Connectivity of Action in the Leura Falls Creek Catchment

Since February 2012 a working group made up of bushcare volunteers has met to develop a whole of local catchment strategy for the Leura Falls Creek sub catchment. The group is working closely with the Blue Mountains City Council and  National Parks and Wildlife Service and a draft plan has been developed.

Here’s what the group has to say about its aims.

Our vision is to Clean up • Conserve • Connect • Protect • Restore

To Integrate the Management of Established Land Uses and Natural Areas to Achiever a Stable and Functioning Catchment Through:

Connecting the bushland through the catchment: Cleaning up

Connecting the people who care about the catchment: Conserving

Restoring the riparian corridor: Protecting

Our strategy aims include:

  • To develop an integrated approach to restoration actions across the Leura Falls Creek catchment and address the causes not just the symptoms
  • To develop a  more coordinated approach to Bushcare and Landcare in the catchment
  • To develop a big view of the catchment and surrounds that brings all the data together in a number of forms including maps and aerial photos. The better the information is, the more fully impacts and consequences arising from future decisions and actions can be understood.
  • To identify high priority work and goals for the future. That is: what is worth doing to get significant results; what is cost effective both for volunteer time and to direct public funds; how can all parties:  Council, NPWS, community groups, landholders, businesses and agencies direct efforts more effectively.

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About the Leura Falls Creek catchment

The Leura Falls Creek Catchment incorporates all of the areas that drain into Leura Falls Creek. The catchment is bounded to the north by the Great Western Highway and railway line; to the east by Leura Mall; to the west by Katoomba St and to the south by Leura Cascades Falls and Blue Mountains National Park — a land area of approximately 230 ha in size.

The Leura Falls Creek Catchment contains Leura Cascades, a key Blue Mountains tourist asset and part of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area and Kingsford Smith Park, a Heritage Conservation Area. It is a highly urbanised catchment with residential, commercial and light industrial areas as well as public reserves and Crown Lands.

Significant species and communities of the Leura Creek Catchment include:

Blue Mountains Swamps, listed as vulnerable ecological community by the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act, 1995.

Acacia ptychoclada, regionally significant species (Smith and Smith 1995)

Dwarf Mountain Pine, Pherosphaera fitzgeraldii

Blue Mountains Water Skink, (Eulamprus leuraensis)

One of the commitments of the group is to support other Bushcare groups to develop their connectivity of action plan and strategy. If you would like more information, please contact Jenny Hill on 4782 6780.

There are four volunteer Bushcare groups in the catchment. They are Govett Street, Vale Street, Cumberland Walkway and the Leura Cascade Catchment group. To indicate your interest in joining any of these groups,  go to the Join page on this website.