MidCoast Council Flying-fox Camp Management Plan
2.6.4
Sensitive receptors
Residential dwellings and accommodation facilities are the primary sensitive receptors at the Smiths Lake camp. Of the 14 private lots that support the camp, 10 have existing dwellings or holiday houses, and four are yet to have dwellings constructed. This include a recently approved private campground to the south-east of the camp. There are eight other residential lots that directly adjoin the primary camp roost, four of which have dwellings and four of which have not been built on. Within a 300 m radius of the camp there are approximately 323 other residential lots; 292 of which have dwellings and 31 that had not been built on as of March 2021. Further establishment of houses and accommodation facilities will increase the number of residences in proximity to the camp. There are no known other sensitive receptors within 300 m of the Smiths Lake camp.
2.6.5
Council assets and activities
There are no Council assets or utilities within the Council reserves at the Smiths Lake camp. Local roads, water mains and sewer mains however occur adjacent to the camp, and a section of Council managed sewer main is located on private land that intersects the camp’s primary roost (refer to Figure 15). Council also maintains localised APZs within the Council reserves near some residential properties at the camp. There are no current bush regeneration programs undertaken at the reserves. Other utilities adjacent to the camp include electricity (overhead and underground) and communications.
2.6.6
Community reported issues related to the camp
The following list is a collation of the issues related to the Smiths Lake camp that have been reported by the community. Key reported issues include: • • • • • • • • • • • •
odour, particularly following wet conditions faecal drop on houses and outdoor areas, roofs that have associated water tanks, cars and washing lines, and associated time spend cleaning areas adjacent to the camp noise as flying-foxes depart or return to the camp noise from the camp during the day and seasonally during the night disease concerns to residents and pets health and/or wellbeing impacts (e.g. associated with lack of sleep, anxiety) lifestyle impacts as a result of reduced amenity/smell/disease concerns (e.g. house bound, inability to leave windows open reduced general amenity damage to vegetation impacts on other native animals, particularly birds pollution of waterways property devaluation.
Council has received complaints about the camp from surrounding residents periodically since the early 2000’s. Residents have stated that the issues are exacerbated when there are large numbers of flying-foxes.
41
