Members of the Conservation Council ACT region, Friends of Bluetts Block, and ACT Greens are calling for the wildlife corridor near Denman Prospect to become a nature reserve. Photo: Supplied.
The campaign to preserve Blewitt’s Block (also referred to as Bluetts Block) has stepped up a notch, with advocates using National Threatened Species Day to draw attention to their petition to have the ACT Government turn the site into a nature reserve.
Members of the Conservation Council ACT and Friends of Bluetts Block gathered outside the Legislative Assembly on National Threatened Species Day (7 September) to make their wishes known.
Friends of Bluetts Block president Dr Alice Wells said it was time for local politicians to stand with the community on this issue.
“Bluetts Block is an obvious point of connectivity between the woodlands and grasslands of Kama Nature Reserve and the Molonglo River Corridor and the equivalent ecosystems of Stoney Creek Nature Reserve,” she said.
“Protection of Bluetts Block will add a buffer to the adjacent heritage-listed geological sites. These outcrops are relics of when the whole area was part of a shallow sea and contain many coral, shell and other fossils.”
The area extends across Stromlo Blocks 402 and 403, along with Denman Prospect Block 12.
A mystery person erected a sign calling the area a nature reserve last year, but it just as quickly disappeared.
The area is home to more than 100 species of plants and supports more than 130 types of birds, including the endangered Gang-gang cockatoo and vulnerable Superb Parrot.
It also has a patch of Box-Gum Woodland that supports rare populations of small marsupials, such as the Slender-tailed Dunnart and Yellow-footed Antechinus.
A petition has been launched to protect the block of land in Canberra’s north. Photo: Supplied.
Dr Wells said these were all reasons why the area should be protected, as well as its value as a wildlife corridor.
“Preservation of Bluetts Block is especially important because urban development of Molonglo has razed the ground of vegetation between Duffy/Holder and Denman Prospect shopping centre, thus severely limiting the chances for wildlife to move through the environment,” she said.
“Bluetts is important for its intrinsic naturalness and for the future enjoyment of our children and grandchildren.”
The petition also calls on the government to ensure no further urban development takes place in Denman Prospect Block 12 until a “full ecological assessment” of the area’s values has been completed.
Several ACT Greens MLAs were also at the campaign event to show their support.
This included Environment Minister Rebecca Vassarotti, who had spent her morning catching up on the koala breeding program at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve.
Two new joeys have recently been born at the facility, which she said showed how taking action could result in positive outcomes.
“Even losing one of our threatened species does signal we are having potential ecological collapse,” Ms Vassarotti said.
“Without action, we could see some of our beloved icons slip into extinction … [but] with action, we can change this story.”
Two new koala joeys have been born as part of the breeding program at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve. Photo: Supplied.
Consultation on the Draft Native Species Conservation Plan for the Koala closed earlier this year, with many Canberrans expressing their desire to see wild populations of the marsupial established and preserved in the ACT.
“A listening report detailing the feedback on the plan, as well as next steps on how the plan will be finalised and implemented, will be released in the coming months,” Ms Vassarotti said.
“The ACT Government is committed to helping native species thrive across the Territory. We have numerous programs in place to help conserve and protect a range of species, from the Murray Cod in our lakes, through to Superb Parrots nesting in mature native trees and the Northern Corroboree Frogs exploring our unique wetlands.”
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