Local Bushcare
Bushcare is a positive environmental movement that involves volunteers from the community assisted by Shellharbour City Council. Bushcare work together to rehabilitate and preserve bushland and restore a healthy, natural state of native bushland. Bushcare aims to promote community awareness and education as part of the program.
Shellharbour City Bushcare works with local volunteers and Landcare Illawarra to carry out bush regeneration work at several sites across Shellharbour City.
BUSHCARE VOLUNTEERS
Bushcare volunteers provide an incredible service greening our city and improving the local environment.
Volunteers enjoy:
- A healthy and active working environment
- Being part of a local community
- The support of Council through tools, training and materials
- Education, knowledge and experience All volunteers work in accordance with health and safety regulations.
LOCAL BUSHCARE GROUPS
Oakey Creek BushCare Meets the second Saturday of each month and every second Wednesday from 9am-12pm
Warilla Dunes Bushcare Meets the second Saturday of each month from 8am – 10am
The Watercourse BushCare Meets the third Sunday of each month from 9.30am – 11.30am.
Koona Bay Bushcare Meets the first Sunday of each month from 1pm – 4pm.
Blackbutt Forest Bushcare The group meets the first Sunday of each month from 9am – 12pm.
If you’re interested in starting a new Bushcare group, sessions can be run midweek or on weekends.
To become a volunteer at an existing Bushcare site, or propose an idea for a new BushCare site, please contact Shellharbour City Council’s Natural Areas Supervisor on the numbers below.
General Enquiries Ph: 4221 6212
Team Coordinator Bushland Management Ph: 0439 689 349
Bushland
We manage and care for a range of bushland areas, from Blackbutt Forest to Bass Point and Croom Reserve. Many of these reserves have high environmental values, being home to threatened animals, plants, and ecological communities.
Our Natural Areas team, with the help of many volunteers in our Bushcare and Landcare groups, manage these valuable natural areas.
If you have further questions or enquires about our bushland areas, please contact our Environment team on 4221 6111.
Native plants
Did you know the Illawarra is home to around 2,500 species of native plants?
Many local native plants are great choices for landscaping, and they can be used for any style of garden. For more information about growing local native plants in your garden, please see our Grow Local Native Garden Guide.
Everyone (not just Shellharbour ratepayers) is welcome to buy native plants from our nursery in Oak Flats.
Weeds
Weeds are a threat to our environment. They compete with native plants, attract pest animals and upset the natural balance of our ecosystems. Weeds also cause problems for farmers and can damage crops and agriculture.
Within the Shellharbour City Council area weeds that pose the biggest threat are known as priority weeds. The South East Regional Strategic Weed Management Plan provides guidance on what the priority weeds for the Shellharbour area are.
Under the Biosecurity Act 2015 everyone has a General Biosecurity Duty (GBD) to ensure that, so far as is reasonably practical, the biosecurity risk posed by priority weeds is prevented, eliminated or minimised.
In our area, the Illawarra District Weeds Authority oversees work to control priority weeds. Visit their website for information about priority weeds and what can be done to control them.
Council's weed control work
We do several things to try and control weeds on public land across Shellharbour. This includes:
• Ground and aerial spraying. Our Pesticides Notification Policy explains where and how we spray problem weeds.
• Bush regeneration volunteer groups like Bushcare and Landcare regularly remove weeds and plant native species to help reduce the spread of weeds.
• Planning and research. We work with the NSW Government, Illawarra District Weeds Authority and neighbouring councils to share information and combine our efforts to control weeds.
Pest Animals
Threatened species, together with other native animals, are coming under increasing pressure from predation by pest animals, and competition for food resources. Shellharbour City Council, along with neighbouring Councils and the NSW Local Land Services (LLS) and Department of Planning, Infrastructure and Environment (DPIE), are collecting data on the locations and populations of feral animals in our local area. The information collected will help identify the level of current risk and priority areas for on-ground pest control works to be undertaken.
Community members are encouraged to download the FeralScan app, and report sightings of pest animals such as wild foxes, deer or rabbits, through the app. This will help local land managers build a better understanding of the populations of feral animals and inform regional pest management programs.