Habitat Modification night work: 20 & 21 June
The Department of Planning, Industry and Environment has granted Council a Threatened Species Licence, a class of biodiversity conservation licence under Part 2 of the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 (BC Act), to undertake habitat modification at night in the seven-metre buffer at Cannes Reserve, Avalon.
These trees form part of a remnant of the Littoral Rainforest endangered ecological community and also provide habitat for the threatened species, Pteropus poliocephalus (Grey-headed Flying-fox).
The works will be undertaken at night (5 to 11pm) from Monday 20 June and Tuesday 21 June - when the camp is empty, and that the purpose of the works is to reduce amenity impacts that roosting flying-foxes have on adjacent residents.
For more information please call 1300 434 434.

Cannes Reserve is 0.67 hectares in size and is dominated by Coastal Littoral Rainforest. It is also bordered by Pittwater Spotted Gum Forest vegetation communities. The site is steep, sloping towards the west from Cannes Drive, towards Therry Street in Avalon.

Vegetation

The reserve contains two threatened ecological communities - Littoral Rainforest and Pittwater-Wagstaff Spotted Gum Forest - which are listed under the Biodiversity Conservation Act, 2016. The forest species tend to be more prevalent towards the eastern edge of Cannes Reserve and the rainforest species tend to prevail near the watercourse, which runs along the north-west facing slope.

Cannes Reserve contains the wet form of Pittwater Spotted Gum, which occurs primarily on the lower slopes of areas with shale derived soils and high rainfall. It is characterised by the presence of a tall canopy Spotted Gum (Corymbia maculata), over a lower tree layer of Cabbage Tree Palm (Livistona australis), Turpentine (Syncarpia glomulifera subsp. glomulifera) and Forest Oak (Allocasuarina torulosa).

The Littoral Rainforest found in Cannes Reserve contains canopy species, including Lilly Pilly (Acmena smithii), Cabbage Tree Palm (Livistona australis), Sweet Pittosporum (Pittosporum undulatum) and Cheese Tree (Glochidion ferdinandi). The ground cover consists mainly of ferns and a diversity of vines and climbers, which are present between the upper canopy and forest floor.

Fauna

Cannes Reserve provides important habitat for local native fauna including birds, reptiles and mammals and provides a stepping stone for species moving through the landscape.

A grey-headed flying-fox (Pteropus poliocephalus) colony is found in this reserve. The flying-foxes are listed as vulnerable under the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act, 2016 and Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act, 1999 (EPBC Act).