Little Penguin Protection
We are fortunate to have the only remaining Little Penguin breeding colony on the NSW mainland in our own backyard – Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Every May, penguins come ashore around Manly Point and North Head to breed and raise their young. They inhabit these areas through to the following March.
The Little Penguin education film highlights the threats faced by the colony at Spring Cove including boat strike, dogs, and damage to important foraging habitat such as seagrass beds. Importantly, there are things we can all do to protect the Little Penguin population and ensure they have a future at Manly.
Little Penguin’s under threat
Manly’s Little Penguin colony is listed as an endangered population under the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 and are protected by law, meaning there are limits on certain activities within their declared habitat area.
In December 2002 critical habitat was declared (now known as Area of Outstanding Biodiversity Value). This provides greater protection for the little penguins through stricter controls of activities in areas where they build their nests, raise their young, feed and moult.
However there is still work to do, as the colony continues to be threatened by boat strikes, fishing lines and hooks, rubbish, habitat disturbance, and predators such as foxes, dogs and cats.
The NSW Department of Planning and Environment regularly monitors the status of the penguin colony. At last count, the colony was estimated at 29 breeding pairs (2022-23 breeding season).
Protecting the Little Penguins
The Sydney Coastal Councils Group, in partnership with Transport for NSW (Maritime), Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) and NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), launched its Little Penguin education video (above), which aims to improve education of the boating community around protections in place at Spring Cove in Sydney Harbour.
Sydney Coastal Councils Group urges all small recreational watercraft operators to follow the boating rules in Spring Cove, Manly, designed to protect this critically endangered population of Little Penguins.
Unfortunately Little Penguins are also being injured and killed by dogs and foxes as previously reported. In June 2015, 26 Little Penguins were killed in North Head, by what is believed to be a single fox – a massive loss in a small population.
If you are near a Little Penguin colony, you can help protect these native seabirds by following these simple rules:
- Reduce speed to four knots or below when entering North Harbour, Manly
- Be extra careful at dawn and dusk
- Don’t anchor in seagrass beds
- Don’t bring dogs or cats onto beaches
Watch out, penguins about!
While the best place to see a Little Penguin in Sydney is at a zoo or aquarium, they can also sometimes be spotted foraging in the harbour, or gathering just offshore in groups (or ‘rafts’) waiting to come onto land during the breeding season. You can help the Northern Beaches Council to map their critical habitats below.
If you spot a penguin in the harbour or anywhere else within the Northern Beaches, please submit the sighting details here.
Advocacy
Listen to SCCG Executive Director – Sarah Joyce join ABC Radio to discuss the Little Penguin protection program in Spring Cove, Manly.
Media Releases
Find out more
For further information about Manly’s endangered penguin population, please see the NSW Department of Environment & Heritage’s website.
What’s being done to help Manly’s Little Penguin population?
The SCCG Member Councils face a continual challenge from settlement and growth of marine organisms (“fouling”) on coastal rock pools and platforms. The challenge arises from public health and safety concerns (and associated Council liability) for bathers who can slip on fouled surfaces. Approaches used to date primarily include mechanical cleaning and various biocides, particularly chlorine based bleaches. The use of the latter is constrained by significant concerns over non-target effects as the chlorine washes from platforms/pools into the marine environment more generally.
Mechanical cleaning has also not proved satisfactory because even very frequent cleaning is not sufficient to prevent fouling. This is not particularly surprising, given that microfouling – bacteria, diatoms, other microalgae – can form a slippery layer of slime with a day or two. These and other approaches to the problem are detailed in the SCCG’s 1996 discussion paper, “Finding suitable options for cleaning Sydney’s estuarine tidal baths & ocean rock pools for use by local governments”.
In 2008, the SCCG contracted Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation Algae samples(University of New South Wales) to undertake the above mentioned project. This project was made possible with funding contributions from the NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water, Randwick and Sutherland Councils together with the SCCG.
Results found that two coatings in combination with modified cleaning practices are recommended for commercial scale trials on pedestrian access points anticipating subsequent take up of these technologies. When these coatings are combined with the recommended modified cleaning practices the following improvements are expected:
The City of Sydney partnered with The University of Sydney’s Centre for Research on Ecological Impacts of Coastal Cities and the Royal Botanic Gardens & Domains Trust to create an aquatic corridor along the seawall foreshore of the City of Sydney local government area. This project delivered 
Bush regeneration contractors were engaged to remove weed species & encourage regeneration of native species in Gore Creek Reserve, focusing on endangered Littoral Rainforest and surrounds. Weed species to be controlled in the reserve included: ground asparagus, morning glory, madeira vine, Ehrharta, Trad, Privet & Ochna. Gore Creek Reserve Bushcare group and others have worked alongside the contractors with the aim of restoring bushland adjacent to their work sites. This project has been successfully completed and the legacy of the project will be maintained in the years to come through Lane Cove Council’s commitment of ongoing designated operational budget for the area, as well as the efforts of the local BushCare groups.
The North Palm Beach Dune Rehabilitation project rehabilitated 5.9ha (50% more than target) of highly degraded coastal dune within the North Palm Beach dune system. Managing weeds in the target site was important in tackling what was a reservoir of weeds threatening other rehabilitated and remnant vegetation. Over 5,000 native tubestock were planted. Completion of this project has reconnected a well-functioning native ecosystem and improved cological linkages between remnant native vegetation. This grant project has now been successfully completed and the legacy of the project will be maintained in the years to come through Northern Beaches Council’s commitment of ongoing designated operational budget for the area, as well as the efforts of local BushCare groups.
The project addressed major weed infestations within the project area. Two EECs were targeted: Themeda Grasslands on Coastal Headlands and Littoral Rainforest & Coastal Vine Thickets. Revegetation at 3 sites controlled exotic grasses at South Bilgola Headland, providing littoral restoration of the Bilgola Creek and restoring Coastal Clay Heath within an area heavily invaded by bamboo. A 
This project has brought together 11 physically connected Councils (Bayside, Cumberland, City of Canada Bay, City of Canterbury Bankstown, Georges River, Inner West, Randwick, Strathfield, City of Sydney, Sutherland Shire & Waverley) and Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney (RBGS) to coordinate a regional approach to fox management through a Fox Control Working Committee. SSROC have taken over management of this Committee to continue its work. A web portal, 
The Waverley Council LGA has lost 99% of the remnant vegetation that was present before European Settlement. This project is part of a larger effort by Waverley Council to halt this loss and improve the condition of the remnant from the current 4% up to 40% by 2020. To implement Council’s newly adopted 
and a reduction in invasive weeds, particularly along the coastal cliff-top heath vegetation communities. In combination with revegetation plantings the outcome has been an increased in size and resilience of the remnant vegetation communities. This grant project has now been successfully completed and the legacy of the project will be maintained for at least the next five years through Waverley Council’s commitment of ongoing designated operational budget for the area, as well as through the efforts of local BushCare groups.
The project has improved connectivity between three zones located along the Lane Cove R. starting from the Fullers Rd bridge next to the Lane Cove National Park moving south through O.H. Reid Reserve, the Chatswood Golf Course and Mowbray Park. Work primarily consisted of invasive weed removal to allow natural regeneration of indigenous species and this was supplemented with some plantings of indigenous plants to strengthen connection of work zones and other saltmarsh areas along the Lane Cove R. Willoughby City Council matched the contribution from Sydney’s Salty Communities grant to deliver this important project to rehabilitate this impacted ecosystem. 2,600 native tubestock were planted (800 more than target) and 8.9ha of weed treatment was undertaken. This grant project has now been successfully completed and the legacy of the project will be maintained in the future through Willoughby Council’s commitment of ongoing designated operational budget for the area, and the ongoing relationship they have developed with Chatswood Golf Club.
Through this project, waste oyster shell collected from commercial farms were processed and arranged to protect eroding riverbanks and to stabilise riparian and coastal vegetation. For the purposes of the Salty Communities Program, erosion control and vegetation enhancement is the primary objective. The project was carried out on behalf of 4 councils – Willoughby, Lane Cove, Sutherland Shire and City of Ryde, and involves education, with community groups engaged in reef building activities. Macquarie University is currently undertaking research into the performance of different oyster reef structures, & will build these project sites into their research program. 
Located in the Woronora River valley area (Woronora to Heathcote), the project has reduced the impacts of aggressive weed species, Weeds of National Significance & Key Threatening Processes on threatened flora and fauna species & three Endangered Ecological Communities of Coastal Saltmarsh, Swamp Oak Flood Plain Forest & Swamp Sclerophyll Forest on Coastal Floodplains. The activities have enhanced the 9 sites’ native biodiversity, increase public empowerment/knowledge and ensure past inappropriate urban development is ameliorated to ensure the ecosystem health of one of Sydney’s most unique Riverine systems. The project significantly exceeded its targets: pest management was undertaken in over 200ha of bushland (44% above target); weed treatment was implemented in 85ha (21% above target), and; over 2,100 native tubestock were planted (114% above target). This grant project has now been successfully completed and the legacy of the project will be maintained for at least the next ten years through Sutherland Shire Council’s commitment of ongoing designated operational budget for the area, as well as its long-term Woronora River Management Plan.
The remnant canopy of Balls Head has been affected by termites which appears to be having a serious ring-barking effect on many of these trees. To avoid generational loss of canopy this project involved research to compare treatment of arboreal termites (Nasutitermes walkeri) with appropriate control sites to compare tree responses and determine cause and effect for poor tree health. There has been a formalised monitoring regime, implemented by the 
This project supported an ongoing whole-of-lagoon approach, by focussing on the southern area of the refuge through restoring saltmarsh, creating habitat linkages and controlling vertebrate pest animals. This project has • Reduced the spread of high priority weeds; • Promoted a backyard habitat and garden escapes program; • Promoted the DY Fauna Fair as a celebration of the Wildlife Refuge for lagoon users; • Established a native seed bank using provenance from Dee Why Lagoon and neighbouring lagoon systems; • Produced a condition map of the bushland and saltmarsh, including mapping tree hollows. This project complements the ‘Dee Why Lagoon Wildlife Refuge Habitat Restoration Project’, a three year program funded through Environmental Trust.
This project aimed to control the growth and further spread of Salvinia, a water weed currently choking Warriewood Wetlands EEC, through introduction of cyrtabagous weevil. Prior to introduction, mechanical and physical weed treatment was planned, to reduce Salvinia cover to improve the probability of successful establishment of the weevil. However due to storm events, a large amount of Salvinia was washed away, delivering considerable savings for the project in mechanical clear. Unfortunately, subsequent storms also washed away many weevils. A 
This project restored a section of coastal remnant vegetation located on the Manly Scenic Walkway in Clontarf. The project site was comprised of Littoral Rainforest, listed in NSW as an Endangered Ecological Community. The works removed invasive species and revegetated with local provenance plants. The project site also has cultural significance, with several Aboriginal middens present. This afforded the opportunity to engage with the Aboriginal Heritage Office to develop a restoration project which enables the vegetation communities to be improved, whilst protecting culturally significant sites and developing interpretive signage and other educational elements. A community engagement program built the capacity of residents to value the local biodiversity and to engage with backyard habitat and garden escapes programs and undertake voluntary restoration activities on surrounding private properties.
This project engaged and tought community members to record the attributes of hollows and trees, and to monitor wildlife use of hollows. It has deliverd 
The project has delivered an improved wildlife corridor linking Endangered Ecological Communities of Curl Curl potentially affected by climate change, to the coastal corridor of Freshwater/McKillop Park, using the assistance of community and corporate volunteers and professional workers. Over 4,000 native plants, of over 30 different species, have been established to replace areas once degraded by Weeds of National Significance (WoNS) and other environmental weeds. A percentage of plants have been propagated from flora further north of this area, to improve climate change biodiversity resilience.
For the 23 Councils within the Sydney Coastal Councils Group (SCCG) and the Southern Sydney Region of Councils (SSROC) (including Ashfield; Bankstown; Burwood; Botany Bay; Canada Bay; Canterbury; City of Sydney; Hornsby; Hurstville; Kogarah; Leichhardt; Manly; Marrickville; Mosman; North Sydney; Pittwater; Randwick; Rockdale; Sutherland; Warringah; Waverley; Willoughby; Woollahra) existing mapping of habitat corridors, have been consolidated into one GIS layer, to identify opportunities for connectivity and contiguity across Council boundaries. 
The CSIRO SCCG partnership project, the 
A reference group was convened for the program, to provide further specialist technical input, guide and/or undertake research, review prioritisation and critique/evaluate sub-projects during development and execution. Expertise in Sydney’s coastal ecosystems, ecological restoration, urban biodiversity and organisational capacity-building provides critical advice to achieve project outcomes.
