Over 30 wonderful volunteers came along to Paradise Palms Golf Course. Last night, The Agile Project volunteers helped perform a simultaneous wallaby count on the land. During the count, we only found 15 wallabies! This is definitely a lot less than expected. Golfers and residents had predicted around 300. It’s important to note that quite a few factors could’ve impacted the count last night. E.g. weather and noise/disturbance from golfers. Further surveys will be carried out over the upcoming weeks. We hope to get a better understanding of the population.
From an Ecological perspective, if we put some land aside and maintained as a Nature Reserve, the wallabies and other native species would be able to co-exist with development. We need to implement detailed planning, to ensure the developers can create an eco-friendly environment; where humans and wildlife can live together.
The Agile Project’s preference is that development should not go ahead, but if it does, we will be there to assist with a wildlife management plan. Thankfully, the developer is willing to take our advice on board to make this happen. Our Project’s aim is, and always has been, to conserve and protect the Agile Wallabies on the Northern Beaches. So, that is what we will continue to do.
Photo credit: Anna Rogers