Southern Brown Bandicoot Recovery
Overview
Bandicoot recovery efforts to date
News
Further information
Overview
The Biosphere Foundation adopted the recovery of the Southern Brown Bandicoot as a flagship project in order to raise community awareness of declining biodiversity and the need to live more sustainably.
The Southern Brown Bandicoot is listed as nationally endangered under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and endangered in Victoria under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988.
Until the 1970s, it was common in the heathy woodlands that occurred in the Melbourne and Western Port region, including the Seaford-Frankston and Cranbourne-Langwarrin areas, and parts of the Koo Wee Rup, Cardinia and Bass Coast regions.
Today, it is now restricted to only one relatively secure site, the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne. Here, strategic management of a 250-hectare patch of remnant vegetation provides suitable habitat for the species. However, even this population is still relatively small with limited genetic diversity, making it vulnerable to fire and disease. It is also becoming isolated from other remnant bandicoot populations by rapid urban development.
Elsewhere, only isolated patches of habitat remain, with none or just a few surviving bandicoots. The conservation of these fragmented populations, on land managed by many private landholders and public agencies, poses a significant challenge.
Reconnecting the Cranbourne botanic gardens population with remnant groups scattered between Frankston, Koo Wee Rup and Bunyip will help to ensure the future of the bandicoot. The Biosphere Foundation is attempting to do this by coordinating a regional recovery program.
In collaboration with other organisations, the Biosphere Foundation's research committee has established a Southern Brown Bandicoot recovery team.
A recovery plan has been developed specifically for the Mornington Peninsula and Western Port region, based on national and state recovery plans. The plan, which complements recovery efforts in New South Wales and South Australia, identifies the need for work in three major areas:
- Immediate on-ground actions to protect existing biodiversity.
- Inventory, survey, baseline and research studies to provide a scientific basis for management.
- A community education program.
Bandicoot recovery efforts to date:
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 Pines.
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.
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.
News
- Biosphere Foundation works to give endangered bandicoot a future, 6 August 2009
- New
tools for studying bandicoots, 18 March 2009
Infrared digital cameras and olfactory attractants for monitoring wildlife, Dr David Paull & Dr Andrew Claridge - 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)
- 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
Further information
- Bandicoot facts (PDF 167 KB)
- DSE Southern Brown Bandicoot fact sheet (PDF 187 KB)
- Fox baiting to assist the Southern Brown Bandicoot at Koo Wee Rup, David Nicholls, Bandicoot Recovery Manager (PDF 1.6 MB)
- Recovery of the Southern Brown Bandicoot in the Mornington Peninsula and Western Port Biosphere Reserve and surrounding districts: A report on the public meeting, 14 November 2006 (PDF 7.5 MB)
- Contact:
David Nicholls, Bandicoot Recovery Project Officer
Mornington Peninsula & Western Port Biosphere Reserve Foundation Ltd.
C/- Chisholm Institute, 2 New Holland Drive, Cranbourne Vic
Tel: 03 5990 7166
Mob: 0411 098 240
Fax: 03 5990 7173
Email: d.nicholls@chisholm.vic.edu.au