From The Age - Clay Lucas - 4/8/09

>> See the article on The Age website

BULLDOZING part of a Frankston wildlife reserve to make way for a $750 million freeway may increase the likelihood that Victoria’s endangered southern brown bandicoot will become extinct.

Premier John Brumby last month turned the first sod on the Frankston bypass project, which will see 53 hectares of native vegetation and almost 100 ‘‘large and very large’’ trees removed.

Planning Minister Justin Madden in June approved the six-lane freeway, which will run for 25 kilometres from Carrum Downs to Mount Martha.

The 220-hectare Pines Flora and Fauna Reserve is in the freeway’s path. Nine hectares of the reserve will be lost to make way for the road, of which a government report says 8.23 hectares is of high conservation significance.

‘‘The Frankston bypass will increase the probability that the small southern brown bandicoot population in the Pines Reserve could become extinct,’’ the report, signed off by Mr Madden, notes.

While one arm of the State Government is busy removing the bandicoot’s habitat, another is urging residents to do all they can to protect it. A Department of Sustainability and Environment fact sheet says the bandicoot’s numbers are ‘‘very low’’ and advises residents to protect patches of bushland on their properties to help the creatures survive.

Tunnelling under the reserve to preserve the bandicoot was dismissed by the state’s road authority because of the cost, estimated at $320 million. Another recent road project, EastLink, tunnelled under the Mullum Mullum Valley to protect its wildlife and flora.

Dr Terry Coates, an ecologist with the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne, said Frankston’s Pines reserve was precious. ‘‘This is one of the reserves put aside decades ago to preserve what was there. They are like little arks that carry what was once there,’’ he said.

Gillian Collins, from the Friends of the Pines community group, said the freeway would create a wall through the flora and fauna reserve and that there was no evidence to support the effectiveness of a government pledge to build an underpass under a section of the road.

Jo Weeks, a spokeswoman for the Government authority overseeing the freeway’s construction, the Linking Melbourne Authority, said a $5 million environment effects statement introduced significant protection, including a realignment of the bypass to protect areas of higher ecological significance.

Tamarisk Creek, which runs through the reserve, will be rehabilitated as part of the project.