The following residents of the ACT draw to the attention of the Assembly: The area commonly known as “Bluetts Block-Piney Ridge” (extending across Stromlo Block 402/403 and Denman Prospect Block 12, Section 1) is home to over 100 different species of plants and supports over 130 species of birds, including the Black Mountain Leopard Orchid, and vulnerable Superb Parrot, a species facing increasing loss of habitat. The area is likely to support rare marsupial populations of Dunnart and Antechinus.
Bluetts Block-Piney Ridge provides important landscape connectivity from the Murrumbidgee River Corridor to Black Mountain. Without connectivity, many animal species cannot find food or shelter, or space to breed, leaving them vulnerable.
The view of the petitioners is that a Nature Reserve should be established in this area to protect biodiversity values.
Your petitioners, therefore, request the Assembly to call on the ACT Government to:
1. Ensure that Stromlo Blocks 402/403 undergo full ecological assessment.
2. Ensure that urban development is not pursued on Block 12, Section 1 Denman Prospect until there is sufficient information to decide on the environmental significance of the block.
3. Ensure that the ecological considerations of Stromlo Block 402/403 and Denman Prospect Block 12, Section 1 include the impacts on threatened species, critically endangered Box-Gum Woodland, old-growth trees, landscape connectivity, and consideration of urban edge effects.
4. Following full ecological assessments, ensure areas which have nationally outstanding ecosystems, and species, formed mostly by non-human factors are declared a Nature Reserve.