By Bridie Smith and Science Editor
A group representing more than 2000 palaeontologists from more than 100 countries has written to the Victorian government over concerns that plans to extend a Beaumaris yacht club will damage an internationally significant fossil site.
In a letter to Environment Minister Lisa Neville, Society of Vertebrate Paleontology president John Long said the land and sea floor around the Beaumaris Motor Yacht Squadron was a crucial reference point for dating and understanding mammal evolution in Australia.
Tim Flannery is concerned a plan to extend Beaumaris yacht club would damage a nearby fossil site. Credit: Joe Armao
A palaeontologist at Flinders University in Adelaide, Professor Long said Beaumaris rated among the country's top 10 fossil sites. He said it was particularly significant given it captured marine and land life, with some fossils dating back 66 million years.
The Royal Society of Victoria and the US-based Paleontological Society have also expressed concern over the site's future. In recent days, each organisation has released a position statement outlining the scientific significance of the area and their objection to a proposal to expand the Beaumaris Motor Yacht Squadron between Ricketts Point and Mentone Beach.
Palaeontologist and former Australian of the year Tim Flannery has also called for the unique site to be protected and for the existing yacht club infrastructure to be removed.
"This site is one of the richest of its age in Australia," Professor Flannery said. "Lots of species have been described from material found right here."
While part of the fossil site has already been built over, plans to expand the yacht squadron base include a 120-berth all-weather marina, a two-storey clubhouse, more parking spaces, a three-lane boat ramp and launching dock.
Professor Flannery said the richest part of the fossil bed was already buried underneath a car park and further development of the site would only exacerbate the problem.
"The proposal to massively expand [the yacht club] needs to stop because the whole thing has to go any way, so don't let people pour money into it," he said.
Professor Long said the Beaumaris shoreline and seabed had delivered a valuable snapshot of sealife 5 to 10 million years ago, including fossils of rare land mammals, extinct dugongs, giant penguins and the first known fossil of a pygmy right whale.
"The area is of ongoing importance to palaeontological research and we strongly favour measures that will protect it more completely," Professor Long said
Last year, the discovery of sea turtle fossils in Beaumaris enabled scientists to fill in a 66-million-year gap in the history of Australian reptiles.
Professor Long urged the state government to consider making the scientifically significant site a reserve so that the fossil deposits can be fully studied and collected by accredited museums well into the future.
Commodore of the Beaumaris Motor Yacht Squadron Brian Mc Naughton said the extension plans would improve public access to the foreshore area and include interpretive signs, including information on the fossil beds and the cultural heritage of the area.
Environment minister Lisa Neville pointed out the proposal was submitted under the previous government and that she was aware of "the significant community concern". She said she and Planning Minister Richard Wynne would continue to listen to the community and that the Environmental Effects Statement process would involve significant community consultation.
* Palaeontologists Tim Flannery and Erich Fitzgerald will speak at a community event this Sunday February 22 at Beaumaris Lifesaving Club.