Why is Blacktown’s bushland important?
Blacktown City is situated on the Cumberland Plain of Western Sydney. The primary vegetation type in our area is known as the Cumberland Plain Woodland of the Sydney basin bioregion. It is home to a wealth of biodiversity, including 2,185 different species, with a variety of threatened flora and fauna.
The City has more than 4,000 hectares of native vegetation, classified into 13 plant community types, 11 of which are considered threatened ecological communities identified under the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 and the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. With less than 10% of this critically endangered bushland remaining worldwide, development and land management practices have significantly contributed to the decline in biodiversity across our City.
Native vegetation
The Cumberland Plain Woodland is a unique and diverse ecological community native to Western Sydney. It consists primarily of Eucalyptus woodlands and grasslands. The understorey is rich with native shrubs, grasses and wildflowers. The Cumberland Plain Woodland supports a wide variety of plant and animal species. This vegetation community provides crucial habitat for many native fauna, including birds, reptiles and insects.
Related information:
Plant species in the woodland
Blacktown City Plant list
Native animals
The last stands of Cumberland Plain Woodland are important havens for native wildlife. Managing the native woodlands, grasslands and open space is essential to maintain habitat and support healthy fauna populations.
The National Parks and Wildlife Act protects all native mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians in NSW, and it is against the law to take them from the wild.
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the variety of living animal and plant life from all sources and includes diversity within and between species and diversity of ecosystems. Biodiversity ensures the conditions for life that allow us to thrive; clean air, fresh water, a breathable atmosphere and the ability to grow food. Biodiversity provides health benefits, economic gain, ecological services and community connections.
Biodiversity loss
Land clearing destroys crucial habitats like woodlands, wetlands and grasslands removing shelter and food sources for local wildlife and fragmenting the remaining habitat areas. This fragmentation isolates populations of flora and fauna, negatively impacting their gene flow, population size and diversity.
Waterways
A waterway can be a creek or river– anything where water flows, either permanently or periodically. Our waterways act as natural wildlife corridors, allowing wildlife to move and migrate between different areas, which is vital for genetic diversity and ecosystem resilience. Blacktown City has 262 km of waterways, which is the equivalent distance from Sydney to Canberra. There are 162 km of natural waterways and the remaining 100 km are concrete channels, grass swales or modified creeks.
