A project to turn Wilsons Promontory National Park into a 50,000 hectare conservation sanctuary is underway with consultants being sought to undertake further studies and develop a design for a 10 kilometre predator-proof exclusion fence.
The state-of-the-art exclusion fence will span from coast-to-coast across the Yanakie Isthmus to keep animals like foxes, deer and feral cats out of the park, creating a safe haven for precious native wildlife like the Southern Brown Bandicoot, Long-nosed Potoroo, Ground Parrot, New Holland Mouse, Eastern Pygmy Possum and Hooded Plover.
On the southernmost point of mainland Australia, Wilsons Prom is sheltered from the dramatic impacts of climate change. With the added protection of the fence, combined with conservation programs, it will become the perfect place for threatened species whose habitat elsewhere is suffering and may never be the same again.
As threats are removed from Wilsons Prom and it becomes a safer place for vulnerable native animals and plants, specially chosen rare and threatened native species will be able to be translocated there to keep them safe.
New and emerging weeds will also be controlled within the Prom to enhance its coastal woodland, wetland and coastal habitats, giving a chance for threatened populations of resident shorebirds and the abundance of small mammals that call the Prom home to thrive.
The landmark development of the predator-proof exclusion fence is being delivered as part of the Wilsons Prom Revitalisation project, which is also upgrading park facilities so that people visit, stay and learn about the Prom in a sustainable way.
Find more information about the Wilsons Prom Revitalisation project at: parks.vic.gov.au/projects
