The City of Greater Bendigo is undertaking a Biodiversity Strategy to guide management and protection of our unique landscapes and species into the future and is inviting the community to contribute to its development.
City of Greater Bendigo Climate Change and Environment Manager Michelle Wyatt said while Greater Bendigo has a wealth of natural ecosystems changes to land use through mining, agriculture and urban development have vastly altered the natural environment leading to habitat fragmentation, increased fox and cat populations, invasive plants and altered waterways.
"The strategy will develop a shared vision for protecting and improving nature across Greater Bendigo for both urban and rural environments and will identify policy and planning initiatives as well as priorities for community and traditional owner engagement and on ground action," Ms Wyatt said.
"It will provide a framework for collaboration on region-wide questions and develop a clear set of management actions to help seek and allocate resources to implement a wildlife monitoring framework that is robust, deliberate and strategic.
"Greater Bendigo is currently home to 105 threatened flora species, 65 birds, seven mammals, four fish, seven reptiles, two amphibians and two invertebrates.
"Thankfully, Greater Bendigo is home to a multitude of passionate environmental groups, land management agencies, traditional owners, private landholders and individuals working to heal the environment we live in. However, time and funds are often limited, so to achieve more effective long-term biodiversity conservation goals, a shared vision and strategy is required for our urban and rural environments."
The development of a Biodiversity Strategy is a key action of the City's Climate Change and Environment Strategy which was adopted in 2021.
