The project is a joint venture between NSW DCCEEW’s Native Vegetation Information Science unit and Council; and was designed and commenced prior to my involvement. I took on the job when the project was in difficulty.
The project is a test case for new and refined methods of mapping vegetation types at the local government scale. Analysis of draft map reliability during 2017 resulted in very high scores — higher than previously generated using NSW DCCEEW’s methodology and methods. NSW DCCEEW recognised that this was in part achieved through extensive local knowledge and through ‘going the extra mile’ to get good results out of what was initially an inadequate project design.
In the process of conducting extensive sampling and traverses, I documented new populations of several rare and threatened species of flora and fauna; extended the known ranges of several plant species and two threatened ecological communities; documented a previously unknown vegetation type for the LGA; detected one species previously unknown to science, and another that represents at least a new variant of a known species.
The map was released to Council and government agencies for review in mid 2017. The digital map and associated data are expected for public release in early 2020.
