Biodiversity in our region. We are committed to protecting and improving the unique and beautiful natural environment that surrounds the city.
Biodiversity in Bendigo
We are committed to protecting and improving the unique and beautiful natural environment that surrounds the city. We are a city within a forest, incorporating an extensive network of national and regional parks, crown land reserves, public forests and private land. These areas provide habitats for significant plants and animals, and provide us with fresh air, clean water and shade.
However, mining, agriculture and urban development have changed the natural environment - fragmenting and isolating habitat, increasing animal grazing, predators and invasive plants and changing river flows. This has a huge impact on biodiversity - the variety of all living things (plants, animals and micro-organisms and the terrestrial, marine and freshwater ecosystems they live in). As a result of pressures, Greater Bendigo is currently home to 105 threatened plant species, 65 threatened birds, seven threatened mammals, four threatened fish, seven threatened reptiles, two threatened amphibians and two threatened invertebrates.
Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan
The Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2023-2033 will establish a shared vision for biodiversity conservation across the region, engaging and supporting actions by the City, land managers and the community to protect, enhance and connect natural values, and advocate on behalf of the environment.
Native vegetation and wildlife
Native vegetation offset sites provide credits that are required by planning permits to offset the removal of native vegetation. Council owns and manages two native vegetation offset sites, one in Huntly and one in Maiden Gully.
Visit this website for more information about native vegetation offsets:
Victorian Government: Offsets for the removal of native vegetation
Native vegetation comprises plants that are indigenous to Victoria. It includes trees, shrubs, herbs and grasses.
A list of species native to the Bendigo region is available in the Indigenous Plants of Bendigo guide.
A planning permit is required to remove, destroy or lop native vegetation.
Visit this website for more information about current planning permit requirements for removal of native vegetation:
Each year in Australia it's estimated over 10 million native animals lose their lives on Australian roads. The Wildlife Road Reduction Toolkit is designed for local governments and other organisations to help them gain a greater understanding of the issue and outline what strategies are available to ensure safer roads, safer road users and a safer existence for native animals.
Visit this website for more information about the Wildlife Road Toll Reduction Project:
Roadsides
Roadside vegetation is any vegetation that is growing between the edge of the road and the property boundary. You need to obtain consent to remove vegetation within the road reserve. If the vegetation is native, a planning permit may be required as well.
You may not collect firewood from any of our roadsides or reserves or from roads managed by VicRoads. There are specific sites around Bendigo where firewood can be collected in spring and autumn.
Visit this website to check firewood collection dates and locations for the Loddon Mallee region: