Habitat croaks it

By Melissa Grant
A GROWLING grass frog habitat in Heritage Springs was partly destroyed this week before authorities had successfully relocated the endangered species.
Cardinia Shire mayor Bill Ronald says he was delighted to find the frogs on a dam at the rear of his property on Tuesday but was soon fuming when the wetland was “trashed” by excavators working in the estate.
But officials from Parklea, the Heritage Springs estate developer, say the work was scheduled long before Christmas and that contractors stopped work when alerted to the growling grass frog habitat.
Cr Ronald said he and wife Gillian discovered the frogs on Tuesday and called council conservation officers to come and photograph and log the species.
But before long they were confronted with excavators and tip trucks threatening to tear apart the habitat, Cr Ronald said.
“After we’d taken photographs and logged the frogs… one of the excavators working about 500 metres away was given instructions to come clean the dam out.”
Cr Ronald said the excavators stopped when Mrs Ronald positioned herself in between the dam and an excavator.
“Fortunately, we prevented the excavation firm from completely demolishing it,” he said.
Cr Ronald said it wasn’t a coincidence that the dam wall was excavated on the same day he discovered the endangered species.
“The developer found out about it and sent an excavator to trash the wetland,” he said.
But Parklea project manager Malcolm Semmens said his company did all it could to help:
“This work was programmed well before Christmas,” he said.
“It was brought to our attention that there were frogs. As soon as we were told about it we stopped work and assisted with the recovery of the frogs.”
Parklea managing director Andrew Facey said Cr Ronald should have done more to alert the developer to the situation.
“If he knew that there was a problem there why didn’t he bring it to our attention?”
Cr Ronald said 15 growling grass frogs were captured from the habitat but more could have been saved.
“The thing that disappoints me is the brazen destruction of the growling grass frog habitat prior to their relocation,” he said.
“The worst case scenario was that the developer would have to employ a consultant to relocate the frogs.”
VicRoads have previously spent $250,000 to protect growling grass frogs threatened by the construction of the Pakenham Bypass.