MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire and Frankston councils have called on state government authorities to guarantee that bushland bulldozed to make way for the Peninsula Link freeway will be replaced.
The councils, which both held separate special meetings on the issue on Monday, voted unanimously to adopt strongly worded motions asking the government's Linking Melbourne Authority (LMA) and Department of Sustainability and Environment to identify vegetation offsets – where cleared land is replaced or offset by land of similar quality – before further clearing happens.
The councils' actions were triggered by widespread community concern over bulldozing of bush that started in late May.
Contractors working for freeway builder Abigroup, on behalf of the LMA, cleared bush between Skye and Robinsons roads, angering scientists, a state MP and local government councillors as well as some environmentalists who claimed the clearing had killed or displaced native wildlife.
Frankston councillor Brad Hill hailed "people power" as the force behind the united stance taken by his council.
Cr Hill said he was expecting a tight vote after several councillors indicated they would vote against his motion as they feared it would hold up the project or antagonise authorities.
Many in the packed public gallery made verbal submissions during the meeting and the vote went through unanimously without debate from councillors.
"The real heroes were the people who came along, made a verbal submission or emailed or rang councillors during the day," Cr Hill said.
"I thought it was a real win for people power and it shows the community can be heard and have an influence."
While supporting the bypass, Cr Hill said it was crucial for LMA to reveal the extent and location of the offsets to ensure there was a net gain of bushland.
"We want vegetation offsets to be in Frankston, not out the back of Orbost."
As well as pushing for offsets in their shire, Mornington Peninsula councillors want the LMA to work closely with them to ensure landscaping along the freeway does not affect scenic views.
If LMA cannot provide equivalent offsets within the shire, councillors want it to provide tens of thousands of dollars to help the council enhance biodiversity on public lands elsewhere in the shire. The request from the two councils follows recent criticism by environmentalists of EastLink tollway vegetation offsets not being in place two years after its opening and double dipping occurring – meaning land taken up as an offset had already been set aside for another unrelated purpose.
UNLIKELY RESCUERS
GREENIES and freeway builders joined forces to save native plants at the heritage-listed Westerfield property in Frankston South on Saturday.
The unusual alliance digging up plants before bulldozers arrive next month included Westerfield owners Simon and Joyce Welsh; Clive Whitewick, Donna Mongan and Chantelle Gruar of Abigroup; Erin Coldham of LMA; environmentalists Marie-Claire Van Besouw and Alison Kuiter; animal rescuer Craig Thomson; Frankston Council biodiversity co-ordinator Craig Hinton and three rangers; and Nick Halley of Friends of the Pines Reserve, a section of which is also slated to be bulldozed.
The group dug up sedges, rare orchids, lilies, small ground cover and grass trees. They will be replanted at Westerfield, Robinsons Park and sites yet to be determined. The joint operation was a far cry from the way Willow Reserve was treated by the road-builders and a positive sign for future clearing as the $760 million freeway carves out 26 kilometres between Carrum Downs and Mt Martha.
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