Local populations of the Southern Brown Bandicoot have access to new safe and comfortable hiding places, thanks to an initiative by the Major Road Projects Victoria (MRPV).
The Healesville-Kooweerup Road Upgrade project area is home to a number of endangered native species, including the nationally significant Southern Brown Bandicoot and Growling Grass Frog.
In an effort to protect native wildlife and minimise its impact on significant trees and vegetation, crews working on the upgrade are transforming logs accumulated during the project into safe hiding spots for the Southern Brown Bandicoot.
Under a partnership with DM Ecological to reuse logs accumulated during the project, MRPV crews are working to carve small hollow passages into logs.
The hollowed logs are then placed around underground culverts and fauna crossings already built in the project area, with entry and exit points that are suitable for bandicoots, but too small for foxes.
Logs that are not suitable for hollowing will be relocated to nearby frog ponds to create additional sanctuary for the Growling Grass Frog.
MRPV director Marc Peterson said the project is committed to protecting the native environment.
“We share the value the community places on the environment and that’s why we’re doing all we can to protect native wildlife and vegetation as we get on with the Healesville-Kooweerup Road Upgrade,” he said.
“The Healesville-Kooweerup Upgrade is home to some amazing wildlife species that we’re committed to protecting – the project’s reuse of timber logs to provide safe sanctuary for the Southern Brown Bandicoot and Growling Grass Frog are a great example of that commitment.”
In earlier initiatives to protect local wildlife, the project has established no-go environmental zones – protecting key habitats during construction – established frog ponds, partnered with local men’s shed groups to build 40 special bandicoot shelters that provide refuge from larger animals such as foxes and feral cats, built more than 40 box culverts and fauna crossings, worked with local beekeepers to safely relocate beehives away from locations that would be impacted by construction activity and built temporary shelters for a range of bat species.
The Healesville-Kooweerup Upgrade is adding an extra lane in each direction, upgrading intersections and installing safety barriers between Princes Freeway and Manks Road.
Once complete, the Healesville-Kooweerup Road Upgrade will deliver significantly safer driving conditions and lower the risk and severity of crashes.
It will also improve traffic flow and travel times, provide an upgraded alternative north-south route in the Pakenham South area, introduce a new link to the southeast walking and cycling network and create local jobs and supply opportunities for local businesses.
The Healesville-Kooweerup Road Upgrade is expected to be complete by 2025.
