Biodiversity

Biodiversity is the variety of all living things on earth

We need biodiversity to make sure we have clean air to breathe, healthy food to eat and fresh water to drink. The health of our environment directly affects our own health. Simply put, biodiversity is very important.

Biodiversity is lost when we cause damage to our environment such as the change of land use, polluting water ways, taking more from our environment than we need, spread of pest species and climate change.

What is Council doing to increase and protect local biodiversity?:

Delivering the ‘Biodiversity Strategy: Maldhangilanha 2020-2030’ which sets our path to protecting and enhancing biodiversity in our local area
Implementing the ‘Wagga Wagga Roadside Vegetation Management Plan’
Setting aside land for its environmental value and making sure it is protected
Planting trees, shrubs and grasses through the annual National Tree Day initiative and supporting schools to participate in Schools National Tree Day by providing seedlings
Educating students through the Schools Sustainability Sessions program
Installing nest boxes for bird, possums, and gliders

What can you do?:

Plant a range of plants in your garden to provide habitat including:
- Native plants
- Plants with flowers
- Plants of different shapes and heights
Provide homes or safe places for animals in your backyard including:
- Rock gardens for lizards to shelter
- Bee or bird baths
Keep your pet cat inside, especially overnight
Leave dead or fallen timber in place, including on roadsides. Purchase firewood from a reputable dealer or make an application to collect from a NSW State Forest
Join your local Landcare group to get involved in local projects
Contact WIRES if you come across a sick or injured animal

Threatened species, populations and ecological communities found in the Wagga Wagga LGA

The table below identifies species at risk within the Wagga Wagga Local Government Area. Efforts should be made for the protection and restoration of habitats that support these species.

Common Name	Scientific Name	Legal Status
Amphibians (Frogs)
Booroolong Frog	Litoria booroolongensis	E
Sloane's Froglet	Crinia sloanei	V
Southern Bell Frog	Litoria raniformis	E
Reptiles
Striped Legless Lizard	Delma impar	V
Western Blue-tongued Lizard	Tiliqua occipitalis	V
Mammals
Eastern False Pipistrelle	Falsistrellus tasmaniensis
Eastern Bentwing-bat	Miniopterus schreibersii	V
Greater Long-eared Bat	Nyctophilus timoriensis	V
Grey-headed Flying-fox	Pteropus poliocephalus	V
Inland Forest Bat	Vespadelus baverstocki	V
Koala	Phascolarctos cinereus	V
Large-footed Myotis	Myotis macropus	V
Spotted-tailed Quoll	Dasyurus maculatus	V
Squirrel Glider	Petaurus norfolcensis	E
Yellow-bellied Sheathtail-bat	Saccolaimus flaviventris	V
Birds
Barking Owl	Ninox connivens	V
Black-breasted Buzzard	Hamirostra melanosternon	V
Black-chinned Honeyeater	Melithreptis gularis gularis	V
Black Falcon	Falco subniger	V
Blue-billed Duck	Oxyura australis	V
Brolga	Grus rubicunda	V
Brown Treecreeper	Climacteris picumnus victoriae	V
Bush Stone-curlew	Burhinus grallarius	E
Curlew Sandpiper	Calidris ferruginea	E
Diamond Firetail	Stagonop/eura guttata	V
Dusky Woodswallow	Artamus cyanopterus cyanopterus	V
Flame Robin	Petroica phoenicea	V
Freckled Duck	Stictonetta naevosa	V
Gang-gang Cockatoo	Callocephalon fimbriatum	V
Gilbert's Whistler	Pachycephala inornata	V
Glossy Black-cockatoo	Calyptorhynchus /athami	V
Grey Falcon	Falco hypoleucos	V
Grey-crowned Babbler	Pomatostomus tempora/is tempora/is	V
Hooded Robin	Melanodryas cucul/ata cucul/ata	V
Little Eagle	Hieraaetus morphnoides	V
Little Lorikeet	Glossopsitta pusil/a	V
Major Mitchell's Cockatoo	Cacatua leadbeateri	V
Masked Owl	Tyto novaeholliandiae	V
Powerful Owl	Ninox strenua	V
Regent Honeyeater	Xanthomyza phrygia	E
Scarlet Robin	Petroica boodang	V
Speckled Warbler	Pyrrholaemus sagittata	V
Spotted Harrier	Circus assimilis	V
Square-tailed Kite	Lophoictinia isura	V
Superb Parrot	Polyte/is swainsonii	V
Swift Parrot	Lathamus discolour	E
Turquoise Parrot	Neophema pulchella	V
Varied Sittella	Daphoenositta chrysoptera	V
White-fronted Chat	Epthianura albifrons	V
Fish and Crayfish
Macquarie Perch	Macquaria australasica	E
Murray Hardyhead	Craterocephalus fluviatilis	CE
Murray Crayfish	Euastacus armatus	V
Silver Perch	Bidyanus bidyanus	V
Southern Pygmy Perch	Nannoperca australis	E
Trout Cod	Maccullochella macquariensis	E
Plants
Claypan Daisy	Brachycome muelleroides	V
Mossgiel Daisy	Brachycome papillosa	V
Pine Donkey Orchid	Diuris tricolour	V
Woolly Ragwort	Senecio garlandii	V
Yass Daisy	Ammobium craspedioides	V
Ecological Communities
White Box-Yellow Box-Blakely's Red Gum Woodland	E
Fuzzy Box Woodland	E
Inland Grey Box Woodland	E
Myall Woodland	E
Aquatic Ecological Community in Natural Drainage System of Lower Murray River Catchment	E
Populations
Eel-tailed Catfish in the Murray Darling Basin	Tandanus tandanus	E
Purple Spotted Gudgeon	Mogurnda adspersa	E
Squirrel Glider in the Wagga Wagga Local Government Area	Petaurus norfolcensis	E

Sources: Database records from: NSW Office of Environment and Heritage; Industry and Investment NSW, Primary Industries Fishing and Aquaculture.

Key:

CE	Critically Endangered
E	Endangered
v	Vulnerable

Other Council Websites

Visit Wagga Wagga Airport

Oasis Aquatic Centre Wagga Library

Wagga Art Gallery Museum of the Riverina

Civic Theatre Have Your Say Wagga