Southern Brown Bandicoot recovery: History

Please note: not all projects have been included in this chronology. It will be updated shortly to provide a more comprehensive history.

June 2011. Public meeting

A public meeting was held on 23 June 2011 to review progress and discuss the way forward to build on conservation efforts to date.

October 2007. Australian Government Envirofund Round 9: Restoring bandicoot habitat in the Westernport Swamp Landcare Koo Wee Rup region

This Biosphere Foundation project aimed to develop and enhance wildlife corridors across the Koo Wee Rup region to connect small, remnant populations of the Southern Brown Bandicoot. Project partners included Western Port Swamp Landcare; private landholders, including G&J Dunkley and L&T English; Melbourne Water; V/Line; Bayles Regional Primary School; City of Casey and Cardinia Shire. Project outcomes were measured through a bandicoot population monitoring program by the Biosphere Foundation and the Department of Sustainability and Environment.

• Controlled weeds and planted over 3,000 indigenous plants, consisting mainly of grasses and sedges.
• Fenced 1.9km to protect plantings.
• Constructed innovative, experimental shelters to provide bandicoots with refuge from predators, such as foxes.
• Raised community awareness of the need for improved habitat for bandicoots.
• Recent anecdotal evidence suggests an increase in bandicoot numbers where habitat has been improved.

The Cardinia Environment Coalition also ran a complementary bandicoot project under Envirofund Round 9. This project aimed to protect and enhance the habitat of the Southern Brown Bandicoot through the creation of a biolink over 10 properties. Activities included weed and fox control, planting 5,750 indigenous plants, direct seeding, erecting 4.2 kilometres of protective fencing, and community education through field and open days.

September 2007. WWF Threatened Species Network Community Grants Round 10: Securing Southern Brown Bandicoot populations around Western Port

This Biosphere Foundation project aimed to expand surviving bandicoot populations in the region by better coordinating management efforts, reducing fox predation, and extending habitat. It also aimed to monitor the distribution and abundance of bandicoots and raise awareness among the northern Western Port community, from Cranbourne to Bayles. Project partners included Melbourne Water, Cardinia Shire Council, Western Port Swamp Land Care, Bayles Regional Primary School, City of Casey, and private landholders, L&T English, L Bonney, C&S Manning and G&J Dunkley.

• Estimated to have killed over 40 foxes with a 1080 fox control program across 250km2 and 20 private properties.
• Planted thousands of indigenous plants on private properties at Bayles and Cardinia. (See pictures of bandicoot habitat plantings and temporary bandicoot shelters at the property of Catherine and Steve Manning.)

The Cardinia Environment Coalition also ran a complementary bandicoot project under the WWF TSN Community Grants Round 10. This project aimed to protect and enhance Bandicoot Corner at Bayles, a core area of bandicoot habitat managed by the Cardinia Environment Coalition. Activities included habitat restoration; predator control, including a fox-baiting program; and community engagement through the development of educational and interpretive facilities and field days for the community.

November 2006: Southern Brown Bandicoot public forum

The Biosphere Foundation held a public meeting in November 2006 to consider how best to implement a conservation program. This was the first forum of its kind in Victoria.

• Brought together over 50 scientists, government departments and land managers.
• Resulted in ongoing coordination of bandicoot recovery efforts between DSE, Parks Victoria, Melbourne Water, Royal Botanic Gardens (Cranbourne), City of Casey, Cardinia Shire, Western Port Swamp Landcare, Cardinia Environment Coalition and private landholders.
• Proceedings: Recovery of the Southern Brown Bandicoot in the Mornington Peninsula and Western Port Biosphere Reserve and surrounding districts (PDF 7.5 MB)

October 2006. Australian Government Envirofund Round 8: The Pines Flora and Fauna Reserve, Frankston

The Pines population is the only definitively known Southern Brown Bandicoot population remaining on the Mornington Peninsula. This Biosphere Foundation project aimed to improve habitat and raise community awareness.

• Secured the perimeter gates to reduce predator entry.
• Surveyed the condition of 11km of perimeter fence.
• Surveyed for bandicoots, demonstrating their continued presence.
• Engaged the community through community days, workshops, guided tours, and school activities.
• Planted 3,000 plants to revegetate recently closed tracks.
• Surveyed the attitudes of 2,500 residents living near The Pine

News archive

• Biosphere Foundation works to give endangered bandicoot a future, 6 August 2009
• New tools for studying bandicoots, 18 March 2009
• The Pines Flora & Fauna Reserve survey, 18 March 2009
  
• Bandicoot recovery team uses surveillance cameras to monitor fox bait stations, 18 November 2008 (PDF 1.94 MB)
• Fox baiting to assist the Southern Brown Bandicoot at Koo Wee Rup, David Nicholls, Bandicoot Recovery Manager (PDF 1.6 MB)
• Invitation—Landscape Species Project workshop to improve the survival of wildlife in the City of Frankston, 22 July 2008 (PDF 39 KB)
• Help save the Southern Brown Bandicoot (City of Casey), 20 November 2007
• Bandicoot recovery effort wins further funding, 4 October 2007
• Bandicoot recovery effort wins funding, 19 September 2007

Southern Brown Bandicoot Recovery page

Above: Southern Brown Bandicoots, tracks and scats.