WHAT - IWEGs bushcare work

WHERE - our bushcare sites

WHEN - diary and events list

HOW - you can get involved!

in 2010 celebrating 12 years of volunteer bushcare work!

The Inner West Environment Group (IWEG) is not-for-profit incorporated community bushcare group. It was founded in 2000 by residents in the the suburbs of Summer Hill, Dulwich Hill, Leichhardt and Haberfield in the Inner West of Sydney, Australia, to undertake bush re-establishment in the Hawthorne Canal catchment. IWEG currently undertakes work at 6 bushcare sites, with a number of new sites planned for establishment through 2010-2011.

IWEG is one of a number of community group, government agency and business stakeholders within the Hawthorne Canal catchment that are working together under an overarching Cooks River to Iron Cove GreenWay vision (and Coordination Strategy recently completed) - particularly where it relates to biodiversity and the Green Web Sydney corridor. The group also undertakes environmental and bushcare work in its own right and provides a strong individual voice and action in relation to environmental issues within in the region. Callan Park Bushcare, is a group affiliated with IWEG and working in remnant bushland at Callan Park (NE end of the GreenWay corridor), with another bushcare group soon to be established to operate in the GreenWay corridor south of New Canterbury Road (within the Cooks River catchment).

IWEG’s vision is seen to be “to improve the natural biodiversity within the Hawthorne Canal catchment  of the Inner west in Sydney”. The scope of IWEG should have as its core activity as establishing, improving and maintaining biodiversity and natural habitat in the Hawthorne Canal catchment. There is a broader role for IWEG to indirectly result in improved environmental identity, access and environmental promotion within the area.

In terms of scope of activities, IWEG:

• is a point of liaison for bushcare and natural environment issues with Councils, State agencies and community - a contact point for advice and comment in relation to natural environmental issues;

• is an advocate and promoter of environmental quality within the catchment and more broadly; and,

• has as overriding ideal to implement GreenWeb Sydney corridor along Hawthorne Canal, work in concurrence with Councils and broadly respond to/conform with State environmental and biodiversity strategies and policies. 

IWEG's scope however does not extend to the coordination of actions across environmental groups either in same geographical area or across disciplines; nor land care work in the Cooks River catchment or catchments other than Hawthorne Canal as the primary instigator or proponent.

The group will hold quarterly forums (from February 2010) at Summer Hill Community Centre, 131 Smith St Summer Hill, 7.30pm. See Diary Dates. See location map.

IWEG volunteers at a working bee at the Olympic Landcare site, Richrd Murden Reserve Haberfield, July 2005