Werrington Kangaroos - Update 21 January 2021
This is an update to supporters of the mob of kangaroos which, for decades, have inhabited the Western Sydney University Werrington Park Campus and, later also inhabited, Kingswood South Campus.
Western Sydney University continues to say that the kangaroos “are an important part of our urban ecology” and will be included in future development plans. How many are in that plan is not clear at this stage.
Meanwhile, part of the Werrington Park Campus had been sold to a developer in recent years and has been retitled 16 Chapman St Werrington. Lend Lease is now the owner of this address.
An aerial photo herewith shows 16 Chapman Street in yellow outline.
Lend Lease’s development proposal for this land went before a Regional Planning Panel on 18 Dec 2020 and the Planning Panel duly obliged by approving the proposal. See second image which shows the only (and I mean scant) environmental concession were two small conservation zones in the northern sector of the site. White imprint are houses and streets to go over present grasses and bushland.
Effectively, one third of the former foraging and habitat for the kangaroos is doomed to destruction and replaced by brick, concrete and bitumen.
Making matters worse, at the time the matter was before the Planning Panel, Lend Lease had contractors install a 2 metres high construction site mesh fence along the entire western boundary of the 16 Chapman Street property, shutting off access to the university’s Werrington Park Campus. No concern was given to the welfare of kangaroos which might have been trapped in this smaller area and without water. And that is what has happened, there are kangaroos trapped in what is to be a construction zone and separated from the rest of the mob they had been part of and which continue to exist and forage in the university’s Werrington Park Campus.
Some really hot days are forecast in coming days – around 40°C.
Penrith City Council had earlier expressed some concern for the welfare of all the kangaroos on the Werrington Park site. Council was briefed of the problem and has indicated it will approach Lend Lease to rectify this error which has become an animal welfare issue.
I will keep supporters updated as more information comes to hand.