Biodiversity Strategy - Gosford City Council - NSW Government

A - 3.2 Appraisal of biodiversity projects undertaken 2000 – 2004
Council has initiated a number of key projects aimed at reducing impacts on native species,
improving conservation measures for native vegetation, increasing community awareness of the
importance of native wildlife and bushland areas and improved environmental assessment
under its Biodiversity Program. Many of these activities have been across different areas in
Council. In addition, many have been collaborative projects with key agencies and community
groups. This method recognises that biodiversity conservation requires a broad, strategic and
collaborative approach across all land tenures and areas of responsibility. Projects that have
been completed or substantially completed in the period 2000 – 2005 as part of the
implementation of the Biodiversity Management Program are reviewed below.
A - 3.2.1
Gosford Biodiversity Action Plan
Council developed a Gosford Biodiversity Management Action Plan in early 2002. This identified
high, medium and low priority actions for Council under eight themes. Actions included data
collation, environmental management and assessment, education, monitoring and research.
The majority of high and medium actions identified in this plan have been implemented (See
below). Further details on many of these projects are described in further detail in the following
sections.
A - 3.2.2 Systematic and Targeted Fauna Biodiversity Surveys 2000/2001
Council commissioned two systematic and targeted fauna surveys as part of the development of
the Biodiversity Plan. The aims of the study were to gain an understanding of the range of fauna
values present across the various ecosystems in the City and obtain a set of objective data to
establish a baseline systematic dataset for ongoing monitoring projects. Twenty seven sites
were selected across the City.
The first survey was undertaken in late summer-autumn 1999 by the Australian Museum
Business Services (2000). The second study was undertaken in winter and spring 2000 by
Conacher Travers (2001). The sites selected cover a range of ecosystems on different soil
landscapes. Estuarine and beach habitats were not surveyed. The methodology followed the
methods established under the Comprehensive Regional Assessment (CRA) vertebrate surveys
(NSW NPWS 1999).
The major conclusions from the second study were that fauna species richness tended to be
higher within wetter habitats associated with gullies and lower in more exposed sandstone
ridges. The report found that the denser vegetation types and moister habitats tended to provide
habitat for a greater range of amphibians, reptiles, birds and terrestrial mammals. Overall,
twelve threatened species were found at 16 of the 27 sites. Generally this correlated with sites
that also had a higher number of common species. Habitat types containing older growth forest
trees were characterized by the presence of hollow dependent fauna.
Fauna species richness was found to be lowest in areas in close proximity to, or isolated by,
urban settlement and in areas where connectivity was poor. Edge effects such as weed
invasion, refuse dumping and entry of domestic animals were greatest at the sites that were
more isolated. Sites that showed greater connectivity to the coastal ridgelands reserves showed
moderate to high fauna values. Tall open forest types such as those at MacMasters Beach and
Cockrone Lagoon were found to provide specialist habitat for a number of arboreal mammals
such as the Yellow-bellied Glider and Greater Glider. Moderately high fauna values were found
within swamp forest at Avoca Lake whilst values were generally lower within sites at Somersby
and Niagara Park. It was suggested that although connectivity existed to areas such as
Biodiversity - Technical Report Page 56