Council accused of damaging platypus burrows in willows axing
Meander Valley Council subcontractors have been accused of destroying breeding platypus burrows on the Meander River and removing healthy willow trees, causing distress to local residents. Photos by Joy Kachina
Council accused of damaging platypus habitat on riverbank
by Sharon Webb
MEANDER VALLEY mayor Wayne Johnston has defended the council’s felling of five wil- low trees on the riverbank in Deloraine saying they were a risk to public safety.
He said strong winds had blown a tree on the northern side of the Meander River into the water, risking public safety.
‘As a result, the other trees were inspected and found to be cracked or rotten.’
But Deloraine landscape and wildlife photographer Joy Kachina has accused the council and contractor, Woodland Management Excavation, of vandalising four healthy trees and probably caving in two burrows of breeding platypus within the riverbank.
‘I think neither burrow would have survived being constantly run over by the excavator’, she said.
‘They would have collapsed on the inside.’
Another Deloraine resident Anne Gilles, a citizen scientist with the Australian Platypus Conservancy, said she was distressed by the destruction.
Councillor Johnston and the council’s director of works, Matthew Millwood, said they knew about platypus burrows in the area before commencing the tree felling.
Asked on the day whether he had known the platypuses were there, Woodland Management’s excavator driver said, ‘Yeah, we were here yesterday with the platypuses.’
In a letter to Ms Kachina, Mr Millwood maintained, ‘I confirm the council properly assessed and discussed this aspect with the contractor and appropriate controls were agreed to minimise or eliminate any impact. All agreed controls were achieved.’
But Ms Kachina said her interactions with the excavator driver and Mr Millwood led her to believe they hadn’t known about the platypuses and had not considered their presence when planning the work.
Mr Millwood wrote, ‘Council takes its responsibilities to both the environment and public safety very seriously.’
Mr Millwood advised Ms Kachina to make a Right to Information submission if she wanted more information from the council on the operation.
Two Woodland Management employees burned the willows on site, billowing smoke over adjacent homes. After recent rain, a 30m stretch of the river bank was a mush of mud and charcoal.
Biologist and director of the Australian Platypus Conservancy, Geoff Williams, said, ‘At the right time of year willow removal would have had minimal impact on the platypuses. But right now there are nursery burrows.’
Mr Williams will visit Tasmania in February and hopes to meet representatives of Meander Valley and other councils to discuss riparian zones.
‘This is an unfortunate incident. All we can hope is that we can convince councils to adopt better procedures in the future’, he said.
Deloraine is well known for its attractive, well used river bank. Many tourists visit in the hope of seeing a platypus in the Meander, especially after recent predictions that the monotreme is headed for the endangered list.
Deloraine’s Empire Hotel owner Mark Flanagan conducts platypus walks along the riverbank for people staying there.
Mrs Kachina, who photographs and videos Meander River platypuses regularly, is concerned about the platypuses and riverbank erosion where the willows were removed.
‘There are breeding pairs of platypus there. I’ve seen them and their babies over the past two years.
‘The council hasn’t considered the fact that the willows were holding the riverbank together.
‘Now it will erode.
‘They need a regeneration program using native plants to repair the damage they’ve done.’
After the willows were removed from the riverbank, the remaining tree debris was burned on site. The entrance to a platypus burrow was immediately below the tree stump at the water’s edge. Photo by Joy Kachina
Letter to the editor
THE LOCALS know me as the platypus photographer.
I am always down by the river early in the morning in Deloraine to experience the beauty of the Meander River and the local platypus community. This morning I was confronted with a scene of devastation and environmental destruction.
Not only were five iconic willow trees being felled, they had a huge excavator brought in to deal with the carnage.
It ploughed over the entire area with no regard for the two platypus burrows that are situated directly underneath the work site.
I approached the workmen and asked them to stop and they told me that the trees were all rotten and had to come down. I could clearly see with my own eyes that this was not the case and only one out of the five trees being removed was in fact rotten.
I implored them to stop but was asked to leave.
At this stage there was only one willow left and they were about to cut it down. I could see from the remains of the other trees that were felled that they were healthy and no rot was apparent.
Again, I asked them to stop and they ignored me.
I explained that the willow trees and the health of the platypus were not being considered and again I was asked to leave.
I took images with my phone of the healthy timber that was now strewn all over the ground. It was obvious to anyone that was present that only one tree was rotten and the other four were sound.
I then proceeded to take images with my DSLR camera that proves that the trees were indeed sound. There was absolutely no rot present.
I have since received a call from council to say that each tree was checked and found to be rotten. The council employee said he went down this morning at 10am and could see each tree and the state of the timber. I was there from 8am to 9.15am and the machine had moved all the timber into a huge pile. How he could then say he was able to discern which tree was which is beyond me. Look at the stumps. Thewere all sound except the one that came down last week that was obviously rotten.
As far as the platypus were concerned, there was no prior consideration given whatsoever as to the locations of the burrows and the impact the work had on their wellbeing.
Prior to this work commencing, an authority on the location of platypus burrows should have been consulted.
I am deeply upset about what has transpired here and feel it important to share with our community the utter disregard for proper environmental consultation.
Who is in charge of the management of the biodiversity of our beautiful river systems here in Tasmania and why has this been allowed to happen under the guise of a public safety matter?
Joy Kachina, Deloraine
