By Violet Li
Casey Council has endorsed a planning permit amendment to rezone approximately four hectares of endangered-bandicoot habitat for housing near Cranbourne’s botanic gardens, while separate housing approval from the Federal Environment Minister remains up in the air.
At its 19 March meeting, the council endorsed the request by Brown Property Group to rezone the company’s land at 40-46 Cyril Beechey Lane from the Farming Zone to the General Residential Zone.
The 3.902-hectare block is covered with dense vegetation regrowth, located north-west of Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne.
The council stated that the land was part of an established urban residential area and could be efficiently serviced.
“The development of the land will fulfill a need for more housing stock within metropolitan Melbourne, reduce bushfire risk, and can complement the character of the area,” it stated in the officers’ report.
However, the council also pointed out several planning considerations, including the potential habitat loss of the Southern Brown Bandicoot, a species formally listed as endangered.
According to an ecology report by consultancy Ecology and Heritage Partners, the species was detected on 17 occasions during 17 surveyed nights.
It found that residential developments would “impact any bandicoot population given the high-quality nature of the habitat, and the frequent use by the existing bandicoot population“, resulting in “fragmentation of any existing populations in the local area“.
A referral has been made to the Federal Environment Minister to decide upon a proposed action for developing housing on the land, which would necessitate the clearing of 3.143 hectares of the bandicoot habitat.
A Department of Environment spokesperson said the minister was due to decide on whether this proposed project could go ahead under national environment law on 2 April.
The property group has proposed an offset to alleviate the impact on bandicoots, which would be to “retain a 30-metre-wide vegetated biodiversity corridor located on the eastern boundary of the land as an extension to the adjoining Grandeur Court Reserve to the north for the bandicoot habitat and to create a north-south corridor to facilitate dispersal of the species“.
Accordingly, the developer has sought to rezone parts of the land in the Grandeur Court from the General Residential Zone to the Public Conservation and Resource Zone, which Casey Council also green-lit at the latest meeting.
Southern Brown Bandicoot outreach officer Eilish Roberts, from the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne, said this might be the most important population of Southern Brown Bandicoots remaining in the world.
“Southern Brown Bandicoots are not just cute critters; they are incredible ecosystem engineers. One Southern Brown Bandicoot turns over nearly four metric tons of soil in a year, which helps to circulate nutrients, aerate the soil, improve water penetration, and more. Not only that, Southern Brown Bandicoots spread important fungal spores in their droppings which help plants to absorb key nutrients,” she said.
“Southern Brown Bandicoots are under constant threat from foxes and cats and are in desperate need of dense vegetation to give them a chance at survival.
“It is recommended that habitat corridors be around 80 metres wide to help them move safely throughout the suburbs.”
City of Casey’s manager growth and investment Kathryn Seirlis said the federally protected marsupial was known to occupy the area, and preservation of this species was taken seriously with conservation requirements in place.
She explained that separate approval from the Federal Environment Minister was in the process of being obtained.
“Endorsement of this planning scheme amendment is the first step of a statutory process to amend the Casey Planning Scheme, which if approved, will trigger the requirement for a Development Plan and planning permit to be applied for and approved to develop the land,” she said.
“This could not be granted without the necessary federal approvals in place.”
Casey Council will request the Planning Minister to authorise the preparation and exhibition of the amendment.
Community engagement will commence at the public exhibition of the amendment.
