Western Power to install nesting boxes in Kemerton to provide shelter to native fauna

The industrial area of Kemerton will receive a wildlife boost as part of an initiative by a utility infrastructure entity.

State Government-owned Western Power will install some of their 25 new nesting boxes in the area as part of a program across their infrastructure assets in the Perth, Peel and South West regions.

The boxes are a result of an environmental education workshop held by the entity with The Re-Cyc-Ology Project, where staff built the nesting structures.

Western Power environmental team leader James Widenbar said the boxes, which come in six different designs, were allocated based on what type of animals were likely to frequent the area.

“Natural cavities in trees that can be used as habitat can take many years to form, so are often rare or absent in developed areas,” he said.

“A number of depots and terminals under (our) control have known native fauna within their areas including Carnaby’s, Forest Red-tailed and Baudin’s cockatoos, native bees, ducks, wallabies, skinks and phascogales — while some sites border conservation areas.”

The boxes will be regularly monitored to ensure pest species are not using them and to enable further boxes to be installed if they prove to be successful.