Parramatta River home to a diverse range of fauna

The Parramatta River Catchment Group (PRCG) has launched the report ‘Our Living Catchment: Fauna and Habitat’, providing an insight into the richness and diversity of fauna that exists in natural banks and bushland surrounding the Parramatta River.

The Parramatta River is one of Sydney’s major waterways and the main tributary feeding Sydney Harbour. Its catchment area spans 266 km², with over 750,000 people from 14 local council areas living within it. But despite the catchment being highly urbanised, there remains a surprisingly rich distribution of native animals.

The report reveals that over 522,000 animal sightings have been recorded in the catchment area surrounding the river since the year 2000, including a number of migratory, threatened and rare species. Some of the highest fauna species richness was seen in areas such as Sydney Olympic Park, Rookwood Cemetery, Lake Parramatta, Duck River reserves and Toongabbie Creek/Quarry Branch.

The beautiful rakali (native water rat) persists in the catchment but is very uncommon.

Parramatta Council Lord Mayor and PRCG Chair Scott Lloyd thanked Bushcare and community volunteers for their conservation of local waterways and bushland areas, saying their work is reflected through the biodiversity of animal life in the catchment area. His thoughts were echoed by Phil Mulhearn from BirdLife Australia, who added that this biodiversity “may not always remain the case if we don’t continue our efforts to protect and, if necessary, regenerate the bushland pockets that still exist”.

“It is also important to get public and private land and house holders to plant the right combination of natives in their gardens to encourage a diversity of native animals,” Mulhearn said.

Weed species can be valuable sources of food for many native species.

The report highlights the importance of biodiversity corridors - which can include areas such as creek lines, drainage reserves, streetscapes and backyards - in ensuring native animal populations persist and connecting key bushland habitats that are otherwise fragmented across the landscape. Enhancing these corridors is now a focus for councils, who have already started undertaking on groundworks in the following priority corridors:

• Pulpit Point Reserve to Clarkes Point Reserve  (Hunters Hill)
• Brush Farm Park to Parramatta River foreshore (Eastwood)
• Parramatta Road to Iron Cove (Drummoyne and Lilyfield)
• Hawthorne Canal (Lewisham, Leichhardt, Summer Hill, Haberfield)
• Powells Creek to Homebush West
• Homebush West to Rookwood
• Duck River (Bankstown, Parramatta, Auburn)
• Refalo Reserve and Troubador Park to Twin Gums Reserve (Blacktown)
• Ashley Brown Reserve to Peace Park (Seven Hills)
• Lake Parramatta to Parramatta River and lower Toongabbie Creek (Parramatta)
• Parramatta Road to Rodd Point (Canada Bay)

PRCG member and councillor Frank Breen, from Leichhardt Council, said, “Key results found that two-thirds of animal life occurs in council’s reserves, indicating a strong need for wetland and bushland conservation in these areas. Many of these animals are rare or threatened species, highlighting just how vital it is for us to protect and enhance their habitats now and into the future.”

The report can be viewed at http://www.ourlivingriver.com.au/about-us/projects-events/.

Top image caption: Weedy riparian zones provide suitable conditions for day roosts for the powerful owl.