Kooee calling out for Good Bushland Neighbours
28 March 2018
Campaign calls on dog owners to help protect bushland reserves
A campaign to protect bushland reserves by encouraging the community to become good bushland neighbours was launched on Neighbour Day in Pottsville last weekend.
Tweed Shire Council’s Natural Resource Management Unit hosted the Caroline Street Verge Party, sharing fresh juices and barista-made coffee with local dog walkers.
Council Senior Program Leader – Biodiversity Scott Hetherington said residents were asked to complete a short survey relating to dogs in local bushland reserves.
“We know this particular area is popular amongst dog walkers so we wanted to hear the thoughts and experiences of local bushland neighbours,” Mr Hetherington said.
“The results of this survey will help Tweed Shire Council understand how and why residents currently choose to use adjacent bushland reserves and to guide them in the ongoing management of this area.”
Rusty Dogs Tweed Coast Dog Spa owner Russell Lake was on hand to provide custom grooming and spoke about his support for the campaign.
“I feel strongly about dog owners keeping their dogs on a leash and, as a Tweed Coast resident, I am always very happy to participate in events that promote responsible dog ownership in this area,” Mr Lake said.
Council Bushland Officer John Turnbull said bushland reserves are high conservation value habitat for a number of threatened species, including koalas and bush stone-curlews.
“While Council encourages residents to enjoy the many bushland reserves found in Tweed Shire, people need to recognise that accessing these ecologically sensitive areas also comes with responsibilities,” Mr Turnbull said.
“A key message to be delivered by the Good Bushland Neighbour campaign asks bushland users to respect all signage related to dogs as any increase in dog-related injuries could prove catastrophic to an already fragile Tweed Coast koala population.”
One of Pottsville’s much-loved characters, Kooee Koala, will lend a hand to the campaign with personal appearances and a social media competition with a giant hound hamper from Pet Barn valued at over $250 up for grabs.
If you happen to see Kooee at any of her public appearances over the coming weeks, all you need to do is snap her pic and upload it to your social media account with the hashtag #KooeeKoala.
Don’t forget to set your post to ‘Public’ so we can find your entry!
Keep an eye out for Kooee Koala at various Tweed Coast locations, including the Cabarita Beach Skate Park on Saturday 7th April and the Pottsville Markets on Sunday 15th April.
This competition will run from Sunday 25th March until Sunday 15th April and the draw will be live streamed on Tweed Shire Council’s Facebook page on Monday 16th April.
For more information please contact Heidi Fletcher – Project Officer on hfletcher@tweed.nsw.gov.au.
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Photo 1(JPG, 156KB)
Caption: Kooee Koala with new friends Kyle and Khloe from Pottsville