Human Impact



There is evidence everywhere around the Barrenjoey Head of human development and changes to the natural environment. 



Development

​Building development, especially housing, is very evident around the Barrenjoey Headland area. Due to the high demand and interest in the area, the Palm Beach and Barrenjoey area have very expensive and prestigious real estate. Many houses are being developed in the area, the image to the left shows a large house being constructed on top of a hill on Ocean Road in Palm Beach.

This human impact has its pros and its cons. On the plus side, it gives people a home and it is a valuable asset to the property market. On the other hand, in order for the house to be build, trees and plants had to be cut down or removed. Furthermore, the residents of the house will be extra producers of waste and extra consumers of water, food and space, putting higher demand on these utilities as well as facilities like parks in the Palm Beach area. 























Introduced Flora

Around the Barrenjoey Heads area, introduced species of flora can be seen. The image to the left is an obvious example of this, with the Date Palm ​seen, a tree that is not native to the area.

This impact can be a good, or a bad thing depending on what species of flora are introduced and where it is introduced. In the example of the Date Palm, it does not inhibit the growth of any plants around it, and is not considered a weed, so it is not a bad thing.

However, other species of plants, like the Asparagus Fern, are considered to be a weed due to the way they grow which inhibits the growth of native species. For example, in Lord Howe Island, the Asparagus Fern it is classified as a weed and is classified as a noxious weed/invasive species in NSW and Queensland.

The asparagus fern is pictured to the left, below the Date Palm. 







































Waste

Waste is an issue in the Palm Beach and Barrenjoey Head area due to it being populated and due to it being a popular recreational area.  Although many of the most popular places like Palm Beach have adequate rubbish facilities like bins, a combination of the lack of these facilities at less popular places and negligence has lead to rubbish and waste being left in the environment. An example can be seen to the right, where an old metal container is left rusting away on the Barrenjoey Light-house track. This is a negative impact as the waste can sometimes be toxic or can impede on the growth and development of flora and fauna in the area. 









​