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ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Move of Perth Zoo's last elephant Putra Mas to SA's Monarto Safari Park delayed
The scheduled move of Perth Zoo's last elephant to South Australia has been delayed, as its new home Monarto Safari Park works to integrate the four females that arrived earlier this year. The zoo had planned for male elephant Putra Mas to leave in June or July, but the Asian elephant will remain in Perth until later in the year. "[Monarto] is still managing the introductions of the females," Perth Zoo's Acting Director of Life Sciences John Lemon said. "They are still undertaking fence-line contact and trying to get those four animals to be a working herd, or at least share the same habitat." Perth Zoo farewelled its female elephant Permai in January, who joined Burma from Auckland Zoo at Monarto. Two other females moved from Taronga Zoo shortly after. Putra Mas was expected to follow after going through must — a periodic, hormonal condition which can result in aggressive behaviour. Delayed works on the habitat required before Putra Mas arrives is contributing to the postponement, though Mr Lemon is confident the male will be in South Australia by the end of the year. "We're just on elephant time," he said. "There's still the introductions, they won't hold us up, if they're not together we'll still look at moving our boy, but there is also some facility works that need to be finished. "[Putra Mas] has progressed really well with his crate training here. The bespoke crate's been finished for some time, so it's ready to roll. "So it's just waiting for all of those things to come together and we'll set a date and move." Perth Zoo was expecting to add two southern white rhinos this year, but health concerns over the incoming pair means that plan isn't going ahead. "The female rhinos that were being considered for transfer to Perth Zoo have had a couple of unexpected health issues," Mr Lemon said. "They are no longer suitable for road or flight transport. From a health point of view they need to stay at Werribee's Open Range Zoo." The arrival of the rhinos was to coincide with the departure of male Bakari who was slated to be part of the regional breeding program. He'll instead remain in Perth while other breeding options are explored. "There is quite a lot of science that goes his genetics can contribute to the regional program, so we need to look what are the best options for him moving forward," Mr Lemon said. Despite the delayed move for Putra Mas, plans for a 30-million dollar upgrade to the African Savanna were going ahead. "We still have grand plans for that, but (the delayed move) is not holding it up at all and won't affect the timing of that," Mr Lemon said. The zoo has undergone extensive construction in recent years, with a new gibbon enclosure recently opened to patrons.
ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
Family unable to repair Sydney home nearly five years after landslide as boulder threat persists
It's been years since the Kemp family have enjoyed a meal, watched TV or even slept in their own house. In October 2020, a landslide cascaded down a slope in Sydney's Northern Beaches, dislodging boulders that took out the side of the building. It was the second property ravaged by natural disaster — seven years earlier, their family home in the Blue Mountains was lost to a bushfire. "They put their entire life savings and all of their retirement into this [Great Mackerel Beach] place," Harry Kemp said of his parents, Ray and Lorraine. The family were not home when authorities called about the incident in the isolated suburb home to about 50 permanent residents. "One of the rooms has been hit by a massive boulder ... two of the walls have come straight off, the roof was damaged as well," Mr Kemp said. The deck is gone, a water tank under the house destroyed, and the family is still investigating if the foundations were "knocked off its axis". A neighbouring house was completely destroyed. Due to bureaucracy and the rock face remaining unsecured almost five years on, the Kemps are stuck in limbo — unable to repair the damage or part ways with the home. The family have only been able to put a tarp to try "stop the bugs, animals and moisture getting in". "They were ... like why us, why is this happening again," Mr Kemp said of his parents. The Kemps say they have been told the remaining boulders will fall at some point, in "not a matter of if, it's a matter of when". Great Mackerel Beach is surrounded by Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, which is managed by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). Geotechnical assessments after the landslide found the cliff line above private properties had other potentially unstable rocks, and the risk to life from future rockfalls was "unacceptable". NPWS said because it was a natural event, it was not liable for resulting damage. It said there were "no feasible long-term risk mitigation options", ruling out rock bolting, cabling, de-scaling, boulder removal or pre-warning systems. "Engineers advised that rock catch fencing behind the other properties ... may be feasible but cannot guarantee that a similar event would not occur in the future," a 2022 report stated of an option which would have cost approximately $9 million to install. Acquiring the high-risk zone properties was estimated to cost the government $2.1 million but said "NPWS is not required to buy the properties and has no funding to acquire these properties". The Kemps have corresponded with local members and councillors over the years, and remain in dispute with their insurer. Mr Kemp said his parents were between a "rock and a hard place" because they cannot make repairs without an approved development application (DA). "Council won't issue one until the rock face is made secure ... even if it was theoretically allowed, I don't think we would want to be there because you have these 100-tonne boulders looming over your head. In a statement, Northern Beaches Council said it made and levied rates in accordance with legislation, and it would "encourage early engagement with technical experts" for DAs of this nature. A spokesperson said that while NPWS provided some information regarding rockfall risks, the state body had "not shared other important technical information about the risk assessments it has undertaken at this site" to council. In a letter seen by the ABC, Environment Minister Penny Sharpe rejected a request for a special circumstance act of grace payment to the Kemps in March. "NPWS has no present legal obligation to compensate Mr and Mrs Kemp for the detriment caused to them by the Incident," she wrote at the time. Ms Sharpe declined to comment for this story. Mr Kemp said it was "disappointing to see NPWS and council attempting to deflect responsibility". "We would just like [the state government] to do something," Mr Kemp said. "Plans have been put on hold, my dad's retirement has been put on hold ... It's pretty disastrous for them." Pittwater MP Jacqui Scruby said it appeared "all avenues have been exhausted" for the Kemps after meeting with NPWS and the Office of the Environment Minister. "I will continue to advocate for [Ray] Kemp and any other affected constituents to ensure they are treated fairly and transparently under the law," she said. A Department of Environment spokesperson said local council identified a "high geotechnical risk and expected geohazard event frequency" in 2009 — factors, they say, that were indicated in the contract of sale when the Kemps bought the property five years later. "It is incumbent upon individual land purchasers to be aware of potential risks when purchasing a property, and to consider their potential insurance needs," they said. "There were no actions undertaken or not undertaken by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service ... that prompted the event." The Kemps said there was a "one-line mention" of an environmental plan for the wider Pittwater area, but "no specific reference to any geotechnical hazard" at their house. A 2020 landslide procedure document on how NPWS responds to "unacceptable" risks said a treatment plan "must require mitigation" and "accepting the risk was not an option". A version republished last year was reworded to say NPWS could "determine the feasibility of the risk treatment plan" instead. NPWS said all park management polices were subject to regular review to account for "new information", and that the requirement to consider factors like resources had not changed. In a statement, it acknowledged the "significant impact" the incident had on affected residents, and was "sympathetic" to the concerns of property owners. Mr Kemp said NPWS should not be absolved "of their responsibility to address the current risk posed by the rock face following the landslide". "That's the point we've been trying to make for the past five years — with no success so far."
ABC News
3 hours ago
- ABC News
As Elsternwick golf course turns into a nature reserve, 'ham-fisted' tree removal concerns residents
A decade after an inner-Melbourne golf club was earmarked to become a "natural oasis", the loss of established trees as part of its transformation is concerning residents. As the $22 million project to turn the former Elsternwick Park golf course into the Yalukit Willam Nature Reserve continues, some say too many trees are being felled. The project, which the Bayside City Council has said will create a "biodiversity refuge" and improve the quality of water flowing into Port Phillip Bay, involves creating wetland areas, a chain of ponds and a wildflower meadow. The creation of wetlands in the southern section of the site is underway, and dozens of native and non-native trees were being cleared in that area last week. Local resident Tony Wells, a wildlife photographer, said he was so surprised by the scale of the works as he drove past, he stopped to snap pictures. "I saw the bulldozers and the chainsaws at work, and that they were woodchipping stuff," he said. Mr Wells, who has photographed endangered gang-gang cockatoos feeding in the reserve, and tawny frogmouths nesting, said the section he saw had been "moonscaped". "People are justifiably alarmed by what's occurred here," he said. "This seems to be really ham-fisted project management by the council contractors. "The community really wants this project to succeed. We think it's a fantastic opportunity for nature to be protected and recreated in an urban setting, but we feel council's dropped the ball in this case. "We don't want to see any more activity like this again without proper consultation with the community and people who know about the environment." Gio Fitzpatrick, the president of the Yalukit Willam Nature Association, said he understood the justification for removing some trees, but the way it was being done had raised alarm bells for the group. He said he was particularly concerned about three out of seven decades-old river red gums in one section being felled to make way for a wetland area. "I would understand the 'we've got to crack an egg to make an omelette' justification," he said. "But it's a golf course, so essentially the trees are aligned in rows with big fairways in between, and there's a lot of space in those fairways for a wetland. "River red gums are actually the most adapted to flooding." Mr Fitzpatrick said members of the 300-strong group were also concerned that Bayside City Council contractors had turned cleared trees into woodchips instead of retaining the timber to create habitat. "They assured us upwards of four or five times that timber would be retained as branches and logs for habitat, and then it was mostly chipped," he said. "If your goal is creating a nature reserve, if you're chopping down any tree, indigenous or otherwise, it's advantageous to save that timber to use as ground habitat, and also to leave standing deadwood as habitat. That's a golden opportunity." However he said neither of those things had really been done. "There's a bit of timber that has been retained, but the vast majority is in a massive pile of woodchips." A Bayside City Council spokesperson said some trees were being removed in the southern wetland area of the site as part of the construction of the new wetland. "The wetlands will provide critical habitat for wildlife and new vegetation habitat zones," the spokesperson said. A statement released by the council said the construction of the wetland would involve 200,000 new terrestrial and aquatic plants, and 1,900 trees. "A detailed and specialist tree impact assessment determined that some trees will not tolerate the wetland environment, will be impacted by earthworks, or will inhibit the new indigenous vegetation communities," it said. "Exotic species and declared weed species (e.g. Cypress trees) are also being removed and chipped." "All efforts are being taken to minimise the number of trees being removed. "Most native trees, logs and branches are being repurposed onsite for landscaping and habitat creation. Over 30 native trees are being saved in whole including logs and branches. "All other native trees are being stored for log wood or branches. Only exotic trees are being chipped." But Mr Wells said he feared the impact the removal of established trees would have on wildlife in the area. "They fly from tree to tree looking for food, and that's what they do in that reserve, so the loss of native trees is really a tragedy for that species and others that use that reserve."
