7 January 2013

Strathfield Council recently completed a six-month bush regeneration and habitat enhancement project at a small area of remnant bushland at Coxs Creek Reserve in Greenacre.

Coxs Creek Reserve is surrounded by industrial and urban development and yet retains many of the species and much of the character of the endangered ecological community known as the Cooks River Castlereagh Ironbark Forest.

The grant enabled a total of 550 hours of field work and the establishment of 2,500 plants of the Cooks River Castlereagh Ironbark Forest which were propagated at Council’s nursery.

In addition, a number of aggressive exotic groundcovers and vines were removed and new pond zones and compost areas were created to increase habitat opportunities for native creatures, including the rare and endangered Green and Golden Bell Frog.

The works carried out were part of a $15,000 grant from the Sydney Metropolitan Catchment Management Authority (now the Hawkesbury Nepean CMA) and will help maximise the preservation and ongoing recruitment of native species, in line with the priority actions identified in the 2010 Coxs Creek Wetland and Reserve Plan of Management.

Mayor of Strathfield, Cr Gulian Vaccari says Coxs Creek Reserve is a rare area and one Council must work to preserve.

“To have this small pocket of bushland amongst what is now fully developed industrial lands is remarkable. To learn that it is home to endangered native species and an ecological community makes it all the more important for Council to be able to complete works such as this regeneration project,” Cr Vaccari said.

Coxs Creek Reserve is located on a small tributary of the Cooks River. The 1.84 hectare bushland area is a haven for some rare and endangered native plant and animal species such as Tadgells Bluebell, Downy Wattle and the Green and Golden Bell Frog. The Coxs Creek Wetland and Reserve Plan of Management is available at www.strathfield.nsw.gov.au.