Natural Areas within the City of Nedlands 

Biodiversity 

The City of Nedlands contains a vast array of native plants, fungi and wildlife that occur across six key bushland conservation reserves and several small remnant bushland areas and greenways. 

These bushland areas are contained within the South-West Botanical Province which forms part of one of the world’s 36 recognised global biodiversity hotspots. A biodiversity hotspot is a biologically rich terrestrial region which is considered to be under threat. 

Due to urban influences and past disturbance factors such as inappropriate fire regimes, land clearance, environmental weed invasion, grazing and illegal dumping, these remnant bushlands have suffered disturbance.  Furthermore, changing climatic conditions are placing even greater stress on natural ecosystems. The City’s bushland areas, therefore, require ongoing management and protection.   

The City collaborates with residents to protect and enhance the region's biodiversity through collaborative bushland management and encouraging residents to plant locally occurring native flora on their properties and Council verges. 


Bushland Conservation Reserves in the City of Nedlands
 

Bushland areas within the City consist of several natural vegetation communities ranging from coastal shrublands and grasslands; Banksia, Marri, Jarrah and Tuart woodlands, and rushlands along the Swan River. These natural areas provide important habitat and ecological linkages as well as offering passive recreation opportunities such as exercise, nature study, photography and bushwalking. 

The City of Nedlands is committed to the preservation of our unique and varied bushland areas and has Management Plans for all natural areas including:

Use the tabs below to read more about each bushland area in the City of Nedlands:

Shenton Bushland located on Lemnos Street in Shenton Park is a 24.5 hectare bushland (with 21 hectares vested to the City of Nedlands and 3.5 hectares to the Western Australian Department of Health).  

The Bushland contains a Bush Forever Site 218 and Banksia Woodlands of the Swan Coastal Plain which is listed as an endangered Threatened Ecological Community under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). 

The bushland has significant environmental and heritage values and represents an important greenway corridor between Kings Park and Bold Park. It contains a rich biodiversity of plant, fungi and animal species and and is located on the Bush to Beach trail, one of the six key walking trails along the Whadjuk Trails Network.

The City of Nedlands Environmental Conservation department manages the bushland collaboratively with the Friends of Shenton Bushland in accordance with the Shenton Bushland Management Plan.

 

 Greenway Development Program 

Greenways are networks of open space that are maintained or developed for conservation. They are important because they:  

  • Improve air and water quality; 
  • Provide habitat and corridors for wildlife;  
  • Increase biodiversity; 
  • Reduce erosion; 
  • Provide examples for environmental education; and  
  • Demonstrate the importance of local native seedlings that support insect and bird pollinators. 


Regional and local greenways within the City of Nedlands have
been designated along transport routes where they connect to parkland, remnant bushland and government lands.  The connecting parkland, remnant bushland and government lands also form part of the greenway. See where Nedlands greenways are located here.

The City has managed and developed numerous greenways over the years in accordance with the City’s Greenways Policy. Additionally, the City encourages residents to transform their Council verge into a native garden and plant native seedlings on their properties through the annual WESROC Native Plant Subsidy Scheme.