Horsley - Environment

Climate:

Rainfall varies over the West Dapto area from over 1400mm per annum on the escarpment to less than 1100 mm at Dapto itself.

Geology:

The West Dapto landform area is characterised by isolated crests and sideslopes. It has flat to gently sloping terrain, with the southern portion rising to a small hill which is an important landscape feature. This hill is part of an important ridge line system which runs down from the foothills of the escarpment to Horsley Homestead. (W.C.C. Local Environmental Study, 1989)

Vegetation:

Little extensive natural tree vegetation remains except for that on the steeper, inaccessible slopes of the escarpment and lower foothills. There are small areas of remnant eucalypt woodland in the pasture dominated rural area.

According to the National Parks and Wildlife contribution to the West Dapto Local Environmental Study the escarpment and foothills are the most heavily forested areas within the study area. The vegetation is dominated by two vegetation types warm temperate rainforest and wet sclerophyll forests. The vegetation species in the wet sclerophyll forest are primarily Eucalyptus quadrangulata (white topped box), E. saligna (Sydney Blue Gum), E. smithii (gully gum) and E. muellerana (yellow stringy bark). (NSW. National Parks and Wildlife, 1983)

The majority of the land in the Horsley area was pasture land suitable for grazing only hence it's earmarking for current and future residential development. There is however, a substantial area of approximately 15 - 20 hectares of remnant woodland on the southern side of Bong Bong Road. Although this woodland shows evidence of grazing, it occupies a strategic location along the ridge line. This remnant woodland has been identified as having moderate to high ecological conservation value by the National Parks and Wildlife Service for the following reasons:

The scarcity of remnant woodland on the coastal plain
The presence of regionally rare species
The range of habitats in the woodland supports a high diversity and high density of native bird species
Its prominent elevated position
Its central location within the West Dapto area
Its role as part of a topographic and vegetative sequence from hill top to valley,
There is a sequence of woodland community from Open Forest Red Gym Woodland (Eucalyptus tereticornis, Eucalyptus eugenioides, Eucalyptus bosistoana) on the elevated land to Paperbark Woodland (Melaleuca decora, Melaleuca styphelioides) on lower slopes and through to Swamp Oak Woodland (Casuarina glauca) on the valley floor south of the release area. The Forest Gum Woodland is vital to the completeness and value of this landscape." (W.C.C. Horsley Stage One Development Control Plan, 1992, p. 31)

There are also some occurrences of the rare orchid Pteroslylis gibbosa , hence the naming of the latest Landcom subdivision "Orchid Glen".