Bellingen Island
Bellingen Island is a hidden gem nestled along the Bellinger River just to the west of Lavenders Bridge.
The Island is one of the last remnants of Lowland Subtropical Rainforest on Floodplain in the Bellinger catchment. This vegetation community is listed as an Endangered Ecological Community under the NSW Threatened Species Act
The Island is home to a maternity camp of Grey Headed Flying foxes whose numbers swell to the tens of thousands seasonally. They are protected by the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act, and can be seen at dusk flying into the forests to forage for food.
Unfortunately the Island is under constant threat by weed invasion, both from adjoining urban gardens and from the periodic flooding that inundates the Island. Council has instigated a planning and implementation program for assisting the restoration and revegetation of the Island in 2008. Seed collection and plant propogation has begun for the re-vegetation of the western end of the Island which, up until recently, was not a part of the reserve.
The Island has a dedicated core group of volunteers which work each Tuesday morning weeding the site. The work of the Island group has been recognised nationally when they were awarded a Nature Conservation Award at the National Landcare awards in 1999. Newcomers are welcome to join and assist in this valuable exercise.
The Island is accessible form the old caravan park site off Dowle street in North Bellingen. A walking path is located just near the Information board.
For further information please download the "History of Bellingen Island" and "Bellingen Island Rainforest" documents below.
Contact details
Ian Turnbull - Manager Vegetation & Environment
council@bellingen.nsw.gov.au
| Online Services |
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Download files The History of Bellingen Island (pdf 2 Mb ) Bellingen Island Rainforest (pdf 452 kb ) |
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