Blue Mountains City Council, New South Wales (NSW), is celebrating the efforts of the Popes Glen Bushcare Group for their efforts in completing a remarkable environmental restoration project.
Mayor, Mark Greenhill, said, “This project was ambitious to say the least. The group has restored the ecological integrity of a highly degraded landscape over a six year period.”
Located across the road from the Blackheath Memorial Park duck pond, the project has been a successful collaboration between the volunteers of the Popes Glen Bushcare group, the Blue Mountains Bushcare Network, Council, local bush regeneration contractor ‘The Bush Doctor’, local businesses, and funding from the NSW Environmental Trust.
Coordinator of Popes Glen Bushcare Group, Dr Alan Lane, said, “Approximately 65 volunteers have have contributed an impressive 4257 hours to the project since 2012.
“We are very proud of this achievement. Our strength was working together using evidence based learning to implement an adaptive management approach to wetland management and restoration, which is now widely recognised in the environmental management field.”
This project has successfully:
- removed one hectare of willows from an unstable sediment flat at the creek headwaters
- pioneered innovative stormwater control strategies to enable weed removal and reduce pollutants and sediment flows to the National Park
- engaged with over 600 students, residents and professionals
- led to two scientific publications by the group and
- generated significant interest from stormwater engineering professionals and students.
The Mayor said, “The success of this complex project is testimony to the skill, commitment and calibre of your volunteer members and the support team of Council staff and local contractors.”
This project was made possible by the generous funding and support of the NSW Environmental Trust to the value of $233,000, with financial and in-kind support from Council.
