Southern Peninsula News 28 September 2021

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NEWS DESK Dredging launched DREDGING is about to start at Rye and Sorrento to make sure boats can safely access ramps and piers. The dredging will deepen the channel at Rye and around Sorrento boat ramp’s southern pier. The six weeks allocated by Mornington Peninsula Shire for the works is aimed at minimising the impact on recreational water sport users, as well as taking account of weather conditions and the migration of the spider crabs. An environmental management plan has been developed to minimise impacts on the environment. Sand dredged at Rye and Sorrento will be used to replenish nearby beaches. The shire says the dredged sand may “have a slight odour due to organic matter” and that its dark grey colour will be bleached by the sun. Details: mornpen.vic.gov.au/dredgesorrentoandrye

The write time LITTLE Stories Big Ideas is a writing competition for secondary school students which aims to encourage them to get off their devices and get creative. The competition is the brainchild of Joe Novella, who saw the need for a platform allowing young people to express their views on the world they live in through their writing. “There’s a lot of ways we reward and recognise our sporty students, and even our maths and science students,” Mr Novella said. “But there are very few ways that students with an interest in creative writing can express themselves and be recognised.” The judge and director of Little Stories Big Ideas is Rebecca Fraser, the inaugural winner of the Mornington Peninsula Mayor’s Short Story Award. Little Stories Big Ideas runs each term and is free to enter. Entries for Term 3 close Friday 1 October. Details: Visit littlestoriesbigideas.com.au or Facebook @littlestoriesbigideascomp

Citizen scientists sought for koala study “KOALAS on the Mornington Peninsula are under threat and in order to protect them we need to understand them.” So says Kelly Smith, from Federation University, who is conducting a genetic study of the Mornington Peninsula koala population. The peninsula forms part of the Gippsland plain bioregion that extends into South Gippsland, including the Strzelecki and Wilsons Promontory bioregions, which contain a remnant koala population of special significance because of its high genetic diversity, Ms Smith said. “Prior to European settlement in the 1800s koalas were interconnected across the entire Gippsland plain, but are now separated by extensive areas of cleared agricultural land. The original peninsula koala population crashed after European settlement, mostly due to the clearing of habitat and koalas being hunted for their fur. “To reintroduce koalas to the peninsula, the animals were brought over from French Island. The current peninsula population is thought to be entirely derived from French Island koalas which have very low genetic diversity. “However, there is evidence to suggest some koalas from the original population may still remain on the peninsula. If so, then it will be important to protect their genetic integrity and to conserve them as an insurance population. Individuals could be used for genetic outbreeding or genetic rescue of populations where genetic diversity is low.” Ms Smith is looking for volunteers to help collect koala scats (“Yes, poo”), especially those who have koalas regularly visiting their property. “By analysing koala scats we can find out information, such as the gender, presence of disease, genetic diversity and ancestral origin of each koala,” she said. “This type of genetic sampling is more ethical because it is not bothering the koala and is very

Counting koalas: Federation University student Kelly Smith wants volunteers to help with a genetic study of koalas on the Mornington Peninsula.

cost effective.” The Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation group is involved in this citizen science project, but more people are needed to find koala scats, particularly in Arthurs Seat State Park, bushland reserves at Mount Martha and Mount Eliza, and agricultural land around Moorooduc, Hastings, Baxter and Pearcedale. “It’s really important to find volunteers who can help with this project because more than 70

Too many workers face this every day It’s never ok

worksafe.vic.gov.au/itsneverok

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Southern Peninsula News

29 September 2021

per cent of koala habitat is on private property [which] is difficult to access without permission,” Ms Smith said. Residents with koalas on their properties or those who regularly see koalas when bushwalking and who would like to be a part of this project can contact Ms Smith on 0432 530 443 or Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation on mpkoalatreeplanting@outlook.com for details and a collection kit. Stephen Taylor


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Southern Peninsula News 28 September 2021 by Mornington Peninsula News Group - Issuu