Protecting Grey-headed Flying-fox camps and foraging resources in the Bellingen and Coffs Harbour LGAs

Grey-headed Flying-foxes at Woolgoolga

Photographer and copyright: Vivien Jones

This five year project began in 2022 and is in partnership with NSW WIRES.

This project aims to facilitate Grey-Headed Flying-fox (Pteropus poliocephalus) habitat rehabilitation at key breeding sites and winter foraging habitat in the Bellingen and Coffs Harbour Local Government Areas (LGAs), in alignment with the goals of the draft National GHFF Recovery Plan.

Work at the breeding and winter foraging  sites consists of bush regeneration and weed control in remnant vegetation. These works will reduce the impacts of invasive plants on canopy structure, facilitate recovery of the structure of canopy vegetation and promote the recruitment and natural expansion of canopy and understorey vegetation into new areas through reduced competition from invasive species.  

In addition, supplementary planting of GHFF forage species will be undertaken, in order to expand the availability of available foraging habitat and increase the number of GHFF feed trees present in degraded areas of potential foraging habitat.  These important works will facilitate the recruitment of important GHFF feed tree species such as Coastal Banksia, Broad-Leaved Paperbark, Swamp Mahogany and Forest Red Gum.

Jaliigirr Biodiversity Alliance is working with its partners, Coffs Harbour Regional Landcare, Bellinger Landcare Inc, Coffs Harbour and District Local Aboriginal Land Council, Jetty Dunecare and Bellingen Shire and Coffs Harbour City Councils.