Landscape

Scottsdale Reserve is a key acquisition for many reasons.

Though they are undeniably beautiful and important for conservation, a large proportion of our protected areas are on land that is not productive, or, to put it another way, are on land for which no agricultural nor industrial use could be found. In many cases this also means that the land is not highly productive for native species. Scottsdale, on the other hand, is a highly productive system. Its ecosystems are poorly reserved and have the potential to be an ‘engine room’ for regional conservation. They will support flourishing populations of native animals and plants.

Scottsdale is also one of the largest and last-remaining underdeveloped rural properties in the region. This further enhances its role in reconnecting the eastern fringes of the Namadgi National Park in the Australian Alps and the coastal ranges of the Eastern Escarpment.

A striking feature of Scottsdale is the Murrumbidgee River. It forms the western and northern boundaries of the property for a distance of four and a half kilometres. The river runs through deep pools and over sand bars and water-sculpted rocks and provides a protected environment for platypus and vulnerable Macquarie perch and trout cod. A recent report into the status and population trends of fish communities in the Murrumbidgee catchment concluded that they were severely degraded. Protecting areas that are in good condition with good habitat, such as those in the reaches on Scottsdale, is vital to the survival of some of the species in the Murrumbidgee.

Scottsdale has a diverse range of vegetation communities and land systems. They provide habitats for most of the region’s endangered and vulnerable animal species. The threatened natural temperate grasslands and grassy woodlands on the lower slopes are poorly represented in the conservation estate. These ecosystems were once widespread. Now only about fifteen per cent survive in moderate to good condition, most having been heavily cleared or modified for agriculture and infrastructure development. They continue to be threatened, particularly by rural subdivision.

The box-gum woodlands, comprised mostly of yellow box Eucalyptus melliodora and Blakely's red gum Eucalyptus blakelyi, are endangered. These woodlands are particularly important for a range of threatened and declining woodland birds such as the speckled warbler and diamond firetail. Swamps, bogs, springs and vulnerable stream-side vegetation communities will also be protected on Scottsdale.