Save OUR WESTERN EDGE!
Canberra’s Western Edge, a beautiful area of critically endangered ecosystems to Canberra’s west, is up for unsustainable, unaffordable and dangerous development by the ACT Government.
With Canberra’s urban boundary being set by the ACT Government in 2027, we have to tell our government now, before decisions are made, that we want our Western Edge protected — not developed — so it can continue to provide vital services to our community.
Sign the petition to the ACT Legislative Assembly to save our Western Edge
To the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory,
This petition draws to the attention of the Assembly that Canberra’s Western Edge is 9,800 hectares of beautiful yet critically endangered ecosystems to the west of Canberra that provides:
- A biodiversity hotspot and sanctuary to many of Canberra’s endangered species, including the Superb parrot, the Pink-tailed worm-lizard & the Murray Cod;
- A protective buffer zone to thousands of residents in Canberra’s western-most suburbs from bushfires, extreme heat and flooding, all of which are to occur with greater frequency and severity under climate change;
- A dearly loved place of recreation and relaxation for Canberrans young and old, including for bushwalking, biking, swimming, kayaking, fishing, horse riding, bird watching and rock climbing;
- A place of ancient Ngunnawal cultural heritage and custodianship, including many occupation sites and pathways for trading and ceremony;
- A site of carbon sequestration, air filtration and water filtration, helping mitigate the effects of climate change and pollution on the city;
- A natural barrier to urban sprawl and its negative effects on the environment and community.
Your petitioners therefore request the Assembly to:
- Keep the Western Edge outside of the to-be-set ACT urban boundary.
- Take the Western Edge out of the ACT Government’s development plans.
- Ensure the Western Edge is sufficiently protected and managed for its ecological, cultural and recreational values.
Current number of signatures: 3130*
* Pending physical petitions being uploaded
Call on the Planning Minister to save our Western Edge!
The ACT Planning Minister is responsible for setting an urban growth boundary for Canberra by June of next year. Call on him now, before decisions are made, to keep our Western Edge outside of this boundary so it is protected from future suburban sprawl development and can continue to provide vital services to our community.
Upcoming Western Edge Events
Click through to get involved in upcoming campaign events.
Volunteer on the campaign!
Whether you have just one hour here and there or you would like to volunteer regularly, we have an impactful volunteer role ready for you!
Watch On the Edge
On the Edge is a 35 minute documentary about Canberra’s Western Edge, the community campaign to save it and the future of our bush capital more broadly made by local filmmaker Trent Houssenloge of Cowboy Hat Films. You can access the film online and watch it with your friends, family or community group to raise awareness about the Western Edge and bring people onto the campaign.
About our Western Edge
The Western Edge is...
The ‘Western Edge’ is 9,800 hectares of critically endangered ecosystems, Indigenous cultural sites, productive farms and a place of recreation and relaxtion for many Canberrans to the west of Canberra – bordered by the Murrumbidgee River and the regions of Belconnen, Molonglo Valley, Weston Creek and Kambah.
An ecological sanctuary
The Western Edge features beautiful rivers, woodlands and grasslands and is home to many rare plants & animals including the Superb Parrot, platypus, orchids, microbats, the Macquarie Perch, the Slender-tailed Dunnart, the Pink-tailed Worm Lizard, the Murray River Crayfish and the Yellow-footed Antichinus.
A sacred Ngunnawal site
The Western Edge is located on unceded Ngunnawal Country and is a place of ancient and continuing Ngunnawal custodianship and cultural heritage. For example, the Molonglo River features many occupation sites and is a part of Ngunnawal songlines and trading routes.
A place to relax and play
There’s something for everyone in the Western Edge! Popular activities include bushwalking, swimming, biking, kayaking, fishing, horse riding, bird watching and rock climbing. Head to our linktree to see what activities are on offer today.
A protective buffer
The Western Edge acts a protective buffer for thousands of residents in Canberra’s western-most suburbs from bushfires, extreme heat and flooding, all of which are to occur with greater frequency and severity under climate change (ACT Bushfire Council, 2021).
An example of sustainable agriculture
The Western Edge is a landscape with productive grazing farms home to many farming families who have been living off and caring for the land for generations. Nowadays, there are leading examples of sustainable agriculture and land management practices being used in the Western Edge, bringing about improved outcomes for nature, producers and consumers alike.
A barrier to urban sprawl
The Western Edge represents a natural barrier to urban sprawl due to it’s hilly geography and significant values. “Urban sprawl” is when a city expands rapidly outwards creating dispersed, low-density suburbs. Urban sprawl negatively affects people and the environment by destroying nature, separating people from each other and the services they need, and requiring costly private vehicle use.
Latest News
Media Release: Conservation Council launches positive vision for future of the Western Edge
The Conservation Council ACT Region has today released a plan to protect and restore the Western Edge, a 9800-hectare area of critically endangered bushland, farmland and recreational sites located on Canberra’s doorstep. The Conservation Councils’ Western...
Platypus: Our Quiet Neighbours in the Western Edge
At dawn and twilight, along the Murrumbidgee and Molonglo rivers, is when you're most likely to see one of the Western Edge’s more reserved residents. If you crouch quietly on the river bank, you may see the glide of a sleek body along the surface and a ripple as it...
Community members visit Question Time to directly ask the Planning Minister about saving our Western Edge
Forty community members filled the Legislative Assembly Chamber during Question Time today to hear questions asked of the Planning Minister as to whether he will keep Canberra's Western Edge outside of the to-be-set urban growth boundary for the ACT. We had questions...
360 Canberrans line up for city limits in Canberra’s biggest ever Nutbush line dance
On Saturday we pulled off Canberra's biggest Nutbush line dance to call on the ACT Government to follow through on their promise to set 🎵 Canberra City Limits 🎵 With 360 people in attendance we broke the previous record by ten people, which means every single person...
Government update on setting city limits for Canberra rings hollow
Last month, the ACT Government silently released their latest update on setting an "urban growth boundary" for our city. The Government is required to release these half-yearly updates on its commitment to set an urban growth boundary for the ACT in response to a...
Get your Western Edge T-shirt & 2027 Calendar!
Support the Save our Western Edge campaign in style with our campaign t-shirt and 2027 Western Edge calendar available to purchase now in our shop! Western Edge t-shirt Designed by Remus Douglas (@larrikinfound) for the Save our Western Edge community campaign, our...
Do You Care About The Wombats? Our Pre-schoolers Certainly Do And Here’s Why!
When you think of conservation movements, you might picture seasoned environmentalists or policy makers. But some of the most powerful...
One year of the Save our Western Edge! campaign
One year ago today, we launched the Save our Western Edge! community campaign to save Canberra’s critically endangered and culturally significant Western Edge from suburban sprawl development, and instead choose a fairer, more sustainable and better planned future for...
A Compact City: An Alternative to Greenfield Development in the Western Edge
This post was prepared by Conservation Council volunteer, William Jones. Undeniably, governments urgently need to take steps to address barriers and inequalities in housing. One solution that the ACT Government is currently investigating is to expand Canberra’s urban...
Dr Ed Wensing: Protecting the Western Edge by limiting Canberra’s urban sprawl
Dr Ed Wensing, expert urban planner featured in our new documentary On the Edge, a film by local film maker Trent Houssenloge of Cowboy Hat Films, has written an insightful article outlining the limits to Canberra’s urban growth and why we must prevent further urban...
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