The Cumberland Plain Conservation Plan is one of the largest strategic conservation plans to be undertaken in Australia and provides biodiversity approvals to enable new housing, jobs and infrastructure in the Western Parkland City. It will offset impacts to native vegetation from new development by protecting important biodiversity through a network of private and public conservation land across Western Sydney.
Western Sydney offers rich biodiversity, a unique selection of flora and fauna, in essence a woodland unlike anywhere else in the world. The Cumberland Plain Conservation Plan will support the delivery of around 73,000 homes and 4 major transport corridors while also protecting the endangered Cumberland Plain Woodland and enhancing landscape connectivity across Western Sydney. The Cumberland Plain Conservation Plan is also the first strategic biodiversity certification to be undertaken under the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016.
The Cumberland Plain Conservation Plan includes specific commitments and actions to protect the southern Sydney koala population by addressing the impacts and potential risks to koalas from future development in the Wilton and Greater Macarthur growth areas. These commitments and actions were developed based on advice from the Office of the NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer (2020 and 2021) and support the implementation of the NSW Koala Strategy (2022).
The Cumberland Plain Conservation Plan commits to establishing the Georges River Koala Reserve east of Appin Road, from Appin through to Long Point. This reserve will protect existing koala habitat and enhance the connectivity of fragmented patches of koala habitat through restoration.
The NSW Government has committed $114 million in the first 5 years of the Cumberland Plain Conservation Plan for early implementation actions. Some of these actions have a strong focus on koalas, including:
- establishing new reserves and biodiversity stewardship sites to protect important koala habitat, including the 1,830 hectares Georges River Koala Reserve
- restoring up to 80 hectares of koala habitat within the Georges River Koala Reserve
- installing koala exclusion fencing and constructing 2 fauna crossings to allow movement across Appin Road.
Further information is provided on the NSW Planning website at Cumberland Plain Conservation Plan.
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