ARTC’s construction partner, McConnell Dowell, has donated termites to Murrindindi Ranges Wildlife Shelter, just an hour from its work site at the Seymour-Avenel Rd bridge.
The Seymour-Avenel Rd Bridge was recently demolished and is set to be transformed into a higher structure to give more room for double-stacked freight trains.
Kate Turner from the shelter, a not-for-profit organisation run by volunteers, said termites were an excellent source of protein for animals.
“There’s lots of health benefits for animals, so when we got the call from McConnell Dowell that they had termites to donate, we were happy to accept them,” she said.
“Bubbles [the echidna] came to us injured but thanks to the termites, was able to quickly recover and be returned to the bush.”
McConnell Dowell said it was committed to sustainability and working with the community to minimise its impacts during construction.