By ANEEKA SIMONIS
BYPASS users are fuming with Vicroads for allowing a frog fence which cost taxpayers $250,000 to fall apart.
The fence which was built to prevent rare frogs from being run over on the Princes Freeway in Pakenham has collapsed in areas, no longer keeping the protected croakers safe.
Cass Hackett from Bunyip is disappointed the road authority has not followed through with preserving the expensive fences.
“What’s the point of (building the fence) if it isn’t maintained? It’s a lot of money and if it’s not going to be maintained, it’s a waste. I don’t see the point,” she said.
Vicroads was legally required to build the fence under environmental protection laws which aimed to save the threatened, native growling grass frog.
“VicRoads has an environmental responsibility to minimise the impacts on the plants and animals in the area, particularly threatened species, when building roads,” VicRoads Pakenham bypass project manager Charlie Broadhurst told media after the fences were built in 2008.
“These include designing roads to minimise loss of frog habitat, building underpasses under freeways, and putting up fences to help stop the frogs getting on the road.”
VicRoads Metropolitan South East Acting Regional Director Con Stasinos said the fencing, which runs along adjacent to ponds and breeding grounds used by the protected amphibian along Cardinia Road and McGregor Road exits, has been maintained since it was put up but the authority will investigate the current damages.
“VicRoads is aware of recent community concerns regarding the condition of some sections of the fence, and has programmed a detailed inspection to determine the extent of the damaged sections so that arrangements for repairs can be made,” he said.
The protective fencing, which runs along the Cardinia Road and McGregor Road exits was including in the total cost of the highway bypass project at $242 million dollars.
The Pakenham bypass is not a standalone example of Vicroads’ requirements for habitat protection.
Under environmental protection laws in 2002, a Western Ring Road bypass in Craigieburn was also diverted to protect frog breeding grounds.
