A bushland reserve in the middle of Clarence has a bright future after City of Clarence endorsed a new management plan for a popular recreational area.
The Waverley Flora Park Reserve Management Plan (the Plan) was formally adopted by Council at the 23 March Council Meeting.
The Plan was informed by individual and group discussions, survey responses, and written submissions from all corners of the community, including from:
- Clarence Dog Owners Group
- Howrah, Warrane and Bellerive primary schools
- Waverley Flora Park Landcare Group
- BirdLife Tasmania
- Botanists and ecologist
- Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (DNRE) Conservation Assessments and Wildlife Services
- Tasmanian Fire Service.
The Plan aims to uphold the unique natural values of Waverley Flora Park and Carbeen Street Reserve, whilst also improving how people experience and care for the reserves.
It focuses on protecting and enhancing the natural, social, and cultural values of these bushland reserves.
City of Clarence Mayor Brendan Blomeley said the Plan was guided by ensuring these reserves remained intact for future generations.
“Through collaborative stewardship, sustainable practices, and evidence-based decision making, the Plan ensures these areas remain valuable natural assets,” he said.
“It strives to keep our bushlands resilient, maintain their biodiversity, and foster deep value and appreciation by current and future generations.”
Waverley Flora Park sits close to the Clarence central business district, offering multiple recreational opportunities in the natural environment.
It is home to 190 native plant species and a wide variety of mammals, reptiles, and birds.
This includes threatened species such as the vulnerable tailed spider-orchid, the endangered eastern barred bandicoot, and rare lowland grassy woodlands.
Mayor Blomeley said the Plan addresses community needs, ecological priorities, and environmental challenges, with a strong focus on conservation.
“It’s guided by the area being an important ecological hotspot for Clarence, and Tasmania, with rich plant diversity, and a historical role as a botanical classroom,” he said.
“This strong conservational focus crosses over into the Plan’s management of domestic animals, particularly dogs and cats, along with controlling priority weeds such as gorse and boneseed under the Biosecurity Act 2019.”
More than 70 recommendations
The Plan recommends dogs be allowed in the reserve but only on tracks and on-lead.
This recommendation will only come into effect if it aligns with the outcomes of the Dog Management Policy review, currently open for public feedback until 13 June, which is due to be finalised in early-2027.
Councils have a legislative responsibility to conserve natural values, native flora, and fauna and must consider any impacts to threatened species, which includes dogs as possible threats to habitat and wildlife.
Other priorities in the Plan include maintaining formal walking tracks, closing any informal tracks, and improving links to surrounding track networks.
Visitor amenity is another focus, with continued upgrades to entrances, seating, scenic viewpoints, signage, interpretation, and public art.
The Plan also supports nature-based education and Landcare activities.
Ongoing planned burns and fire trail maintenance will continue in line with the Waverley Flora Park Bushfire Mitigation Plan 2024–2028.
What did community say about the Plan?
The Plan was guided after two stages of community engagement, the most recent of these in October 2025 with 57 direct responses via the Your Say Clarence website.
The highlights included:
- Biodiversity: Strong emphasis on protecting wildlife and vegetation, including orchids and grassy woodlands, through careful management and minimizing disturbance along track edges.
- Education: Support for promoting the reserves as outdoor learning environments with local schools.
- Fire management: Preference for mosaic ecological burns over broad hazard-reduction burns to balance biodiversity and fuel load management.
- Cats: Strong calls for better management of roaming and feral cats to protect native wildlife.
- Dogs: Mixed views, with some support for on-lead areas to protect wildlife and user safety, while others request nearby off-lead alternatives. Clearer and more consistent signage on dog rules was also requested.
- Tracks: Support for maintaining formal tracks and closing informal/unauthorised tracks. Submissions suggested further consultation before closing long-established local mountain bike tracks.