‘Malcolm’s’ last stand?
Just how much can a koala bear?
MT LOFTY residents have been left wondering whether a new housing development might be held up by a resident koala named Malcolm.
Keen bushwalkers Hamish and Rachelle Patterson were walking down the Range escarpment adjacent to the Defence Housing Australia (DHA) land when they spotted something move in a tree on the other side of the fence.
“We’re bird watchers so we’re used to looking up into trees,” Mr Patterson said.
“My wife saw something move in the tree and initially thought it was a possum but a closer look found it was this big healthy koala.”
The development that runs off the end of Rifle Range Rd, is proposed to have 344 lots on a 52ha block of the 379ha site.
Some of the lots are to be retained by DHA on which homes for defence members and their families will be built with the remaining lots available for public acquisition.
Because the land is about to be cleared, Mr and Mrs Patterson became concerned for the koala’s home and whether there were other koalas settled in that area.
Mr Patterson said it was sad to see such land being cleared.
“I know we need land but there is land already cleared for farming on the western side of the city,” he said.
“I realise this land is being developed for the views and that at the moment it’s not pristine bushland but there are rock falls about 10m to 15m high down near the creek and there are waterfalls and creeks.
“I think people on the escarpment don’t know what lies beneath. And, Malcolm is a significant animal and he appears to be healthy.”
Mr and Mrs Patterson dubbed the koala Malcolm in reference to political events.
“This is commonwealth land and (Prime Minister) Scott Morrison is now in charge of it and we don’t think Mr Morrison would want to tear down a second Malcolm in the same week,” Mr Patterson quipped.