By Phil Jarratt
Another piece of the jigsaw puzzle that is Noosa’s “ring of forest” was put in place last week with Noosa Council’s acquisition of an 88-hectare Boreen Point property featuring rare and important remnant old growth vegetation.
The $900,000 purchase, through Council’s Environment Levy, sits in a direct line between the Great Sandy Cooloola National Park and last year’s landmark Ringtail Creek/Yurol plantation acquisitions, and existing nature refuges, offering great potential for an extended wildlife corridor.
Environment Levy Working Group spokesman, Cr Tom Wegener, said the purchase was a big win for the environment. “Noosa prospers from environmental protection – it’s what makes us special. This purchase will conserve old growth vegetation, habitat for vulnerable species and a known koala corridor. It’s a win for the Noosa residents and another positive step towards our Man and Biosphere global goals,” Cr Wegener said.
“Purchasing land with the Environment Levy further assists with reaching the Noosa Environment Strategy target of ‘by 2030, half of all land in Noosa Shire is managed for its environmental values’.”
The Environment Levy ($56 per year included in rates) has enabled in full or in part more than 35 important acquisitions to add to Council’s protected land bank over the quarter century since its inception with the creation of Weyba Creek Conservation Park, but in recent times some critics, including one of the architects of the scheme, former mayor Noel Playford, have argued that its original intention has been watered down.
“The Levy has become a slush fund for all kinds of environmental groups and plans,” Mr Playford told Noosa Today during an inspection of the Boreen Point acquisition. “And that is depleting its ability to do what it was intended to do – make strategic land acquisitions.” Mr Playford pointed to more than a million dollars spent on elements of the Noosa River Plan, such as the oyster reef project and the projected buyout of beam trawl licences.
“This is all worthy,” he said, “but the money is coming from the wrong place.”
Cr Wegener said that the Environment Levy was being appropriately managed and acquisitions were on track to achieve the 2030 goal.
Meanwhile, Council’s Principal Environment Officer, Peter Milne, said the Boreen Point site was heavily vegetated with open forest and rainforest listed as “of concern” vegetation. “The vulnerable Southern Penda and Bacon Wood plant species have been identified on the land, and there are also records of the vulnerable Boronia keysii,” he said.
“It is known koala habitat and will be a great addition to Council’s bushland reserve estate.”
Cr Wegener said he was hoping that in the future open days could be held at the site so that the community could appreciate the remnant forest.
