Council hires ‘frogspert’

A ‘FROGSPERT’ has been hired to develop a kidglove treatment for the seemingly omnipresent – but still extremely vulnerable – growling grass frog.
Cardinia Shire Council announced last week it had begun work on a major plan to minimise the impact of development on the habitat and population of the rare and threatened species.
It has appointed ecologist and frog expert Aaron Organ of Ecology Partners to devise a plan to help council planners manage development and planning issues in frogpopulated areas, particularly in the growth corridor.
The plan will:
MAP known and likely frog locations and breeding sites in the urban growth corridor and immediate surrounds;
DETERMINE the frog’s habitat needs;
IDENTIFY what impact urban development may have on frog habitat and population and assess possible threats to frog populations;
DEVISE strategies to help the council and developers protect and enhance frog populations in the area.
The council’s move comes in the wake of a recent Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) report that suggested the Pakenham area supported one of the largest concentrated populations of growling grass frogs in Victoria and possibly Australia.
DSE criticised a shirecommissioned study on the species’ presence around the site of the Pakenham Golf Course, currently the subject of a controversial development proposal involving the council and developers Peet and Co.
In a submission to a recent independent panel hearing, the DSE said insufficient research had been done to establish the extent of the frog population both on the current golf course in Oaktree Drive and around the proposed site of a new golfing facility in McGregor Road.
The Federal Government has also expressed concerns about the potential impact of development on the frog, declaring the golf course proposal a controlled action that must be approved by the Department of Environment and Heritage before any works proceed.
Part of Mr Organ’s work will involve field surveys and estimates of frog numbers to be conducted this spring, when frogs are ‘growling’.
Scheduled for completion early next year, the plan will instruct planners on designing and assessing applications for estates and other developments for their ‘frog friendliness’.
It will advise planners on how frog populations could be linked by ‘frog habitat highways’ to help them survive, and help the council better manage its own wetlands, parks, gardens, roads, and drain design and maintenance.
Mr Organ is regarded as one of the region’s foremost ecologists and frog experts. He also did work for VicRoads on the Pakenham Bypass Environmental Effects Statement.
Mr Organ said the large green and gold growling grass frog was considered nationally vulnerable.
He said it could be found locally in dams, swamps and even waterway developments with suitable fringe and floating vegetation.
“Frogs are an important part of the local ecosystem,” he said.
“As amphibians living on both land and water, they are a powerful indicator of the overall health of our environment.”