The Western Bushland (Malabar Headland Lot 102, ex Lot 4) backs on to Broome Street South Maroubra. Its land area is 17.7 hectares, including 5.5 hectares of Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub (ESBS) – an endangered community of heath and scrub of extremely high conservation significance. Pre-1788, ESBS was the predominant ecological community of Sydney’s coastal eastern suburbs. Today less than 1% of the original community remains. The Western Bushland remnant is significant beause it is mainly of a low woodland form that is now very rare.

The Western Bushland contains 226 native plant species – a very high diversity of plant species per hectare

In August 1987, the Western Bushland was included on the Register of the National Estate by the Australian Heritage Commission.

The Western Bushland is bounded to the west and north by Broome Street, South Maroubra, to the the south by Pioneer Park, Malabar and to the east by the Anzac Rifle Range.

Due to site remediation works, the Western Bushland is currently closed to the public.

This beautiful tract of native bushland, containing significant patches of Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub (ESBS) has been maintained for over 25 years by Friends of Malabar Headland bush regenerators and is remarkable for both its diversity of species and the absence of invasive weeds.

Transfer of the Western Bushland from its current owner, the Commonwealth of Australia to its new owner the State of New South Wales was made official with a handover ceremony on 2 March 2012.

The Commonwealth has completed remediation of the Western Bushland (principally removal of small pockets of hazardous and general rubbish) and the Site Auditor has signed off the Remediation Action Plan (RAP) for Lot 102. Following land transfer, the RAP will be available on the Department of Finance and Deregulation’s Malabar Headland web site.