City sets biodiversity strategy in motion

City of Sydney Council will establish a biodiversity strategy following a heightened focus on the area’s threatened wildlife.
But a motion to appoint a ‘biodiversity officer’ specifically to the cause was rejected Council on the grounds that it is not appropriate for councillors to interfere with the employment of staff.
Greens Councillor Irene Doutney, who fought for the motion, said the refusal was inconsistent with previous council actions. “We’ve employed a disability access officer, we’ve employed a community gardens officer, and they’ve all come out of motions from council,” she said.
Cr John McInerney backed the decision, saying councillors should not interfere with the day-to-day operation and administration of the council. He says “It’s not our role to become involved in the appointment of staff … we couldn’t pass a motion telling the CEO to employ a staff member. That’s not legal.”
Biodiversity has received a lot of local attention after several incidents involving loss of wildlife. Tree pruning contractors in Woolloomooloo cut off a possum’s tail and paw resulting in the death of the animal and in Forest Lodge a group of ring-tailed possums were only discovered once the vegetation they lived in was removed.  There is also long held concern over the decline of small bird species in Sydney, caused by habitat loss.
Cr Doutney says a permanent biodiversity officer is required to maintain the inner city’s wildlife.
“A strategy is fine but you need to have somebody to carry it out…we’ll contract somebody to [develop the strategy] for us, it’ll cost a fortune and then we don’t have the resources to implement it.” Development of the strategy may also delay the City’s forthcoming biodiversity audit.
In response, Cr McInerney asserts that a biodiversity strategy relevant to the council’s 2030 vision is an important first step but it would not necessarily include an exclusively assigned council officer.
Other local councils, such as Hornsby, Ku-ring-gai and Penrith have had biodiversity strategies in place for several years. At Liverpool City Council a biodiversity strategy is implemented by a Natural Resources Planner, who consults with managers in other areas of the council and notifies them of their responsibilities under the strategy.
The biodiversity audit will be carried out with particular reference to small bird species and will be similar to a 2003 survey completed by Ornithologist Dion Hobcroft for Canada Bay Council. Hobcroft undertook field work over two months but says that “ideally you would try to do it over a 6 month time frame … [some] wildlife is very cryptic and you can spend a lot of time and still not turn up animals that might be present.”

by Aaron Cook