Pyrmont residents are scared that a development at Jackson’s Landing will spell certain doom for native wildlife living on the site.
An area of bushland is to be cleared from the western edge of 1 Distillery Drive in Pyrmont by developer Vivas Lend Lease to stabilise the slope before construction can commence.
Dr John Broadbent, a retired environmental consultant who has recently carried out an ecological survey of Pyrmont, could not access the site, but said that he believes it could be home to a number of species of native reptiles and birds, such as blue-tongue lizards, red bellied black snakes and possibly the superb fairy wren.
“There is a corridor … between Distillery Hill and Jones St pocket park and that [Jones St Pocket Park] is probably ecologically the most significant site on Pyrmont,” he said.
The City of Sydney Council approved the development application for the site on 23 November. The approval carried a directive that: “All attempts will be made to protect and sustain existing wildlife.”
Hugh Martin, Executive Director for Vivas Lend Lease, said that the company has already consulted with the Pyrmont Community on the development of an “Urban Bushland” landscape and will communicate further before starting any work on the site.
City of Sydney Greens Councillor Irene Doutney has also said she is worried about the fate of any wildlife on the site. “We need to go down there, find out what’s there and move it,” she said. “We need to take responsibility for these animals that have survived in our city.”
Jilea Carney, spokesperson for wildlife-rescue group WIRES, said that WIRES would like to be present during the bush clearance in order to rescue as many animals as possible, but would need to be notified and given plenty of notice if possible.
“We rely on the developer or the council to call us when the work is about to take place and then we’re on site to deal with the wildlife escaping the machinery,” she said.
City News asked Mr Martin if Vivas Lend Lease would be prepared to discuss the protection of flora and fauna on the site with appropriate groups. “Absolutely”, she said. “That would be standard practice for Lend Lease as a committed member of the local community.”
Vivas Lend Lease is likely to begin clearing the land on the site at Jackson’s Landing within the next 12 months.
By Aaron Cook
