The Town of Cambridge is fortunate to be situated in a region consisting of natural areas, including remnant bushland, wetlands, coastal dunes and an A-class reserve.
We therefore have a responsibility to protect these natural areas, to ensure biodiversity is preserved and that future generations can enjoy a rich environment that supports a wide variety of living things.
Find out about the Town's natural areas and what we can all do to protect and preserve these areas.
To find out more about how friends groups can work with the Town to improve and protect natural areas download a copy of the Town of Cambridge Friends Group Manual(PDF, 11MB).
The Town's Natural Areas
The Town of Cambridge has extensive natural areas within its boundary, including remnant bushland, wetlands, coastal dunes and an A-class reserve.
There are twelve remnant bushland areas within the Town covering 42 hectares, including the following:
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Challenger Park
Chipping Park
Drabble Park
Durston Park
Fred Burton Park
Frinton Park
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Helston Park
Maloney Park
Malton Park
Ocean Village Park
Roscommon Nature Reserve
Templetonia Park
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Remnant vegetation can also be found within Bold Park, The Coastal Dunes, Perry Lakes, Lake Monger Reserve, Wembley Golf Course, Bold Park Aquatic Centre and The Quarry Amphitheatre. Management plans exist for Bold Park (under the management of Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority), The Coastal Dunes, Perry Lakes Reserve, Lake Monger Reserve and Wembley Golf Course.
Biodiversity conservation in the Town's twelve bushland remnants and The Quarry Amphitheatre is managed under the Town's Biodiversity Action Plan 2016-2020. It is a working plan that is responsive to changes in reserve priority, threatening processes and best practice.
The Town's Natural Area Strategy provides strategic direction for the management of local areas over the next 10 years. The strategy identifies the key threats to the Town’s natural areas and provides management recommendations to address threatening processes.
Download the strategy here(PDF, 3MB).
Including local native plants in the garden and creating habitat for wildlife is a great way to boost local biodiversity.
Invite nature into your backyard with the following tools and initiatives:
- Visit the Water Corporation website for a handy search tool for finding plants that grow best in the area where you live.
- The Town has coastal and west coastal planting guides which provide excellent species lists that include vegetation height, flower colour, flower timing and other tips such as whether the species is bird or butterfly attracting.
- Each year the Town of Cambridge in partnership with WESROC offers the opportunity for residents to purchase local native seedlings for a subsidised price through the Native Plant Subsidy Scheme.
There are a number of threats to natural areas that diminish biodiversity.
The Biodiversity Action Plan addresses the following key threats to the biodiversity value of the Town's natural areas.
- Introduced species - Weeds pose a significant threat to natural areas. They compete with native species for space, nutrients and light, altering the structure of an ecosystem and reducing its biodiversity value. Feral animals such as rabbits, foxes and feral cats also significantly impact biodiversity by competing with local native species for resources and through predation.
- Illegal dumping - Illegal dumping of garden waste can introduce pests and weeds into our natural areas. Dumping of building and other materials also smothers native vegetation and damages habitat for native animals.
- Uncontrolled access - Straying off established paths results in trampling of vegetation and introduces weeds into natural areas which threaten biodiversity.
- Fire - Repeated fires overwhelm the capacity of an ecosystem to recover and can result in species reductions or loss. Fire can also alter vegetation structure adversely affecting biodiversity.
There are a number of friends groups that work in the Town's natural areas.
If would like to contribute to the conservation of your local spot please make contact with one of the groups below:
Download a copy of the Town of Cambridge Friends Group Manual. Click here(PDF, 11MB)
Or get in touch with the Town's Sustainability team to discuss your conservation ideas.
Send email
Retaining native vegetation and improving links between the Town's remnant bushland and remnants regionally is important to maintain and improve green corridors in the western suburbs. Greening the Town requires both a local and regional approach.
The Urban Forest
It is now widely recognised that increasing density and clearing for development has led to a significant decline in native vegetation across Perth, particularly a decline in trees. The Town aims to prevent further decline and improve native vegetation through the Street Tree Program and the Biodiversity Action Plan. The Town is also gathering information to assist in the development of an Urban Forest Strategy which will provide strategic direction for the maintenance and enhancement of the Town's green infrastructure.
Green corridors
The Western Suburbs Greening Plan is a strategic document developed with the WESROC councils to establish green corridors in the western suburbs and improve remnant vegetation connectivity in the urban environment.