Bushland plans and policies

There are 122 bushland reserves in the Ku-ring-gai Local Government Area (LGA). Both the Federal and NSW government and Council set policies and plans to guide the management and protection of our bushland reserve system in Ku-ring-gai. These are listed below and contain important information for people wishing to develop within Ku-ring-gai.

Bushland Plan of Management

The Bushland Reserves Plan of Management (PoM) guides the management of our bushland reserves. The PoM facilitates the creation and maintenance of tracks, trails and other built assets (such as signs); bushfire hazard reduction works; bush regeneration activities; and vegetation management related to our ecological burning programs. Our bushland prioritisation matrix provides an understanding of the values of each of Ku-ring-gai’s 122 bushland reserves and the extent of site impacts and pressures that need to be addressed in order to maintain those values and priorities those bushland reserves that will receive management funding.

Biodiversity Stewardship sites

The Biodiversity Banking and Offsets Scheme (BioBanking) was a voluntary biodiversity offset scheme aimed at helping to address the loss of biodiversity values and threatened species, due to habitat degradation and loss. This enabled 'biodiversity credits' to be generated by landowners and developers who committed to protecting biodiversity values on their land through a BioBanking agreement.

The biodiversity credits could then be sold, generating funds for the management of the site and offsetting the impacts on biodiversity values as a result of development. The credits could also be sold to those wanting to invest in conservation outcomes.

New legislation and offsets scheme

The BioBanking Scheme has been replaced by the Biodiversity Offsets Scheme (BOS) which commenced on 25 August 2017. The BOS is a mandatory market-based scheme that operates in a similar way to BioBanking.

For further details on Biodiversity Offset Sites on Council lands you can read the proposal Adopted position for the creation of BioBanking sites within Council-owned or managed land in Ku-ring-gai.

For more information on the Biodiversity Offsets Scheme (BOS) and Biodiversity Stewardship Sites, visit Department of Planning, Industry and Environment and Biodiversity Conservation Trust.

Existing Biodiversity Stewardship Sites

Council currently has two existing Biobanking / Biodiversity Offset Sites on Council owned and managed lands. BioBanking sites which were set up under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 will automatically be migrated to the new Biodiversity Stewardship Sites and administered under the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016.

Sheldon Forest, Rofe Park and Comenarra Creek Reserve Biodiversity Stewardship Site, is an actively managed site, created in early 2014 through the NSW Government's Linking Landscapes Grant Program. Clive Evatt Reserve, Blackbutt Park, Sir David Martin Reserve and The Glade Reserve Biodiversity Stewardship Site, was created in 2019 but is currently only requires passive management (as no credits have been sold).

Further details on these agreements are available through the register of agreements.

Enquiries

For more information please contact the natural areas team at naturalareas@krg.nsw.gov.au or phone 9424 0000.

Bushland dumping and encroachments

The Ku-ring-gai LGA contains approximately 92 kilometres of interface between bushland and private properties. In many locations, illegal dumping and unauthorised extensions or 'encroachments' from private properties on to Council-managed bushland reserves have had a significant impact on the natural environment, public access and Council's field operations.

Learn more about living on the bush interface and encroachments

Bushland Dumping and Encroachment Policy(PDF, 282KB)

Enquiries

For more information please contact the bushland dumping team at treadlightly@krg.nsw.gov.au or 9424 0000.