Massive rehabilitation project planned for the Gib
Wingecarribee Shire Council has been awarded a further $99,700 to undertake bush regeneration activities on the Shire’s iconic Mount Gibraltar.
The grant – funded by the NSW State Government’s Environmental Trust – will be used to restore degraded areas of the Mount Gibraltar Reserve.
Council’s Environment and Sustainability Manager, Barry Arthur explained the scope of the works.
“Rehabilitation activities will be focused on the southern side of the Gib on the site of a former quarry,” he said.
“Some of the work will involve removing industrial remnants of the quarrying activities which will involve hiring specialized bush regeneration contractors and abseilers,” Mr Arthur said. “Our volunteers will assist in areas deemed safer.”
“It’s also important to recognise the ongoing contribution of our volunteers – who are supported by Council’s Environment Levy – who will this year celebrate 19 years of bush regeneration works on the Gib.”
Works will begin in the coming months and will be undertaken over a three year period.
The Mount Gibraltar Forest and Robertson Tall Basalt Forest have recently been listed as a Nationally Endangered Ecological Community under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, listed as Upland Basalt Eucalypt Forest of the Sydney Basin Bioregion. This provides added importance to the control of invasive weeds to allow regeneration of these very precious local vegetation areas.
The grant funding comes on top of an earlier grant in June of $8,000 from the Sydney Catchment Authority which also went towards rehabilitation works on the Mount Gibraltar Reserve.
For further information about the grant or the regeneration project please contact Council’s Bushland Project Officer on phone 4868 0819.