Sustainability

Two new fauna crossings have been installed marking an important step for wildlife movement along the M12 Motorway. A total of four rope crossings will be located on the M12 at Badgerys Creek, Kemps Creek, Cosgroves Creek and within the Western Sydney Parklands. These crossings are vital in protecting and assisting local wildlife safely cross in and around the area. Fauna crossings are a proven and essential feature in major road upgrades, and the M12 is no exception. Given the area’s rural setting and t

In a shell of its own, an innovative project led by Western Sydney University in partnership with Transport for NSW has been making waves in turtle conservation. To celebrate this success, we invited students and teachers from Luddenham Public School to visit the M12 construction site. The children happily participated in a special turtle encounter and hands-on activities from the 1 Million Turtles community conservation program. The turtle demonstration was led by expert Associate Professor, Dr. Ricky Spenc

The restoration of Cosgroves Creek has been underway with recent steps taken to stabilise the creek line between May and June 2024. The works include removing rubbish and weeds, reshaping unstable banks and installing rock treatments to recreate lost habitat and provide erosion control. Our next step is the replanting of vegetation which will provide essential habitat and restore the areas along the creek line. The native Cumberland Plain species used will make a positive impact to ecological communities by

New life breathes along the M12 Motorway as native plants begin to find their forever home. As part of Transport's conservation activities, we collected local native grassland and grassy woodland seeds from the project area prior to construction starting. These seeds were then propagated at the Toolijooa nursey in West Hoxton. The nursery has been successful in cultivating more than 562,000 native species for us to replant throughout the motorway. We will also share any surplus propagated plants with other

Transport is working with Western Sydney University and the One Million Turtles Community Conservation Program to support wildlife conservation and road safety in Western Sydney. The Program uses AI technology to detect turtles on roads from dashcam footage, enhance road safety and preserve local biodiversity. The technology can identify turtle road mortality hotspots, allowing for targeted conservation efforts. Western Sydney University developed a predictive nesting and habitat tool called TurtleSAT and is

In June 2024, the M12 Motorway hosted children from two nearby schools to the site for a tour and tree planting activity. These kids, the youngest ever to step foot on the M12 site, had the unique privilege of being the first to plant trees along the motorway corridor. In total, 32 kids participated, collectively planting over 160 seedlings, kickstarting the ambitious goal of planting 31,000 trees for the project. This event served as a valuable opportunity for the project to engage with the local community,

Transport for NSW is committed to protecting the sensitive environment in which we’re working. Our goal is not only to minimise our impact on the environment, but to leave a lasting legacy long after we have completed the project. We have installed 61 new nest boxes and 64 bored hollows to offset the removal of hollow-bearing trees as part of the M12 project. These nest boxes and hollows aim to provide additional breeding habitat and shelter for native fauna including birds, gliders, possums and bats that