Wildlife’s uncertain future due to massive housing development in Macarthur
The delicate balance between meeting the needs of the Macarthur region’s booming population with conservation and protecting our region’s unique flora and fauna has emerged as a concern
Macarthur
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- Calls for a national park along the Georges River to save Campbelltown’s healthy koala colony
- Macarthur region population boom puts pressure on our roads
THE delicate balance between providing the services, transport links and facilities the Macarthur region needs to accommodate its booming population with conservation and protecting our unique wildlife has emerged as a concern.
Members of the National Parks Association Macarthur branch fear the proposed Georges River Parkway, to be built along the river from Glenfield to Appin Rd, at Appin, would destroy the region’s unique flora and fauna.
For 20 years, members and residents have been sighting, recording and charting the movements of Campbelltown’s unique koala population across the region.
Branch member Pat Durman is advocating for a wildlife corridor to be built in place of the road.
The Total Environment Centre is also keen to work with local communities to get the best possible outcomes for conservation in western Sydney and the Macarthur area.
For this reason the centre will host the forum Last Chance for Western Sydney Bushland at Wests Leagues Club, Leumeah, on Thursday, November 16, from 6.30pm.
The forum follows a decision by the NSW Planning Department which announced it would spend the next year developing a Strategic Sustainability Plan for seven council areas, including Campbelltown, Camden and Wollondilly.
Total Environment Centre spokeswoman Corrine Fisher urged residents with an interest in conservation to attend.Help Save the Wildlife and Bushlands in Campbelltown Facebook page founder Ricardo Lonza said he established the page three years ago to raise awareness about the importance of conservation.
“We need to protect our bushland corridors like Smiths Creek Reserve and Kellerman Drive, in St Helens Park, so our wildlife can continue to go from A to B,’’ he said.
With the Macarthur region’s population tipped to skyrocket past 500,000 by 2037, Mr Lonza said now was the time for planners, developers, environment groups and residents to work together on conservation before it was too late and our bushland and wildlife were lost forever.
There is hope on the horizon because the NSW Government is also considering a plan to ask housing developers to contribute at least five new large trees for each house approved.