Native bees
Barangaroo aims to be sustainable today and for future generations. The precinct is committed to the community well-being and as part of this commitment, Barangaroo Reserve has been planted with 75,000 native plants.
Native Australian bee colonies have also been reintroduced to the Reserve to help pollinate the native plant species. As the largest global contributor to pollination, bees are important, significantly influencing food production across the world.
The native bees at the Reserve are known as “Tetragonula Carbonaria” and are the most common of all Australian native bees. These bees can be found from south east Queensland and all the way down to Bega, although most hives are found between Sydney and Bundaberg. What makes these native bees special is that they have evolved in Australia for hundreds of millions of years without a stinger. They are also so tiny that they can be mistaken for flies. Their size is what makes them such effective pollinators, successfully pollinating native flowers that rely on smaller insects or pollinators. Naturally, these bees would live in a tree cavity or an old hollowed out log. At the Reserve, a large piece of sandstone was hollowed out to become a beehive.
The introduction of the native Australian bee colonies is another addition to the living, breathing and evolving Barangaroo Reserve. Barangaroo aims to be the first climate positive precinct in the world, an environment that is carbon neutral, water positive, and generates zero waste. The Reserve itself intends to bring back species endemic to Sydney, where they can thrive and flourish in the restored natural landscape.