Creating a walkway at Sydney’s Northern Beaches

Located at the centre of Sydney’s Northern Beaches, Dee Why’s Long Reef Aquatic Reserve and Headland attracts a huge number of visitors - but until recently the area’s popularity was also its downfall.

“Along the dunes a lot of informal walkways had been carved from people cutting across wherever they wanted to go,” Reefcare Coordinator Peter Miller said.

“The headland was in a terrible state. Agave had engulfed native Kangaroo Grass, while bitou bush was taking over all remaining native grassland habitats. In the past 30 years native grasslands had shrunk by 95 per cent.

“We wanted to bring the area back to its natural state, and that’s when we decided to put in a formal circular walkway around the headland that did not encroach on the foreshores of the aquatic reserve – the Greenlink Walk.”

Funding

In 2002 the Australian Government provided Reefcare, through Northern Beach Envirolink Inc, with more than $14,000 to establish the Greenlink Walk. Then in 2004, the Government funded Reefcare with another $14,000 to help restore coastal heathland on the foreshores of the aquatic reserve.

Activities

With the ongoing support of Warringah Council, another grant from NSW Environmental Trust, and further assistance from Conservation Volunteers Australia, Reefcare volunteers got to work.

“We looked at old photos and early studies dating back to the 1950s that listed the flora, and used the information to choose what species to replant,” Peter said.

“We’ve been collecting seeds and propagating the plants at the nursery and even at home to restore the species and get the original plants back.

“Then we started weeding and replacing the Bitou Bush and Agave with thousands of native grasses and shrubs, all by hand.”

Achievements

Peter said the group couldn’t have hoped for better results, with the Greenlink Walk providing walkers with the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the area without damaging fragile habitats.

“The informal tracks have been replaced by native plants, which are coming back beautifully. The native grasslands now occupy more than one hectare of the headland and are protected under State legislation,” Peter said.

Peter said birds were returning to the area, including Black-Shouldered Kites and a range of migratory wader birds, while Little Penguins, which used to nest there in the 1940s, have been seen ashore again. 

More information

1. Peter Miller, Reefcare Coordinator: surfcity@ozemail.com.au
2. Judy Christie, Sydney Metropolitan Catchment Management Authority: (02) 9895 7753 or judy.christie@cma.nsw.gov.au
3. Project 

Australian Government Land and Coasts
GPO Box 787
Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
1800 552 008 (toll-free)

Caring for our Country is an Australian Government initiative jointly administered by the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts