The following musings are on the International Day of Biodiversity 2025 theme “Harmony with nature and sustainable development"
Biodiversity is the foundation of all life on Earth. It is fundamental to human well-being, a healthy planet, and economic prosperity for all people. We depend on it for food, medicine, energy, clean air and water, protection from natural disasters as well as recreation and cultural inspiration.
The United Nations Global Biodiversity Framework has 23 Targets that set out an ambitious pathway to reach the global vision of a world living in harmony with nature by 2050.
As a local community group we are actively implementing several of these targets to reduce the local threats to biodiversity
TARGET 4: Halt Species Extinction, Protect Genetic Diversity, and Manage Human-Wildlife Conflicts
The local geography of the peninsula which extends from Toronto to Coal Point means there is a high potential for existing isolated populations of a locally-threatened and vulnerable species to become extinct if the threats aren’t addressed.
Threats for the locally vulnerable Squirrel Glider (Petaurus norfolcensis), a small gliding possum, include the loss of hollows from the removal of older trees, habitat fragmentation of vegetated corridors from increased building footprints, especially the flowering shrubs that allow for movement and provide food and, increasingly common, are attacks by roaming cats.
Installing nestboxes, planting flowering native shrubs in your garden and keeping your cat inside are actions we can all take to ensure the survival of our local small mammals and birds.
TARGET 6: Reduce the Introduction of Invasive Alien Species by 50% and Minimize Their Impact
Exotic plants, alien species, aka weeds are an ever-present threat to our local bushland. From the exotic grasses that creep and covertly control the ground layer, to the vines that cover and crash the canopies, being aware of the impact of garden escapes and everyone doing their bit to keep garden plants in the garden makes a difference.
The extrusion of lawns into local public bushland is a major threat to our biodiverse reserves. Once in the native bushland, buffalo, couch and kikuyu smother the local natives, suppress germination and diminish the food available for local wildlife. There are a suite of native grasses and groundcovers that provide for low maintenance groundcover options. Stopping your lawn at your boundary, not dumping your garden waste and encouraging natives will greatly assist in burgeoning our biodiversity.
Along the West Ridge there is quite a population of the threatened plant Tetratheca juncea (Black-eyed Susan) - its survival depends on a native understorey devoid of exotic grasses.
There are local plants for sale at the Landcare & Sustainability Centre at Teralba, and Trees In Newcastle at Belmont.
TARGET 7: Reduce Pollution to Levels That Are Not Harmful to Biodiversity
Pollution comes in all forms. Excess nutrients from fertilisers or dog poo washing into the lake, unsecured soil from construction sites that ends up as sediment over seagrass beds from the stormwater system, rat poisons that accumulate in the food chain and kill native birds wildlife and pets, abundant lighting that disrupts nocturnal animals habitats and distracts insects and frogs and of course plastic, ever present, pervasive and problematic.
TARGET 8: Minimize the Impacts of Climate Change on Biodiversity and Build Resilience
Council's approach to supporting communities that may be impacted by long-term inundation due to sea and/or lake level rise is to proactively undertake adaptation planning for the worst affected communities. Whilst the eastern side of the Lake has had six local plans produced, the Teralba to Toronto Climate Resilience Plan will be the first on the western side. Over the next few months, the plan will be going out for community consultation.
Suburbs between Toronto and Teralba (including Carey Bay) are likely to be significantly affected by the impacts of climate change, particularly sea level rise. Council is working with these communities so they can adapt to changes in the natural environment. Increasing tree canopy in urban areas will be important for reducing the effects of urban heat and ensuring streets and public spaces are cool and comfortable. Preserving bushland will support the city’s mitigation of and adaptation to climate change, while protecting our biodiversity and showcasing our highly-valued natural environment.
TARGET 12: Enhance Green Spaces and Urban Planning for Human Well-Being and Biodiversity
The recent adoption of Council’s Housing Diversity Plan whereby minimum lot sizes for subdivision and dual occupancies were reduced, whilst a win for increasing housing supply, has the potential to diminish the biodiverse assets of our community. The premise of the plan, to avoid encroachment of urban development into environmentally sensitive land by making more efficient use of available urban land needs to also consider the available greenspace and exiting corridors and fortify it against further fragmentation. We are so fortunate to still have healthy bushland and wildlife, retaining this during a density transition requires the will to find the way to align with the Community Strategic Plan’s Environmental goals.
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