Bush Stone Curlew & Gosford City Council
Off Leash Dog Exercise Area Facts

Bush stone-curlews remain reasonably common in the north of Australia, but have become less common in the less fertile south.

The prime predators of BSC are foxes, cats & rats (both feral and domestic). Not dogs that are being responsibly exercised in daylight hours.

We note that both the 2010 Insites Report [p.17 & Appendix C p.v] and the 2014 Niche Report found that there was no evidence or records of any Bush Stone-curlews nesting, breeding or roosting at Pippi Point at any time.

We also note that in contrast with the 2010 Insites Report [pp. 17 & 25, and Appendix Cp.v] which found that Pippi Point:

…does not contain any of the key features of the preferred natural habitat for the Bush Stone-curlew. The subject site lacks a fully formed woodland ecosystem, typically characterised by native grasses, dead timber and leaf litter, and without these features, the Bush Stone-curlew is not likely to rely, to any significant extent, upon the subject site for either foraging or breeding. [p.17]

describing Pippi Point as:

[a highly modified,] …limited area of natural vegetation and/or relevant habitats …[with]… existing levels of disturbance and recreational activities [and having a] lack of any relevance … for the survival of any threatened biota…. [p.25]

and more specifically describing Pippi Point as:

…a highly modified foreshore reserve which contains very little (marginal) habitat for this species, and the proposed activity would not involve any significant impact on any relevant breeding habitat for the Bush Stone-curlew.[Appendix C p.v]

The Niche Report has assessed the area within the fenced exclusion zone, as potential habitat for the Bush Stone-curlew [p.8], but also concedes that ‘there are no records of the Bush Stone-curlew in the area after 2004 … Hence the area can be considered to no longer contain important Bush Stone-curlew habitat … [and] … concluded that, from an ecological perspective, Pippi Point can continue to be used for off leash dog exercise.’ [pp.9 & 125-126].

We note the Niche Report also recommends that Council provide new fencing to completely encompass the whole of the stand of casuarinas. We understand Council intends to implement that recommendation.

We also note that from 1984 – 2004, various BSC appear to have continued to live in the local vicinity with no recorded incidents between dogs and BSC at Pippi Point dog exercise area or indeed at any other dog exercise area in the local vicinity.

We further note that in 2009, GCC closed down 5 dog exercise areas that had operated for 30 years, 3 of 4 BSC died during 2010-2011, one reported as having been taken by a fox in May 2011. We also note that at least 3 scientific studies have concluded that the presence of dogs acts as a deterrent for foxes and feral cats. [Abi Tamim Vanak, Maria Thaker, Matthew E. Gompper (2009) Experimental examination of behavioural interactions between free-ranging wild and domestic canids, Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol (2009) 64:279-287; http://www.thefoxwebsite.org/populations/australia.html]