Volunteers call for Federal assistance

Peninsula Bushcare volunteers have called on Gosford Council and the Federal Member for Robertson, Mr Jim Lloyd, to purchase the Catholic Church land on the corner of Veron Rd and Hillview St, Woy Woy.

"The community cannot allow this to happen," said coordinator of the Melaleuca Wetland Regeneration Group, Ms Norah Clark.

"This land is one of the few remaining parcels of pristine Umina Coastal Sandplain Woodland in the Sydney Basin Bioregion as listed under the Threatened Species Conservation Act and described by the Scientific Committee.""

She said Bangalow eucalyptus, rough-barked angophora and swamp mahogany were present on the site as well as "a number of precious Black Boys which are hundreds of years old".

"Also identified on the site are a number of burrawangs which are also precious to the Peninsula," she said.

"It is also recognised by Council's Environmental Planners that the site contains a large hard corkwood which is rare in the area.

"Both the grey-headed flying-fox and the swift parrot have been sighted feeding in these trees and are listed endangered under the Threatened Species Conservation Act.

"It is so important to preserve these pockets that create a corridor of bushland open space between the Kahibah Creek system to the south and Correa Bay in the north.

"The bushcare groups work so hard and give up hours of their own time simply for the pleasure of maintaining and caring for these precious sites.

"To sit by and watch them be cleared to make way for units is a tragedy.

"We are making formal representation to Jim Lloyd because Gosford Council moved a motion in Council on July 27 to make application for funding to purchase the forest under the Federal Government National Reserve System Funding Grant and we need our local member to support that application," Ms Clark said.

Press release, August 17 Melaleuca Wetland Regeneration Group