A draft management plan for the flying fox camp at Rudder Park, East Kempsey will be placed on public exhibition following the resolution of Council at the July meeting.
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The Rudder Park flying fox camp is located on three parcels of land that are either owned or managed by council or NSW Crown Land.
The draft management plan has been prepared in conjunction with specialist ecological consultant group Ecosure following a community engagement program that included a survey, face to face meetings and telephone calls with interested community members and extensive promotion.
Managing community impacts and concerns about the camp as well as facilitating the necessary legislative approvals for any actions and ensuring the welfare of the flying foxes are core objectives of the management plan.
Council’s Environmental Strategies Officer, Bill Larkin, explains that the plan sets out a number of options categorised across three levels depending on their level of disturbance to the camp.
“Actions identified in the plan range from low cost options such as education and creation of alternative habitat through to more expensive and complete options like vegetation buffers or active dispersal,” Mr Larkin said.
“It’s really important to understand that the more expensive and extreme options won’t be approved by the Office of Environment and Heritage until level one actions have been exhausted and shown not to be effective.”
The draft plan of management will be on public exhibition from Tuesday, July 25 to Monday, August 21.
Copies are available at council’s Customer Service Centre or submissions can be made online via council’s engagement website Your Say Macleay: yoursay.macleay.nsw.gov.au
A public information session providing a chance to ask questions will also be conducted during the exhibition period on Monday 31 July at the council committee room from 2pm to 4pm.
Registrations can be made on the Your Say Macleay website or by phoning council on 6566 3200.