Two Blue Mountains wildlife action groups have pleaded for access to potential wombat burrows on the Wentworth Falls 'croc park' site to save the lives of mange-affected wombats dying on the highway.
Blue Mountains WIRES [Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service] branch and the Blue Mountains Wombat Conservation Group said wombats with deadly mange are being found and treated near the site at number 10 Great Western Highway. They are concerned life saving treatment needed at wombat burrows is on the proposed park's land, which they have been unable to access.
Tracy Burgess, branch coordinator for Blue Mountains WIRES said in late August they had five call-outs in nine days for wombat rescues. One of those wombats went blind from mange and was then hit by a truck on Bodington Hill and died. A spokesperson from the Blue Mountains Wombat Conservation Group said two other wombats - a mother and her joey - have since died after being struck at nearby Tableland Road.
The rescue call-outs have been on the Great Western Highway (out the front of Dillingers Nursery and the proposed wildlife park), the Bodington nursing home, Miller Street and Tableland Road.
Ms Burgess sought permission for access from the spokesman for the Blue Mountains Wildlife Park on August 24, but to date has not received a response.
The Wombat Protection Society of Australia said "mange is one of the biggest killers of wombats ... the mite buries itself under the wombat's skin triggering extreme itchiness which makes the wombat scratch, causing open wounds and scabs. These become infected, the wombat loses condition, becomes dehydrated, malnourished and slowly dies. The good news is, it can be treated. "
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The Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania website says "unless treated... the wombat is so severely compromised it dies a slow and agonising death".
Ms Burgess said dogs can also get mange.
Ms Burgess wrote to the property developer's spokesman, solicitor Farshad Amirbeaggi, saying they had "an unusual number of call-outs ... in a period of less than two weeks" expressing concerns that to save the wombats, WIRES needed site access.
"We have found one burrow entry at Bodington Nursing Home and one in Miller Street. However, given the [found locations] of the wombats I believe most of the burrows are on your property," her letter said.
She asked that fully insured, trained WIRES members could access the property to place mange flaps in front of burrows with the chemical cydectin - as a wombat enters or leaves a burrow, it knocks the flap and the treatment is administered.
Ms Burgess said WIRES volunteers had been able to capture some wombats on a couple of occasions to treat them, but she said finding the other burrows was key because regular doses were necessary and re-application was needed for weeks.
"We think they may be inhabiting burrows in the croc park site. We would like to work with the property owner to get in and treat the burrows with mange flaps to properly treat and heal these animals before they get worse. We do need their approval to access the site," she told the Gazette.
Ms Burgess said WIRES is familiar with dealing with residential property owners and businesses, including horse riding schools in the Megalong Valley, but said "I've not had to contact a developer for private property that is not actually on site before".
A Blue Mountains Wombat Conservation Group spokesperson and ecologist said "there was significant wombat scat leading towards the croc park" site on Bodington Hill.
Earlier this year the NSW Planning Department rejected a bid by the company, Aesthete No 14, to amend some of its plans for the park. This would have given it more time to lodge an environmental impact statement.
The project's documents show plans for both freshwater and saltwater crocodiles, penguins, Tasmanian devils, emus, cassowaries, koalas, wombats and dingos among the wildlife to be exhibited; as well as resort-style accommodation, adventure activities and a multi-storey car park.
A development application was approved in the courts more than 30 years ago, leading local conservationists to label it a "zombie DA".
The $110 million project was given state significant development (SSD) status by the previous state government, taking any oversight out of Blue Mountains City Council's hands.
The Gazette has attempted to contact Mr Amirbeaggi for this story.
