World Environment Day at West Camden WRP

To commemorate Environment Week at Sydney Water, the West Camden WRP team joined forces with our project delivery partner Downer|BMD to establish an area of Cumberland Plain Woodland (CPW) to supplement the surrounding communities.

Cumberland Plain Woodland is a critically endangered ecological community that was formerly widespread across Western Sydney. Urban development, infestation of weeds and inappropriate land management has reduced this previously expansive community to small fragments of less than 5 hectares. Less than 10% now remains and it continues to be threatened.

Protecting and establishing new areas of Cumberland Plain Woodland will provide vital support for native biodiversity and ecosystem services in the region, such as managing water tables and flows, soil nutrient cycling, reducing erosion and salinity, storing carbon, regulating local temperature and regulating insect pests.

Connecting remaining native vegetation areas is essential for animals that live or migrate through the region. Patches that are connected, or are close to each other, also help to ensure the future viability of the ecological community and other native vegetation, by providing pollination and dispersal of plant propagules.

In total the team planted 200 locally sourced CPW species at the previously disturbed area with remnant mature eucalypti trees.

The planting also ties into Camden Council’s Master Plan to enhance the area surrounding the West Camden Water Recycling Plant. A footpath and cycleway is being constructed by Council and the establishment of the Cumberland Plain Woodland will provide a visual screen for the community using the Council’s facilities and enable the community the opportunity to view native flora and fauna once the area is established.