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Aurora is a large residential development in Epping North, approximately 20 kilometres north of the Melbourne central business district. One of the interesting features of Aurora is that it provides for the construction of a series of purpose-built frog habitat ponds and wetland areas. The ponds are located along Edgars Creek and are designed specifically as habitat for the Growling Grass Frog (a threatened species listed under the EPBC Act).

The first two habitat ponds were completed in September 2009. Having allowed the vegetation and habitat areas around the ponds to properly establish, a salvage and relocation program commenced recently relocating tadpoles from a nearby farm dam to the new ponds. Early monitoring suggests that the relocation program has been successful and that the tadpoles are adapting well. Encouragingly, other frogs have found the ponds on their own and have settled there also.

With other frog populations in Melbourne dwindling, the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment and the Australian Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities will be watching the Aurora frog ponds with much interest. We are all hoping that the frogs continue to settle in and enjoy their new home!

A total of sixteen ponds will eventually be built at Aurora and will be connected as part of a linear habitat corridor along Edgars Creek.

Collie has been providing planning advice and services to VicUrban in relation to the Aurora development for a number of years. For more information about the frog ponds, or about Aurora generally, contact Aran Barker on +61 3 8698 9300 or awb@colliepl.com.au

I was lucky enough on my recent trip to the USA to visit a number of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings, including the Guggenheim in New York and Robie House and other prairie style houses in Chicago. In addition, I also visited the amazing Falling Water house.

Falling Water was designed and built by Frank Lloyd Wright for the Kaufmann family in the late 1930’s. It is located in the mountains about two hours drive south-east of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania. The Kaufmann’s at the time owned a major department store in Pittsburgh (now part of the Macy’s chain).

It is amazing how this house sits within the forest, and most of us will be familiar with the stream and waterfall that goes under the house thanks to the use of an extensive cantilever system which at the time of construction was new technology. The visit was one of those experiences where every expectation was met and exceeded and I would recommend that anyone who has the chance to visit Falling Water take the opportunity. I’m sure that most of the over 4 million people that have visited the house since it was opened to the public in the 1960’s will agree. Contact Jay Hollerich at jjh@colliepl.com.au