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.
Natural Areas Generic Plan of Management
The Natural Areas Generic Plan of Management (PoM)(PDF, 5MB) applies to land owned by or under the care, control, and management of Council that is categorised as Natural Areas and is not otherwise the subject of a Specific Plan of Management. The PoM identifies the key management issues facing Ku-ring-gai's natural areas, outlines permissible uses, and establishes a management strategy. Management of natural areas is based around a three-step process involving prioritisation of the natural areas using the Bushland Rating Matrix and Decision Support Tool that allows the condition of each reserve to be ranked against its value, followed by development and implementation of Site Management Plans, and finally Specific Objective Monitoring to evaluate outcomes and enable adaptive management.
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The BioBanking Scheme has been replaced by the Biodiversity Offsets Scheme (BOS) which commenced on 25 August 2017.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.