Council will conduct strategic sand building works at Karagi Point ahead of the ‘Little Tern’ bird species reaching the Central Coast for their 2021 breeding season.
This important habitat and enhancement work is funded by the NSW Government’s Saving our Species program and follows a record-breaking breeding season on the Central Coast for the endangered Little Terns in 2020.
The much-loved Little Terns will be arriving on the Coast in the next three weeks or so and it is vital that we take steps to help ensure they have another successful breeding season.
Over approximately three days, Council staff will move sand from the southern end of Karagi Point (adjacent to the channel) and deposit this 100 metres north at the location where the Little Terns are expected to nest.
These works are vital as the Little Terns are strongly site faithful and this location is currently vulnerable to inundation by high seas, tides and flooding.
To protect the Little Terns from people and dogs during this crucial nesting time, we will install a temporary fence and signage around the breeding site and we ask that our community support us in helping this endangered species by staying away from the area, as well as keeping their pets away.
We had an incredible breeding season on the Coast last year – with Karagi Point being one of the most significant breeding sites in NSW – and we are expecting strong Little Tern numbers again this year.
By moving the sand from the southern end of the sandspit, the works will also aim to enhance the channel opening to better maintain the exchange of water between the lake and the ocean and provide for the preliminary phase of dredging which is planned to commence in 2022.
Council is committed to best practice management, monitoring and education to support the growth of threatened species such as the Little Tern, Eastern Osprey, Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater.
The habitat and enhancement work at Karagi Point will get underway on Wednesday 22 September 2021 and is expected to take three days to complete. Works will require a small section of the Karagi Point / Hutton Road carpark to be closed off with temporary fencing.
Find out more about the Little Tern
