South Coast NSW
The Forests of the New South Wales south coast bushfire region is defined by the boundaries of the South East New South Wales natural resource management region. It covers over 5.5 million hectares.
The South Coast region includes the Yuin, Ngarrigo, Bidwell, Gundungurra and Tharawal nations. It incorporates 15 Local Aboriginal Land Councils. Indigenous Land Use Agreements in the region include Twofold Bay and small sections of the Gundungurra Area agreement. Biamanga National Park and Gulaga National Park are both Aboriginal owned.
Impacts of the 2019–20 bushfires
More than 1.1 million hectares of the region was burnt, 61 per cent of which burnt at high or very high severity.
Map of the South Coast NSW region following the 2019–20 bushfires
This map shows the extent and severity of the 2019–20 bushfires in the South Coast NSW region.
Environmental values impacted by the bushfires that have been recommended for urgent management intervention in the region include:
- 87 animals including Littlejohn’s Tree Frog, Mustard-bellied Snake, Eastern Bristlebird, Stocky Galaxias, Tianjara Crayfish and the Bermagui Bristle Snail.
- 126 plant species including the Budawangs Bushpea, Wadbilliga Sticky Boronia, Ettrema Mallee and Budawangs Cliffheath.
- 12 Threatened Ecological Communities, including Upland Basalt Eucalypt Forests of the Sydney Basin Bioregion and Alpine Sphagnum Bogs and Associated Fens.
 Photo: ASasch CC BY-NC 2.0 |
 Photo: Alamy |
 Photo: David Cook Wildlife Photography licence CC BY-NC 2.0 |
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The Mustard-Bellied Snake is endemic to New South Wales. Lack of ground cover following fire is likely to increase the threat of predators to this species. 36 per cent of its range within the region burnt in the 2019–20 bushfires. |
The Long-Nosed Potoroo is a forest-dwelling rat-kangaroo that is found in dense ground cover vegetation. The vulnerable species had 50 per cent of its range within the region burnt in the 2019–20 bushfires. |
The shy Eastern Bristlebird mostly occurs in dense, coastal vegetation. This endangered bird has 69 per cent of its range within the region, 24 per cent of which was burnt. |
Australian Government bushfire recovery funding in the region
As part of the Australian Government’s initial $50 million investment in bushfire recovery for wildlife and habitats, $1 million has been invested in this region. This includes:
- $750,000 to the South East Local Land Services for pest animal control, weed and sediment control, fencing and revegetation, cultural burning and emergency interventions to prevent species extinctions.
- $216,500 to the NSW Government for targeted interventions directly in the South Coast region including the Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby, Koala, Pygmy Cypress Pine and Bega Wattle.
Additional funding includes:
- almost $5.4 million for projects where some activities are being undertaken in, or are relevant to, the region. This includes assessment and restoration of litter and log invertebrates and actions to conserve the Euastacus freshwater crayfish.
- $455,000 to the NSW Government to support the Smoky Mouse, Paddys River Box, and Camden Woollybutt, whose ranges occur partly in the South Coast region.
Next steps
Through the bushfire Regional Fund the Australian Government is investing $110 million to provide strategic on-ground support for the most impacted native species, ecological communities and natural assets across seven bushfire affected regions.
A co-design workshop was held with stakeholders from the Forests of the NSW South Coast on 16 September 2020. The aim of the workshop was to engage and collaborate with stakeholders to identify regional investment priorities for post-fire recovery of species and natural assets. The workshop report is available below.
Forests of the NSW South Coast - Regional Bushfire Recovery Workshop Report (PDF - 3.32 MB)
Forests of the NSW South Coast - Regional Bushfire Recovery Workshop Report (DOCX - 8.73 MB)
Investment decisions will be guided by the workshop outcomes and will include careful consideration of community capacity, existing recovery efforts and value for money. Funding will primarily be provided through existing arrangements, for example with NRM regions and/or state governments. This will include formal and informal partnerships with other organisations and community groups where this will enhance recovery outcomes.