverley's remnant vegetation has been mapped to ensure it’s protected now and into the future.

Native vegetation cover has been restored at other sites by manually establishing native plant stock and encouraging the return of the ecological communities that once thrived across the area. Suitable species for sites in Waverley are available at Randwick Council Nursery.

The impact of introduced weeds is a major ongoing threat to Waverley’s natural places. Weeds degrade the natural qualities of bushland and it requires commitment and effort to control them. Bush regeneration is the term used in Australia for the work to remove weeds and restore the ecological processes that maintain bushland in a natural, healthy condition. Bushcare volunteers from the local community are a vital and dynamic part of this work, striving to make Waverley a healthier, more beautiful place for all to enjoy.

Find out about the role Bushcare volunteers play at Waverley.