Everglades lagoons committee appointed

A committee is to be formed to oversee the development of a plan of management for the Everglades Lagoon System.

The committee will include representation from the Everglades Country Club, the Department of Land and Water Conservation and Gosford Council and will have one community representative.

However, the local bushcare group will not get a place.

Instead, it will be told that Council's BushCare coordinator Ms Robyn Urquhart "will represent their interests".

Gosford Council decided at its last meeting to engage consultants to prepare the plan.

It also decided to conduct a detailed flora and fauna study.

The decision follows a recommendation from the council's Wetlands Management Committee which had been asked to consider the sale of the existing car park to the Everglades Golf Club.

The council was told its committee considered a review of the Everglades Lagoon System documentation, undertaken by Council's Environmental Project Officer Ms Leah Smith.

Ms Smith told the committee there was a need to detail the flora and fauna of the site, including its ecological communities.

She said values and objectives should be set with the involvement of all stakeholders "including the local community bush care group".

The local bush care group's bush regeneration plan should be considered, she said.

Ms Smith recommended that external consultants be commissioned to prepare the plan of management.

She said project funding needed to be followed up and the acquisition of drainage easements needed to be addressed.

Council's recreation manager Mr Peter Hickman told the committee that the Council-owned car park met a public need, especially for club patrons.

If it could be sold to the club, it would remove Council's on-going maintenance liability.

The committee will comprise two representatives of the Everglades Country Club, community member Ron Clifton, a DLWC representative, the council's recreation asset maanger Dana Spence, its flooding and drainage manager Vic Tysoe, its BushCare coordinator Robyn Urquhart and a representative from its Environmental Control Unit.

Council agenda WS.001 November 27