Ha Kiteboarders

I have been contacted by the Coffs Harbour marine park authority and been discussing a situation regarding the bird species that nest at a Hearns Lake. In particular the endangered species of little terns. Hearns Lake or flak top is the major nesting area for these birds.
We had a instance last weekend where the birds were being studied a colony of some 300, there was quite a group of kiteboarders that turned up there on the weekend by Sunday the turns had all taken flight and there was only three birds left. The area in question that is going to be given a an exclusion zone is the area directly in front of flat top rock Including 100 metres to the north and 100 metres to the south.This is flat top rock at Woolgoolga not to be confused with the area just north of Ballina. It is most important That we respect this exclusion zone as the entire ocean in the Coffs Harbour area comes under the control of the marine park authority the whole of this area is marine park. Obviously if the problem continues and we get the marine park authority offside we all could be affected some time down the track should there be any other problems in other areas. 100 metres either side of flat top rock Is an area that we all like to kite in from time to time but this is a small price to pay For three months of the year and there is still a massive amount of the area there where we can kite. I also heard a little whisper that people kiting within the boundaries of the marine park maybe asked if they are a paid up member of any of the states or national affiliate, in other words they want to know that you are insured While kiting within the marine park.
Please please help us to do the right thing in order that we may all continued to get our daily fix on the water .

Cheers Bob Dawson 0407057405

Hi Bob, this is not good, are the marine park insinuating that kites are distressing the terns? I can't see how they would.... thier fenced off area is allways upwind of where we kite...either in n/easters or s/easters , and we all stay well away from the fenced off area...unless someone has been flying training kites there...they would scare the turns, buzzing around the one spot....I was not there sunday...were the kiters locals or visitors?..what do the marine park want us to do?...that we aren't allready doing?..if they stop us from kiting there it will be tragic...
regards Ron

Hey Bob ,
I was kiteing there all day Sat in the SE winds with the usual crew.(all 4 of us lol)
Sunday there was no wind from memory.

On Sat we were all launching and landing in front of the car parking area.Well clear of the birds.There was one of the crew giving someone a lesson with a trainer kite near the bird fence.Will have a chat to let him know,he wouldnt have realised.

I kite there every time there is wind,surf and fish there,spend more time there then at home.I have watched each year when they put the bird fence up,the birds seem to move off the dunes and sit outside of the fence as soon as they put it up.

This year they have put little streamers along the wire on the top of the fence so people can see the wire.When its windy they flap around like crazy,would this be spooking the birds???

I think it might have been a case of bad timeing that the council turned up on the rare occasion that a trainer kite was going nuts on the beach.Have only seen a trainer kite maybe 4 times this year up here.


If there is anything we can do Bob let us know,
None of us here want to lose this spot for 3 months in the best part of the year.
I think if we all launch and land well down the beach then tack up wind would be an easy fix.
I kite there all the time and the birds never take flight when we have been kiteing????
As much as I like parking my 4x4 on the beach in front of where we kite,I think stopping 4x4s speeding along the beach spooking the birds and running over chicks/nests etc would be a bigger solution.

I think the only time I have seen the birds freak out and scatter is when the guy setting the fox traps this week drove his four wheel drive close as he could along the edge of the bird fence. Why do that when he is setting traps to try and save the birdsWell I think he was setting the traps,white 4x4 with aluminium tray with lots of gear in the back.Kept stoping next to the fox trap signs.

I think launching and landing in front of the lake would stop any fear of interfering with the birds.

just my thoughts anyway.

Glenn
PS if they want to meet down there and work out a solution let me know
mobile 0434641529

PPS I think the problem might have been that huge 17m kite that was there the previous weekend lol

A bit of an updated and some thoughts.

First of all its very important for anybody that is concerned about this issue to email me there contact details. That way we can organise a meeting and select somebody to act as a spokesperson preferably somebody with experience in chairing meetings in other words not me. I am very interested in helping and putting in as much input as I can, it's also a very important to understand that I have not been elected or appointed as a spokesperson for the local kite surfing community. Getting everybody together and having them join the New South Wales association I think is critical, this way we can call upon them to give us some help and guidance after all that's what these sorts of clubs are for the benefit members and they have the ability to draw on past experiences.
Below is a copy of an email that was sent to me today. It's obvious from this email that the authorities are not wanting to ban or in any way interfere with our passion for the sport. They merely wanted make sure that the birds are protected.

So all of you guys and girls in this region please let's get together so this remains a slight hiccup rather than a full blown storm. You can either email me or get on the phone
0407057405

Bob Dawson kiterepairs.com.au



Hi Pete & Bob,

Please find attached a copy of the poster/flyer we are putting up on site (which could be posted on the internet), a map of the broader area showing where flat top isand below some links to information about Little Terns.

http://www.threatenedspecies.environment.nsw.gov.au/tsprofile/profile.aspx?id=10769

www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/species/sterna-albifrons-sinensis.html

We have put up the flyer in the car parks at Heanes Lake and Willis Ck and installed some of flagging on-site indicating the extent of the zone

I will forward a copy of the Media Release we are working on with Coffs Council when Council are finished with it. The language we have put in from the kiteborders perspective is as follows:

"Everyone is keen for the Hearnes Lake site to continue to be successful for the Little Terns," said Mr Storrie.

"Council and the NPWS are working with representatives of the kitesurfing fraternity to work out how best to communicate with them about the issue and generate support for a voluntary exclusion zone 150 metres either side of Flat Top while the Little Terns settle in for the nesting season" Mr Storrie said.

Hey guys,just got back from flat top.
The terns are back in huge numbers,even when we were still kiteing there through the week before the exclusion zone was in affect.So I do really believe it was a one off problem with the trainer kite inadvertantly buzzing aroung close to them.

The zone is marked with posts on the beach.In a NE wind it will not affect us very much.It will affect us more in a SE wind which we dont get alot of this time of year anyway.

We could probably assist them further if we could park,set up,launch and land even further down the beach than where the marker posts are and not right beside them.No need to when it only takes one tack on the way out to get to the good waves.

If any of the National Parks guys come here and read this,please feel free if you see any of us down there to come over and have a chat.We dont bite and are keen to work in with you to help solve the problem.

Cheers
Glenn

PS There is an article in todays Advocate about this which includes a picture of the exclusion zone.

PSS If you see anyone passing through on Holidays kiteing there,give them the heads up on the issue so they dont destroy it for us all.
Thanx

kyteryder,yes I heard that as of next week NSWKBA may be involved.But I dont think we will have much of a problem.

The exclusion zone will not affect us greatly as long as everyone respects them.
They are only VOLUNTARY exclusion zones,so if everyone does the right thing we will have no dramas.

I was down there today and counted about 180 birds down at the waters edge with many more sitting/flying around the dunes so they are well and truly back.


I have seen from experience that our kites dont worry them.I have seen a group of about 50 odd little terns sitting at the waters edge as I have been walking back upwind with 11m kite flying above me.I walked through the middle of them,they walked around me as I walked through them with none taking any notice of the kite or taking flight.I think it was just a case of a fast moving trainer kite bomb diving around the area that might have spooked them,or maybe other reasons???
We have been kiteing there for many years and they have bred succsessfully every other year with us there ,so Im sure we can co-exist with them.

Maybe they all flew to the red rock breeding ground to tell their mates to come down and watch Ron and Ian's massive carves off the lip??


PS once again,If any National Parks or council rangers are down there,stop and have a chat so we know we are taking the right steps to assist.

update on hearns/flat top,
so far dialogue with the marine park has been positive and it appears we shouldn't have any dramas as long as we stay clear of the nesting area, Nov. is the most important month stretching through to Jan. I was there this morning and everyone seemed happy(little terns) a few sitting on eggs and a bit of feeding going on with a flock off around 150 at the waters edge...life looked pretty normal to me...exclusion zone should be easy to adhere to...we will just have to work upwind a little to get to the spot..it just means you will have a little down winder to get back to your cars...who's going to bring the esky