By Jack O’shea-AyresWhittlesea council is taking steps to strengthen environmental protections across its northern green wedge. According to council the proposal has been underpinned by research carried out for the biodiversity asset mapping report and the habitat connectivity study, identifying several areas of high environmental value. Surveys uncovered previously unrecorded threatened species such as the brush-tailed phascogales, the common dunnart, the powerful owl and rare plant species. Whittlesea Mayor Cr Martin Taylor said the amendment was a vital step in preserving critical habitats. “The City of Whittlesea’s green wedge provides critical habitat for a diverse range of flora and fauna, including a number of threatened species such as the powerful owl,” Cr Taylor said.