Comments sought on flying fox strategy

A flying fox management strategy for the Central Coast, which will cover the Everglades wetlands flying fox camp, will be the subject of a 28-day community consultation.

The strategy has been prepared to guide the management of the species on Council and other land.

It aims to reduce impacts of flying fox camps on local residents while conserving flying foxes and their habitat and enabling land managers and other stakeholders to use a range of suitable management responses to sustainably manage the flying fox population.

It provides details of camp sites, species, community engagement and agreed management actions designed to achieve objectives.

It will be administered by Central Coast Council and the NSW Department of Infrastructure - Lands and Forestry, covering a period until 2027.

The strategy puts Council, private residents and the Department of Infrastructure in a position of being eligible for State and Commonwealth funding for implementation of the plan including mitigation measures.

A key component of the strategy is community education and engagement and the strategy details Council's proposed approach in this area.

The strategy includes the latest scientific research and current best practice so that Council is "in a position of knowledge and strength" in being able to respond to community pressure to take action at individual camps.

The strategy lists a number of recommended management actions.

For immediate action is implementation of "Flying-Fox Engage", designed to engage communities on the issues that arise from living with flying-fox species.

The online survey and other engagement activities would occur after the public exhibition period for the strategy.

Feedback from the community will be analysed and incorporated into the strategy.

The Central Coast is an important part of the home range of three flying fox species, also known as mega bats or fruit bats.

These animals are a critical component of the biodiversity of the region as they are pollinators of a range of native plants and disperse seeds over many kilometres.

One of the four known active camps is located at the Everglades wetlands precinct and grey-headed flying-fox were observed roosting at the site for the first time in 2017.

There are reports the last camp in the area was around 2002 and that grey-headed flying-foxes regularly forage in the vegetation along Kahibah Creek.

The Everglades wetland precinct historically consisted of a series of freshwater and salt water wetlands and exposed sandflats.

From the 1950s to the 1980s most of the wetlands of the sandplains were filled for development, including significant infill of the Everglades wetland to enable the development of the golf course, according to the strategy document.

"The arrival of the Grey-headed Flying foxes has coincided with widespread flowering of red bloodwood," the strategy said.

"While the flying fox camp is largely located on the Everglades wetlands land parcel (Crown land under care, control and management of Council), flying-foxes have also been observed roosting in melaleuca trees between the wetlands and residential developments along Kerrawah Boulevard," it said.

According to the strategy grey-headed flying foxes have been observed roosting in well-established broad-leaved paperbark, swamp mahogany and swamp oak in two distinct groups.

"The main group was roosting on the southern side of Boronia Rd and a smaller splinter group was roosting on the northern side of Boronia Rd.

"In 2017, 2700 individuals were estimated to use the camp.

"The entire reserve contains potential roosting habitat suggesting that there is capacity for a significant increase in flying-fox numbers," it said.

According to the strategy both swamp mahogany and broad-leaved paperbark are high priority food sources that are widespread across the reserve.

"Rainforest fruits in these habitats provide consistent food for the animals during late summer and autumn.

"Approximately 82 per cent of forested land within 20km of the Everglades Wetland Camp contains flowering trees visited by flying-foxes.

"In total 23 species of trees in the flowering diet of grey-headed flying-foxes occur within feeding range of the site," it said.

Spring, summer and early autumn are the most likely times for flying-fox numbers to increase at the Everglades camp, according to the document.

"Significant flowering of red bloodwood and Sydney peppermint is likely to attract flying-foxes to the Everglades camp during summer and early autumn.

"Significant flowering of turpentine may attract flying-foxes during spring."

Clearing of vegetation from the low lying coastal foreshore areas of Woy Woy has reduced potential suitable roosting habitats but there are a few remnant bushland parcels containing swamp oak woodland suitable for foraging and roosting.

They include the Everglades golf course south west of the camp which is dominated by broad-leaved paperbark and swamp mahogany.

Another is the small drainage reserve 500 metres south west of the camp and a small Council drainage reserve on Warrumunga Rd, Woy Woy, bounded by houses, approximately 800 metres south west of the flying fox camp.

Nearby houses may also contain suitable roosting and foraging species and may attract flying-foxes to their gardens.

There have been no "on-ground management strategies" aimed at the Everglades Camp, according to the Strategy.

Bush regeneration activities have been suspended while the camp has been active, it said.

The strategy includes an assessment of 15 camp management strategies across three levels of intervention.

Potential options for implementation at the camps would require active management.

The strategy will be reviewed every four years or if Council resolves to review earlier.

Mayor Cr Jane Smith said the strategy set up a framework for the proactive management of flying-fox camps across the region.

"The strategy has been developed in partnership with other Hunter-based Councils to provide a consistent approach to flying-fox management," Cr Smith said.

"Our community will now have the opportunity to review the strategy, which makes a number of recommendations to legally and proactively address the potential impacts that may result from flying-fox camps affecting urbanised areas.

"Council will also undertake further education and engagement with the Central Coast community using an established flying-fox engagement platform to inform our management activities."

The strategy will be publicly exhibited for 28 days and the details of the strategy and how to put in a submission will be found at yourvoiceourcoast.com

SOURCE:

Agenda item 4.1, 26 Mar 2018

Central Coast Council ordinary meeting

Media release, 27 Mar 2018

Jane Smith, Central Coast Council