Update August 2021: Thank you to everyone who provided their feedback on this proposal. All feedback received was collated into a Consultation Summary Report. The majority of respondents were supportive of extending the planting range and pleased with Council's commitment to increasing habitat corridors and natural environment planting. Works are now underway to revegetate the scope (COVID-19 restrictions permitting).
We have identified sections of Calga Reserve, Bronte that are too steep for recreational purposes and unsafe for staff to mow due to these steep gradients. To address this, we will commence planting on these slopes to protect people’s safety.
These sections are highlighted in red in the map below. As part of this program, we are also proposing further planting areas to increase habitat opportunities for fauna and improve plant diversity. These areas are highlighted in blue in the diagram below (click the image to view more detail):
Have your say
We want to hear your thoughts on these further planting areas.
Please click here to provide your feedback. The survey runs until 11.59pm, 4 April 2021.
More information
- The planting palette is available to view here.
- Click here to view the artist impression of the site with the planting.
- There are many locations within Waverley’s network of parks and reserves that are currently under turf or weeds that are too steep for recreational purposes and unsafe for staff to mow due to these steep gradients.
- Over the past five years, Council has undertaken revegetation programs to buffer and connect small and isolated patches of vegetation. Simultaneously, staff have undertaken safety audits on steeps slopes in the LGA that are currently mown, and have identified a number of slopes that are too steep to safely use mowing equipment. We are now seeking to revegetate some of these steep slopes, with the view to releasing staff from mowing requirements at these locations while improving biodiversity, including plant diversity and fauna habitat.
- A safety audit of sites mowed by Council staff that was undertaken earlier in 2019 identified a number of locations that are unsuitable to continue as turfed sites due to their unsafe gradients or locations, such as at the top of a vertical wall. Mowing these sites also damages mowing equipment, resulting in accelerated equipment depreciation and early need for replacement of equipment.
- Revegetating these slopes with low-growing locally indigenous Coastal Heath species would provide a number of benefits, including buffering and supporting our small fragile and disconnected bushland remnants; providing additional fauna habitat and generally increasing biodiversity in our LGA, while removing hazards for staff currently expected to manage these sites using machinery.
- It is expected that the financial cost of revegetating these areas will be outweighed by the savings on including staff mowing time, mower maintenance and operating costs, and improved staff safety.
