The South West of Western Australia has been internationally recognised as one of the worlds 34 'Biodiversity Hotspots'. These hotspots are locations in which more than 50 per cent of the world’s terrestrial plant species and 43 per cent of the world’s vertebrate species occur on just 2.3 per cent of the earth’s land surface. Land clearing and development pose the single greatest threat to Western Australia’s unique biodiversity. Responsibility for the preservation of Western Australia's biodiversity lies with all tiers of government as well as individual landholders. Local government has a key position in relation to ensuring biodiversity conservation, having the capacity and responsibility for planning and managing development at a local policy level while working closely with developers and the local community to achieve the best environmental outcomes.
In 2003, the City of Mandurah released its Bushland Protection Strategy in a bid to conserve areas of remnant bushland within the municipality under threat from rapid development for the joint benefit of the environment and the population of Mandurah. The Mandurah community's response to this strategy was overwhelmingly positive, with 98 per cent of respondents in favour of conserving Mandurah’s natural environment.
Three years ago, the City entered into a partnership with the South West Biodiversity project, securing a $15,000 grant to assist in implementing its Bushland Protection Strategy. Through its involvement in the South West Biodiversity project, the City has been able to access mapping of the regions vegetation complexes which has subsequently enabled the City to develop targets for bushland protection. These targets are based on research into the major impacts affecting Mandurah’s biodiversity and they enable the City to prioritise areas of vegetation to be protected and rehabilitated.
Through its involvement in the South West Biodiversity project, the City of Mandurah has established a Bushland Management Grant Scheme to provide landowners with financial and technical assistance in maintaining privately owned bushland. In addition, the City also provides additional training to members of the public, staff and elected members in conservation biology and undertake ecological assessments of its 16 largest bushland reserves. Through these assessments, Mandurah’s own Tims Thicket Reserve has been identified as the highest priority ecological site within the South West, based on its vegetation complexes, fauna, size, shape, condition and existing links to Yalgorup National Park.
At present, over 1000 hectares of bushland is vested in the City of Mandurah and through the adoption of the Bushland Protection Strategy, it is the City’s aim to secure a further 150 hectares of privately owned bushland which would otherwise be lost to development. To date, the City has purchased two parcels of pristine bushland as part of the strategy. The first parcel comprising of 24 hectares of undeveloped land adjacent to the City’s Marlee Reserve, was purchased in 2006 with the purchase of a second 0.74 hectare parcel of land in Dawesville being successfully secured in early 2009.
While significantly smaller than the first land purchase, this second site contains regionally important Banksia and Jarrah woodland which is important foraging habitat for the threatened Carnaby’s White-Tailed Black Cockatoo. The City has worked in partnership with state government authorities to secure funding for the purchase of bushland areas as well as contributing funds from its annual budget, however, the purchase of bushland is just one facet of the City of Mandurah’s holistic approach to protecting bushland in the area.
The City of Mandurah is firmly committed to its philosophy of open negotiations with landowners to ensure that the best possible development outcomes are achieved. Other achievements accomplished as a part of the Bushland Protection Strategy include successful negotiations with developers to ensure the protection of 11 hectares of core conservation reserve at the Frasers Landing Development in Coodanup and an additional 1.4 hectares of land for the creation of a greenbelt and wildlife corridor in the Peel Retreat development. The City will continue to negotiate with developers to ensure that the impact of any future development on natural vegetation is minimised.
The City remains determined to achieve its goal of protecting a total of 150 hectares of bushland, actively seeking to secure the remaining 113 hectares required. The City of Mandurah will continue to work with private land owners to secure identified areas of bushland and the Council is pursuing an economic strategy to enable ongoing protection of bushland areas.
School children helping out with the Marlee Reserve Consultation
