The City of Cockburn is home to a wide variety of native plants, in many of its bushland and wetland areas. The City’s conservation reserves are part of a global biodiversity hotspot. The City protects its natural areas and encourages residents to plant native flora.
Cockburn’s biodiversity is part of the South West Botanical Province of Western Australia, and is recognised as one of the world’s top 25 biodiversity “hotspots”. It has been recognised as globally significant not only because of the huge diversity of plants, animals and habitat types that are native to the area, but also because of the loss of these areas due to land clearing and urban development.
Many of the City’s reserves are classified as protected Bush Forever sites. Many are also contained within three Regional Parks: Beeliar, Jandakot and Woodman Point.
The City houses important wetlands including Thomson’s Lake which is a protected Ramsar Wetland of international significance. Ramsar is an intergovernmental treaty dedicated to the conservation and 'wise use' of wetlands. Some of the other wetlands within the Beeliar Regional Park are listed in the Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia.
Within Cockburn there are several different vegetation communities. These describe different groups of plant species linked with soil types, landform and habitats, for example near the coast or wetlands. Many of these plant communities (such as Banksia Woodlands) are under threat of disappearing from the Swan Coastal Plain due to a range of pressures. Some have even become rare.
The City manages these plant communities in an effort to retain as much as possible and keep the condition of these as good or better. This provides the best opportunity for these plant communities to remain resilient in the face of climate change and multiple threats.
The City of Cockburn is fortunate to have a variety of flora species, vegetation complexes and groupings in its natural areas. Many of the species are classified as Declared Rare and Priority Flora by the Department of Parks and Wildlife or listed as Threatened Ecological Communities.
The City has developed a species list for each of the reserves in Cockburn, which is continually being updated as additional species are discovered. A herbarium has also been established and is continually updated.
The City’s Natural Area Management Strategy seeks to protect the native flora of Cockburn. It identifies management strategies to conserve and protect remaining flora in Cockburn. The City’s environmental management program means that some species will be re-introduced into areas where they have become scarce.
The City encourages its residents to plant native species wherever possible. Sustainable Gardening contains information on local species for particular areas in Cockburn. The City provides a Native Plant Subsidy for residents in May each year. By using local species in their gardens local residents are able to conserve water while contributing habitat and food sources for local fauna.
Please contact Environmental Services for more information on native plants in Cockburn on 08 9411 3444 or email [email protected]