Your Garden and Platypus

If you live near a river like the Werribee River which flows through Ballan and Bacchus Marsh then you live near platypus. In  Bacchus Marsh you may see platypus at Peppertree Park if you go early in the morning or at dusk. Our gardens are connected to the river via drains and pipes and unintentionally some of the actions we take at home may harm platypus. 

Here are some handy tips from the brochure below on ways we can help keep platypus safe. 

• Install a water tank

• Plant a garden using local species

• Reduce the amount of hard surfaces and add mulch, pavers or lawn so water can soak in

• Pick up rubbish before it washes down the drain

• Avoid using harmful toxins in the garden and don't tip oil down the drain

• Clean up dog droppings and dispose of properly

• Cut and bin circular rubbish like the ring on a plastic milk carton, string, elastic hair ties or rubber bands

If you would like to learn more about platypus then read all about them on the Australian Platypus Conservancy website. Platypus have been added to Victoria's list of threatened species so we need to do all we can to keep them  and their food source safe. For local information visit the Bacchus Marsh Platypus Alliance website