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Areas of the Camden Haven have been receiving some much need bush regeneration in recent months to assist in protecting important wildlife corridors throughout the area. The works have seen the removal of dense weeds, including large stands of camphor laurels in important corridors of vegetation that connect Dooragan National Park with the estuarine foreshore. In addition, narrow but vital strips of vegetation that extend from Queens Lake, through Stingray Creek to Gogleys Lagoon and the ocean have also received attention. Council’s ecologist Rebecca Montague-Drake said the diversity and abundance of wildlife that inhabits these corridors is just amazing. “To know that we have a whole range of threatened species, such as gliders and forest owls that inhabit these parcels of bush so close to suburbia is wonderful, and we want to do all we can to ensure that the bushland in our study area is restored,” Ms Montague-Drake said. The regeneration work commenced in 2016, when Port Macquarie-Hastings Council received funding to assist with the regeneration from the North Coast Local Land Services and the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage’s Coast and Estuaries fund. The funding has enabled council to employ a project officer to undertake the on-ground works, and to work closely with, and support the Dunbogan Bushcare Group and the Queens Lake Landcare group. “Having the experience and guidance of a project officer has increased our capacity to undertake tasks that may have been a bit arduous for our group, and has also greatly increased our knowledge about bush regeneration,” said Joy Rodwell from the Queens Lake Landcare group. The funding has also enabled council to conduct some vertebrate pest control works and monitoring through the study area. Unfortunately the monitoring has revealed a high occurrence of off-leash dogs, particularly in the Henry Kendall Reserve, which is home to a recovering population of koalas. Dog attacks are one of the major threats to our koala population. “In partnership with North Coast Local Land Services, council’s bushland management team also held a vertebrate pest control field day in March which was a really informative experience for all,” added Ms Montague-Drake. “Days such as this help us provide valuable community education and assist in the ongoing awareness and management of our valuable wildlife corridors.” The bush regeneration project will continue for another year, after which time council’s bushland management team, in association with Dunbogan Landcare and Queens Lake Landcare will take over management of the sites.​

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Wildlife corridors on the road to recovery in the Camden Haven