Letter to the Editor: Protecting Deep Creek’s endangered birds

DEAR News Of The Area,

DEEP Creek is more than a line on a map – it’s a living corridor.

Its paperbarks, casuarinas, she-oaks and reedbeds filter water, soften floods, and host an orchestra of feathered residents.

Some of those birds are now teetering on the edge.

Protecting them isn’t just about saving rare species; it’s about safeguarding the health and resilience of the whole catchment and community.

Creeks like Deep Creek punch far above their weight ecologically.

They offer things birds can’t do without: food and shelter, year-round.

Flowing water supports insects, seeds and nectar even in dry spells, helping small woodland birds, waterbirds and migratory species refuel.

In a landscape fragmented by roads and development, this vegetation forms a green highway.

Birds move along the creek to nest, disperse, and mix genes – vital for long-term survival.

Old trees with hollows, dense understorey, and quiet reedbeds are irreplaceable nurseries.

When these vanish, breeding success collapses.

South Valla Beach and estuary mouth are one of the few areas set aside to have no dogs or cars between Nambucca and Urunga.

Dogs, trail bikes, cars and frequent human intrusion near nests can cause parents to abandon chicks as many of us have seen year in year out with the pied oyster catchers nesting in the sand.

Not to mention the turtles which lay eggs in the sand at South Valla.

Very recently two pairs of oyster catchers were safely looking at the spot yet again as a breeding location.

People who continue to take dogs and cars onto beaches designated as dog/car free give responsible dog and car owners a bad name.

Species loss is not fake news.

We are seeing species disappearing never to be seen by our grandchildren.

This is not a legacy I wish to leave behind.

Regards,
Jeff BARNARD,
Valla Beach.