Friends of Grasslands

supporting native grassy ecosystems

PO Box 440
Jamison Centre
Macquarie ACT 2614

email: advocacy@fog.org.au
web: www.fog.org.au

Referrals Gateway
Environment Assessment Branch
Department of the Environment
GPO Box 787
Canberra ACT 2601
email: epbc.referrals@environment.gov.au

 

Dear Sir/Madam

Woodbury Ridge Estate, Sutton

Referral no: 2021/8965

Friends of Grasslands (FOG) is a community group dedicated to the conservation of natural temperate grassy ecosystems in south-eastern Australia. FOG advocates, educates and advises on matters to do with the conservation of grassy ecosystems, and carries out surveys and other on-ground work. FOG is based in Canberra and its members include professional scientists, landowners, land managers and interested members of the public.

In responding to this referral, FOG notes that there will be mitigation of the impacts of the development on box-gum woodland, golden sun moth habitat and superb parrot breeding habitat via four stewardship blocks, plus a combination of a Section 88b instrument and specific environmental protection by-laws to be written as part of the proposed Woodbury Ridge Community Management Statement.

With regard to the Biodiversity Management Plan (BMP) to be included in the by-laws for all other than the four stewardship blocks, we strongly support the proposed mandatory measures (such as targeted weed control, feral animal control, protection of native vegetation and threatened species habitat) and the mandatory controls (such as restrictions on the location and species of plant that may be planted, and cat containment). Our concern is whether these will be maintained and enforced over time or whether there will be a gradual deterioration in the biodiversity values of these blocks over time. How will these biodiversity values be monitored and what will happen if they deteriorate? If there is no clear mechanism for determining this, the end result will be a larger impact than stated in the referral leading to a net loss of MNES over time.

Yours sincerely

 

Naarilla Hirsch
Advocacy coordinator

28 June 2021