Jill Dark

There are 31 Significant Vegetation communities that are recognised across the Blue Mountains Local Government Area (LGA).  These ‘environmentally sensitive’ vegetation communities are listed in Schedule 5 of LEP2005, Schedule 3 of LEP 1991, and (hopefully) Schedule 6 of the DLEP 2014. They are therefore commonly referred to as’ Scheduled’ Vegetation Communities.

These communities have been defined as ‘significant’ if they satisfy one or more of the following criteria:

1. listed, or proposed for listing, in the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Commonwealth);
2. listed, or proposed for listing, in Schedule 1 or 2 of the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (NSW);
3. rare and/or restricted distribution within the City of Blue Mountains;
4. poorly or not represented within the Blue Mountains National Park;
5. if they protect hydrological functions; and/or
6. habitat for rare, threatened or ultra-endemic fauna or flora species.

Many of these Scheduled vegetation communities are found in the lower Blue Mountains, where soils have a particular character that makes them uncommon in the LGA.

The training day will introduce participants to some of the characteristics that define these communities, and will look at some of the flora species which are considered to be ‘diagnostic’ of their presence. We’ll also look at the threats they face, and some of the specific challenges they present to BMCC land managers and volunteers working on site.

Please RSVP to the bushcare office 4780 5623 or bushcare@bmcc.nsw.gov.au