Pacific highway upgrade threatens endangered
Coastal Emu.
The Clarence Valley of Northern New South Wales contains the only viable breeding population of the very rare and endangered Eastern Coastal Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) remaining in Australia today.
The Road Transport Authority has earmarked this bird's territory for three out of four route options proposed for the Wells Crossing to Iluka upgrade of the Pacific Highway, any of which is likely to result in the total extinction of the Emu from the eastern seaboard of Australia.
The Eastern Coastal Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) was once abundant along the entire eastern seaboard of Australia, including Tasmania and off shore islands as indicated by the diaries of many early explorers.
The New South Wales north coast bioregion population of Emu, Dromaius novaehollandiae is nominated for listing as an endangered population under Part 2 of Schedule 1 on the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995.
As little as twenty years ago the habitat of the Eastern Coastal Emu although rapidly contracting, still extended from Port Stephens in the south to Tweed Heads in the north.
Today, only 15% of that habitat remains and is situated in the Clarence Valley of Northern NSW.
The bird is now sufficiently rare as to warrant the collection of either tissue samples or entire carcasses from all road kills in the Clarence Valley, so that these can then be sent to the Sydney Museum for cataloguing.
The only viable breeding group is found south of the Clarence River. It contains approximately 100 individuals with breeding pairs being only a fraction of this total.
Any fragmentation of the final population of Emus, or their habitat, will result in the total extinction of the Eastern Coastal Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) from the eastern seaboard of Australia.
Find out more: Contact Louise Sheehan
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