Policy fail for vital biodiversity area

By Nick Sinis

SAVE Western Port Woodlands (SWPW) is urging the community to make a submission calling for the protection of remnant forest before consultation ends on the draft Bass Coast Distinctive Areas and Landscapes (DAL) project.

SWPW strongly advocate for the protection of a forest corridor stretching from Adams Creek Conservation Reserve near Lang Lang to Grantville Conservation Reserve.

The woodlands are home to threatened and endangered species including Koalas, Southern Brown Bandicoots and the Powerful Owl.

However, with the release of the state government’s draft Bass Coast DAL, which sets long-term settlement boundaries and protections for natural environments, the organisation believes the woodlands has been entirely overlooked.

An interactive project map shows that Significant Landscape Overlays are not proposed at both Grantville and The Gurdies Nature Conservation Reserves.

SWPW’s committee member Neil Rankine said the group has concerns that the remanent woodlands could be unprotected from sand mining operations.

“The last time the community had major concerns about sand mining was when it started in Bass Coast during the mid-1990s,” Mr Rankine said.

“They were signed off after a lot of consultation between the miners, community and government, on what was called the Lang Lang to Grantville regional sand extraction strategy.

“The document very clearly recognised the significance of the woodlands.

“They (government) should be paying attention to this document.”

Mr Rankine said SWPW had been pushing hard for locals to make a submission and detail how deeply valued the woodlands is.

SWPW will also be making a comprehensive submission on the DAL.

The community can still provide feedback on the draft policy until this Friday, April 29.

To view the project, visit http://engage.vic.gov.au/project/distinctive-areas-and-landscapes-program/page/bass-coast