The Tweed-Byron Bush Futures project has been recognised with a major Landcare award, taking out the Local Government Landcare Partnership Award at a ceremony in Parkes last week.
The Bush Futures Project is undertaking bushland restor-ation works on more than 225 hectares of urban bushland at over 50 sites to address threats to bushland integrity in both shires.
The project aims to: deliver extensive on-ground works to address threats to bushland integrity; raise awareness of the ways that residents living adjacent to native bushland can manage their land in a sustainable way and reduce adverse impacts on the bushland; and reinforce the role Council has in managing natural areas, particularly those that are directly under its control, such as bushland reserves.
The three-year project commenced in early 2009 and is funded through a $1.7M NSW Government Environmental Trust grant. Tweed Shire Council is the lead agency in the partnership.
Tweed Councillor Kevin Skinner congratulated all those involved in Bush Futures, including the community groups such as Landcare who had been fundamental to its success.
“The success of Tweed and Byron Shires’ collaboration on this project has helped establish a template for local government and community cooperation,” Councillor Skinner said.
“We’ve shown we can work together to address natural resource management issues at the interface between urban areas and bushland.”
The bush restoration work has involved control and removal of a range of weeds which are the main threat to urban bushland. Other work has included the removal of rubbish and dumped garden waste from bushland, planting local native trees, installing nest boxes for local wildlife, controlling invasive species including cane toads and Indian Mynas and the installation of interpretative signage.
Tweed Landcare Inc Chair-person Chris Roberts said the award reflected the strong working relationship between local Dunecare and Landcare groups and Tweed Shire Council, who have traditionally provided support for tasks that had fallen to care groups.
“Urban bushland restoration is an area that has traditionally missed out on funding but provides important refuge and habitat for a range of significant native species and communities,” Mr Roberts said.
Bush Future Project Manager John Turnbull said Tweed and Byron Shire Councils face similar impacts on areas of native bushland which they manage.
“Apart from the direct loss of habitat, urban development contributes to ongoing habitat degradation through fragment-ation and disturbance effects. Evidence of this is seen in the form of weed invasion, the presence of exotic animals, rubbish dumping, erosion, and stormwater pollution,” Mr Turnbull said.
“While attempts are now made to ensure that new urban developments minimise their impact on surrounding habitats, there remains an urgent need to prevent further degradation of remnant habitats, which is where Bush Futures is playing an important role.
“The award is very satisfying, and is an acknowledgement of the successful implementation of the programs put in place to deliver the project aims,” he said. “Much of that success is due to a committed and hands-on steering committee which undertakes an active role in delivery of the project and the excellent results achieved by restoration contractors.”
Mr Turnbull highlighted the contributions of Tweed and Byron’s Community Support Officers Claire Masters and Wendy Gibney, the Tweed and Brunswick Valley Landcare networks and Byron Shire Council’s Bush Futures Project Officer, Angus Underwood.
For more information on the project, visit www.tweed.nsw.gov.au/BushFutures
