Wednesday, 9 March 2022

Koala habitat loss

Petition

Mr MEDDICK (Western Victoria) (17:35): During the last sitting week I tabled a petition calling on the government to prevent further decline of the region’s koalas and halt the clear-felling of the blue gum plantation at the intersection of Cartons Road and the Western Freeway in Gordon. After a devastating year for Ballarat koalas, the Gordon koalas now face further challenges to ensure their survival. Central Highlands Water have applied to Moorabool Shire Council for planning permission to clear-fell a 16-hectare blue gum plantation that is a known koala habitat. Placed at this intersection of Cartons Road and the Western Freeway in Gordon, this small blue gum forest has existed for 20 years and has attracted a sizeable koala population. The habitat forms part of the important wildlife corridor connecting Wombat State Forest to Whipstick forest in Bendigo. The Cartons Road overpass has allowed the safe movement of koalas and other rare arboreal animals such as sugar gliders, phascogales and feather-tail gliders across the busy Western Freeway.

Central Highlands Water’s intention is to clear-fell the plantation and enlarge the grassed wastewater irrigation area around existing sewage ponds. Many locals were unaware of this plan until recently due to insufficient community consultation and publicity. Discussions between CHW and local residents resulted in an understanding that a narrow 30-metre strip of existing blue gums will be left along the Cartons Road and Western Freeway boundaries. However, as the boundary trees have already been damaged, with many removed, a 30-metre strip would be completely insufficient habitat and would drive the koalas to cross the freeway in search of food.

The survival of koalas in this region hangs in the balance. Offsetting strategies to replant will not benefit koalas in any way as they require habitats with mature trees. The Gordon koalas desperately need the Cartons Road blue gum habitat to remain. Koalas are facing a threat to survival like never before. Devastating fires coupled with loss of habitat due to logging mean that viable populations are becoming a rarity. They are in such a bad state they have been declared threatened in New South Wales and Queensland but, for what can only be assumed are political reasons by the federal government, not here in Victoria. They are nowhere under greater threat in this country than in my electorate of Western Victoria, and the callous disregard for them was never demonstrated so clearly as at the now infamous Cape Bridgewater massacre. I attended that site, and the deliberate killing in outrageously vile circumstances was everywhere you looked. Those images were beamed around the world, attracting condemnation and outrage that we could let this happen. Habitat for koalas, including those at Gordon, must be given priority over commercial interests before it is too late.