Mornington Peninsula Shire Council has thrown its support behind a federally recommended controlled action to oversee a 250-home development at Boundary Road and Collins Road, Dromana.
The decision comes amid concerns for the recently listed endangered swamp skink, which has been found in the area. In response, the developer has set aside 6.99 hectares as a conservation reserve to protect the species.
Deputy Mayor Paul Pingiaro acknowledged the environmental concerns but stressed the need for the council to move quickly to avoid losing control of the project.
“It’s quite important that we move forward and adopt the recommendation. There is a 6.99-hectare reserve in there, all for the skinks, but if we don’t act swiftly on ourselves with what the Premier said, it might be taken out of our hands,”
Said Cr Pingiaro.
With council backing the federal oversight, the development will now proceed under strict environmental guidelines to ensure the swamp skink’s habitat is preserved. Regulatory assessments and monitoring will follow to make sure the commitments are met.
