Native biodiversity

The biggest threat to our region’s biodiversity is habitat loss. Accommodating Sydney’s growing population has adversely affected native plants and animals, but recent changes to environmental legislation aims to balance land management and nature conservation.

Fragmentation puts remnant bushland at greater risk of threats such as weed and pest invasions.

Weeds are invasive plants that compete with native plants for light, space and water. They are usually introduced species and can harm native plants and animals, natural landscapes, water catchments and agriculture. Weeds also have economic impacts due to high management costs.

In Sydney over 200 plant species have been identified as high priority weeds. Weeds threaten our biodiversity when introduced plants escape from gardens and choke our waterways and bushland.

Pesticide, fungicide and herbicide application can kill bacteria and fungi, and beneficial insects and other invertebrates that live in our gardens.

These poisons can make their way into our waterways, killing aquatic animals and plants.

Cats, foxes and wild dogs kill our native animals.

Cats kill more than 1 million native birds in Australia every day. Foxes are a big threat to native animals in Sydney. In 2016, one fox killed one-fifth of Manly’s endangered little penguins.

Domestic dogs chase birds, kill lizards like blue tongues, and attack and kill mammals like koalas.

Wild rabbits and feral goats outcompete native animals for food.

Rubbish, including tiny plastic particles that form when plastic breaks down in the environment, hurts our wildlife on the land and in the water.

CSIRO has identified plastics and marine debris as major environmental concerns, with balloons, plastic bags and bottles among the top 3 most harmful pollutants to marine life.

Cars and other vehicles kill hundreds of thousands of native animals every year.

This includes larger animals like kangaroos and wombats as well as native frogs, reptiles and smaller birds. These animals try to find food and shelter in fragmented habitats so go to the edge of roads to feed or cross, often at sunset. It’s then that they’re particularly vulnerable to being injured or killed.

Climate changes, like increasing temperatures, shifts in rainfall patterns, rising sea levels and more intense extreme events such as heat waves or storms, threaten all aspects of our biodiversity.

Visit our webpage on the impacts of climate change on biodiversity for more information.

You can help by:

• stopping your cat from catching wildlife – put a bell round its neck and keep it inside, especially at night
• stopping your dog from chasing and catching wildlife by keeping it on a lead and preventing it from entering bush
• reporting fox sightings.

You can also support organisations that rescue and nurse injured and orphaned wildlife back to health, such as Sydney Wildlife and WIRES. Download the International Fund for Animal Welfare app to find your nearest rescue organisation.

Help reduce threats to wildlife by:

• driving slowly around bushland, particularly around dawn and dusk
• don’t throw litter/food out of your car as this can attract wildlife to the road
• turn your headlights on at dusk and consider putting your lights on high beam if safe to do so.

Combat our rising city temperatures

Use green cover to help keep your local area cooler and enjoy the many benefits.

Find out more about climate change and what we are doing to understand how our species, ecosystems and landscapes can adapt.

Become a weed warrior

Don’t plant introduced plants that may become weeds. Find out what weeds are impacting your local area and remove them.

Species most likely to become weeds include hardy plants with fruits that can be dispersed by birds (e.g. privets, blackberries) or seeds dispersed by the wind (e.g. dandelions). By replacing weeds with native plants you remove threats to biodiversity and create habitat and food for native animals.

For more information about native plants local to your area, go to your local nursery:

• Hawkesbury Community Nursery
• Hills Shire Council
• Hornsby Community Nursery
• Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Nursery
• Lane Cove Community Nursery
• Marrickville Community Nursery
• North Sydney Council
• Randwick Community Nursery
• Rozelle Bay Community Native Nursery
• Sutherland Shire Plants and Bushland Plants Nursery.

Don’t dump your garden clippings in parks, waterways or over the back fence as this can also spread weeds. Dispose of them in council green bins or let them rot in water for 6 weeks and put them in your own compost bin. You can use the diluted ‘tea’ (1 part tea to 9 parts water) as a fertiliser on your garden. For more information about composting in your area contact your local council.

Are you experiencing problems with weeds? Find out about Greater Sydney Local Land Services strategic weed management plan and how to report and manage priority weeds for Greater Sydney.

Volunteer with bushcare groups working in our national parks, your local council, or community groups to work together removing weeds and restoring native habitat.

Look out for pest animals

Have you seen a pest animal in your local area? Use Feral Scan to record sightings of feral animals in your local area such as wild dogs, deer, foxes, and other pests and help protect farms, biodiversity and communities.

Report any sightings of unusual non-native animals.