NEWS DESK
Landslip closes car park THE ocean car park at the end of King Street, Flinders has been closed due to a landslide. Part of the bitumen covered parking area collapsed after heavy rain on 9 October and Parks Victoria has hired geotechnical experts to assess the situation. Kris Rowe, chief ranger for the southern peninsula, said the collapse posed a “significant risk to the public” and the car park would be closed “until further notice”. “We are conscious of the value of this car park to the local community and will keep people updated as we determine the appropriate next steps,” Mr Rowe said. He said an alternate access to the west end of Flinders ocean was at the Mushroom Reef car park which could be reached through the golf links road. Parks Victoria says the damaged car park is on top of a steep escarpment that is susceptible to landslips and subsidence. It said more rain since the collapse had “additionally destabilised the area”. The geotechnical assessment would help determine the cause of the collapse and provide recommendations for a long-term solution. Keith Platt
A map of the Somers revegetation area: Properties within the yellow marked areas will receive free koala food trees, native plants, ecologist advice, equipment, volunteers on the day of planting and ongoing support. Image: Supplied
‘Corridor’ to lead the way for koalas SOMERS residents are being asked to plant trees to help koalas thrive on the Mornington Peninsula. They will join Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation group and Mornington Peninsula Shire in growing a corridor of trees so koalas can move safely around Somers and beyond. The project will provide more food trees for koalas (manna gum, swamp gum and narrowleaf peppermint), increase canopy cover for protection from the weather, increase habitats to support breeding populations, and improve ground cover to keep koalas safe from predators as they move between trees. Somers residents who own properties identified as part of the safe corridor have been asked to plant koala food trees and provenance plants. Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation president Dirk Jansen said over the past 30 years
there had been a major decline in native animal species on the peninsula due to habitat loss, invasive flora and predation by foxes and cats. He said most native vegetation was found on private land, which made up 75 per cent of the peninsula. “Incremental clearing of remnant native vegetation due to development and land use has caused isolation of faunal populations,” he said. “Landscape fragmentation, the lack of tree cover and habitat corridors are of most concern.” The biolink project aims to provide koala habitat linking Coolart Wetlands to the west, Koala Reserve to the south and HMAS Cerberus to the east, adding to the wildlife corridor from Somers to Red Hill. Details: mpkoalas.org.au/projects/somerskoala-habitat-project-2021/
Western Port News
4 November 2020
PAGE 3