THE Werribee River in Ballan is in danger of becoming a stormwater drain, says a concerned local environmentalist.
With a draft of the Ballan structure plan projecting major housing development in the town’s west, John Kowarsky fears the environment will not be adequately protected.
Mr Kowarsky said indigenous plants, native birds, mammals and amphibians — identified in a study in September last year — were under direct threat from future development.
“The draft plan does not adequately protect the natural values of this valley, setting only a 100-metre buffer from the river channel, and not taking account of the much wider flood plain which has frequently become inundated in the past few years,” he said.
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“The river is in danger of becoming nothing more than a gutter receiving stormwater from the hard surfaces of inappropriately located medium-density developments.
“It is time for people to speak up.”
Mr Kowarsky said similar problems were experienced at the Bacchus Marsh stretch of the river. Last month, the Weekly reported that authorities were investigating why two platypuses had died in the river since December last year.
The plan states the river corridor will be closely managed by Melbourne Water, the catchment management authority and Landcare.
It also states that all new development will “contribute to improvements to the river corridor” and be above the floodplain.
