From trash to treasure: transforming an old tip into koala habitat

Habitat restoration is underway at the former Lake Cathie garbage tip in Lake Innes Nature Reserve, turning it into thriving koala habitat.

Hidden within Lake Innes Nature Reserve is the former Lake Cathie garbage tip. Although the tip has long been closed, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) inherited the tip when the reserve was gazetted in 1984.

Early restoration works were limited to capping the site with fill, but over time a dense mix of weeds took over. Species such as coral trees, madeira vine, morning glory, bitou bush, lantana, African daisy and castor oil plant spread across the old tip, leaving little opportunity for native plants to regenerate.

With 4 years of habitat restoration funding from the NSW Koala Strategy, NPWS developed a long-term plan to convert the degraded site into healthy koala habitat.

In 2023, the first stage of works focused on extensive weed control, including targeted spraying and mulching. Mulching proved to be the game changer, creating a solid foundation for planting and making follow-up weed control far more effective. After decades of invasion, the soil held very few native seeds, making revegetation essential.

In 2024, NPWS planted 300 seedlings, including key koala food trees such as swamp mahogany and tallowwood, alongside a variety of native shrubs to restore habitat structure. Tree guards were installed around each plant to protect it from feral deer, which are known to damage young trees by rubbing their antlers on the bark.

The site is already showing strong signs of recovery. More than 90% of the trees have survived, with swamp mahoganies now shooting past 2 metres in height.

What was once a rubbish tip is fast becoming a flourishing pocket of koala habitat, a transformation that will benefit many native species for decades to come.