TASMANIAN WILDLIFE rangers believe no breeding platypus burrows were damaged on Deloraine’s riverbank when Meander Valley Council axed and burnt five willows there in November.

Deloraine wildlife photographer Joy Kachina asked two DPIPWE rangers and a biologist to check the location after an excavator repeatedly ran over the burrows area and the large willow wood burn off heated the riverbank over the burrows.

‘They waded into the river to check whether the burrows were collapsed.

‘The platypus is a protected species but they said they felt there wasn’t a case to fine the council’, Ms Kachina said.

‘They told me there was a lack of due diligence by the council and said they would speak to them because it had not been done correctly.

‘I’m hoping this will not happen again. The council needs to take guidance from those with more knowledge in these situations.’

Council manager John Jordan has batted off protests from some Deloraine residents concerned about the trees, platypus habitat and the effect on the riverbank’s visual aesthetics.

Initially, resident Ken Philpott said he reported to the council one broken willow that was a safety risk.

That ballooned into council works director Matthew Millwood instructing contractor Woodland Management to cut down and burn five willows on the eastern bank of the Meander River.

In a letter to Ms Kachina, Mr Jordan would not countenance a lack of planning by the council and implied the decision to remove the willows was a forced choice of public safety over the willows and the platypuses.

‘I am satisfied that protection of natural values at the site remained at the front of mind of the officers assessing the fallen willow hazard’, he wrote.

‘The work was ultimately arranged with all due regard to each of the important (but competing) issues around environmental protection, public safety and workers’ health and safety. Given the location and use of the site as an open space, council’s view is that public safety was the primary concern.’

Mr Jordan implied that Ms Kachina was wrong in her assertion that four of the trees were healthy and did not need removal.

‘When classic signs of decay became apparent in a small stand of willows adjacent to the fallen tree a decision had to be made’, he wrote.

‘Whether all trees were at the same stage of decay is not a relevant consideration for this purpose. Upon inspection the useful life of the four standing trees was assessed as short, and risk of failure high.’

However Deloraine residents are concerned about what remains on the riverbank – tree stumps and raked dirt.

In a letter to Ms Kachina, wildlife ranger Matt Byrne from DPIPWE’s investigations and enforcement section emphasised the stumps must stay.

‘The immediate concern was whether there were potentially any plans afoot to remove or disturb the remaining stumps (that essentially provide a structural safe haven for the burrows) but we have since confirmed that there are no immediate risks associated with this and have advised, of course, that legislation dictates that the presence of bur- rows must be factored into any future planning.

‘There is further work to be done in the above space.’

Ms Kachina said the overhanging willows were habitat for platypuses, giving coverage for an animal needing to feed many hours a day.

‘There is a need to reesta lish some sort of habitat otherwise the platypuses will go elsewhere’, she said. ‘But there seem to be no plans to do anything further. I emailed a number of councillors but none replied.’

Since June 2019, Deloraine citizen scientist Ann Gilles has logged 1100 scans of platypus locations on the Meander River in Deloraine for the Australian Platypus Conservancy.

She is among residents dismayed at the destruction of the willows.

‘We know platypus numbers are declining and I am contributing to data so we can follow their progress’, she said.

‘Revegetation is a way to preserve the riverbank. There is quite a bit of erosion. How can we have the best of all worlds – trees and wildlife?’

Readers interested in the platypus can see videos made by citizen scientist Pete Walsh at the Hobart Rivulet Platypus Facebook site.