Listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 as and endangered vegetation community and as 'critically endangered' under the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016, the Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub is found on ancient, nutrient poor sands either on dunes or on promontories.

The community generally features sclerophyllous heath or scrub species on coastal sandstone highland with infertile, shallow, somewhat moist soils, although small residue of woodland and low forest may occur.

It is dominated by woody shrub species, such as, Banksia aemula Banksia serrata, Leptospermum laevigatum, Monotoca elliptica, Acacia longifolia, and Acacia suaveolens, with stunted eucalypts, such as Corymbia gummifera and Angophora costata.

[2] Understorey species include Pimelea linifolia, Persoonia lanceolata, Philotheca salsolifolia, Pimelea linifolia, Ricinocarpos pinifolius, Styphelia viridis, Xanthorrhoea resinosa, Haemodorum planifolium, Hypolaena fastigiata, Lepidosperma concavum, Lomandra glauca, Xanthosia pilosa, Bossiaea and Lepidosperma concavum.

[3] Shrubs on the coastal heaths include Allocasuarina distyla, Angophora hispida, Banksia ericifolia, Conospermum taxifolium, Darwinia diminuta, Dillwynia floribunda, Epacris microphylla, Grevillea oleoides, Grevillea sphacelata, Hakea teretifolia, Isopogon anemonifolius, Leptospermum squarrosum, Leptospermum trinervium, Leucopogon microphyllus, Persoonia lanceolata, Pultenaea tuberculata and Xanthorrhoea resinifera.