By NOEL MURPHY
A $4 BILLION township planned for Moolap faces its first serious obstacle as environmentalists target the former saltworks site for a wetlands conservation reserve to protect migratory birds.
Geelong Environment Council (GEC) and Queenscliff Environment Forum want legislative safeguards for 18 wetlands across the Bellarine Peninsula, including the Cheetham salt fields and Point Henry.
They have called on Environment Minister and Bellarine MP Lisa Neville to order Victorian Environment Assessment Council (VEAC) draft protections for the sites.
Tens of thousands of migratory and resident waterbirds thrive on the wetlands, some species travelling from as far as Siberia.
“Threats such as population growth and development, new infrastructure, effects of climate change and pollution from run-off into the wetlands could cause irreversible damage to their habit,” GEC president Joan Lindros said.
The environmental plan challenged Ridley Corporation’s proposed Nelson Cove, with 5000 homes, especially where it involves 290 hectares of Crown land, she said.
“There’s a lot of fighting to go on there, a lot of water to go under the bridge.
“Records show thousands of birds in the Cheetham area. It’s a really important area, they’ve come such a long distance and need to fatten up quickly.
“They need to be able to move across the peninsula to the different wetlands. They also go across to Avalon, Point Lillias, and move around according to tides weather food supply.
“We really have one of the very important wetlands areas here.”
Focussing only Crown land, the reserves plan targets also include Balyang, Jerringot, Point Richards, Edwards Point, Sand Island, Lakers Cutting, Lake Victoria, Begola, Reedy Lake, Lake Connewarre, Lake Murtnagurt, Breamlea, Karaaf, Blue Water and Lake Lorne wetlands.
A Ridley spokesman said the group would work to meet all demands.
He suggested the proposed VEAC study could help inform Ridley’s own planning.
“We don’t really offer comment on what Gerelong Environmental Council is proposing – it’s really a matter for the minister.
“In terms of the bay end of site, there are fairly detailed planning and environmental processes and the proper process will be run.“
Many of the migratory species across the peninsula are already protected under four international agreements.
The GEC-QEF proposal said VEAC should identify biological and ecological values of the wetlands, educate the public on their international significance and recommend management arrangements.
Bellarine wetland birds include rare, endangered, threatened and critically endangered species such as the orange-bellied parrot.
More than 45 threatened species include the 30g red-necked stint, sandpipers, curlews, knots and snipes.
A large number of resident shorebirds include the endangered hooded plover, dotterel, banded stilt and pied oystercatcher.
