Red-rumped parrot feeding on grass seeds in Tempe Reserve. A good reason not to mow.

Part 1 can be read here – http://savingourtrees.wordpress.com/2011/08/24/marrickville-council’s-draft-biodiversity-action-plan-–-part-1/

For brevity, I have not included every point or aim in the action plan.

Tempe Recreation Reserve & Alexandra Canal – This is an area of 18.3 hectares of reclaimed land & provides a range of habitats; freshwater & brackish wetlands & shrubby sandstone vegetation & local & regional connectivity between the Cooks River Corridor & the Alexandra Canal.  I could not find what birds & animals benefit from this area in the document, but know from my own sightings that there are land reptiles, small grain, nectar & insect eating birds, wetland birds & flying foxes.

  • Spending $25,000pa of an existing budget of $80,000pa to continue maintenance & management & extend maintenance to re-vegetated areas adjoining Alexandra Canal.
  • Spending $20,000pa to implement the Cooks River Valley Garden Management Plan, maintain & improve habitat & do under-storey restoration planting along Alexandra Canal.
  • Also maintain & improve the Swamp Oak Floodplain Forest remnant known as ‘Container Wetland.’  This is the vast area of land beside residential East Tempe that the planes fly over.  It has been a wasted opportunity for substantial habitat for urban wildlife, being mostly weeds with the odd tree that has managed to survive.  As it is a visual entrance to Sydney from the air, fixing this area will have another benefit other than just a significant area of habitat for urban wildlife.  The area also has the potential to be a carbon sink.

The GreenWay: Cooks River to Iron Cove – The GreenWay provides a 5 km long corridor of relatively connected vegetation between the Cooks River regional shared path/cycleway from Earlwood to the Iron Cove Bay Run at Haberfield. The aim is also to increase dispersal opportunities with Wolli Creek, Cooks River & Alexandra Canal.  “Many of the remnant vegetation areas are very small, degraded & infested with noxious & environmental weeds; however, within the context of a highly urbanised environment, this vegetation has potential for enhancement & expansion to improve habitat for urban biodiversity (Eco Logical 2010).”  The GreenWay provides habitat for reptiles, small birds & critically endangered Long‐nosed Bandicoots.

  • Continued support for the Inner West Environment Group to undertake re-vegetation in the rail corridor.
  • Ensure adoption of development controls for the Bandicoot Protection Area & Wildlife Corridor.
  • Assist the GreenWay Sustainability Project Team.
  • Investigate traffic calming measures along West Street Lewisham & warn drivers of the bandicoots’ presence.
  • Target households within the Bandicoot Protection Zone, with special priority for a pilot responsible pet ownership education program.

Fraser Park Marrickville & Tillman Park Sydenham - These two parks offer connectivity as they are on adjoining sides of the railway corridor.  The parks & the corridor provide habitat for frogs, moisture dependent reptiles, small grain, nectar & insect eating birds & fast‐flying bats & slow‐flying bats.  Interestingly, RailCorp have a Biodiversity Management Plan (2006) outlining the re-vegetation, restoration & maintenance status of rail corridors throughout the Sydney Metropolitan Area.  Imagine if all these vast areas were actually put to use & planted with urban wildlife in mind.  The rail corridor here is quite large & has good quality, mature stands of native vegetation.

  • Flag priority sites with RailCorp that have been identified as ‘excellent re-vegetation’ in their Biodiversity Management Plan 2006.
  • Flag lower priority weed sites with RailCorp for staged re-vegetation if opportunity arises. This area appears to be along the goods line.
  • Spending $3,000pa to increase density of plantings at the margins of Tillman Park & add freshwater & brackish swamp plantings to the grass swale at the south‐west section.
  • Spending $5,000 to re-vegetate the Stormwater Management Systems area with plants appropriate to the freshwater & brackish swamps plant community.

The Urban Habitat Mosaic -This term refers to all parks, reserves, other open

A flying fox can eat up to 1,000 mosquitos in an hour

space, streets, road verges, schools, church grounds & backyards in the LGA, as well as Camperdown Cemetery, Marrickville Community Nursery, Camdenville Park & the Bush Pockets sites at Victoria Road & Bedwin Road.  These areas, depending where they are in the LGA, provide habitat for Long‐ nosed Bandicoots, Grey‐headed Flying Foxes, frogs, reptiles, nocturnal birds, small grain, nectar & insect eating birds & fast‐flying bats & slow‐flying bats. Although the ‘mosaic’ does not provide much in the way of connectivity, the report says this network may be more permeable to the more highly mobile species & those adapted to urban environments.  If we all planted our garden &/or verges with urban wildlife in mind, even if only 1 or 2 plants, we would help significantly by providing much needed food sources & depending on what we plant & how we do it, habitat as well.

  • Spending $70,000 for a new position to coordinate management & community engagement around Bush Pockets & verge plantings.
  • Spending $5,000 for continued support, maintenance & volunteer activities at existing Bush Pockets sites.
  • Incorporate information & guidelines into the Urban Forest Strategy to ensure biodiversity principles are built into street tree masterplanning.
  • Spending $10,000 to apply for grant funding to review the Camperdown Cemetery Restoration Strategy (2007 – 2011) & achievements.

Council spent approximately $600,000 for their biodiversity‐related operational budget over the 2010/11 financial year.  As for biodiversity with the Marrickville Urban Forest Strategy the report advised -

  • Consider the retention of mature trees (native & exotic) as habitat trees where practical, especially if they have hollows, mature or developing exfoliating bark  & fruit suitable for Grey‐headed Flying Foxes.
  • Minimize the planting of Eucalyptus, Angophora & Corymbia, as these trees increase the density of Noisy Miners.
  • Consider the planting of dense shrubs rather than trees for street tree planting, especially within & adjacent to Marrickville’s Priority Biodiversity Areas.
  • Food trees for Grey‐headed Flying foxes should be retained where possible, or replaced, & food trees (rainforest trees, Figs) should be incorporated into street tree plantings.
  • Consider fencing & retaining trees that have been poisoned or die naturally as these offer habitat.

A Heron looking for food along the Cooks River at Tempe Reserve

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