Huntley - Environment

Like much of the Illawarra district, Huntley was once covered with rainforest and eucalypt forests.  Since European settlement in the 1800’s, about 75% of the rainforest has been removed. (Mills & Jakeman 1995, p. 1)

The Illawarra remains as one of the most biologically diverse regions in New South Wales. In 2002 the NSW Scientific Committee (established by the Threatened Species Conservation Act) listed the Illawarra Subtropical Rainforest in the Sydney Basin Bioregion as an Endangered Ecological Community.  This local community represents the southernmost distribution of subtropical rainforest in Australia.  (NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, 2007)

The western boundary of Huntley is the Illawarra Escarpment, which still has remnants of original rainforest.  These remaining patches of original vegetation include over 150 species of plants.  Red cedar (Toona ciliata) and Coachwoods (Ceratopetalum apetalum) produce valuable timbers for furniture. The stunning Illawarra flame tree (Brachychiton acerifolius) is locally endemic as is the Illawarra plum (Podocarpus elatus), which provides bush tucker as well as timber for cabinet making.  Maps indicating specific sites and associated species lists are available at www.southerncouncils.nsw.gov.au/vegetation

Illawarra State Conservation Area

The southern most parcel of the Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area is located in the NW corner of Huntley.  This is an area of national significance due to its biodiversity. 

What is now the Illawarra State Conservation Area was formerly called the Illawarra State Recreation Area and was established on land donated by Australian Iron and Steel Pty. Ltd., a subsidiary company of BHP in 1980.  These lands were recognized for their conservation value and were given to the people of NSW to provide recreational activities in an outdoor environment.  In their submission to the West Dapto local environmental study, the National Parks and Wildlife Service stated that “the Service considers that the escarpment vegetation to be of considerable conservation value requiring protection by restrictive planning and development controls”. (NPWS, 1983)