Another important wetland area in Parkes is in PAC Park where some important rehabilitation work was done over recent years.
Parkes Shire Council is planning to rehabilitate the old sewage treatment ponds on Akuna Road into a wetland to support a diverse range of native flora and fauna.
Wetlands are important spaces for waterbirds, especially in drier landscapes, and this project presents an opportunity to attract vulnerable, threatened and critically endangered species back to the Parkes region.
The project, anticipated to commence mid to late this year, is part of Council’s ongoing efforts to preserve and create natural habitat for wildlife in order to safeguard our region’s biodiversity for future generations. In recent weeks, the Australian Government officially acknowledged the extinction of 13 endemic species, including 12 mammals and one reptile. This cements Australia’s position as the worst place for mammal extinctions in the world.
“We have taken the initial steps towards addressing this global ecological crisis by creating habitat for our region’s native flora and fauna,” said Council’s Director Infrastructure Andrew Francis.
In addition to annual shire-wide revegetation projects, Council has recently created more than 150 tree hollows that serve as crucial homes for native animals as part of its Augmented Hollows Program.
In order to further support the wetlands project, Council is asking the community to take part in a quick and easy survey at yoursay.parkes.nsw.gov.au.