Oxenford geese to stay, health check permitting

SOME of the geese will get to stay at the Oxenford lake following a decision by councillors at a full council meeting.

Officers were to report on the health and determine if some of the 50 birds needed to be moved after concerns from a qualified wildlife specialist about potential diseases.

Area councillor William Owen-Jones, who was backed by all councillors at yesterday’s full council meeting, moved a new recommendation which provided a balance between the wishes of bird lovers and health guidelines.

Councillors unanimously supported his motion that council’s director of lifestyle and community investigate the domestic birds at Water Hen Park.

Cr Owen-Jones recommended that the geese are “cost effectively and humanely managed having regard to the local community expectations” and existing laws.

Outside the council, he said the flock would undergo a “health check” with those suffering from diseases to be removed.

“We will get a vet to go in there. Our regulatory guys are looking at it,” he said. SEVERAL councillors are determined to keep and protect their personal Facebook accounts as council takes control of social media.

The Bulletin in a report on Saturday revealed the council is to take control of Facebook accounts for councillors, keeping records of responses from residents in a move causing privacy fears and dividing council.

Council will develop “a tool to manage records” generated by Linkedin, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

The discussion of the new information management policy was expected to spark a marathon debate at full council yesterday, but Nerangbased councillor Peter Young successfully moved to have the issues sorted at a future workshop.

Some of the key concerns with the changes are current accounts will be migrated to the new Facebook page, and