Healthy Environments, Healthy People

Healthy Environments, Healthy People

By Ewa Meyer
Port Stephens Examiner, 5 April 2025 Updated

Help create a healthy environment and a connected community.

How lucky are we to live on the stunning Tomaree Peninsula? Our Coastal Walk has only been open for two and a half years and it immediately became very popular with locals and visitors. Environmental work is ongoing and there are some key areas which require better access to the main track, as well as habitat restoration and weed removal. 

We hear a lot about the benefits of time spent in nature as well as the social connections we need for our health and wellbeing. These, plus the feeling of accomplishment, provide that relaxed juxtaposition when you get home exhausted and aching after a long bushwalk or a morning of bushcare. You’re physically exhausted yet feeling elated and invigorated. Those endorphins have been released!

Local volunteer-run community group, the Friends of Tomaree National Park (FoTNP), are encouraging and supporting Boat Harbour residents as well as the broader Port Stephens community to get-together on a local project. With the support of our local National Parks and Wildlife Service, you’ll be restoring habitat and improving the visual experience at the two Boat Harbour entrances to the Coastal Walk. This has been made possible due to a funding partnership between Landcare Australia and Bupa Australia.

Landcare Australia CEO, Dr Shane Norrish said “Each project reflects a tremendous commitment to community, by creating benefits that extend beyond environmental health while also supporting physical and mental wellbeing. These initiatives not only restore local environments but also create spaces that can be enjoyed by the wider community for years to come.” 

There are two project sites in Boat Harbour. One is from the northern entrance to the Coastal Walk from Ocean Parade, through an endangered coastal rainforest north towards the little bridge. The southern entrance, seaward of the walking track, passes through coastal heath woodlands. Visitors and locals pull in to enjoy the views from the Kingsley Drive carpark but currently they overlook an ugly weed-infested shrubland. 

Now the cooler autumn mornings are upon us, it’s a perfect time to get involved in a local project and spend time outdoors. And you might also enjoy the social aspects of meeting new people during and after each session. The first planting was a very successful family morning, Tuesday 14 April, a great school holiday activity.

By improving vegetation leading to the Tomaree Coastal Walk, this initiative encourages locals and visitors alike to connect with nature, enjoy outdoor activity, and better appreciate the environmental significance of our region. Then next time you are walking with friends or family, you can point to that patch off the Kingsley Drive carpark and tell them ‘See that spot there – it used to be covered in weeds, just look at it now!’

The project can accommodate people of all ages, professions and your availability. No previous experience is needed. If getting involved on a regular basis isn’t your thing, that’s fine – even just 2 hours to help with a community planting event is most helpful. There’s a time and place to suit most people. FOTNP Coordinator, Sue Olsson, said:

“Come along to our weekend or weekday community plantings or maintenance activities, and create habitat for wildlife and a more beautiful environment for us all. Local schools, community groups and businesses can all join in – we can arrange dates to suit your group’s availability.”

More information and to book your spot, plantings through to June: www.ecops.au/planting2026

Ewa Meyer is the Convenor of Renew’s Hunter Region Branch

Photos: Sue Olsson unless specified otherwise