The Southern Brown Bandicoot is an endangered species in Victoria and is a species of national environmental significance. Some of Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs, urban growth corridor, green wedges and rural landscapes contain populations of, and habitat for, the bandicoot. Unfortunately, urban development, habitat loss and fragmentation and bandicoot-unfriendly practices mean that the health and viability of these wonderful local native animals is at risk.

However, there is an opportunity for many organisations and local communities to work together to achieve:

• Widespread, healthy, resilient, viable bandicoot populations in urban, peri-urban and rural areas
• Habitat pathways that enable dispersal between major habitat blocks and bandicoot population nodes
• Local human communities having regular interaction with, understanding, valuing and fostering their local bandicoot populations.

Bandicoots in our Backyards is a project concept that would have multiple components:

• Maintenance and improvement of existing bandicoot habitat in parks, reserves, roadsides, waterways, etc.
• Active care for resident bandicoot populations to maintain their health and viability
• A genetic study to better understand the different populations in the area, and potential future translocation programs to boost the size, range and genetic diversity of populations
• Creation of new bandicoot habitat in appropriate urban and peri-urban areas (eg. bandicoot-friendly vegetation in house yards and along paths, roadsides, etc.) and creation of significant new habitat and connections across rural areas (eg. using incentives for landholders to participate in development of major new biolinks across landscapes and between existing bandicoot habitats)
• Potential land purchase adding to the public reserve, and covenanting of private land to increase the area of permanently-protected bandicoot habitat
• Bandicoot-friendly suburb design and management, providing the realistic opportunity for residents in new suburbs to regularly see, interact with, value and actively foster local populations of bandicoots
• Coordinated pest management programs involving multiple stakeholder organisations and landholders to achieve targeted, long-lasting, cost-effective predator control, including for example feral cat removal and urban community education to promote better management of domestic cats
• A range of community engagement activities to increase communities and landholders knowing about, understanding, experiencing, valuing, supporting and fostering local bandicoot populations
• A regular ‘report card’ published and provided to the local community reporting against a set of key indicators covering progress with this project and the health of the bandicoot populations across the area
• Focused effort and improved coordination amongst key players to achieve the points above through a multi-stakeholder Coordination Committee and dedicated project officer(s).

This project would make a major contribution to achieving the desired outcomes of the Sub-regional species strategy for the Southern Brown Bandicoot that was produced in response to obligations associated with the Melbourne Strategic Assessment and approval of new urban development in the south eastern growth corridor.