Wildlife Victoria volunteers relocate turtles in Strathfieldsaye dam as Bendigo city grows

Last week's efforts underline challenges animals face on the edge of a growing city, Wildlife Victoria says.

"As more and more land is cleared in preparation for housing developments in regional areas, Wildlife Victoria urges developers and land owners to be proactive in learning about the impacts of land clearing on wildlife and habitat," it said.

Wildlife Victoria urged people to work with Wildlife Victoria, local governments and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.

A member of the public last Wednesday told the rescue service developers were draining the dam at a Dukes Lane property.

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Wildlife Victoria volunteers ended up moving hundreds of turtles and "an assortment of molluscs" with the help of the developers, Wildlife Victoria said in a statement.

Turtles can often make their own way out of dams when draining begins.

Some at Dukes Lane are understood to have started heading for a creek roughly 200 metres away.

Many of the hundreds found in the dam's mud are understood to have been moved to water bodies further away.

Strathfieldsaye is one of the city's fastest growing suburbs and the population is expected to almost double to 13,000 by 2036, according to some estimates.

Developers at the Dukes Lane property are themselves asking for planning permission to build 30 lots and a new road, but are understood not to have needed council planning permission to drain the dam.

Meanwhile, the City of Greater Bendigo is asking the public for ideas to protect biodiversity across the municipality.

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The council wants a clear vision detailing what it should do to help protect ecosystems widely regarded as in crisis after centuries of fragmentation and, increasingly, climate change.

It is asking people to contribute thoughts and locations where it and other conservation groups could help out species.

To learn more, click here.

Wildlife Victoria says that people can report injured, sick or stranded wildlife, 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling 8400 7300.

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