The Northlakes Estate community off Minmi Road, Cameron Park, is a Masterplan approved subdivision, just 20 minutes from Newcastle CBD & it’s beaches and only a short drive to Lake Macquarie. A major shopping centre, Stockland Supacentre with Coles, Woolworths and Aldi is only minutes away and the F3 only two mins away.
Surrounded by 110 hectares of bushland, the tree lined Estate is a perfect place to call home. Plans for Northlakes include a Woolworths Shopping Centre, a Community Centre, a public school and it already has an already established child care centre, children’s playground areas and a large number of wide walking/cycle tracks that meander through bushland. It's no wonder over 500 families have already moved into the Estate.
Conservation
Northlakes Estate is a carefully planned estate with much consideration given to environmental considerations.
Lake Macquarie City Council has been an active participant in the planning process, and together with the landowner and other authorities, has worked to optimise the environmental outcomes. This has been achieved by the following.
- Zoning of land for conservation around the northern, north western and eastern perimeter of the site
- Conserving a natural bushland corridor, up to 400 metres wide, along Cocked Hat Creek
- Conserving natural bushland, at least 40m wide, along other creeks in the estate
- Incorporating an innovative stormwater system to remove nutrients from stormwater before it enters the natural watercourses
- A Plan of Management being implemented for the natural bushland areas which are being conserved
- In a few especially sensitive areas, imposing restrictions on the use of land (e.g. identifying a building envelope on which a house can be constructed)
Flora & Fauna
The conservation measures taken by Northlakes Estate during the planning process have been directed at protecting the environment.
here are six threatened species found at Northlakes, comprising of one plant and five animals.
- Black-eyed Susan (Tetratheca juncea)
- Squirrel Glider (Petaurus norfolcensis)
- Eastern Freetail-bat (Mormopterus norfolkensis)
- Little Bentwing-bat (Miniopterus australis)
- Common Bentwing-Bat (Miniopterus schreibersii)
- Greater Broad-nosed bat (Scoteanax rueppellii)
We are committed to ensuring that each of these species remains and thrives in its natural habitat within the grounds of Northlakes Estate.
How You Can Help
The residents of Northlakes Estate have an ongoing role to play in protecting the inherent environmental sensitivity of the site, and there are many things each of us can do to make a difference.
- Ways you can help protect native animals
- Limit the extent of clearing carried out on your property
- Restrain dogs and cats during both day and night to avoid attacks on native fauna
- While travelling in your car at night along roadside vegetation, reduce your speed as native animals may be crossing roads in search of food
- Provide food trees and shrubs by planting high nectar producing species such as Banksia, Grevillea, Wattles and winter flowering Eucalypts
- Choose species that flower at different times of the year to provide a steady food supply
- Retain dead trees and branches that contain hollows, as these provide nesting habitat, and establish artificial nest boxes in trees on your property
- Ways you can help protect the creeklines and downstream Lake Macquarie
- Sweep and rake leaves from your garden and from adjoining street gutters
- Apply fertiliser and topsoil sparingly so that it doesn't get washed or blown into the stormwater system
- Wash cars, boats or caravans on grassed areas, rather than paved areas
- Make sure you collect and dispose of your pet's waste either by burying it in the garden or putting it in a bin
- Hand weed or mulch to control weeds in your garden instead of using chemicals
- Never pour oils or unwanted paints down the drain
- Ways you can help protect the natural bushland
- Use locally indigenous plants when planting your garden, and certainly don't use plants that become weeds in our bushland
- Confine your garden to your property, and never dispose of lawn or garden clippings in the bush
- Do not dump rubbish in the bushland areas
- When walking in bushland keep to existing walking tracks and avoid trampling on native vegetation
- Do not clear native vegetation that may border your property
- Control weed infestations in adjoining areas
Every resident can contribute to conserving the natural features that make Northlakes such a great place to live.
