Author: Ashleigh Fielding

CRITICALLY endangered possums, carnivorous plants known only to occur three places on Earth, and foraging habitat of endangered cockatoos should trigger flora and fauna surveys lest a tourist resort planned for Albany’s Goode Beach breach State and Federal environment laws, an eminent biology professor says.

University of Western Australia Professor of Biodiversity Stephen Hopper said that, contrary to a report produced for the owner of the Lot 660 development site beside
Lake Vancouver, banksia bushes, with seeds often eaten by endangered Carnaby’s cockatoos, were present on the block.

“I have made regular observations of black cockatoos feeding on Banksia sessilis, the parrot bush, on Lot 660 and nearby,” Professor Hopper said on Monday.

“Consultants have said there is no banksia on the site.

“That may be because they were relying on the 1992 flora survey of Lot 660 and its predecessor at which time this plant was called Dryandra sessilis.”

Australia’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act states that if foraging habitat of an endangered species is to be destroyed by a project, the plans
must be referred for consideration by Federal authorities.

A structure plan for the resort recommended for endorsement by Albany’s City councillors this coming Tuesday, ahead of consideration by the WA Planning Commission, does not recommend referral to the Commonwealth.

“The second thing is that the cockatoos themselves have been observed perching on the site, and this relates to the statement attached to the proponent’s report for the project that there is no substantial food foraging habitat on the site to be cleared for the buildings,” Professor Hopper added.

“I noticed that on the coastal reserve, just in front of where the major building is going to be, walking through very low peppermints last Saturday, that something had been stripping the bark off these arm-thickness branches of peppies and exposing the burrows of woodboring beetle larvae, witchetty grub sort of animals, finger diameter and rich in protein.

“I inferred that the only animal capable of ripping the bark off and chewing through the wood to get at these burrows made by the woodboring beetle larvae would be black cockatoos.

“And yesterday, my wife and I in returning from our daily walk to the beach saw just near our house 25 black cockatoos from 10m away and we stood there for five or 10
minutes. They were ripping the bark off and going for beetle grubs in what turned out to be these significant burrows through the wood on peppermint trees.”
Professor and Chris Hopper live 100m south of Lot 660.

“What we can draw from all this is that we know for sure that a listed threatened species of black cockatoo is in Goode Beach and on Lot 660,” Professor Hopper said.

“It strikes me that the planners have recommended to councillors there’s no listed species, and hence, there’s no need for any further fauna surveys on Lot 660.

“A survey for that foraging habitat is absolutely essential to come up with a sensible evaluation as to whether clearing of the lot for the development would have a significant impact on this population of Carnaby’s cockatoo.”

Environmental consultants for Lot 660 owner, Perth paediatrician Cherry Martin, saw a critically endangered Western ringtail possum on the block along the route of the proposed access road.

“And that to me triggers a need for a comprehensive survey for ringtail possums,” Professor Hopper said.

Importantly, he said that in 2013 a local consultant botanist collected a rare pygmy sundew at Lot 660.

“They’re quite tiny plants, carnivorous, that feed on insects and the like with stickiness on their leaves,” he said.

“It’s a species that was collected by Robert Brown on Matthew Flinders’ 1801-02 expedition.”

Brown collected the little plant either at Lake Vancouver where it is only known to occur in a 20sqm patch on and beside the access road, or in Little Grove where its only other two known locations are.

“They’d bulldoze it out of existence at Lake Vancouver,” Professor Hopper said of the current resort plans.

“At the moment, the precautionary principle would say: ‘Don’t mess with this precariously rare plant, as we presently know it’.”

He said he would soon recommend to councillors and others that urgent and comprehensive fauna and flora surveys be done for Lot 660 ahead of possible listing of the sundew as a threatened species, and referral of the block to the State and

Commonwealth for consideration of impacts on the possum and black cockatoo.

In a recent submission on the project, the WA Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions said it could not comment on the resort’s impact on vegetation because a current flora survey was not conducted.

“The new evidence that’s just been obtained with relatively little effort by admittedly quite experienced people just raises alarm bells that this site is even more significant than previously appreciated,” Professor Hopper told The Weekender.

LANDCORP’S deadline for developers to express interest in erecting a hotel-cum-apartment block at Middleton Beach has been extended for three weeks.

General Manager Regional for the State Government property development arm, Stuart Nahajski, confirmed as much when contacted this week.

“The Middleton Beach hotel developer expression of interest period has been extended from July 17, to August 7, 2018,” he told The Weekender.

“EOI extensions are reasonably common and in this instance advice from the selling agents was that more time would help ensure fair representation of the opportunity to all developers, especially given local school holidays.

“The EOI process is subject to strict probity requirements and as such any submission is commercial in confidence until the final outcome is determined.”

And with that, Mr Nahajski declined to reveal how many expressions had been received or which, if any, developers had submitted them.

The Landcorp website is yet to be updated to reflect the extended deadline.

A STRANGE winter with unusual conditions has slowed down regular flowering patterns of orchids this season, but that hasn’t slowed the Albany Orchid Society’s efforts in putting together a blooming good display.

The group’s annual winter show opens today at North Road Shopping Centre and will be available for public viewing every day until 12.30pm on Saturday.

The green thumb experts will be on location throughout the four-day extravaganza to hand out gardening tips and sell some of their orchids.

Ahead of the display, society members Gail Brodziak, Carol and Neville White, and Barbara Hawes gave The Weekender a sneak peek at some of their best plants.

Among the collection of colour were phalaenopsis orchids, red, white and yellow cymbidiums, dark pink dendrobiums and a native Australian dockrillia.

The orchidists agreed the colder and darker winter this year had slowed down the flowering of their orchids, particularly the hot weather phalaenopsis orchids that require a lot of sun.

To care for their orchids a little better, the group had all chosen to relocate their plants to their respective kitchen benches near a window.

When asked whether it was difficult to care for and manoeuvre such delicate looking flowers, Mrs White said only transport was difficult.

“Most people think orchids are delicate, but they are tough as nails,” she said.

“They don’t need much water, you might water them twice a week.

“I’ve got a little moisturemeter that my husband got for me and I use that to check how much moisture there is in the pot.”

Her husband, Neville laughed and agreed, but said they were still a nightmare to get from point A to B and that you have to be very careful not to knock anything while transporting them, if you want to qualify for judging.

“There are lots of criteria for the show,” Mr White said.

“The leaves have to be pristine, 60 per cent of the flowers have to be open and there has to be a certain number of flowers.”

Mrs Brodziak said prizes would be raffled during the show, and a judge from Bunbury was travelling especially for the event.

THE spectre of a sound-attenuating wall along Princess Royal Drive has been raised in the face of a 26-page objection from Southern Ports to apartments planned for harbour-front land owned by Albany business identity Paul Lionetti.

As previously revealed, farming and transport groups have vehemently opposed conversion into apartments of hotel rooms proposed for a plot owned by Mr Lionetti across Toll Place from his Due South tavern (‘Port users slam apartments plan’, July 5).

Now, The Weekender has seen a 26-page objection from recently resigned Southern Ports CEO Nicolas Fertin.

The objection says “incremental” modifications to a plan for the hotel in response to “concerns over commercial viability” may see a mixed-use building emerge “with insufficient protection for the port’s freight transport corridors”.

“Permanent residential land users will be subject to freight road and freight rail noise associated with the road and rail corridor servicing the port, the future ring road, the rail marshalling yards and noise generated by the operation of the port,” Mr Fertin argues.

“Detailed consideration has not been given to the use of building materials, appropriate distribution of land uses across the site and the orientation of balconies
to mitigate and reduce the impact of noise on residents/guests within the development.

“History shows that uncertainty of port access is a factor that drives investment decisions away from a port and its region.”

Despite the pointed objection, Henry Dykstra of Harley Dykstra Planning told a City of Albany committee last week that Southern Ports “seems to be opening up to the idea of residential” provided the port is “protected” from complaints by future residents.

Mr Dykstra was acting for landholder Foreshore Investments Albany Pty Ltd, and his assertion was echoed by chief City planner Paul Camins.

“They seem they might be supporting permanent residential if the noise is at that level,” Mr Camins said of moves to limit noise inside any future apartments to 55 decibels.

This week, a Southern Ports spokesperson said the organisation met with Harley Dykstra to brief the planning firm on its objection before it was lodged with the City.

At last week’s committee meeting, Mr Dykstra and Mayor Dennis Wellington opposed a recommendation from Mr Camins that a noise attenuation package be
developed prior to the project’s detailed design phase.

“Under no circumstances do we want a wall around this development to attenuate noise,” Mr Wellington said.

Councillor Robert Sutton agreed with Mr Dykstra and the mayor.

“If the proponent came in with a noise wall, it would be knocked back,” he predicted.

But Deputy Mayor Greg Stocks had his doubts, saying early signoff to an anti-noise package was essential.

“I think it’s very important that we send a message early,” he said before saying Harley Dykstra should “guarantee” a “sound wall” would not be entertained.

Buffering options preferred by Mr Camins include triple glazing and noise-reducing building and unit design.

Mr Fertin’s objection argued the 6800sqm of apartments being sought equated to 40 per cent of the project’s floor area and would erode the “primary tourism and
entertainment intent of the waterfront precinct”.

Mr Camins’ recommendation was endorsed nine votes to one, with Mr Wellington the sole opponent.

Cr Paul Terry abstained from voting because one of his sons works for a company associated with the project.

The endorsed recommendation is slated for final debate at a Council meeting on Tuesday.

IN THE same week the FIFA World Cup was emphatically decided, opponents of a second traffic bridge over the Denmark River scored a resounding 7-1 victory as Shire councillors booted the political football deep back into State Government territory.

On Tuesday night, Shire President Ceinwen Gearon was a late omission from Denmark’s monthly Council meeting, citing urgent personal reasons. Substitute chair Peter Caron was, on several occasions, moved to quash applause from the
capacity crowd.

Ahead of the chamber-room match-up, between councillors opposing the bridge and those in support, Shire CEO Bill Parker recommended the State be told Denmark was “unable” to deliver the project for lack of funds. Mr Parker had recommended the State assume control and build the bridge using $4,291,000 Royalties for Regions money earmarked for the project.

He advised the Shire would otherwise be required to identify a $3.1 million funding partner and contribute a further $1.51 million to the project that includes the $4.83
million bridge, land acquisition, road, fences and consultants.

“This represents three years’ of Roads to Recovery funding,” he continued.

“The $1,510,000 earmarked for this project is desperately needed to address the Shire’s [roads] renewal backlog.”

But in a dig to keep the cash for Denmark, Councillor Kingsley Gibson moved and Cr Jan Lewis seconded that the Shire negotiate with the State to repurpose the funding, preferably for upgrades to infrastructure at Greens Pool.

“We don’t need it, we can’t afford it,” Cr Gibson said of the bridge.

In a pre-siren twist, Cr Ian Osborne launched an amendment motion – that the State deliver the bridge in accordance with Denmark’s shire plan – which includes a crossing at the contentious East River site.

He said an East River bridge was in the plan for good reasons, including its proximity to town and there having been a bridge there previously.

In a major assist that helped Cr Gibson push his motion over the line, Cr Lewis chimed in from the chambers’ left wing.

“There was not a lot of science behind that particular part of the Local Planning Strategy,” she countered.

Cr Rob Whooley, the Shire’s former chief engineer, said the crossing had not been in the plan “forever anyway”.

“We may be many years and years, if not decades, away from needing another bridge and I think we should leave [Cr Gibson’s] resolution as it is,” he vollied.

But Crs Osborne and Roger Seeney were not going down without a fight.

“The reality is the Government is not going to switch funding to Greens Pool,” Cr Osborne said.

“I will go to my grave to fight [an alternative] southern [bridge] option.”

Cr Seeney said the bridge was required as a second evacuation route, as Denmark had been assessed as having the highest fire risk in Western Australia.

In true underdog style, Cr Allen closed with a partial quote from The Castle and the lawyer of lead character Darryl Kerrigan.

“The vibe of this traffic study is we do need a bridge but we don’t need it now,” he reasoned.

Cr Gibson’s motion was passed seven councillors to one, with only Cr Seeney voting against.