Wildlife protection areas

Council has ownership over large areas of land in Tweed, including 3,500 ha of bushland. This land provides important habitat for many species of threatened plants and animals. 

The Tweed has one of the highest concentrations of threatened plants and animals in Australia. This includes at least:

• 120 species of fauna
• 91 species of flora and
• 11 endangered ecological (plant and animal) communities

High conservation value reserves are managed by Council's Natural Resource Management Unit with ongoing investment in ecological restoration, revegetation, vertebrate pest control and threatened species management.

Most at risk are high conservation reserves near urban areas, because of pet cats and dogs.

Cats hunt day and night and can cause death, injury or spread disease. Hunting cats can disturb breeding, foraging and roosting.

At risk fauna include:

• small to medium sized birds, particularly ground-nesting birds
• small to medium sized arboreal mammals (gliders, possums)
• bats (insectivorous and blossom/fruit bats)
• small to medium sized ground dwelling mammals (planigales, bandicoots)
• frogs, lizards, snakes and insects

Dogs can also cause death, injury and spread disease. Dogs can can crush or eat eggs of ground nesting birds, and can disturb breeding, foraging and roosting. At risk fauna include:

• ground dwelling, roosting and nesting birds
• arboreal mammals that come to the ground to move between habitat areas (koalas, possums)
• ground dwelling mammals (bandicoots, echidnas, wallabies) and snakes and lizards

Safe habitats are essential for the survival of our native fauna.

We're working to protect our Koala, Albert’s Lyrebird, Bush Stone-curlew, Squirrel Glider and Long-nosed Potoroo.