Melbourne Water is undertaking a program to establish new habitat for the critically endangered Leadbeater’s Possum, with funding support from the Federal Government.
With only a small number of lowland sub-species of the Leadbeater’s Possum remaining in the wild, the Securing a future for lowland Leadbeater’s Possum initiative aims to re-establish habitat in the Yarra Valley, at the Yarra Valley Water-run Upper Yarra Treatment Plant, secure local and climate adjusted seed, and increase plant propagation capacity to ensure that future restoration needs can be met.
With funding from the Federal Government’s Environmental Restoration Fund, Melbourne Water and its project partners have taken steps to secure a future for the lowland Leadbeater’s Possum.
Melbourne Water Partnership Coordinator, Waterways and Catchment Operations, Kacie Melfi, said that the key to saving this possum from extinction is to establish new populations.
“If the lowland Leadbeater’s Possum population is to recover and expand, habitat restoration projects are needed,” Ms Melfi said.
“We’ve secured 3.68ha of future habitat by establishing approximately 900m of deer exclusion fencing. This will protect existing vegetation, and by planting 3,500 indigenous plants we’ve helped create new habitat.”
Climate change is a risk to the success of revegetation, so climate adjusted seed modelling has been used to provide a bank of suitable seed for future restoration projects.
The Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater volunteer nursery is part of the project and has specialised knowledge of propagating habitat species for the Leadbeater’s Possum.
Melbourne Water, as a catchment management authority (CMA), is responsible for delivering land, water and biodiversity programs that enhance and protect the environment and support thriving communities in the Port Phillip and Westernport catchments. The Securing a future for lowland Leadbeater’s Possum project falls under this CMA plan.
This project was supported with funding from the Federal Government in partnership with Melbourne Water, the Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater volunteer nursery, Yarra Valley Water, Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation, Greening Australia and Zoos Victoria.
Featured image: A Leadbeater’s Possum. Image credit: Melbourne Water.
