Vast forests are still being logged, overfishing is rampant, industrial farming is sucking the joy out of everything, and polar bears will soon be extinct.

So why should we care about the fate of this tiny piece of woodland, no bigger than two suburban blocks?

There are many answers to this question, the first one being that this reserve is a microcosm of wilderness.

It's got the lot, from tall and ancient trees to a Noah's Ark of animals co-existing together, and doing a much better job of it than humans would.

From the micro bats in the treetops to the ringtail possums sheltering in tree hollows to the elusive boobook owl, they live their lives and rear their children and search for food without need of us.

Sometimes the human neighbours catch glimpses of them.

Coming face to face with a tawny frogmouth is something to boast about, as is hearing the boobook hooting.

Blackwall Reserve is a refuge for its inhabitants.

So many surrounding trees have been razed to the ground and replaced by human dwellings.

So many cars don't stop when possums venture onto the road.

The reserve is a citadel whose walls are made of paperbark and bangalay, and a place where animals can feel safe.

The trees are a remnant of Umina Coastal Sandplain Woodland, which once covered the Peninsula but now only exists in a few spots in Umina and in this reserve.

The second most important answer is the link to the past.

The reserve contains an extensive midden that has been registered with the National Parks and Wildlife Service by indigenous elder Tracie Howie.

What is now our reserve was once a sheltered and welcoming meeting place for the original people living on and around the amazing Blackwall Mountain.

Following on from its sheltered aspect is answer number three.

It is very low-lying and flood prone.

When the surrounding blocks were sold off to a local developer 60 years ago, the reserve remained in Gosford Council possession to act as flood mitigation.

During heavy rain any cars parked on the edge of the reserve are at risk of water damage.

Chopping down the trees and covering the ground with concrete would inevitably lead to the laneway and surrounding houses being flooded.

The fourth answer is quality of life for the neighbouring humans.

The only access to this reserve is along a narrow laneway which is inadequate for the mid-density housing already constructed.

On the Ettalong side of the reserve is a townhouse complex, and on the Woy Woy side are three blocks of privately-owned land awaiting development.

The reserve is our breathing space, and will be even more so when the land next to it is built on.

Finally, although this part of Blackwall is quite densely populated, it has few amenities.

If you walk down to Springwood St, you can get a bus to Woy Woy but not to Umina Beach.

There are no food shops or cafes or restaurants; no schools, tennis courts or community centres.

To build on the reserve would mean shoehorning more people and their cars into a treeless purgatory, which does not sound like good town planning.

Blackwall Reserve is classified as operational land by Central Coast Council.

This means that it has no value except its sale price.

Council should change the classification to community land in order to respect its inherent qualities and value, and to prevent it from being sold off to the highest bidder.

It will then truly belong to the community, as well as to its community of animals.

SOURCE:

Email, 5 Jul 2024

Jane Hendy, Blackwall

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