What is Bush Regeneration

Bush regeneration is a method of maintaining and improving areas of native vegetation by removing the burden of weeds and encouraging the natural recruitment of native plants. A more complete and healthy plant community also provides additional opportunities for native animals.

What is Bushcare

Gosford City Council Bushcare is a program that assists community volunteers to undertake bush regeneration on land under the care and control of Council.

Council supports Bushcare groups by providing them with training, tools, supervision and technical advice.

The Council Bushcare program includes a free, year-long series of educational seminars and workshops, a quarterly newsletter, and an end of year barbeque to thank all the volunteers for their contributions.

Bushcare Registration

It is illegal for any member of the public to remove or interfere with any vegetation (including weeds!) on Council land without prior permission. Every Bushcare group and individual registered with Council is empowered to undertake work on the behalf of Council following a well-planned strategy.

Registration of each Bushcarer is vital to ensuring that every volunteer receives adequate training and direction for the work they are undertaking. Adequate training and direction ensures that each volunteer acts as a safe and productive member of the program and is protected under Council's insurance policy.

Bushcare Officers maintain records of volunteers, the amount of work undertaken on each site, and the support that each group receives. These records assist Council to manage the Bushcare program as well as allowing the contribution made by the community to be fully recognised and included in documents such as our State of the Environment Reports.

Bushcare should be fun

Bushcare is not just about physical work. The social, educational and recreational aspects of the program should not be overlooked.

Most groups contain six or more like-minded people working together in a scenic bushland environment. There is plenty of time during the work sessions for discussion and socialising. Workshops organised as part of the Bushcare program are not only a great opportunity to learn more about the natural environment, they also provide an opportunity to meet other Bushcarers working in the Gosford region.

Many Bushcare volunteers look forward to their meetings as a means of getting outdoors and physically active, while enjoying the company of other group members.

There are many tasks that Bushcare groups need to undertake. Some of these include mapping, photography, plant identification, animal surveys, and tool maintenance. There is always a new skill to learn or task to be completed suited to everyone's interests and physical ability.

Frequently Asked Bushcare Questions

Enthusiasts may also visit our Frequently asked questions section for more information on bushcare.

How do I get involved?

Participation in Gosford City Council's Bushcare program is only a phone call or email away.

If you are interested, contact Council's Bushcare Officer by:
Telephone: 4325 8222 or
Email: goscity@gosford.nsw.gov.au for more information.

A Bushcare Officer can arrange for you to join an existing group, or assist in the creation of a new group in an area of concern to you, if resources are available.

Each new Bushcare volunteer must complete a registration form and preferably undertake an Introduction To Bushcare training workshop prior to working on the site. Additional training in bush regeneration, herbicide use and other topics relevant to Bushcare is available through the training calendars provided free of charge to all Bushcare volunteers throughout the year.

Bushcare Training

• Bushcare Training Calendar January to June 2013

Bushcare volunteers or any interested members of the public can also join the mailing list for the "Natural Area News" which details local environmental information and issues.