Camphor laurel removal in Frangela Drive

11 August 2016

Buffer created between residents and flying-fox camp

Council has begun a removal of camphor laurel trees from Frangela Drive Reserve in Murwillumbah to create a buffer between the park’s flying-fox camp and nearby houses.

Planning for the works has been underway for several months in readiness for a predicted seasonal departure by the flying-foxes from the site.

Flying-foxes use different camps based on food availability, season and breeding status with the inland camps, often emptying out to coastal sites during cooler months.

The Frangela Reserve camp unexpectedly stayed on for an extended period this winter but gradually emptied last weekend, with no animals present at all on Monday 8 August.

A buffer from nearby houses, by removing camphor laurel around the edges of the roost area, will reduce the impacts to neighbours if the flying-foxes return at a later date.

Council has been monitoring this site as part of the CSIRO National Flying-fox Monitoring Programme since November 2013. Prior to May 2015, less than 200 flying-foxes used the site. However, from May 2015 through to February 2016, numbers increased to around 1400.

This created significant concerns for neighbours and park users due to the noise, smell and mess created by droppings.

In addition to increasing the distance from nearby houses, the camphor laurel removal will contain the available roost area so there is only enough space for a smaller number of flying-foxes in the future.

Camphor laurel is a significant environmental weed and removal at this site will assist native vegetation. All large logs from the removed camphor laurel will be reused for timber production and the chipped mulch used for gardens in parks.

Large amounts of dumped garden waste will also be removed from the park, which will also improve amenity and reduce the spread of weeds.

The works have been approved by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage by way of a Section 95 (2) certificate under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995.

Works will continue for approximately four to five days.