By JESSE GRAHAM
A GOVERNMENT action plan has been put forward to help push the Leadbeater’s Possum away from extinction, with strategies outlined to protect the critically-endangered animal.
But the report has already received criticism from environment groups for ignoring scientific advice that called for ending logging in the central highlands.
The Leadbeater’s Possum Action Plan was released by the Federal Government’s Environment Department on Monday, 31 August.
Threatened Species Commissioner, Gregory Andrews put together the report, which maps out steps in the coming year, following July’s Threatened Species Summit.
In one month, the report said a “revitalised” recovery team would work on a new recovery plan for the animal starting by 30 September, while in three months, a GPS tracking study would begin, monitoring the animal’s habitat use in regrown forests and older areas.
Another study will trial ways to increase tree hollow availability and understorey habitat for the animals – both will be run through the National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Threatened Species Recovery Hub.
In one year, the report said a new recovery plan would be completed “and driving action to turn around decline” of the animal’s numbers.
While Friends of Leadbeater’s Possum member, Steve Meacher, praised the plan for positive measures, such as re-booting the recovery team, he said it had not addressed the advice in April’s Threatened Species Scientific Committee report, released by the government, which recommended ceasing logging around the central highlands to protect the possum.
The action plan notes that three 20 Million Trees projects are being undertaken to plant more than 790,000 trees to improve Leadbeater’s Possum habitat and to support released captive-bred possums, should their breeding program succeed.
Mr Meacher said that, while this was also a positive measure, the tree planting would help possums in Yellingbo, not in Toolangi, the area of contention for environmental groups and the timber industry.
Victorian Environment Minister, Lisa Neville, announced an “Industry Taskforce” following the up-listing of the possum in April, which would bring together representatives from scientific, government, and industry groups to reach a “common ground” on the matter.
The Mail contacted the Federal Environment Department and VicForests with questions about the report and commentary on the animal’s future.
A VicForests spokesperson referred the Mail to the government for questions about the taskforce.
In a statement, a VicForests spokesperson said the organisation had made “significant” progress to protect current possum colonies and to create new hollows for potential habitat.
“Harvesting has been delayed in almost 15,000 hectares to allow surveys to identify and protect additional nesting sites to take place,” they wrote.
The spokesperson added that VicForests had introduced retention harvesting to protect potential habitat trees, which they described as “the biggest ever change” to the organisation’s practices.
The Environment Department, meanwhile, did not respond by deadline.
To view the action plan, or the Threatened Species Scientific Committee report, visit environment.gov.au.
