SO SHIRE

14/04/2026

Counting some of the backlog of larger debris items and starting to see faces in the items 😂

10/04/2026

Meet your local koalas 🐨

200+ koalas are living in bushland surrounding Woronora Valley, Barden Ridge, Heathcote, Menai, and Engadine. We want to protect and improve koala habitat in our area.

Read our Draft Koala Management Plan and have your say go.ssc.nsw.gov.au/DKMP

share your feedback on the draft Koala Management Plan and what you think about the proposed approach and actions.
There are number of ways to share your feedbackuntil 1 May 2026:
* Online by taking the survey below
* In-person by dropping into one of our pop-up information stalls:
1. Sunday 12 April 2026, 10am – 12pm, Engadine Markets
2. Saturday 18 April 2026, 8am – 1pm, Shire Farmers Market
3. Saturday 18 April 2026, 1pm – 3pm, Menai Marketplace
* Email to [email protected]

31/03/2026

Please sign this current balloon release ban petition:

NEW PETITION: 🚫 Ban Balloon Releases 🎈

Right now it's legal to release balloons in NSW. Up to 19 at a time. At weddings, parties and events across the state, balloons are being released and it's causing injury and death to our wildlife.

Our MP Emma Hurst is fighting to stop this NSW and she needs you with her.

Why we need a ban on balloon releases:

-Released balloons travel hundreds of kilometres before landing in oceans, beaches, rivers and bushland

-Animals mistake them for food, eat them, and die a slow and painful death. Some animals will even feed it to their young.

-Strings and clips entangle wings and limbs, leaving animals unable to fly, swim or feed

-Some balloons take years to break down and balloons made with plastics shatter into microplastics, polluting our oceans and waterways

-25,777 balloons, clips and ribbons were collected from Australian beaches between 2017 and 2022

-Balloons are listed as one of the top threats to marine wildlife

-Other states have already banned balloon releases but here in NSW they are still legal, still being released, and still killing animals.

Animals need us to act. Sign NOW 👇

https://nsw.animaljusticeparty.org/ban_balloon_releases

25/03/2026

PLEASE NOTE LOCATION CHANGE DUE TO Swell and predicted parking issues : now at BONNA POINT Kurnell

Our monthly community clean ups with Rotary Club of Sydney Cove - Satellite Connectors are back for 2026!

All welcome!

Saturday 28th March 2026
9.30am Bonna Point, Kurnell. Meet near toilet block near playground

Please bring your gloves 🧤 hat 🧢 shoes 👟 reusable water 💧 bottle, and sun protection.

You can bring your own bucket or bag too.

SO SHIRE will provide spare bags, gloves and antibacterial.

After the clean up, We sort, count and identify the source of the litter and debris pollution items for our citizen science data collection and source reduction projects.

We thank the Rotary Club of Sydney Cove - Satellite Connectors and Carol for getting in contact to start these community clean ups again after a short break to continue these events we have been coordinating with Rotary for 3+ years

And as always to Sutherland Shire Environment Centre for our insurance!

13/03/2026

ACT NOW TO PROTECT OUR WATERWAYS!

Our waterways are under threat from over development. Sutherland Council is proposing to rezone significant areas from W1 Natural to W2 Recreation waterways. We stand to lose vital fish nurseries, habitat trees, threatened sea grass beds, migratory bird habitats, and the characteristic beauty of the foreshore... All so a handful of property owners can profit. Lets save a little nature for future generations.

Here's what you can do to help:

1. write to your councillors
2. write to the Leader
3. turn up to Council's meeting at 5:45pm on 23 March at Council Chambers Eton St, Sutherland and show them you care about our waterways

To learn more about this campaign, follow the link in the comments below 👇

08/03/2026

Our monthly community clean ups with Rotary Club of Sydney Cove - Satellite Connectors are back for 2026!

All welcome!

Saturday 28th March 2026
9.30am meet near the Wanda Surf Club amenities

Please bring your gloves 🧤 hat 🧢 shoes 👟 reusable water 💧 bottle, and sun protection.

You can bring your own bucket or bag too.

SO SHIRE will provide spare bags, gloves and antibacterial.

After the clean up, We sort, count and identify the source of the litter and debris pollution items for our citizen science data collection and source reduction projects.

We thank the Rotary Club of Sydney Cove - Satellite Connectors and Carol for getting in contact to start these community clean ups again after a short break to continue these events we have been coordinating with Rotary for 3+ years

And as always to Sutherland Shire Environment Centre for our insurance!

07/03/2026

Great to “sea” these kits installed at Kurnell, a place known for being bull shark habitat especially at this time of year.

Bull shark season is extended in range and length of year due to climate changes increasing water temperatures and changing the ecosystem conditions.

Remember to swim in netted or rocky ocean pools in areas known to have sharks, avoid swimming at dawn and dusk, avoid swimming near river mouths and near schooling fish, avoid swimming near 🎣 people fishing and avoid areas subject to sewage and storm water run off.



This one at the Dampier access.

06/03/2026

26/02/2026

Wow that’s some branded litter !

5 minute walk on the beach, found three balloons

Can you identify the 8 other brands that support polluting the ocean and killing marine life?