Against removal 42 ha from Koala corridor Frankston Green Wedge (Victoria, Australia)

It is shocking to hear that several Frankston Councillors have voted to build over the last koala corridor in this crucial area. Craig Thomson has made a Submission to Frankston Council item 11.8 AGAINST Request for a Planning Scheme amendment to REMOVE 42 hectares from the Green Wedge Conservation Zone to allow 350 houses to be built. He says, "The land is a vital Koala migration route- it means local extinction of koalas in South Frankston. The VOTE was close 5 to 4 against the koalas. The next step for this item is for further community consultation and the Planning scheme amendment to go before the Minister."

Unfortunately Cr Aitkin’s[1] motion to refuse this amendment was defeated 5 votes to 4 and the council's officer recommendation which was in favour of the request was moved 5 votes to 4.

The next step for this item is for further community consultation and the Planning scheme amendment to go before the minister.

Developers watching for green light

The implications of this proposal are massive for the green wedge of the peninsula and would ultimately give a green light to developers (who are already watching this case very closely) to destroy our environment and open spaces.

Submission against 11.8 Request for Planning Scheme Amendment Stotts Lane

As a wildlife rescuer I am expressing my concerns that of the rezoning of 42 hectares from the green
wedge at Stotts Lane. These concerns are for the welfare of the local wildlife and the added pressure
placed on voluntary wildlife groups who have provided the Frankston city council a free service for over 25 years.

Habitat clearance is the greatest threat that faces our wildlife today and the land in question would
further deplete what was a significant bio-link between the listed RAMSAR Seaford wetlands and the
listed RAMSAR Westernport wetlands.

This land is an important habitat corridor for Koalas. Every spring male koalas migrate from Cranbourne Botanical gardens to mate with the female population that lives in Frankston South.

Since the opening of Peninsula link there has been two male koalas killed on the freeway, and if
this vital link was lost the South Frankston Koala population would be locally extinct in a number of
years.

With the continual loss of habitat in this area especially due to the new freeway, and with very little
to no offsets found in the city of Frankston. There is increased competition for habitat amongst wildlife, and as such more vulnerable species such as sugar gliders and woodland birds especially the likes of the eastern yellow robin will also become locally extinct.

With the loss of habitat and increased volume of traffic and increased number of domestic animals for such housing on green wedge land, local wildlife shelters are faced with a number of problems

1. An increase of wildlife that needs care

2. Less habitat to release rehabilitated wildlife

This means:

1. We need to find more volunteers to help run our shelters

2. We need find more funds to rehabilitate and feed wildlife

3. If we are unable to meet those needs we have limit our services which obviously causes stress to
both us and the community member we are unable to help.

4. If we are unable to find suitable habitat to release wildlife we have to look at other areas for
releasing wildlife reducing genetic viability and biodiversity of an area.

Kind regards

Craig Thomson,
Secretary Animalia Wildlife Shelter

NOTES

Not too surprising to hear of Cr Aitken voting to protect the koalas. He is an unusual man for his times: a wonderful and thoughtful councillor, whose father was also a councillor for Frankston - CDB Editor]