The facts (another very sad story) about Prasophyllum uroglossum (fuscum) began
in the 1970's when a farmer whose property adjoined the Wingecarribee Swamp
decided to mine the peat bog he had found on the property. P. uroglossum
preferred the wet edges of the swamp. All was well for a few years (very
profitable) until the then National Parks and Wildlife Service Threatened
Species Unit found the mining operations had begun to drain water from the
orchid habitat and subsequently orchid numbers were diminishing. A lengthy
process then began to bring the farmer into line using the laws in force at the
time. These laws were sufficient to prosecute, however the enforcement of them
by the government of the day was negligent. As this government was replaced in
1996 with one of a different persuasion more was expected, as the new
government had a better environmental focus. However, this government also
failed the NPWS and the farmer later decamped to another state (without
prosecution), leaving a rapidly escalating environmental disaster, a raft of
unpaid bills and several unpaid employees. My contact is a senior officer with
the Department of Environment and Conservation and in his words of 2005 "there
are approximately 18 plants remaining in the colony (world) and the situation
has deteriorated so far I do not see any way to rectify the situation, as the
water cannot be returned to the orchid site." Now we have the problem of the
tapping of the adjacent Kangaloon Aquifer to gain access to the subterranean
water body to use for the water hungry New South Wales capital of Sydney, the
population of which is growing by 1,000 people per week and all will need water
for normal household activities. This situation is exacerbated by the decrease
in the residential lot size, as this and all other local and state governments
seek to squeeze more people into a given area despite the uncertainty of the
water supply. Most of the rivers in NSW are blessed (cursed) with a dam or two
and the building of more water storage facilities will not help unless we have
something with which to fill them (rain). An article outlining this and other
problems associated with habitat destruction appeared in Orchids Australia,
February 2004 pages 56-59.
Alan W Stephenson
National Conservation Officer
Australasian Native Orchid Society
Conservation Director
Australian Orchid Council
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