A SEED collection program is underway to revegetate bushland in Shenton Park, but a local campaigner has said it is not enough to replace the planned clearing at Lemnos Street.
It was revealed in Parliament that the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation received more than 1000 submissions that opposed clearing the area; the Government received no submissions that supported the application, which would facilitate the clearing of 1.52ha of bush.
LandCorp metropolitan general manager John Hackett said the aim of the seed collection program was to ensure restoration of the natural integrity of local bush in retained areas at the Montario Quarter development.
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READ NOW“Collection began in January and we are steadily building a comprehensive array of seeds from all native species in the local undergrowth and trees,” Mr Hackett said.
“In addition to the seed collection program, we expect to plant approximately 150 new trees in the Woodland Precinct alone which is more than the number of trees we are planning on removing.”
Bush Not Bricks convenor Heidi Hardisty said the area was part of an important regional linkage connecting bushland areas in the western suburbs, and planting new trees would not replace the existing mature trees and animal habitat cleared.
“What happens to the birds and the animals in that 30 years?” she said.
“It’s outrageous; they’re destroying over half of that linkage area that can never be rehabilitated.
“They’re trying to say they’re enhancing and safeguarding the linkage, it’s complete and utter nonsense.”
Mr Hackett said the protection of local fauna had been a key consideration, with 29 trees found on side as potential habitats for black cockatoos.
“Of these 29 trees, less than five will be removed as part of the necessary bush fire regulation clearing,” he said.
The LandCorp general manager said large areas of the Woodland Precinct were degraded with weeds, but a weed management program was already showing improvement.
Ms Hardisty said the development was an ideal opportunity for a win-win situation, with creative building around existing trees.
“There’s no need to build on that bushland; this is about doing good development and preserving our green space when we have the ability to do so,” she said.
“Some of the bushland is degraded but you could preserve it and it would come back.
“You can’t go on just whittling away all these things, destroying mature trees and saying it’ll be ok in 30 years; it’s lost, it’s gone.”
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