GOLD COAST BULLETIN (Molendinar, Australia) 08 October 13 Rare frog forced light rail change (Jessica Huxley)
The discovery of another species of rare frogs forced changes to the design of a Gold Coast light rail bridge, it can be revealed.
The green-thighed frog is the second rare amphibian found on the tram route after a colony of tusked frogs were discovered in Surfers Paradise and had to be relocated to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.
And in 2006, a third frog, the wallum sedge species, forced changes to the Tugun bypass at a cost of $150 million.
But the academic who championed the plight of the green-thighed frog, also known as Litoria brevipalmata, has vowed to keep fighting for the creatures.
Griffith environment professor Jean-Marc Hero, a world-leader in the study of frogs, said the frog was found in a pond near Griffith University by a masters student in 2007.
As a result, the state government moved and increased the height of a tram bridge.
"The frog species lives only in wetland areas and only emerges during heavy rainfall," professor Hero, the Secretary General for the World Congress of Herpetology, said.
"A masters student of mine, Damian White, had been monitoring the area between Smith St and the Parklands near Griffith for almost 10 years before successfully discovering the healthy population.
"He and his wife Narelle ventured out during heavy rainfall with their gumboots and nets and successfully photographed the species -- now the only known population on the Gold Coast.
"I did everything I could to protect the frogs and bring them to the attention of the state government. I emailed Main Roads and state agencies giving them the right information and making them aware.
"I even took them onsite to show them where the frogs were.
"I will keep campaigning for the frogs. It's my responsibility and job as an academic and scientist to protect the animals I study."
The green-thighed frog grows to around 4cm in length and is known to exist in isolated pockets on Australia's east coast between South-East Queensland and Wollongong.
"This was a really good decision by state government to shift and elevate the tramline from where it was originally going to be," he said.
"In a way it's a landmark decision, as it's not very often that construction companies seriously consider frogs as an important part of the environment."
GoldlinQ spokesman Jason Ward confirmed the viaduct along the Loders Creek valley was elevated as part of the original light rail plans by the State Government.
"In the early development stages the government was made aware of a couple of rare frog species in the Loders Creek area, which was included in the Concept Design and Impact Management Plan GoldLinQ bid for and has seen through," he said.
"The GoldLinQ consortium has a detailed environmental management plan for the light rail project and an environment team on hand for anything that comes up day-to-day.
"Examples we've had just this year include a juvenile crocodile found around our work area on Queen Street and a large habitat of rare Tusked Frogs in Surfers Paradise, which were successfully relocated to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary."
GoldlinQ has also built a retaining wall in the Loders Creek area to help protect the rare frogs.
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