alert City of Parramatta will soon no longer support this version of IE. Consider upgrading your browser now. Link
alert

The Online Services Portal will be offline for system maintenance tonight from 5pm - 10pm. Apologies for any inconvenience. 

alert

The Online Services Portal will be offline for system maintenance tonight from 5pm - 10pm. Apologies for any inconvenience. 

City in Nature

Bushland and Biodiversity

Bushland and Biodiversity are the bedrock of natural ecosystems. It is the different plants, animals and microorganisms that exist. Parramatta's biodiversity can be found in our bushland areas, our rivers and creeks as well as our built environment with over 600 species of plants and around 230 animal species recorded in the area.

The City of Parramatta has 459 hectares of remnant bushland and 38 volunteer bush care groups across the Local Government Area which have contributed over 17,000 hours of bushland regeneration since 2013.

Our remaining bushland mainly exists as narrow corridors along our creeks and rivers, now primarily listed as Endangered or Critically Endangered space. This bushland is home to a diverse range of flora and fauna, including vulnerable and endangered species such as Epacris purpurascens var. Purpurascens, the Green and Golden Bell Frog and Powerful Owl. Protecting our bushland is paramount for future generations and for the sustainability of our ecosystem.

By protecting our natural assets, we can improve the quality of life for our residents, workers, visitors and also for Greater Western Sydney. By protecting and enhancing the health of our bushland and biodiversity we can make sure native Australian animals and plants thrive.

The City’s bushland and biodiversity goals is:

To protect and enhance the health of our natural ecosystem of plants and animals is being delivered through:

  • Our bushland regeneration program which currently includes 187 hectares of bushland under management
  • Implementation our waterways master plans for estuary, river and creek preservation
  • Expanding habitat for fauna by planting diverse species of trees, shrubs and grasses and by installing nest boxes.
  • Maintaining and building walking tracks to give the community better access to bushland and reserves
  • Develop new management plans for bushland areas across the Local Government Area covering fire hazard management, restoration and rehabilitation works, preservation of flora and fauna and iconic species, feral animal control, increased vegetation and protection of endangered flora and fauna species.
  • Engagement with the community on bushland and biodiversity through the delivery of the Bush Care Volunteers Program.
  • Engagement with the Community through our Get into Nature education program.
  • Delivery of our Biodiversity strategy “Life in our City” which provides a framework to ensure biodiversity is conserved whilst recognising land use along with social, health and economic issues within our Local Government Area.

Life in our City is City of Parramatta's Biodiversity Strategy 2015–2025, developed to protect our local environment. This strategy provides a framework to ensure biodiversity is conserved whilst recognising land use along with social, health and economic issues within our Local Government Area.

Read the Biodiversity Strategy 2015–2025:

Join our Hive and Seek Program

Registrations Closed. Please join our contact list for upcoming information sessions and activities.

The Hive & Seek program encourages residents to learn about native gardening and how improving local biodiversity helps pollinators, especially native stingless bees. Naturally, native bees live in tree hollows, branches, or natural overhangs. Much of their habitat is lost in our suburbs and combined with the increase in herbicide and pesticide use, they are in decline. Having native bees in your garden greatly improves the health of your garden and improves the yields of your veggie patch.

Through this program, we will offer you different opportunities to hear from speakers from universities and from industry, as well as existing hosts who are keen to share their experiences. You will also learn how to build hives and how to split them for regeneration each year. You will become part of a growing network of hive hosts.

To be eligible for this program we ask you to commit to eliminating pesticide and herbicide use on your property. We also encourage you to plant more native species whenever possible and Council will offer you native plant seedlings throughout the year to improve your property biodiversity.

Each year the existing hives will be split. Depending on availability you will then be offered the opportunity to become a host for a live-working native beehive.

Join our contact list by emailing your name, address, contact number to enviroed@cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au or call 02 9806 8292.

Upcoming events