fauna

Picture by Sheila Newman
"Save our Bush" Rally
Wednesday 24 February from 12-2pm
on Parliament House steps

The Rally aims to draw public attention to the destruction of our native bushland by the State Government's "growth-at-any-cost" policy of building freeways -- instead of promoting alternative modes of transport.

The Rally will coincide with a motion to the Legislative Council by the Greens MP, Sue Pennicuik, opposing construction of the Peninsula Link -- which would destroy much of The Pines Flora & Fauna Reserve (220 hectares) near Frankston.

Other important areas of native bushland and wetlands due to be bulldozed for roads in Greater Melbourne and beyond include:

* Browns Mountain (S-W Victoria)

* Coomoora Woodland Flora & Fauna Reserve (Keysborough)

* Belvedere, Witternberg & Pobblebonk Reserves (Mornington Peninsula)

* Devilbend Reserve (Mornington Peninsula)

* Westerfield Heritage Reserve (Mornington Peninsula)

* Bushland in the Cities of Banyule and Kingston

Rod Quantock is M.C. and the rally will include speakers and entertainment .

Join the Rally to Save our Bush and bring as many others as possible! Please also circulate the attached poster!

Save Our Bushland Contacts for further information:

Gillian Collins – Friends of Pines Flora and Fauna Reserve (impacts of Peninsula Link on the Pines): Mob: 0414 309 960; Email: [email protected]

Damon Anderson – Save Coomoora Reserve Coalition (impacts of the Dingley Bypass on Coomoora): Mob: 0425 784 983; Email: [email protected]

Marion Ware – Friends of Banyule (impacts of North East Link through Banyule Flats and Warringal Swamplands): Mob: 0413 41 88 32; Email: [email protected]

Rosemary West – Joint Coordinator of Green Wedges Coalition (urban growth and the impact on Green Wedges): Mob: 0418 554 799; email: [email protected]

Colin Long – Greens Candidate for South-East Metro Upper House (cultural heritage value of Westerfields) : Email: [email protected]

Leadbeater’s Possum – Victoria’s endangered State Faunal Emblem.

The following article is based on an urgent communication from Friends of Leadbeater's Possum.

Leadbeater’s Possum (LBP) Quick Facts:

- Approx 43% of the Leadbeater's Possum Permanent Reserve System (30,000ha) was burnt in the 2009 fires.
- It is estimated remaining populations are around just 1,000 individuals in the wild.
- There are no Leadbeater's Possum in captivity in Australia, and there is no captive breeding program planned
to help increase their population.
- Massive scale salvage logging and new timber harvesting coupes in areas of un?burnt water catchments are compounding the effects of the bushfires by removing all LBP habitat elements for the next few hundred years!

What can you do to help LBPs this Threatened Species Day???
On September 7th please make the effort to contact Premier Brumby and let him know you are not happy with the way his government is treating our forests and that you want more to be done to protect these forests for threatened species like Leadbeater’s Possum.

- Demand a full scale review of our forest estate

- Demand a full scale review of our forest estate – before any more logging coupes or salvage logging coupes are approved.

We need to ensure our State Government is managing our forests for threatened species, biodiversity & ecological values,
carbon storage, water catchments and air quality – for all Australians, not just those benefiting from our destructive
timber harvesting industry.

- Demand an end to all logging in water catchments. Water scarcity is an increasingly alarming issue, and rather than building destructive pipelines and energy intensive desalination plants, Victoria should be protecting the water catchments
that have provided us with some of the best drinking water in the world!

- Demand more resources be spent on threatened species management, including broad scale monitoring programs, habitat enhancement measures & community engagement.

To Contact Premier John Brumby:
www.premier.vic.gov.au, Twitter: ‘vicpremier’
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JohnBrumbyMP

For more about saving the little Leadbeater's Possum contact
Friends of the Leadbeater's Possum
Email Friends of Leadbeater's Possum
PO Box 1175
Healesville VIC 3777
[email protected]
www.leadbeaters.org.au