Join Kingston Residents Association, Mordialloc-Beaumaris Conservation League and Environment Victoria to protest at the Level Crossing Removal Project (LXRP) clearing remnant endangered highly significant Coast Banksia Woodland on Council’s Groves Reserve in Aspendale. Please see our latest update on this in the post below.
UPDATE Friday 14 February 2025 at 19:56. This evening we have been informed that the destruction of the Groves Reserve banksias is deferred until 26/2. We heard from Mordialloc MP Tim Richardson's office that they had checked with LXRP, and confirmed that the banksias will not be cut down before 26/2. Hopefully this has been communicated to the workers onsite, who were expecting to cut down the banksias on Monday [17 Feb 2025].
PLEASE KEEP EMAILING LXRP, YOUR VOICE MUST BE HEARD ON THIS ISSUE.
URGENT: Destruction of Coast Banksia Woodland Already Underway at Groves Reserve! TAKE ACTION NOW!!
As you can see from the photo, the environmental damage at Groves Reserve is happening right now as part of the Mordialloc LXRP, despite reassurances that there would be a grace period!
Bruce Cutts from Environment Victoria (South East) was told by Tim Richardson MLA's office that there would be a two-week reprieve, but the destruction started this Wednesday. LXRP and their construction partner, Acciona, seem to be removing everything - something we cannot let happen!
The Coast Banksia Woodland is an endangered ecological treasure. The woodland is more than just banksias—it's home to eight other species, including tea trees, as highlighted in an ecological assessment report by Biosis. We cannot let this ancient and irreplaceable landscape be destroyed or have local wildlife lose their homes.
Coast Banksias attract a variety of native wildlife, including Little Wattlebird, Rainbow Lorikeet, honey eaters, possums, small animals, pollinating animals and insects such as microbats, bees and butterflies. This Coast Banksia Woodland provides a corridor for wildlife refuge and movement between habitat areas. Such wildlife will lose this habitat should the native vegetation be cleared at Groves Reserve and southward.
Did you know?
• The Coast Banksia trees at Groves Reserve are up to 250 years old.
• This destruction is already the worst environmental disaster Kingston has seen in living memory. It's worse than the losses at Chicquita Park, four times worse than the Scope tree removals.
• We need to save the remaining banksias and restore the woodland by removing young trees, protecting the species, and holding LXRP/Acciona accountable for the damage.
A group of us met with Tim Richardson on Thursday, he’s working hard to find a solution. We want your voices to be heard as part of the conversation! Don’t let them cut down these ancient trees without a fight. Save the Banksias, Save Wildlife!
What can you do?
Email LXRP - send an email to LXRP asking them to halt the removal of flora and fauna at groves Reserve so talks can be held to prevent wanton destruction.
Send your email to: LXRP Mordialloc-Aspendale Comms and Stakeholder [email protected]
#SaveTheBanksias #GrovesReserve #Environment #CoastBanksiaWoodland #ProtectOurTrees #KingstonCommunity #ClimateAction #wildlife
See also https://baysidenews.com.au/2025/02/12/trees-at-reserve-on-the-chopping-block/
It is not clear to us why this is necessary as the land is not needed for the LXR. Different LXRP Comms people have been giving different reasons. We fear it is because Acciona, the construction company responsible for designing the Mordialloc-Aspendale LXR does not understand the environmental significance of the endangered Coast Banksia Woodland EVC and they think they are improving the reserve by cutting down the old banksias, some of which are pre-white settlement, and replacing them with new “non-native” trees.
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