Talk to the animals: City of Canning to seek expert advice for flora and fauna policy review - PerthNow

The City of Canning wants to hear from animal experts in a review of its conservation flora and fauna policy.

The review follows outrage from upset locals over advice given to the council that up to 300 landlocked kangaroos at the area planned for a new Jandakot East Link road should be killed.

It prompted Cr Amanda Spencer-Teo to speak out last week about the need for a review of the flora and fauna policy, which was created in 2009 and hasn't been revised since.

"The policy is well overdue for a review; having three points in a flora and fauna policy that makes no mention of fauna is not exactly the best guide in making decisions on how to manage the City's native animals on our land," Cr Spencer-Teo said during the February 15 meeting.

"Having a policy with these objectives means that we will have fauna impact studies and information before we endorse projects. Steps can be taken prior to land clearing to protect fauna, rather than it being an afterthought."

The council also supported her call for a qualified environmental consultant and a local animal-focused organisation to immediately hold a fauna survey.

The survey would specifically be on the Waste Transfer Station land, proposed Jandakot Eastern Link Road and Canning Vale Regional Sporting Complex.

"Unfortunately this council has inherited the issues with respect to the estimated 300 western grey kangaroos who are landlocked through no fault of their own, or ours for that matter, on these sites," Cr Spencer-Teo said.

"Back in 2014-2015, while the City was under control of the commissioners, they requested a fauna survey on this site. It was revealed that it was home to seven mammals, 19 bird, 13 reptile, two amphibian and 65 invertebrate species, some of them which are endangered or of significance.

"The City of Melville have a management plan over Ken Hurst Park and Jandakot have had a kangaroo management plan in place for years. What's Canning done in the last seven years?"

Deputy Mayor Ben Kunze said it was "incredibly important we as a local government do everything possible to assess the environmental impacts before making a decision especially when it comes to infrastructure projects".

"It appears that little thought was given to the impact the Metronet works would have on the animals that live along the rail corridors and been demonstrated with the issues surrounding the kangaroos in Canning Vale," Cr Kunze said.

"The animals and vegetation that reside on the Swan Coastal Plain were here before us and unfortunately we as a society have done a terrible job at proper planning that protects our flora and fauna."

A draft of the new flora and fauna policy is expected to be considered at the council's May meeting, with the final policy expected to be voted on in June.