Location & Description

The East McCarrs Creek Road Reserve is located in Church Point close to the boundary between Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and McCarrs Creek Road.  The Reserve is bounded on the west and north partly by McCarrs Creek Road and undeveloped allotments fronting the road. 

The southern boundary is the unformed Boundary Road and the eastern boundary is defined by residential allotments from Gilwinga Drive and Barcoola Place.  The Reserve is undeveloped bushland situated on a west facing slope and occupies 2.57ha.

• View location on map

Walking Tracks & Access

There are currently no formal tracks within the Reserve, although there is access at the roadside culvert near the creekline.

Plants

The uppermost parts of the slope support Hawkesbury Sandstone Open Forest dominated by Smooth-barked Apple (Angophora costata) and Red Bloodwood (Corymbia gummifera).

The permanent creekline contains a Coachwood Closed-forest dominated by Coachwood (Ceratopetalum apetalum).

Animals

The Reserve has a direct connection to the bushland in and around Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park which has resulted in an extensive faunal species list.  Its complex vegetation structure, although somewhat disturbed by the 1994 fire, provides cover and food resources for a range of species including the threatened Glossy Black-cockatoo which has been seen feeding in Forest Oak nearby.

During late 1995 a juvenile Powerful Owl was observed in the Reserve.  The main prey for Powerful Owls are Sugar Glider and Common Ringtail Possum which occur locally.

Swamp Wallaby tracks and droppings were observed further demonstrating faunal diversity within this Reserve.

Upper parts of the Reserve may provide habitat for Red-crowned Toadlet, Giant Burrowing Frog and Heath Monitor.

Special Features

• East McCarrs Creek Road Reserve protects an example of undisturbed bushland of Church Point and is continuous with other naturally vegetated land near Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park
• it protects an example of Coachwood Closed Forest, which is significant in the Sydney region
• it is classified as a major habitat area in Council's Habitat and Wildlife Corridors Conservation Strategy with a high degree of biodiversity and acts as an important habitat and link to other habitat for faunal species movement
• it provides habitat for threatened species of fauna namely Glossy Black-cockatoo, Powerful Owl, Red-crowned Toadlet, Giant Burrowing Frog and Heath Monitor
• it allows the study of post fire vegetation response
• it contributes to the landscape quality of McCarrs Creek and provides a record of the original landscape and the changes wrought by urban development
• it is an educational resource and a contact point with nature for residents
• it allows urban residents to undertake informal recreational pursuits in a bushland setting

Related Info

• View location on map
• To find out more about East McCarrs Creek Road Reserve, download its Plan of Management
• Find out more about Pittwater's amazing Vegetation Communities
• See the native animal species lists for Pittwater