Fw: [canberrabirds] Destruction of Ibis and Cormorant nesting sites at Yowani Golf Course

["Chris Davey" <>]



For those who are alarmed at the message posted by Kathy Cook on 16 July concerning the destruction of ibis and cormorant nesting trees please find below a response from the ACT Government.

Hi Chris,

The reason the trees are being removed is due to water quality issues in that particular dam on Yowani GC.

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) (ACT Government) has found that at certain times of the year, the water entering Sullivans Creek from this dam does not meet environmental water quality standards due to blue-green algae blooms. The blooms are related to the high nutrient level in the dam, which is mostly from Ibis droppings during breeding season and to a lesser extent from fertiliser. The EPA has told Yowani that they must do something about the excess nutrient levels in that particular dam and the algal blooms.  The main way to reduce the high nutrient levels is to have no or few Ibis using the island. Hence  permission was given to remove Ibis habitat from the island, outside of breeding season.

Hope this helps to answer your question.

 

 

----- Original Message -----

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Sent: Saturday, July 16, 2011 7:12 PM

Subject: [canberrabirds] Destruction of Ibis and Cormorant nesting sites at Yowani Golf Course

 

Very distressing to hear today that Yowani Golf Club has destroyed about half the nesting trees on an island between the 16th and 17th fairways, used by mainly Australian White Ibis as well as Little Pied and Little Black Cormorants.  More than 200 nests have been counted on the island in recent years.  COG members will be aware that this is one of the very few nesting sites for white ibis in the ACT.  Who knows where the birds will go when they return to start nesting in the next couple of months.  It is understood that the remaining trees will be chain-sawed in the next few days.  I am unaware what planning permission was given for this, but even if it has been agreed by the relevant authorities it seems a sad indictment on our society’s values.

 

Kathy Cook    

 

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