Under the Freedom of Information Act (1982), twenty two (22) documents containing important Flora and Fauna reports and communications about the CSIRO site in Highett have been released to us by CSIRO. These documents contain some valuable information to help support our campaign to Save the Highett Grassy Woodland.
Briefly, amongst other issues, the FOI documents reveal that:
One of the ecological reports produced by Biosis Research Pty Ltd in 2011 recommended that 2.4ha be conserved. CSIRO’s consultant Urbis then commissioned a report from a different consultant, which was then presented to the stakeholders as the primary report. Amongst many errors in this report the most significant one is that the report did not identify the Yellow Box as being present but did identify the Narrow Leaf Peppermint which is not present.
The significant differences between the two reports help form the basis of further arguments to support the saving of the Highett Grassy Woodland.