Conservation - Ginninderry

The proposed conservation corridor is the largest open space in Ginninderry and adjoins both the Murrumbidgee River and Ginninderra Creek. It has total area of 577ha (371ha in the ACT and 206ha in NSW). The Joint Venture is initiating a program of rehabilitation for the corridor.

Connecting river corridors

The corridor will include about 6km of Murrumbidgee River frontage and the length of the Ginninderra Creek from the suburb of West Macgregor to where it joins the Murrumbidgee. It will include the Ginninderra Falls and Gorge. This reserve will connect the Ginninderra Creek corridor (which commences at Mulligans Flat in Gungahlin and extends through Gungahlin and Belconnen) to the Murrumbidgee River, which in turn connects to the Molonglo and Murrumbidgee corridors.

Recreation and conservation

The presence of the nationally endangered Pink-tailed Worm-lizard (Aprasia parapulchella) and Yellow Box-Red Gum grassy woodland means that conservation must be a high priority for the corridor. Habitat restoration will be a key activity. The corridor also provides a wonderful opportunity for Ginninderry (and Belconnen) residents to access the river; walking, picnicking and water activities (including fishing) will be popular.

There were extensive scientific studies to establish the Corridor, involving our own experts and officers from the ACT Government (Territory and Municipal Services and Environment and Planning Directorates) and the NSW (Office of Environment and Heritage – National Parks and Wildlife Service). The corridor narrows and widens in distance from the waterways from 200m to 1.5km depending on the scientifically established ecological values of the area.

Conservation Management Trust

It makes sense to manage both the ACT and NSW parts of the Ginninderry Conservation Corridor as a single unit. This will be done by a community trust. The trust’s job will be to ensure consistent management of the environmental values no matter which side of the border they are on.

The community trust board will include community and relevant government and Council representatives. This is a practical alternative to the ‘business as usual’ approach where ACT Government agencies would manage the ACT part of the Corridor with a specialist trust or Council being responsible for the NSW component. The trust will have a combination of public and private funding. Most of the establishment costs will be met by the Ginninderry project itself.