By Ann Marie Angebrandt
WHERE have all the native grasslands gone?
That’s the question Victorians could be asking themselves in the near future unless they are protected, say local environmentalists.
The Friends of Laverton Grasslands group hopes about one-third of the rare grasses at the edge of the Laverton airbase are set aside before the Cedar Woods residential and commercial development begins. The estate is expected to be built over the next 15 years with plans for up to 6500 residents and nearly 200,000 square metres of shopping and office space.
Developers have set aside 55 hectares of the 220-hectare site for grasslands and wetlands – or about 25 per cent – but environmentalists are hoping for more.
“Only a tiny percentage of this magnificent habitat remains in Victoria. It has a diverse array of wildlife including bandicoots, hopping mice and striped legless lizards,” said Frances Overmars, of the Werribee Waterways management Committee.
The Ministers for Planning and Environment are expected to make a decision on the proposal soon.
“We’re not opposed to development on this large site, but it must not be allowed to threaten this important grasslands habitat,” said environmentalist Brenda Cashin.
