Initially established in response to community demand for horse-riding trails, the Greenway trails now also provide “high biodiversity value”. Photo: Hayley Nicholls
Hidden behind the semi-rural homesteads of Bywong and Wamboin is an impressive network of public walking and riding trails.
Subtle signage marks its multiple entrances, inviting ramblers and equestrians to weave through bushland, beneath pine trees and between paddocks – along easy-to-follow and well-maintained tracks.
Welcome to the Bywong-Wamboin Greenways: a grassroots project built and managed by the local community in close collaboration with council.
An expansive 30km network of interconnecting trails, the majority of the land is owned by Queanbeyan‑Palerang Regional Council (QPRC) and managed via a dedicated Bywong/Wamboin Greenways Committee, made up of local community volunteers and one council representative.
Local resident and self-confessed “Greenie”, Kathy Handel has been involved in the committee for more than 10 years.
She says the Greenways not only provide an important resource for the community, but – with increasing development in the area – the ribbons of remnant bushland provide an important refuge for animals.
“They provide both habitat and corridors for native wildlife to travel,” she said. “For example, birds need a corridor to get from one large area of forest to another – you can’t have huge gaps or most birds can’t move between forests.”
It’s a sentiment shared by QPRC Councillor Katrina Willis, who has been the committee’s council representative since 2022.
“The Greenways have high biodiversity value, including protection of habitat for threatened and endangered species,” she said. “They constitute ribbons of native vegetation that support connectivity, for people as well as animals, and contain remnant endemic species.”
Vulnerable species found in the supported bushland include the Little Eagle, Powerful Owl and Rosenberg’s Goanna, along with the endangered Gang-Gang Cockatoo.
It’s this shared sense of the network’s benefits – to locals, visitors and wildlife – that has seen community members and council collaborating to keep this natural asset accessible.
Originally Crown land set aside for roadways or travelling stock routes, the first Greenway was established in 1994 in response to community demand for horse-riding trails.
Quickly growing into a significant and well-used network, the Bywong/Wamboin Greenways is overseen by six volunteer community members.
Their local knowledge and passion for the area makes for an efficient working group, according to Cr Willis.
“The committee is good to work with,” she said.
“The members are passionate and energetic, they know the Greenways well, they are organised and have driven key pieces of work – such as the development of a masterplan to guide future works and investment in the Greenways network.”
Members of the Bywong/Wamboin Greenways Committee get hands-on with working bees for tasks such as the installation of wayfinding signage. Photo: Supplied.
Providing a 10-year strategy for trail management, the Bywong/Wamboin Greenways Masterplan also encourages the development of further networks.
It states: “When Crown road closures are proposed for other parts of the LGA … it would be productive for council to consider the option of them becoming Greenways in those areas, instead of being closed, where such action would enhance access to recreational opportunities and/or biodiversity enhancement.”
“These road reserves are all over the state, but they largely get bought up and become privately-owned,” said Kathy.
“People ask ‘why can’t you extend them?’ and the answer is that people buy the land up.”
According to Cr Willis, one of the biggest challenges is encroachment and land use conflicts arising from continued rural subdivision development.
“Pressure arises in part because of proximity to Canberra, where households with high incomes can finance a country lifestyle close to city amenities.”
The Masterplan is supported by a $33,000 operational budget from council, plus an additional grant of nearly $8000 from the NSW Community Building Partnerships program.
Cr Willis says reliable funding is vital to ensuring the continuation of the network.
“I would hope that this will be a baseline amount each financial year to guarantee funds so that works can be planned and scheduled,” she said.
“Ongoing financial support is essential if this highly valued network is to be protected for future generations.”
While the committee work on maintenance strategy and funding, another passionate pool of volunteers handles the important hands-on work, such as weeding, revegetation, signage and track maintenance.
And while working bees attract strong support from the community, Kathy says one of the biggest challenges is attracting volunteers for the more administrative roles.
“We have a lot of people who will volunteer to come to things, but not so many people willing to be on the committee and doing the official stuff and writing minutes,” said Kathy.
“I’ve always refused to be secretary – I hate writing minutes!”
So, what keeps her going? “I’m a Greenie!” she said.
“We need more people interested in the environment, and if you can get them out there and walking, they’re actually taking notice of their environment.”
