2.3 Conservation

Conservation of Munibung Hill is already provided for in the existing land use zoning of the majority of the Study Area as E2 Environmental Conservation lands, under the Lake Macquarie Local Environmental Plan (LEP) 2014, and the identification of Sensitive Aboriginal Landscape Area over the ridgelines and steep slopes of the area.

The specific values to be protected by a conservation approach to land use and management include:

• Mapped Sensitive Aboriginal Cultural Landscape areas and known sites.

• Native vegetation and the key ecological corridors providing connectivity to adjacent remnants.

• The vegetated ridgeline extending from Munibung Road in the north through to the lake in the south; and the east and west ridgelines have significant visual, landscape and connectivity values.

• Lowland Rainforest Threatened Ecological Community.

• Threatened species habitat particularly associated with the critically endangered scrub turpentine (Rhodamnia rubescens), the powerful owl (Ninox strenua) and micro-bat roosting habitat.

• Mapped biodiversity values land associated with riparian habitat values of Hawkins Creek.

• Endemic species sanctuary.

• Ecological connectivity.

Management would be focused on protection and enhancement of natural values and would include passive and active vegetation rehabilitation, weed management and soil conservation works to halt further erosion impacts.

Working within the hierarchy of avoiding or minimising impacts and restoring or strengthening environmental values the management actions would focus on:

• Limiting passive recreational activity to existing trails and trailhead/access locations as shown in

Figure 2.1.

• Identifying the locations of features associated with the ‘most important’ and ‘important’ values (see

Figure 2.2), such as rock shelter sites used by Aboriginal people and locations of threatened ecological communities or quality threatened species habitat, to ensure that these are avoided.

• Minimising the extent of any additional disturbance and vegetation clearance that is required to upgrade and/or formalise the existing tracks and access locations.

• Management of soil contamination risk associated with recreational activity and upgrade of any tracks.

• Track stabilisation to not only minimise soil disturbance and erosion risk but to also improve safety of users.

• Weed management and bush regeneration.