With community input the City of Greater Bendigo has developed a Rosalind Park Management Plan: Coexistence with Flying Fox and Ibis that is now available to view on the City’s Let’s Talk Greater Bendigo website until November 30, 2025.
City of Greater Bendigo Presentation and Assets Director Brian Westley said the management plan developed by consultants Ecosure, was informed by the results of a 2024 community survey on the City’s Let’s Talk Greater Bendigo website that was completed by over 300 people.
“The management plan outlines a range of actions to foster coexistence, minimise human-wildlife conflict and maintaining public use of the park whilst ensuring conservation of the protected wildlife that reside in Rosalind Park,” Mr Westley said.
“While the City already has a masterplan that guides the future development of the entire Rosalind Park precinct, the development of a management plan is about meeting the day-to-day management requirements of the park and ensuring we are fulfilling our obligations under the Wildlife Act for the protected species being the Grey Headed Flying Fox and White Ibis that live in the park.
“Rosalind Park is one of Greater Bendigo’s premier parklands for recreation and major events and the City is obligated under legislation to ensure we are not doing anything that impacts the animals which means finding a balance between people and the native animals.”
The management plan includes a range of short, medium and long-term actions to reopen the historic fernery, reduce nesting and numbers of Ibis in the park, foster co-existence with flying foxes and Ibis and prepare for large influxes of Flying Fox.
Some key action recommendations include:
- Undertake staged works to re-open the fernery
- Remove old Ibis nests across the park once all chicks have fledged
- Prune nesting trees prior to each nesting seasons to reduce nesting platforms
- Continue routine maintenance to clean fences, gates, walkways, park benches, rotunda, lawns and vegetation
- Continue regular tree health assessments to ensure tree health and safety of park users
- Investigate additional resources for periodic flying-fox influxes and ibis nesting periods to allow additional cleaning/blowing of footpaths and chairs/path sweeping, etc.
- Limit mess on paths through a combination of strategic minor tree trimming and path covers/shelters in key areas
- Consider deterring flying-foxes from strategic areas with canopy-mounted sprinklers on a rotational basis, if required, to allow areas to recover whilst also allowing flying-foxes to remain in the park. Canopy-mounted sprinklers, and/or selective trimming, may also be used where flying-foxes are roosting in highly undesirable areas, such as the schools
- Plant additional jasmine on the entire fernery fence line to assist in masking odour and increase shading around the periphery to improve conditions for ferns
The City recognises the ecological and cultural importance of flying-foxes and ibis in sustaining the region’s unique biodiversity. The City also acknowledges the impact flying foxes and ibis may have on the community and is committed to implementing management actions that minimise impacts while also encouraging co-existence.
The City faces significant challenges in managing Rosalind Park which is home to a number of important heritage trees and other attractions such as the poppet head tower, the conservatory, the cascades and the fernery.
Since 2010 the park has also been home to a colony of native protected Grey Headed Flying Fox who have established a breeding and maternity camp at the site and more recently White Ibis have taken up residency in the fernery.
The Grey Headed Flying Fox is protected under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Commonwealth), the Wildlife Act 1975 (Vic) and the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (Vic). White Ibis are protected in Victoria under the Wildlife Act 1975.
The City doesn’t have the authority to remove or relocate the bats as they are a protected species. It is also illegal to scare, harm or disturb them without permission or a permit from the relevant responsible authorities.
To view the plan, visit: