THE local community is calling the NSW Government to commit to its previous pledge and add the Fishermans Bay Landcom Site into Tomaree National Park.
Fishermans Bay is a high quality, environmentally significant habitat that has in the past been threatened by urban development.
In 2015 UrbanGrowth NSW (formerly Landcom) was forced to withdraw a housing development application following strong backlash from residents, led by the South Tomaree Community Association.
Later, in 2019, former Opposition Leader and current Minister for the Environment Penny Sharpe visited the area and promised the expansion of Tomaree National Park in the event of a Labor win.
Since then, many community organisations have been taking actions to make sure that Fishermans Bay does not fall into disrepair: among these are Friends of Tomaree National Park, National Parks Association, EcoNetwork, and the South Tomaree Association, as well as many other locals who cleaned up the site from invasive weeds that threatened to replace the native vegetation.
Recently, representatives from these groups have met with Kate Washington MP to showcase the community’s efforts, calling for faster action to be taken so that the area can be safeguarded for good.
“We are fortunate to have such a caring community who recognise this site is very important for wildlife, including at least 25 threatened species such as the wallum toadlet, two donkey orchid species, powerful owl, squirrel gliders and at least eight species of bats, as well as the Endangered Ecological Community of Swamp Sclerophyll Forest on Coastal Floodplains” said Josephine O’Brien, Friends of Tomaree National Park Fishermans Bay Team Leader.
Ms Washington was reportedly impressed that the community cared sufficiently to spend their time and money to
rejuvenate the site.
Local environmental organisations noted that there is bipartisan support for the proposal, as former Environment Minister Matt Kean MP advised in 2021 that interest had been expressed in the site for national park additions.
They are hopeful an announcement will be made before National Threatened Species Day on 7 September.
By Nico LOMBARDO
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