Franklin Grasslands has been given the Ngunnawal name of ‘budjan galindji’ which translates in English to ‘water bird’.

The name recognises the migratory water bird, Latham’s Snipe, which visits the ephemeral wetlands within the reserve.

Project status: Closed

How you had YourSay:

It was identified that the Budjan Galindji Nature Reserve, formerly known as Franklin Grasslands, needed a landscape Plan to manage appropriate access and use of the area. A landscape plan means we can protect the conservation values and engage the local community in this unique natural environment.

You had your say on the Franklin Grasslands Draft Landscape Plan by completing the survey and telling us your thoughts.

Public comment on the draft landscape plan is now closed and the final landscape plan has been released.

An open day was held on Sunday 6 September. The open day provided the opportunity for the community to speak to a ranger and learn about the values of the site, chat with our Parks and Conservation officers face to face and comment on the proposed plans.

We were looking at:

Budjan Galindji Nature Reserve, is located in a highly urban environment, and provides a unique opportunity for the community to engage with and learn about the significance of our native grasslands.

We asked the community and stakeholders for input on potential future uses of this special space. In particular, we asked:

  • how you currently use the site
  • how you would like to use the site
  • your views on the draft Landscape Plan
  • how we can tell you more about our grassland environments

As with other Canberra Nature Park reserves, we are limited in the facilities that can be provided. To protect the ecological values, please note that we will not be providing BBQs, picnic tables, shelters, toilets and rubbish bins.

Budjan Galindji Nature Reserve was established as an environmental offset site in 2019 and formally declared a Canberra Nature Park reserve in early 2020. The primary objective of the site is to protect and conserve natural and cultural values whilst meeting environmental offset commitments.

The grasslands protect and support many wildflowers and animals. Threatened species such as the Golden Sun Moth, Striped Legless Lizard, Perunga Grasshopper and Superb Parrot all live or forage in the reserve. It is also the richest area in the world for the Ginninderra Peppercress, which is only found in the ACT.

We asked for the community to help us deliver a landscape plan that managed the challenges around conserving the natural environment while providing visitors the chance to engage with and learn about the values of the site.

We will use your views to:

Your input helped us to develop a final Landscape Plan that will allow us to conserve and enhance the existing natural ecological systems of the site while providing a space for the local community to engage and build connections with grasslands and our wider ACT environment.

The input received was overwhelmingly positive with the key themes we saw through your feedback were the importance of enhanced visitor infrastructure such as clear paths and entry points as well as the protection of the site’s values.

The final landscape plan considers these comments and informs the final landscape plan.

There may be some minor changes onsite over the years to make sure that infrastructure projects conserve the ecological and cultural values of the site and the endangered species that exist there.