The Bush on the Boundary Reference Group consists of various Government and non-governmental stakeholder groups with an interest in the urban-bushland interface.   The aim of the group is to preserve and promote the importance of urban bushland surrounding Canberra’s suburbs, with specific initiatives aimed at engaging local communities in the protection of local nature reserves and adjacent naturally vegetated lands.

Bush on the Boundary was established in 2006 by the Ginninderra Catchment Group and the Conservation Council.  A second Bush on the Boundary group (known as BoB Molonglo) has been established with the Molonglo Catchment Group, and moves are in train to set up a southern ACT Bush on the Boundary group.

BoB Gungahlin is focused upon Mulligan's Flat and Goorooyarroo Nature Reserves which have endangered Yellow Box/Red Gum woodlands.   This group draws together key stakeholders, including Delphin/Lend Lease (the developers of the new suburb of Forde), the ANU/CSIRO researchers rehabilitating the Woodland Sanctuary in Mulligans Flat, TAMS, LDA, and a number of non-government orgnisations including the Conservation Council, Greening Australia, Canberra Ornithologists Group and Friends of Grasslands.  More recent activities of BoB Gungahlin include assessing potential impacts on natural ecosystems arising from the development of the new suburbs of Bonner, Casey and Kinlyside.

Bush on the Boundary members are all volunteers, with hosting administrative funds being provided inititially through the National Heritage Trust, and more recently through ACT Government grants programmes. Such project funding has enabled the group's members to undertake small-scale on-ground and community engagement projects addressing important local issues on the bushland interface. Bush on the Boundary also provides a means through which the broader community can become involved with natural resource management.

An additional grant received this year is developing Bush on the Boundary's generic guidelines.  This is a set of policies to guide development and resident behaviour for urban bushland boundary areas.  It will cover such matters as pet containment, the spread of invasive plants into bushland, waste management, recreational use, and fire management.  It is hoped that the publication of these principles will help the ACT Government implement policies that protect and enhance ecological and biodiversity values, and also guide both developers and residents to value, promote and care for our fragile bushland areas.

For more information on Bush on the Boundary, visit the BoB website.

For Bush on the Boundary Gungahlin, please contact the Gininnderra Catchment Group on 6278 3309

For Bush on the Boundary Molonglo, and for general BoB matters, please contact Clare Henderson on 6229 3200 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .