Biodiversity

Biodiversity is the variety of all life, the different plants, animals and microorganisms, their genes, and their terrestrial, marine and freshwater ecosystems.

Bellingen Council takes an active role in protecting and enhancing biodiversity through a number of programs to promote healthy native vegetation and provide wildlife habitat.

Biodiversity Strategy

Councils Biodiversity Strategy takes a comprehensive approach to biodiversity conservation in the Shire and highlights key features of Bellingen’s current biodiversity attributes, threats, and actions to maintain and improve biodiversity. 

Biodiversity Strategy(PDF, 22MB)

Biodiversity Strategy Highlights(PDF, 21MB)

Vegetation Mapping - High Environmental Values

In 2022 Council completed on 29 Council owned or managed reserves with native vegetation over 1 ha, and 10 private landholder sites. The project aimed to bring together the revised Eastern NSW Plant Community Types (PCTs) and State Vegetation Type Maps (SVTM) and existing mapping resources such as Bellingen Shire Local Mapping (DPIE 2014) to complete High Environmental Value Mapping (HEV) of the Study Area. 

The mapping met a high priority action in the recently adopted Biodiversity Strategy and will be used to improve Council management of its land to ensure threatened ecological communities (TEC’s) and species are considered in the undertaking of land management including bush fire management, daily maintenance activities, restoration works and upgrade projects. The high resolution mapping is now being used to prepare vegetation management plans for reserves as funding becomes available. 

Bellingen Shire Council High Environmental Values Vegetation Mapping and Field Validation(PDF, 26MB)