North East Bioregional Network president calls on council to address 'appalling' foreshore

North East Bioregional Network president Todd Dudley slammed the state of the Binalong Bay foreshore, calling its condition "appalling" and "neglected", before asking for an explanation.

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"There is a cocktail of weeds running rampant at the site, suffocating a range of native plants that, in most cases, serve as a habitat for several unique and very important species," he said.

"Not to mention that evidence seems to suggest members of the public have illegally cut down multiple Eucalyptus globulus (Blue Gum) which is a key food source for the Swift Parrot .. I've reported this to no avail."

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A Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service spokesperson said the Binalong Bay foreshore was currently leased to the Break O' Day council to manage on behalf of the local community.

"In this location, maintenance and weed management responsibility rests with the council in accordance with their lease conditions, and any person who believes vegetation has been removed illegally should report it to them," they said.

"Parks and Wildlife will continue to liaise with council in relation to its weed management program for the area and recognises there are strong and often divergent views on the management and use of foreshore areas such as Binalong Bay."

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Conversely, a council spokesperson said if illegal tree removal was reported to council, it was their duty to pass that information on to Tasmani Police and the Parks and Wildlife Service as "they are the agencies with the legislated powers to investigate and enforce ... the council does not have these powers".

"Any vegetation removed from this area requires a Parks and Wildlife Permit, and even if we remove the vegetation, we still require a permit to do so," they said.

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Additionally, the council spokesperson said no illegal tree removal had been reported to them since early this year.

Regarding the spread of harmful weeds, they said discussions around the issue had been facilitated with the North East Bioregional network, claiming Mr Dudley was aware that the council's weeds officer was in the process of developing a weed management plan for the Binalong Bay foreshore.

"We also recently undertook works in the area (addition of a footpath) and removed a significant amount of weeds - the area is better than it's ever been," they said.

The spokesperson said the council's work team visited the site daily to three times a week.

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