Sydney Metropolitan CMA

Kurnell 2020

Welcome to the Kurnell 2020 project pages. Here you can find the objectives of the project, a map of the projects location and the latest news.

If you have any question please contact the Project Co-ordinator.

Latest news:

Kurnell Community Day

A Community Day was held at Bonna Point during September. The day provided an opportunity for residents to record their memories of the changing natural landscape at Kurnell over time. This day added to the interviews conducted under the "Remembering Kurnell" project earlier in the year. Residents were given plants, native to Kurnell, to plant in their gardens. Plants in backyards contribute to the Corridors Project. A native animal show was held to familiarise the children with some animals that they might encounter at Kurnell.

Maps of the corridors were exhibited for comment and residents and interested people were invited on a series of walks, talks and workshops later in the year. for more information on activities at Kurnell please watch this site.

Dune stablisation at Wanda Beach

Soil Conservation Service dune stabilisation fencing Wanda Beach

When frontal dunes are disturbed, wind-erosion can quickly occur. This is a natural process. However, when disturbance occurs due to human traffic, the resulting erosion can be dramatic and have negative effects on the environment. The Soil Conservation Service controls erosion through a number of techniques including dune stablilisation fencing. This fencing will trap sand and build dunes to a stable level. Seed from surrounding plants then may germinate and further stabilise the sand. Where visitors to the beach break through the fencing to gain access, plants are damaged and the erosion process is accelerated. These dune stablisation works and Wanda Beach have been successful in slowing the processes of dune erosion.

Bitou Bush control

Sutherland Shire Council as received further funding from the Sydney Metropolitan Catchment Management Authority for weed control. Control of Bitou Bush, Lantana and Blackberry will be undertaken in Corridors 3 and 8, two of the 10 biodiversity corridors planned for weed control and revegetation across the Kurnell Peninsula. Bitou Bush, Lantana and Blackberry are classed as Weeds of National Significance. Weeds of National Significance (WoNS) are key weed species agreed by the Australian and State governments as the priority species for nationally coordinated action.

These weeds threaten coastal ecosystems by out-competing and smothering native vegetation. Sutherland Shire Council has identified the plant communities most under threat on Council land from Bitou Bush. These include Coastal scrub, Dune Grasslands and Frontal Dune Vegetation Complex.

Corridor maps

How do we know what fauna is present on the Kurnell Peninsula?

The NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change was contracted by the Sydney Metropolitan Catchment Management Authority to determine possible locations for biodiversity corrdiors linking Towra Point Ramsar wetlands with Botany Bay National Park, the two areas of highest conservation value. It was important that the corridor locations were logical and scientifially justified.

The Kurnell 2020 Corridor Delineation Report (DECC 2009) lists the current flora and fauna species recorded over the last 30 years and maps the current distribution of vegetation communities.