Molonglo Valley Strategic Assessment
Associated Development: East Molonglo Development
Commonwealth approval: Strategic assessment of the Molonglo Valley Plan for the Protection of Matters of National Environmental Significance (the NES Plan)
Length of approval: 31 December 2041
Where are the Molonglo Valley offset areas?
The Molonglo Valley offset areas are located in Canberra's west, along the Molonglo River. The offset areas were determined within the strategic assessment of the Molonglo Valley Plan (the NES Plan) for the Protection of Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES):
- Molonglo River Reserve
- Kama Nature Reserve
- Arboretum Woodland Conservation Area (including NES Patches G and N)
- William Hovell Woodland Conservation Area (including NES Patches C and H)
- Block 403 Woodland Conservation Area (including NES Patch P)
- Spring Valley Rural Lease (NES Patches I, L and M)
Why is it an offset?
The Molonglo Valley Strategic Assessment has conservation objectives concerning Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES), protected under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). Specifically:
- Box-Gum Grassy Woodland (White box - Yellow box- Blakely's Red Gum Grassy Woodland and derived native grassland)
- Natural Temperate Grassland (of the South Eastern Highlands)
- Pink-tailed Worm-lizard (Aprasia parapulchella)
- Superb Parrot (Polytelis swainsonii)
What else is special about the Molonglo Valley offset areas?
Barrer Hill Restoration Project
Within the strategic assessment, the Barrer Hill restoration project used innovative techniques to provide habitat for native animals, including the relocation and resurrection of large mature trees up to 160 years old.
Connectivity
The Molonglo River is a tributary of the Murrumbidgee River, a major river in the Murray-Darling Basin. The Molonglo River catchment, largely in NSW, covers 200,000 Ha. The 115 km long river originates in Tallaganda State Forest in the Great Dividing Range above Captains Flat.
The largest tributary of the Molonglo is the Queanbeyan River, which is dammed at Googong Dam upstream of Queanbeyan. It contributes to water supplies for Canberra as well as Queanbeyan.
The Molonglo is dammed by Scrivener Dam to form Lake Burley Griffin, a central feature of the design for Canberra. Water flows in the Lower Molonglo River are highly dependent on releases of water from Scrivener Dam as most of the catchment area is above the dam. The tributaries below the dam contribute only a small proportion of total flows.
For wildlife, connections into the wider region are also important, especially for birds. Kama forms an important link between the Murrumbidgee River Corridor Reserve and the reserves of Canberra Nature Park in the north of Canberra including Mt Majura, Black Mountain, Aranda Bushland, Mt Painter and The Pinnacle. The vegetation along the river also features in wildlife linkages to the west and south and into NSW.
Threatened fauna
- Swift Parrot (Lathamus discolour)
- Hooded Robin (Melanodryas cucullate)
- Brown Treecreeper (Climacteris picumnus)
- Painted Honeyeater (Grantiella picta)
- Varied Sitella (Daphoenositta chrysoptera)
- White-winged Triller (Lalage sueurii)
- Little Eagle (Hieraaetus morphnoides)
- Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus)
- Silver Perch (Bidyanus)
- Macquarie Perch (Macquaria australasica)
- Trout Cod (Maccullochella macquariensis)
- Murray Co (Maccullochella peelii)
- Murray River Crayfish (Euastacus armatus)
- Perunga Grasshopper (Perunga ochracea)
Threatened flora
- Pale Pomaderris (Pale pomaderris)
Find out about threatened flora and fauna. You can also find useful information through the NSW Government threatened biodiversity profile search and PlantNET.
Ngunnawal Country and People
The Molonglo Valley offset areas are located on Ngunnawal Country, an ancient and diverse landscape managed by Ngunnawal people for tens of thousands of years. For time immemorial Ngunnawal people have maintained a tangible and intangible cultural, social, environmental, spiritual, and economic connection to these lands and waters.
The Heritage Act 2004 makes particular provision for recognising, registering and conserving Aboriginal places and objects. Under the Act it is an offence to damage, disturb or destroy any Aboriginal place or object. Find out more about the protection of Aboriginal places and objects.
Management
- Strategic assessment of the Molonglo Valley Plan
- Nature Conservation (Molonglo River Reserve) Reserve Management Plan 2019
- Molonglo Adaptive Management Strategy [PDF 7.6 MB]
- Molonglo Valley Plan for the Protection of Matters of National Environmental Significance [PDF 1.5 MB]
More information
- Find associated publications on the Offsets Register.