"c[C]aladenia rosella. THERE are only four places where the rosella spider orchid is known to grow in the wild. All four are in Nillumbik but the state's planning tribunal has given the go-ahead to build a house on one of them.
Nillumbik deputy mayor Peter Yates said building should not be allowed on the 0.4ha property... Local ecologist Bryan Walters said the property... had been practically untouched for more than 60 years. A survey by Mr Walters and other local ecologists found 142 plant species on the block, including 21 of regional significance, 15 of state significance and three of national significance. Cr Yates said sanction of a two-storey, three-bedroom house on a "radically undersized" block about 1/40th of what the council preferred set a worrying precedent for development on hundreds of small titles in shire rural areas. ... In her decision, Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal member Sylvia Mainwaring said it would have been preferable to merge the land into an adjoining block. But it was "inappropriate to prevent any use of the land whatsoever". Ms Mainwaring put a number of conditions on the approval including that the owner: * Fence off the area where the orchid is believed to grow for at least two years; * Implement a micromanagement plan to foster the orchid's recovery... But Cr Yates said it was inevitable once people were living on the site, the orchid would be squeezed out." URL : http://www.diamondvalleyleader.com.au/article/2008/05/21/35458_dvv_news.html photo of Caladenia rosella [beautiful flowers !] : http://www.diamondvalleyleader.com.au/images/uploadedfiles/editorial/pictures/2008/05/19/N47DV302B1.JPG ************** Regards, VB _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
