Can Recycling Plan To Help Possums

The Age

Sunday September 1, 1996

Tim Winkler

The Environment Minister, Mrs Marie Tehan, yesterday launched an aluminium can recycling program to fund research into the mountain pygmy possum, after the discovery of a small colony of the mammals at Mount Buller in February.

The possum will appear on can recycling boxes, road signs and bumper stickers to promote the campaign.

``This novel venture will have a two-pronged benefit to the environment and will also bring financial benefits by reducing the cost of removing waste from the mountain," Mrs Tehan said.

Only fossilised versions of the pygmy possums were in the hands of scientists until September 1966, when a living Burramys Parvus was discovered in a Mount Hotham ski hut.

Subsequent research indicates that about 2600 possums live in the wild at four alpine locations in Victoria and New South Wales.

The can collection program on Mount Buller will fund a research program by a postgraduate La Trobe University student, Mr Dean Heinze.

Mr Heinze will use radio tracking devices to determine the size of the colony and a system of tunnels and rock slopes will be constructed at Mount Buller to provide habitats for the animals.

Cans collected around Mount Buller will be crushed and stored on site until they can be picked up by an aluminium can collection group at the end of winter.

This group supplied the Alpine Resorts Commission with a can crusher to assist the process, Mrs Tehan said.