Local government biodiversity management is impacted by national, state, and local environmental frameworks.

The City has maintained a Local Biodiversity Strategy (LBS) to retain and enhance this vegetation since 2007. A key component of this strategy has been focused mapping of remnant vegetation organised by vegetation complex (a group of plant communities that are associated with a specific soil or landform) and setting targets for its preservation.

Through the Local Biodiversity Action Plan project the City has updated its local natural area mapping which has assisted to provide guidance on the condition and priority management of its local natural areas (LNA) and set implementable actions.

The Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA) Perth Biodiversity Project also developed Biodiversity Planning Guidelines (WALGA and PBP 2004) to provide local governments with a clear picture of the Perth Metropolitan Region and its biodiversity resource and values. Mapping data, templates and a biodiversity framework were created to assist local government to conserve, protect, retain and manage local natural areas.

The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) is the Australian Government’s central piece of environmental legislation. It provides a legal framework to protect and manage nationally important flora, fauna, ecological communities and heritage places defined in the Act as matters of national environmental significance. Under this act, threatened species of fauna and flora and in particular ecological communities have relevance in the City of Swan.

The Biodiversity Conservation Strategy 2010–2030 was reviewed in 2015 and revised to create the Australia’s Strategy for Nature 2019-2030 which provides the overarching framework for all national, state and territory local strategies, legislation, policies and actions that target nature. The revised strategy moves away from a protection-based approach and incorporates adaptation, resilience, and natural resource management. The strategy contains the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals which are linked within the City’s Strategic Community Plan and Sustainable Environment Strategy.

The Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 and Biodiversity Conservation Regulations 2018 provide protection for biodiversity, particularly threatened species and threatened ecological communities. The City is to comply with this legislation when managing its reserves or assessing development applications.

Other state legislation and regulations relevant to biodiversity in the City includes:

• Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007
• WA Environmental Protection Act (1986)
• Environmental Protection (Clearing of Native Vegetation) Regulations 2004
• Environmental Protection (Environmentally Sensitive Areas) Notice 2005
• Waterways Conservation Act (1976)
• Conservation and Land Management Act (1984)
• Swan and Canning Rivers Management Act (2006)
• Planning and Development Act 2005 (WA)
• Local Government Act 1995
• Bushfires Act 1954 (amended 2016)
• Contaminated Sites Act 2003
• Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2021
• EP Guidance Statement No. 33.

Natural areas are a physical area that contains existing remnant native species or ecological communities in a relatively natural state and thus contains biodiversity. Such examples of natural areas include native vegetation, wetlands, waterways, rock outcrops or an area where a living organism indigenous to that area have naturally colonized.

As part of the initial Action Plan workshops, it was identified the definition of Local Natural Area (LNA) needed to be refined. This Action Plan has amended the LNA definition but retained the conservation, protection and retention categories whilst including new LNA priority categories that were informed by ecological criteria.

As per the Protection Category Map below most of the areas that fall under a Conservation or Protection category are within the City’s rural areas such as Bullsbrook and Gidgegannup. With a large proponent of these areas on private land.

The City is responsible for managing approximately 1200 hectares of natural areas including 44 nature reserves (731ha) and 73 foreshore reserves (469ha) within its boundaries. Some of the metropolitan area's most significant communities of flora and fauna can be found in these reserves

All reserves under the management of the City that are considered to have biodiversity values have been prioritised.

Reserves can be further prioritised by responding to the ecological criteria present. These can be based on:

• Bush Forever
• Western Swamp Tortoise habitat
• Threatened flora
• Threatened fauna
• TEC (Threatened Ecological Communities)/PEC (Priority Ecological Communities)
• Geomorphic wetlands
• Black Cockatoo roosting and feeding areas
• Ecological linkages
• Important wetlands

The Local Biodiversity Strategy (2016) is informed by national and state legislation, regulations, guidelines, and biodiversity mapping data.

The aim of the Local Biodiversity Strategy is to: Protect, retain, and manage a network of natural areas within the City of Swan that support the diversity of local indigenous biodiversity (plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms) in our region for the future. The goal of the LBS is to formalise the long-term preservation of LNA’s.

The City is responsible for planning its local communities by ensuring appropriate planning controls exist for land use and development. The Local Planning Scheme No. 17 (LPS17) is the document that sets out the statutory planning requirements and controls through scheme text and maps. This includes how vegetation and environmental considerations are managed through development.

This Local Biodiversity Action Plan provides a comprehensive review of the City’s current management of its biodiversity following staff and stakeholder workshops. The action plan provides practical mechanisms to embed systemic business processes within the City’s land use planning and natural area management. These mechanisms will assist the City to achieve its local biodiversity plan vision, goals and objectives

The objectives of conserving, protecting and retaining LNA will be achieved through the implementation of the proposed action plan. These actions are categorised into strategic, statutory, natural area and asset management and community.

Previous actions within the City’s Local Biodiversity Strategy 2016 were reviewed and restructured including providing proposed additional actions as part of action plan.

One of the biggest threats to our natural environment is clearing of native vegetation. It destroys local ecosystems and removes the habitat on which native wildlife rely. Clearing allows weeds and invasive animals to spread, increases greenhouse gas emissions and can lead to soil degradation and issues such as erosion, acidification, and salinity, which in turn can harm water quality.

Other threats that can damage our native bushland include arson, off-road vehicles, overgrazing, diseases such as dieback, firewood collection, chemical run-off and illegal dumping.

The City of Swan implements several capital works projects and maintenance programs on its land to reduce threats to the environment.

The environment within Western Australia is unique and environmental threats are varied and can have a significant impact. These threats include, pests, feral animals, plant diseases, weeds, dieback, salinity, and erosion.

The City, runs and supports a variety of environmental events and workshops for residents including a free community workshop series called Thinking Green which aims to inspire participants to change their lifestyle to improve their well-being and be kinder to the environment. It includes hands-on skills-based workshops and informative presentations hosted across the City’s libraries and bushland reserves on topics including biodiversity retention, water quality and efficiency, waste reduction and emissions reduction.

The City also partners with other organisations to run workshops such as Your Garden with Josh Byrne, supported by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.

The City provides free trees and plants to residents annually through the Free Trees and Plants Giveaway.

The City of Swan supports Friends Groups, people who work together to conserve and protect a local reserve under the management of City of Swan through undertaking activities such as planting native trees and removing weeds and rubbish. The City of Swan supports Friends Groups by providing environmental and technical advice, training and education, funding and budget assistance, seedlings to plant in the reserve, insurance, and safety gear.

On our website https://www.swan.wa.gov.au/waste-and-sustainability there is information pertaining to weed control, herbicide use, plant disease, local native plants, becoming a Friends Group member and how to participate in the Adopt a Spot program that undertakes weed and litter control.

For the City to be successful in implementing its Local Biodiversity Strategy, it needs to send clear and engaging messages to its community. Creating a biodiversity communication plan has been included in this action plan.

The draft Local Biodiversity Action Plan is not a statutory planning instrument.

However, Action 1.4 (page 18) intends to update the City’s planning documents (Local Planning Policies, guidelines and the Local Planning Strategy) to introduce provisions for Local Natural Areas (LNA).

Under legislation, changes to most of these documents are required to be advertised for public comment prior to being determined by Council/the State Government.

Consider opportunity for:

• Rate incentive in exchange for a voluntary agreement
• Education and training
• Conservation grants to landowners

• Requires the provision of an additional FTE (location TBD) to resource implementation
• Triggered by presence of mapped LNA through a development application
• Consider LNA mapping and ground truthing for each property from a site visit
• Work with the Fire Hazard Inspection Officer through a joint site visit to discuss fire mitigation and Asset protection zones
• Creation of a biodiversity asset map with habitat trees, LNA and other ecological features
• Inclusion of habitat trees in any bushfire management plans for retention in perpetuity
• Include environmental education material relevant to the site
• Provide a tree asset valuation if required
• Digitise inspection data utilising an electronic device in the field to reduce double handling
• Develop process for incorporating external information generated for the development process
• Develop procedure for updating digital information and datasets with the City’s GIS team
• Assist with justification process for any applications challenged through the State Administrative Tribunal.

• Environmental programs and initiatives and workshops Free plants to residents’ program
• Street tree program
• Report illegal dumping program Cat control
• POS maintenance and management.