Northern Beaches Council is proud to announce the installation of a 23-metre-high Osprey Nest Platform at the rear of Hitchcock Park, Avalon – an initiative designed to support the conservation of the rare Eastern Osprey and enhance local biodiversity.

The elevated nesting platform, installed this week, provides the ideal vantage point for Eastern Ospreys to safely breed and raise their young, high above the tree-tops and away from human disturbance.

Eastern Ospreys, a piscivorous species, are renowned for seeking out elevated nesting sites along coastal environments, with a preference for commanding views of their fishing grounds. In recent years, these remarkable birds have increasingly opted to build their nests in man-made alternatives such as sports lighting towers and construction cranes. These tall structures give the ospreys a birds-eye view of their fishing grounds, but nesting on cranes can also place the birds at risk when cranes are dismantled at the end of construction.

Northern Beaches Mayor Sue Heins said the project reflects Council’s long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship and the protection of threatened species.

“The installation of the Osprey Nest Platform in Avalon is a significant and exciting step in our ongoing efforts to preserve local wildlife.

“By creating a safe and secure nesting habitat, we hope to welcome a new generation of ospreys to the Northern Beaches.

“Our community has shown overwhelming support for this initiative, and we are grateful for the opportunity to lead innovative conservation solutions in an urban setting,” Mayor Heins said.

The platform has been strategically positioned in a cleared area behind the Careel Bay sports fields, ensuring no disruption to regular park activities.

This project has been completed on schedule and made possible thanks to the generous support and funding from the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment & Water and Northern Beaches Council.

The initiative builds on the success of artificial nesting towers across northern NSW, South-East Queensland and South Australia, but marks one of the first installation of its kind by a Sydney metropolitan council.

For further information about Eastern Ospreys and Council’s conservation efforts, please visit our website.