Voters want to see an end to sand mining: says poll

WITH the state election just days away, a state-wide poll has shown that four in five voters back an end to sand mining in last remaining Western Port Woodlands in Bass Coast.

The Victorian National Parks Association-commissioned Lonergan Research survey polled 1000 voters across the state.

This comes as the issue of sand mining has been a hot topic for the Bass electorate, with most candidates stating they would commit to a moratorium on new mining operations, with the exception of Labor.

Four in five respondents support better protection for the Bass Coast’s Western Port Woodlands, which stretch from Nyora to Grantville east of French Island and just an hour from Melbourne.

Some 31% of voters strongly support better protecting Western Port Woodlands, while another 49% expressed support for doing so.

The findings come weeks after citizen scientists detected Australia’s largest owl, the threatened Powerful Owl, and the critically endangered Southern Brown Bandicoot within the Adams Creek area near Lang Lang.

Much of the area is set to be cleared and mined for sand.

Southern brown bandicoots, which are listed under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Protection (EPBC) Act, were recently detected via camera trapping at new sites in the Adams Creek area.

Despite the presence of several endangered animal and plant species, the State Government has designated around 70% of the woodland area as an interest area for sand mining, with many new mines under consideration by the Andrews Government.

Save Western Port Woodlands spokesperson Tim O’Brien said essential habitat for these endangered species disappears with each new mine opening and expansion.

“How much more evidence of rare and endangered flora and fauna do we have to put before the Victorian Government before it calls a halt to sand miners ripping out their habitat?

“What is the point of legislation for the protection of rare and endangered species if it is blatantly ignored or, worse, when it is the government itself that is putting these species at risk.”

Many community and conservation groups are supporting the campaign for a moratorium on new mining licences in the woodlands.

A report commissioned by the Victorian National Parks Association found the Western Port Woodlands are full of rare and endangered wildlife, such as Koalas and Lace monitors, but lack solid protection leaving them vulnerable to development and sand mining operations.

According to the report, the demand for extractive resources is expected to double in Victoria between now and 2050, with South Gippsland and Cardinia LGAs being highlighted as critical resource locations.

While Bass Coast LGA was predicted to decline due to exhaustion of the resources.

The Strategic Extractive Resource Areas (SERA) – Pilot Project identified South Gippsland LGA as a ‘pilot SERA-investigation area’ and was chosen due to long term supplies of quality sand, location in relation to demand areas, the sand resources extending into adjoining LGAs and potential for expansion.

The report further recommends that there should be a cease granting Work Authorities in areas with remnant vegetation within the Nyora to Grantville wildlife corridor, to maintain the integrity of the vegetated wildlife corridor.

While a single ‘Bass Coast National Park’ should be formalised and established, with multiple blocks to secure the long-term future of the bushland and plants and animals that live in it.

That report can be found at vnpa.org.au )