A long-time Central Coast resident has raised the alarm about the “unnecessary” killing of wildlife during the construction of the pathway along Wilfred Barrett Dr at Magenta.
Joseph Gauci, 50, said he was concerned about the number of dead native animals he has seen on the stretch of road since construction of the new path started.
“I travel along this road daily, to and from work, and in all my time driving on the Central Coast, I have never seen so many dead native animals on this stretch of road,” he said.
He said dead animals included an echidna, possum, and wallaby.
“I feel as though the animals are being killed by what I consider to be completely unnecessary development works,” he said.
“I hope that the Central Coast Council is proud of themselves; the blood is on their hands.”
Central Coast Council said construction of the Magenta Shared Pathway project is expected to be completed by late 2025, weather permitting.
Concerns of the local community were considered, and consultation was undertaken with community groups and National Parks about the proposed alignment of the pathway during the early planning stages in 2015.
The shared path alignment does not encroach on the Wyrrabalong National Park.
During planning stages the site was identified as having significant environmentally sensitive areas including endangered ecological communities and threatened species.
A council statement said in accordance with State and Commonwealth legislation, the project had undergone an extensive assessment and approval process with the relevant regulatory authorities.
The statement said the principal contractor, council officers and an independent ecologist undertook regular monitoring and inspections to ensure ongoing compliance with the environmental requirements of the project.
Preparation work included the offsite propagation of more than 14,600 local native plants, including local provenance material of the Magenta Lilly Pilly.
Any identified hollows were substituted with individual nest boxes placed within proximity to each removed tree.