Conservation

Despite the small size, isolation and relatively degraded condition of the City of Canada Bay’s natural environment, our City still retains a surprisingly diverse range of flora and fauna. Studies have shown that there are a total of 159 different plant species that are unique to the lower Parramatta River area present in the City of Canada Bay, including two endangered ecological tree communities, and these are:

Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark Forest

Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark Forest

Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark Forest is by far the most common vegetation type in the City of Canada Bay. It existed on the fertile, deep, Wianamatta Shale derived clay soils of Concord, Concord West, North Strathfield, Canada Bay and parts of Five Dock.

The widespread loss of Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark Forest throughout the Sydney Basin has resulted in its listing under Division 5 of Part 2 of the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 as an Endangered Ecological Community.

Further recognition of the vegetation community’s conservation value is provided by the Federal Government, which has listed Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark Forest as Critically Endangered under the Commonwealth Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (1999). The City of Canada Bay is actively working to ensure the protection and recovery of this community within the Local Government Area.

Swamp Oak Floodplain Forest

This vegetation community is associated with the areas usually occurring on salty floodplain areas and is characterised by the following:

  • Tree species – include Swamp She-oak (Casurina glauca) and Paperbarks (Melaleuca sp.)
  • Groundcover plant species – include Centella (Centella asiatica), Scurvy Weed (Commelina cyanea), Spotted Knotweed (Persicaria decipiens), Tall Sedge (Carex appressa), Saw Sedge (Gahnia clarkei), Mat Rush (Lomandra longifolia), Basket Grass (Oplismenus imbecillis), and Harsh Ground Fern (Hypolepis muelleri).

The widespread loss of Swamp Oak Floodplain Forest throughout the Sydney Basin has resulted in its listing under Division 5 of Part 2 of the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 as an Endangered Ecological Community.

If you would like to get involved in conservation of these and other sites, consider joining our bushcare volunteer group.