After years of planning, preparation and dedication, Zinfra, Tasmania Gas Pipeline (TGP) and the Lobster Ponds have welcomed four endangered Swift Parrots.
Since 2020, the Zinfra Tasmanian Gas Pipeline project team and TGP have been working closely with a group of volunteers with the aim of protecting the endangered parrot population, including Swift and Orange Bellied parrots.
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Zinfra field manager Greg Donald said a lot of work had gone into the parrot protection program, dating back to when construction on the pipeline began.
“For over 20 years we have been working to help secure the parrot population in Tasmania, right from when we started construction on the gas pipeline and minimised the impact on the Eucalyptus Ovata vegetation that the parrots use for shelter, food and breeding,” he said.
“As the pipeline runs through two Swift Parrot habitats, we ensured the alignment of the pipeline allowed us to keep as many trees as possible.
“Our partner, TGP, has been instrumental in securing the haven for the Swift Parrots through their generous donations, and all the hard work paid off in April this year when four parrots were secured for breeding.”
The Swift and Orange Bellied parrots only breed in Tasmania in the summer months, then migrate north over winter to mainland Australia.
The Zinfra and TGP teams have worked closely with Kevin Hyland, manager of the Lobster Ponds in Flowerdale, and his team to set up the parrot haven onsite.
The Ponds also house the protected Giant Freshwater Crayfish, which is the largest crustacean in the world and unique to Northern Tasmania.
Donald said Zinfra was focused on finding ways it can give back to the communities in which it works in through these kind of long-term projects.
“Caring for and servicing communities is at the heart of what we do and I know how proud the team is to go above and beyond to care for the environment around them,” he said.
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“We feel a real connection to the team at the Lobster Ponds, The Tasmanian Gas Pipeline runs on the same property and has had a connection with the nursery, providing native plant species that have been planted from one end of the state to the other, as part of the rehabilitation of the pipeline.
“Now with the Swift Parrots safely housed at the Ponds, we have taken big step forward in paving the way for introducing Orange Bellied Parrots shortly.”
