Bring back Lismore's green heart

39% of Lismore's bushland reserves are degraded and dominated by weeds.

Lismore City Council has launched its Urban Green Corridors Plan to help restore urban bushland reserves and link important habitat pockets throughout the city to support wildlife.

LISMORE City Council have launched a plan to increase the area of bushland reserves 20 per cent by 2021.

The Urban Green Corridors Plan was a key project in the Biodiversity Management Strategy and aimed to help restore urban bushland reserves and link important habitat pockets throughout the city to support wildlife.

If successful, the bushland reserves being managed by the council will be brought to more than 80 hectares within the city limits.

The council will work with Landcare groups, community groups, schools and other agencies to re-vegetate five hectares of land within the Urban Green Corridors area, including areas along the river, rainforest and koala habitat throughout the Lismore urban area.

The council's Environmental Strategies coordinator Angus Underwood said Lismore was located in a "biodiversity hotspot".

"(It's) home to a range of wildlife including iconic species such as the koala and platypus," Mr Underwood said.

"Key wildlife corridors are identified which connect fringe bushland on the edges of the city to bushland areas within the city limits.

"The idea is that we create healthy habitat through the city enhancing corridors where wildlife can co-exist with us, and we can improve soil and water quality."

A bushland condition assessment undertaken across 220 hectares of council-managed bushland found 39 per cent of council-managed bushland reserves are degraded and dominated by weeds.

Mr Underwood said Lismore should build on the 61 percent that is in good condition.

"Lismore has some amazing biodiversity values already with over 40 different threatened plant and animal species being recorded in habitats such as the rainforest remnant at Rotary Park, right in the heart of the city," he said.

"We are also very lucky to have a resident koala population in the city relying on over 400 hectares of koala habitat."

The Urban Green Corridors Plan can be viewed on the council's website at www.lismore.nsw.gov.au.

Local residents are encouraged to help protect and enhance urban green corridors in the following ways:

• Put garden waste in your green bin to stop the spread of weeds.　
• Plant bush-friendly native plants in your garden - check out the council's free publication My Local Native Garden Guide.　
• Keep your pets inside at night to protect native wildlife.　
• Walk your dog on a lead and pick up after your pet when in bushland and parks.　
• Join a Landcare group or participant in tree planting events.