Jacksons Creek Valley platypus risk part of petition plank

THE potential extinction of platypus populations in the Jacksons Creek Valley is being used to fight a major development.

Opponents to a development in Sunbury’s Jacksons Creek Valley say they are concerned about the impact it may have on the platypus population. Picture: Peter Clark

THE potential extinction of platypus populations from the proposed Jacksons Creek Valley development is set to be presented as part of a Planning Panels Victoria process.

An online petition established by Sunbury resident Trevor Dance has attracted more than 3000 signatures ahead of the hearings that will look into the Victoria Planning Authority’s Sunbury South and Lancefield Road precinct structure plans.

Part of a submission to the hearings from Mr Dance is a letter from the Centre for Ecosystem Science at the University of NSW, which has a strong background in freshwater conservation.

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Authored by Dr Gilad Bino, who is developing a national risk assessment of platypuses to identify the best conservation practices, the letter says “the proposed development poses a significant threat to the sensitive freshwater ecosystem and the local platypus population dependent on the critical habitat Emu Bottom Wetlands and Jacksons Creek provide, particularly during droughts when such habitats can function as a refuge from drying creeks”.

“There is a real need to minimise impacts to platypus populations by avoiding development along rivers providing habitat.”

A 2015 picture of Melbourne's biggest platypus found in Sunbury during a count which spotted six healthy animals in Jacksons Creek.

While local extinctions of platypus populations were observed during the Millennium Drought elsewhere in Victoria, Jacksons Creek platypuses were able to survive, the letter observed.

It also mentioned the critically endangered swift parrot and growling grass frogs relied on the area.

Gisborne wildlife advocate Fiona Corke said platypus populations living near residential environments had the extra pressure of dogs, run-off from homes and getting entangled in rubbish.

“Is this the right place to be building when there is a viable platypus population?”

Ms Corke, spokeswoman for the Australian Society for Kangaroos, said roos living in their “home range” of Jacksons Valley would also inevitably be displaced.

Developer Villawood Prop­erties has maintained its proposal will balance environ-mental and heritage values.

Planning Panels Victoria will hold a directions hearing this Thursday to determine the order of submitters, before the panel hearing on the two precinct structure plans starts on August 21.