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Government Guidelines and Legislation

Bringing the Bush Back to Western Sydney

Department of Infrastructure Planning and Natural Resources (2003)

Bringing the Bush Back to Western Sydney is a best practice guideline for bush regeneration on the Cumberland Plain. The guideline is intended to be a practical tool for people involved in restoration works in western Sydney. The booklet was produced in response to a growing awareness that the experience of regenerating bushland on the shale soils of the Cumberland Plain was different to that on the sandstone ridges of Sydney, and, because little has been documented about the Cumberland Plain experience to date.

Background

Sydney is ringed by rugged sandstone country. The sandstone country was not suited to farming and early settlement and thus has been retained as bushland, of which much has since been reserved. The central part of Sydney is flatter land, known as the Cumberland Plain. The soils of the plain have proved fertile, and suitable for agriculture, and as a result, little native vegetation has been preserved. Only more recently has the remnant vegetation of the plain been recognized as important to preserve and regenerate.

Practical Difference Between Sydney’s Sandstone and Shale Landscapes

Bringing the Bush Back to Western Sydney puts forward a number of practical differences between bushland on the Cumberland Plain and the Sandstone ridges of Sydney in terms of history of impacts, and vegetation structure and response, summarised below:

Variable
Effect
Distribution of degrading impacts
  • The rugged nature of the landscapes in Sandstone areas, results in some areas being protected from primary disturbances.
  • The flatter land has rendered bushland on the Cumberland Plain more accessible and therefore a greater proportion of the bushland is degraded. Even the best areas of bush are somewhat degraded.
History of Landuse
  • The history of agricultural use on the Cumberland Plain has resulted in sustained clearing and grazing of native plant communities.
  • Less accessible areas of the sandstone landscape have survived with fewer direct impacts.
Vegetation Structure and Dynamics
  • In general Cumberland Plain woodland has most diversity in the ground layer, and that is the layer most impacted by weeds.
  • In Sandstone Forest, the shrub layer is most heavily affected by weeds.
Impact of Increased Nutrients
  • Sydney sandstone soils are low nutrient soils. Increases in nutrient levels allow weeds a competitive edge over native plants.
  • The soils of the Cumberland Plain have naturally higher nutrient levels and therefore increased nutrient level is not as critical an issue for native species.
Impact of Topography and Soils
  • Sandstone gullies are vulnerable to degradation along drainage lines due to nutrient enriched storm water flows.
  • The clay soils of the Cumberland Plain are more susceptible to soil erosion and compaction than sandstone soils.
  • Salinity is an emerging problem on the Cumberland Plain.
Community Use and Abuse
  • The scale and frequency of inappropriate community use of bushland is much greater on the Cumberland Plain.

Differences between bushland on the Cumberland Plain and Sydney Sandstone country, that require different management responses.

Challenges and Opportunities

In planning a bushland restoration project, the following considerations are noted to be different to the bushland restoration experience in the sandstone areas of Sydney.

Indigenous Cultural Heritage
  • There is a high number of Aboriginal sites on the Cumberland Plain that must be considered as part of busland restoration projects
Restricted Knowledge Base
  • With only 6% of bushland remaining, knowledge of undisturbed bushland is poor.
Scale and Focus
  • Sites on the Cumberland Plain are often expansive, with no bush in very good condition to work from, or buffer impacts.

Bringing the Bush Back to Western Sydney provides practical advice for modification of bush regeneration practices in response to the opportunities and constraints of working on the Cumberland Plain. For example, the limited effectiveness of herbicide spraying in hot dry conditions of the Cumberland Plain is noted. Advice is provided as specific management suggestions for individual weeds and specific situations.

The booklet is free, available from the Government Bookshop. A pdf can be downloaded at:
http://www.bookshop.nsw.gov.au/pubdetails.jsp?publication=5799

 

 

 

 

 

 

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