By ANEEKA SIMONIS
A WELL-LOVED Pakenham icon will soon be turfed from her home to make way for a planned recreational development.
Muffie Minipony and her newly rescued friends Lucky and Hope, who is heavily pregnant, will be forced to find a new home when they are evicted from their current grassy patch along Toomuc Valley Road in Pakenham.
Dean Cowan, who cares for the miniature ponies, said his pastoral grazing license was due to end in September.
“Muffie has her own stable… I just finished it off. Now I have to try find another parcel of land to lease and rebuild my stables for the ponies,” Dean said.
“We think Hope is between six to seven months pregnant. She’s a timid girl… six weeks ago was the first time she had been touched in years.
“She will soon have a foal and she will want to protect her foal from other ponies.”
Muffie Minipony was rescued under similar circumstances by Dean more than 12 months ago.
The miniature pony was severely ill, overweight and frightened of humans but she, like Lucky and Hope, have been nursed back to good health with Dean’s care on the tailored grassy patch.
But their future is up in the air now as they have been given notice to leave in four months’ time.
Cardinia Shire Council, together with Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) then referred to as the Department of Primary Industries, agreed to rejuvenate the land as part of the Toomuc Creek Bushland Development.
DELWP spokeswoman Sally Bateman said the agreement, made in 2014, would create a communal, recreational space for everyone.
“The land will become public open space for the use of the local community and includes plans to conserve and revegetate areas along Toomuc Creek, and install a bike path in the long term,” Ms Bateman said.
As a result of the soon-to-begin development, the management of the land will change and those holding a grazing license such as Dean Cowan will be asked to move on.
“DELWP notified the current grazing licence holder in October 2014 of this change and he will be able to see out the duration of his licence until it ends in September this year,” Ms Bateman said.
Dean said he worked hard to turn his Toomuc Creek lease area into a suitable spot for the rescue ponies and looking for another similar spot would be a challenge.
“We have trees here that act as a wind break for the ponies, proper stables and fencing,” he said.
Cardinia Shire Council chose not to comment on the issue as the land in question is still state owned and managed.
The council will take responsibility for the land once it begins development.
Dean is on the look-out for a new one-acre space to re-house his rescue ponies.
“We have to relocate our little family… to where we are still unsure but we are looking high and low for a new home,” he said.
Offers can be directed through his Facebook page.
