Push to protect wombats in proposed Ginninderry Riverside Parkland

The Ginninderry joint venture’s proposed Riverside Parkland project may threaten a population of healthy wombats if not managed properly, according to a Canberra wildlife group.

The $14 million Riverside Parkland and Pavilion development by the Murrumbidgee River in the Ginninderry Conservation Corridor is expected to join the likes of the National Arboretum and Wildbark at Mulligans Flat as a regional nature and event destination.

In a submission to the project’s recent development application, Wombat Rescue says it is deeply concerned about the proposal because it failed to recognise and plan for the wombat population, which appears to be free of mange, unlike many others in the Territory.

Wombat Rescue says the group was working closely with the Ginninderry Conservation Trust, which will manage the park, to map the population of between 25 to 40 animals and 100 burrows across the site and adjacent riverside.

“The Development Application for Ginninderry’s Riverside Parkland has overlooked the wombat population and the potential impact this development will have on that population during construction and operation of the Parkland facility,” the submission says.

“More concerning, it has also failed to recognise and account for ongoing management, safety and maintenance issues arising from wombat and visitor interaction, particularly in the Murrumbidgee River Corridor.”

Wombat Rescue says the project should not have been given an exemption from an Environmental Impact Statement and planning and proper management are now required to redress this weakness.

“The plans need to adequately address the welfare of this healthy wombat population and properly consider legal responsibility in relation to potential harm to wildlife in what is a declared Conservation Corridor,” it says.

The group is not opposing the development but offering to assess the site and develop an action plan to achieve a workable solution satisfying development goals but taking into account the welfare and safety of the wombat population.

The submission lists a number of recommendations, including that the construction plan and design be reviewed to assess the impact on the wombat population, which will need to be monitored during construction.

It says the parkland and its facilities must be managed in a manner similar to visitor areas within the ACT’s conservation reserve system governed by the Nature Conservation Act 2014, including the adjacent Murrumbidgee River Corridor.

Operating hours should be brought into line with other ACT reserves and should not provide general after-hours access, dogs or other domestic animals should not be allowed and lighting should be limited.

The group wants a burrow management plan developed with regular inspections of the wombat population.

It suggests a Wombat Nature Walk be established to encourage visitors to learn and understand the wombat population and the fight against mange.

Wombat Rescue says the project could be a model for managing wombat and other wildlife populations, given the scale of greenfield development planned for the ACT in coming decades along its river corridors.

“This is the first of many instances where the welfare of wombats will need to be considered and managed throughout the pre-construction, construction, and operational phases.”

President Yolandi Vermaak said it was possible to work with developers to save wombat populations, but no one had done it before.

Ms Vermaak said any ecological assessment only looked at threatened species because that’s what the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act required.

She said Wombat Rescue was working with the government on guidelines for developers to protect wombats but those talks were ongoing.

“The Nature Conservation Act says you can’t interfere with the nest of an animal which includes a burrow so they are technically breaching the law but everyone is turning a blind eye,” she said.

Ms Vermaak believed there was a really good chance in Ginninderry to prevent wombat deaths and lost burrows because there was not any other development nearby and there was enough land to relocate wombats.

She said the group worked closely with the Ginninderry Conservation Trust and knew it did not want wombats harmed.

Trust CEO Dr Jason Cummings said the trust would continue to support Wombat Rescue’s important work in the Murrumbidgee Corridor.

“Alongside many other organisations focused on upholding the flora and fauna integrity of the Ginninderry Conservation Corridor, the Ginninderry Conservation Trust has been working proactively with Wombat Rescue for an extended period on initiatives such as camera monitoring, data sharing and handling training for members of our team,” Mr Cummings said.

“We have also supported the University of Canberra in undertaking innovative research to map wombat burrows in the corridor.”

Dr Cummings said the trust welcomed Wombat Rescue’s submission and its mission of protecting, supporting and rescuing wombats through education, advocacy and in-field services.

“Their comments and ongoing feedback continue to inform our planning and the delivery of visitor infrastructure to support nature and people to coexist.

The Ginninderry joint venture partners are the ACT Government’s Suburban Land Agency and Riverview Developments.