Plan for rare local bushland
A rehabilitation and management plan for rare local bushland has been prepared by the NSW Department of Environment and Conservation.
The plan is for Umina Coastal Sandplain Woodland (UCSW), a rare type of bushland of which less than 14 hectares remain and which only exists in the Peninsula area.
The report estimated that less than 10 per cent of the community's estimated original cover remains.
The woodland was gazetted in 2002 as an endangered ecological community under the Threatened Species Act.
Three main areas containing the ecological community were identified with the gazettal - adjacent to Umina oval, adjacent to McEvoy oval and in the grounds of Umina campus of Brisbane Water Secondary College - and two other small areas at Pearl Beach and Patonga.
The report expanded from five to 12 the number of areas identified.
Areas identified in the report include the Burrawang Reserve, the Hillview St Catholic land, Etta Rd drainage reserve, and the Greenhaven Dr playground.
According to the report, "UCSW has been extensively cleared for suburban development and there are no surviving remnants within conservation reserves.
"Remnants are very small which increases the impact of threatening processes."
The report identified the threats as including: Further clearing and fragmentation for urban development; weed invasion; rubbish dumping; unapproved track creation; mowing and slashing; too-frequent fire; lack of knowledge of the significance of the vegetation community; sand extraction; and a lowering of the water table by extraction for domestic use.
It stated: "One of the better condition patches of UCSW is currently threatened by development, and other areas are not adequately protected from development."
Another "major problem" identified by the report was "destruction from uncontrolled recreational use".
"Significant damage has been done to remnants of UCSW from uncontrolled access and the creation of tracks and trails through remnants.
"The most significant damage is caused from trail bikes leaving existing tracks.
"Inappropriate adventure play activities by children, such as making cubby houses, also causes considerable damage in some locations."
The report called for an assessment of proposals to extract groundwater from Peninsula.
"A proposal exists to pump ground water from the aquifer on the Umina-Woy Woy Peninsula.
"This proposal has the potential to lower the level of the water table, which may impact upon the ongoing viability of UCSW vegetation, which is a ground water-dependant community."
The report recommended 15 management actions, which would be implemented by the Departments of Environment and Conservation, and of Education and Training; by Gosford Council and by the local community.
These included controlling and formalising access to and within the bush areas, protecting these areas from development, and undertaking community awareness and education activities.
They included the preparation of management plans for all reserves where UCSW existed as well as at the Umina campus, to include specific actions for protection and recovery of the woodland.
Other recommendations included the reinstitution of an environment committee at Umina campus, encouragement for the planting of local native species in parks and private gardens on the Peninsula,
Convenor of the Peninsula Bushcare Forum Mr Mark Snell said the report justified concerns which had been expressed about degradation of the rare Peninsula bushland.
These included opposition to the proposed development of the Catholic land at the corner of Hillview St and Veron Rd, Woy Woy; concerns expressed about groundwater extraction and the proposed playground development at Nambucca Dr; and calls for improved management of bushland at Umina campus of Brisbane Water Secondary College.
Mr Snell said he was interested in hearing from members of the community who were interested in actively supporting the plan, whether or not they had an environmental background.
For further information, telephone 4342 5333.
Mark Snell, 12 Jan 2007