City of Armadale

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Tuesday, 24 November 2009

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Environment

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Environment

The City of Armadale has a rich diversity of ecosystems and is home to rivers, streams, wetlands, forests, heathlands, sedgelands and woodlands, each with its own array of plants and animals.

The City of Armadale is committed to preserving and enhancing these natural areas and recognises not only the ecological benefits of protecting our natural assets, but also the social and recreational benefits as well.

Initiatives

To help protect environmentally important areas, the City has launched a host of environmental initiatives:

In addition, the City employs a full-time Environment Officer, who works within the City's departments and the wider community to promote and further environmental initiatives.

To contact the City's Environmental Officer call 9399 0111.

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Managing and protecting our bushland

The City of Armadale manages 190 hectares of remnant bushland in 48 reserves including some vegetation corridors along watercourses. In addition, the City has management responsibility for two large regional bushland areas - Armadale Settlers Common (295 ha) and Bungendore Park (498 ha).

Several of these bushland areas are home to threatened ecological communities and areas of declared rare flora. Some of the region's important bushland areas include:

The biggest threats to such bushland areas relate to human activity. Major threats to bushland in the City of Armadale include:

  • weeds
  • Dieback
  • inappropriate fire regimes
  • feral animals
  • inappropriate access
  • land clearing

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Managing and protecting our waterways

Waterways are dynamic systems, ranging from the headwaters deep in the hills, to river-mouths spilling into the oceans. Such waterways support a wide variety of plants and animals and are sensitive to environmental change. The City of Armadale boasts several larger waterways, including Wungong River, Neerigin Brook and Canning River.

A host of groups work alongside the City of Armadale to protect waterways. Such groups include state government agencies such as the Department of Environment, Department of Conservation and Land Management, Swan River Trust and private landholders. Community groups such as the Armadale Gosnells Landcare Group (AGLG) also play a large role in the protection and enhancement of waterways.

The Armadale Gosnells Landcare Group operates under a Catchment Management Plan known as the Upper Canning Southern Wungong Catchment Management Plan.

Key threats to the health of our river systems include:

  • sedimentation from land clearing
  • erosion from changing water regimes
  • nutrient enrichment from fertiliser input
  • weeds

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Managing and protecting our wetlands

Since European settlement, approximately 80 per cent of wetlands on the Swan Coastal Plain have been filled or drained. Wetland ecosystems support an array of plants, animals and insects including birds that migrate from as far as China and Japan.

Since 2004, the City of Armadale has been be participating in the World Wildlife Fund for Nature's (WWF) 'Wetland Watch' project. This pilot project addresses the urgent need to increase the conservation status of high value wetlands in the Swan Coastal Plain.

WWF employs a Project Officer whose primary role is to facilitate wetland conservation outcomes in selected wetland sites on the Swan Coastal Plain. This involves working with landholders, local authorities and community groups to improve the conservation status of key wetlands.

Threats to Armadale's wetlands include:

  • weeds
  • Dieback
  • changing water tables
  • land clearing
  • diminishing water quality

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Get involved in helping the environment

You can help the City of Armadale to protect and enhance the environment by joining one or more of the following groups or initiatives.

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