A “possum bridge” is the next step in one of Mandurah’s longest-running environmental group’s attempts to protect vulnerable flora and fauna.
The Bouvard Coastcare Group has received approval to expand their Western Ringtail Possum Rehabilitation Program in the Peels Retreat Development, which has seen urban development abutting multiple nature reserves.
The group is planning to install a “possum bridge” linking Gumnut reserve, located in the centre of the development, to natural corridors which allow animals to travel in and out of the area.
Bouvard Coastcare Organisers said road accidents have severely impacted the population of the now-critically endangered marsupial.
“It’s only in the initial stages at the moment Bouvard Coastcare chairperson Mel Horton said.
“One of the first things we had to do was get community agreement, and that we pretty much got.”
So far, there are few houses completed in Peels Retreat, but as the development continues Ms Horton said it would become more and more important to ensure possums and other animals are able to move around without a needlessly high risk of being hit by cars.
So far, everyone has agreed.
“I had about 40 leaflets printed - there’s about 30 or 40 houses now in the immediate vicinity of the reserve,” Ms Horton said.
“Everyone was on board. We haven’t had a single dissenter to what we’re trying to do. We’re really pleased with how much everyone wants to support the project.”
The bridge will extend across what is expected to be wooden poles on each side of Jinatong Trail – the bridge itself will simply be rope mesh stretched across the road.
“There’s possum bridges in Busselton at the moment, they’ve been a great success,” Ms Horton said.
“That’s what they’ll be based off of.”
The Bouvard Coastcare Group, which has existed now for about 20 years, has long fought for the protection of endangered native animals in the area.
They said while development was unavoidable with a growing population, ensuring there was a knowledge of the proximity of endangered animals to new developments has become a priority.
“The increase of the population in this particular area – because this abuts what is basically a national park – the pressure on the populations of native animals is very, very high,” Coastcare Group secretary Ron Glasson said.
“It’s not just a matter of the developments going in, though – a lot of the potential damage, it can be mitigated by just getting people informed.”
Mr Glasson said the ongoing issue of unlicensed vehicles, such as dirt bikes, being used in bushland was something they are trying to prevent.
“We don’t necessarily have an issue with kids doing this kind of thing, obviously this is a place where those kinds of activities have been happening for a long time,” Mr Glasson said.
“But what people don’t understand is the damage they can do. Dunes do get damaged, yes, but it’s the spreading of diseases like Phytophthora that’s the real problem.”
Despite the multiple issues face by environmental groups like Bouvard Coastcare, the level of support they have received both from the community and organisations has thankfully increased.
“The City of Mandurah, for one, has been excellent in backing us,” Ms Horton said.
“There is a strong, direct line of communication between the environmental and planning departments. That’s really important because it means things are approved more quickly.”
Ms Horton said the group was also planning to begin educating in schools by the end of the year.
“Clearly educating people in the area of the natural environment around them is key,” she said.
“Just having kids, and adults as well, identify with these animals – say, ‘Oh, that’s a possum, they live near me’ – it makes a huge difference.”
The full details of Bouvard Coastcare Group’s Possum Bridge Program can be found at bouvardcoastcare.org.au/possum.htm.
