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Natural Area
Volunteers Group – Monday 18 August 2025
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NA25.2 Bushcare
Update August 2025
HPERM Ref: D25/268118
Department: Environmental
Services
Approver: Lindsay
Usher, Acting Director - City Development
Purpose:
This report is to update the
Natural Area Volunteers Group (NAVG) members on the Bushcare Program.
Summary and Key Points for
Consideration:
This report provides an update
to the NAVG on the management of Council’s Bushcare Program since the
previous meeting of the group in June 2024.
Total in-kind volunteer hours
and number of groups reporting was higher in the 2024 calendar year compared
2023.
Eight Bushcare Group Action
Plans were reviewed and approved since June 2024.
The central district casual
Bushcare Field Officer position remains vacant due to financial constraints;
however the Bushcare Program continues to provide Council with a significant
return on investment.
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Recommendation (Item to be determined under delegated authority)
That
the Natural Area Volunteers group receive this update on the Bushcare Program
for information.
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Options
1. Receive this
report as presented.
Implications: To provide an update of
Council’s Bushcare Program to the Natural Area Volunteers Group and to
permit the dissemination of key information pertaining to this program.
Background
and Supplementary information
The Shoalhaven Local Government
Area (LGA) is a region of extraordinary natural value. It boasts a diverse
array of ecosystems that support a wide range of flora and fauna, including
threatened species and ecological communities (TECs) listed under the Biodiversity
Conservation Act 2016 (NSW) and/or the Environment Protection and
Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Commonwealth).
Council manages approximately
3,300 hectares of Natural Areas across 240 reserves. Most of these are within
or adjacent to urban areas and include a variety of natural wildlife habitats
comprising bushland, wetland, escarpments, foreshores, and coastal dunes.
Natural Areas also provide opportunities for low impact nature-based tourism.
Bushcare volunteering offers a
range of health and well-being benefits, such as improved mental and physical
health and enhanced social interactions and community building. Studies show
that engaging in conservation activities like Bushcare can lead to a reduction
in stress, anxiety and depression, increased happiness, improved cognitive
function and a greater sense of purpose and belonging. Bushcare volunteering is
for everyone, and it can help support community connection.
This report provides an update
on the Bushcare Program since the previous Natural Area Volunteers Group (NAVG)
meeting in June 2024.
Bushcare
Program Update
Shoalhaven City Council’s
Bushcare Program has been in operation for over 25 years. It employs a Bushcare
Coordinator and currently, two casual Bushcare Field Officers.
The central district casual
Bushcare Field Officer position still remains vacant even though there have
been two NAVG meeting recommendations to Council (July 2023 and June 2024) to
fill this position for the following benefits:
· meet
Council’s Work, Health and Safety obligations
· motivation
and morale of centrally located Bushcare Volunteers
· equity
across the three Bushcare districts.
This recommendation was
supported by Council on 14 August 2023 (MIN23.432): ‘That Council fill
the Central District Bushcare Officer role as soon as possible to maintain
function, morale, supervisory responsibilities particularly from a Work, Health
and Safety legislative perspective (as volunteers are defined as workers under
the Work, Health and Safety Act 2011) and equity across the Bushcare districts
and if necessary, that funding be sourced at a future quarterly budget
review’. However, given financial limitations, this position has not
been resourced at this time.
Bushcare groups are led by a
volunteer coordinator. The northern and southern district Bushcare groups each
have the support of a casual Bushcare Field Officer who ensure groups work
safely, help strategically and technically guide groups in accordance with
their respective Bushcare Group Action Plans. The central district Bushcare
groups are currently being supported by the Bushcare Coordinator. However,
given the demand on this position with their core functions, it is not possible
to support all central groups adequately. The program continues to be supported
by two part-time indigenous bush regenerators.
There are currently 58 active
Bushcare groups (including Bushcare, Dunecare, Community Nursery and Friends of
groups) with approximately 590 registered volunteers. Through a review of
active participants with each volunteer group surveyed for active members,
currently being finalised, approximately 500 are active volunteers.
Two new groups have formed since
the last meeting – Shoalhaven Heads Dunecare (following a resolution of
Council) and Burrill Rockshelter Bushcare. Over recent years, there have been
several groups that ceased to be active and have now been archived. These are:
· Curleys
Bay
· Currarong
Dunecare
· Collingwood
Beach Dunecare
· Hyams
Bushcare
· Nowra
TAFE
· Pam
Weiss Reserve
· Ulladulla
High
· William
Mulligan Reserve
· Woodhill
Cemetery.
The Dyball Reserve and
Cudmirrah/Berrara Bushcare groups have recently amalgamated.
The reported volunteer hours and
the number of Bushcare groups reporting are illustrated in Figure 1 (below).
The number of Bushcare groups reporting for the 2024 calendar year (50) is the
greatest number of groups since records have been kept. The total hours
contributed by Bushcare volunteers is the highest since 2019 indicating an
increasing trend in Bushcare activities/hours since the restrictions of
COVID-19.
Figure1.
Bushcare volunteer hours and the number of groups reporting.
Bushcare Group Action Plans
Bushcare Group Action Plans have
continued to be reviewed and updated according to a chronological list with the
oldest plans being updated as the highest priority. The following Bushcare
Group Action Plans were reviewed and approved since the previous NAVG meeting
in June 2024:
· Red
Head Villages (Manyana Cunjurong Point)
· Orient
Point
· Basin
Walking Track
· River
Road (Shoalhaven Heads, Jerry Bailey Reserve)
· Shoalhaven
Heads (Shoalhaven Heads, Jerry Bailey Oval & Gumley Reserves &
Treatment Works surrounds)
· Currarong
Village
· Huskisson
Woollamia (Currambene Creek, Winnima Wetland, Huskisson Beach)
· Bundewallah
Reserve
The following Bushcare group
Action Plans are either currently being, or next to be drafted:
· Vincentia
(Orion Beach, Violet Clark, Plantation Point, Barfleur Beach & Stuart King
Reserves)
· Lower
Mulgen Creek
· Kings
Point
Community
Engagement Activities
Following the last meeting, the
fact sheets were updated and placed on the website. There are four fact sheets
available at https://www.shoalhaven.nsw.gov.au/News-and-feedback/Participation-opportunities/Bushcare:
The eNewsletter ‘Bushcare
Links’ has been produced each quarter and sent to over 500 people. Anyone
in the community can subscribe to this newsletter.
Other community engagement
events that were conducted since the last NAVG meeting include:
· Shoalhaven
Community Volunteer Nursery Open Day - Crookhaven Heads, March 2024
· Bushcare
presence at NAIDOC Week – Nowra Showground, July 2024 and July 2025
· National
Tree Day with Vincentia High School students at Nelsons Beach, Vincentia,
July 2024.
· Trinity
College (Woollamia Campus) students working bees at Currambene Creek Reserve,
Winnima Wetland and Huskisson Beach.
· Budawang
Coast Atlas of Life (an iNaturalist project) Science Week Workshop
–Bomaderry Creek Reserve, August 2024.
· Bushcare/Parkcare
Xmas BBQ Picnic and Years of Service presentations, Shoalhaven Heads November
2024
· Canberra
Institute of Technology students weed control at Gannet Beach, Bawley Point,
December 2024.
· National
Tree Day with Berry Public School students at Boongaree, Vincentia, July 2025
· Public
National Tree Day event at Mollymook with the Council’s Coastal team,
July 2025.
· National
Tree Day with Kiama High School students at Shoalhaven Heads, August 2025.
A Workplace Health and Safety
(WHS) audit of the Bushcare program was completed in 2024 which focused on
several key functions in the program including:
· Improved
focus on correctly filling out and returning Bushcare Site Record Sheets.
· Inspection
and updating of First Aid kits.
· Inducting
and training new volunteers to WHS requirements for work on Natural Areas.
· The
safety fact sheet mentioned above.
· Updating
the Bushcare page on Council’s website.
Current Issues and Opportunities
The Bushcare budget has reduced
over recent years, while costs have increased. Therefore, the vacant central
district casual Bushcare Field Officer position not being able to be filled
means that is not feasible to increase overall number of Bushcare groups within
the program further.
Consequently, there is currently
a focus on supporting existing groups as best as possible and to bolster the
existing Bushcare Groups, especially those with low numbers of volunteers using
simple local promotions.
Grant opportunities will
continue to be sought to assist with promotion, training and supporting
Bushcare volunteers. However, such grants typically do not fund additional
staff time required to run additional groups or events.
Internal Consultations
Not required for this report.
The review of or creation of new
draft Bushcare Group Action Plans are shared with staff within the Environment
Section and with other sections of Council (where required) when the plans are
relevant to or require approval from these sections. There is also a close
partnership with Parkcare.
External Consultations
Not required for this report.
Community Consultations
Not required for this report.
Policy and Statutory Implications
The Bushcare Program is run
according to the Bushcare/Parkcare Policy and the Bushcare/Parkcare Procedures.
The Policy is currently under review and is presented at this meeting.
Financial Implications
In the 2024 calendar year,
Bushcare volunteers contributed over 10,081 hours with an estimated value of
$403,240.
Between 2009 and 2024 (calendar
years inclusive), Bushcare volunteers have contributed at least 178,591 hours
of work (mostly weed control). Using the Volunteer rate of $40/hr, this equates
to a total of at least $7.1 million or an average of more than $446,478 per
year representing a significant in-kind contribution to the improvement and
maintenance of Council-managed Natural Areas.
Risk Implications
Not applicable – report is
for information only.
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Natural Area
Volunteers Group – Monday 18 August 2025
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NA25.3 Bushcare
Policy renewal
HPERM Ref: D25/286960
Department: Environmental
Services
Approver: Lindsay
Usher, Acting Director - City Development
Attachments: 1. Draft
Bushcare / Parkcare Policy ⇩
Purpose:
Every Council policy is required
to be reviewed with the election of each new Council. The purpose of this
report is to provide the draft of the reviewed Bushcare Policy to the Natural
Area Volunteers Group (NAVG) for information and for the group to provide any
feedback to staff.
Summary and Key Points for
Consideration:
Bushcare
volunteer groups work across Natural Areas and can include Bushcare, Dunecare,
school groups, rubbish clean-up groups and the like. Bushcare policy
matters are contained within the Council’s ‘Bushcare/Parkcare
Policy’. Policy for these two programs have been combined for many years
to ensure a consistent approach by the two volunteer management programs. The
policy sets out the overarching framework for the delivery of the Bushcare
program. The Bushcare/Parkcare Procedures document describes operational
delivery of the policy.
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Recommendation (Item to be determined under delegated authority)
That
the Natural Area Volunteers Group receive the draft of the reviewed Bushcare
policy for information, to provide feedback and support this policy being
reported to Council for adoption.
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Options
1. As recommended.
Implications: The policy is provided as an
opportunity for the NAVG to provide feedback. This process provides an
opportunity to improve the policy through direct input from Councillors and
community representatives.
2. The NAVG may seek other actions or
direction.
Implications: These will depend on the
recommendations made.
Background and Supplementary information
Shoalhaven City Council has run
the Bushcare program for over two decades. Over that time, volunteers have
contributed greatly to the maintenance and improvement of Natural Areas across
the Shoalhaven.
A Bushcare Representative Group
was established in 2011 following a resolution of Council in December 2010
(MIN10.1461). In September 2019, this group was renamed to Natural Area
Volunteers Group (MIN19.674).
The Bushcare/Parkcare Policy was
first adopted by Council in August 2009.
There was a major review of the
Bushcare/Parkcare Policy completed in 2018 after substantial consultation with
Bushcare and Parkcare groups, the Bushcare Representative Group and
Councillors. This policy was last updated in September 2022.
The current review
proposes the following minor changes:
· Additional
reference to relevant legislation and Coastal Management programs
· Improved
definitions of Bushcare and Parkcare
· Improved
definition of Bushcare Group Action Plans
· Updates
on department names across Council
· The
policy now includes new or renamed sections (Objectives, Definitions, Roles and
Responsibilities, Related Legislation, Policies or Procedures, Risk Assessment,
Data and Reporting, Ownership and Approval) and
· Minor
wording and grammar.
Internal Consultations
Consultation has occurred
primarily with the Coastal Management unit, and Parkcare staff.
External Consultations
This engagement with the NAVG
provides the opportunity for external consultation.
Community Consultations
This engagement with the NAVG
provides the opportunity for consultation with community representatives.
Policy and Statutory Implications
The review of this policy will
strengthen the policy around delivery of the Bushcare program within the
statutory framework.
Financial Implications
There are no financial
implications.
Risk Implications
Review of this policy is a key
part of the governance framework for the Bushcare program that reduces risks
associated with this program.
