Coolum and North Shore Coast Care seized the opportunity to speak with the Assistant Minister for Waste Reduction and Environmental Management recently during a tour of the dunes near Yaroomba.
Trevor Evans MP was in town to view the group’s Wallum Wildlife Workshop which has been funded under the Federal Government’s Communities Environment Program.
Federal Member for Fairfax Ted O’Brien said he was delighted to show the Minister the wonderful work being done by volunteer community groups to nurture the Sunshine Coast environment.
“I was delighted to support Coolum and North Shore Coast Care in its application for a $20,000 Communities Environment Grant and it was a pleasure to show Assistant Minister Evans what the group has been able to achieve with the funding,” Mr O’Brien said.
“The grant has aided with the purchase of equipment and resources to help reduce the threat of feral animals and invasive species. It has also allowed Coolum and North Shore Coast Care to host a number of workshops, the first focused on protecting the local turtle populations, while today’s workshop is educating local families about our wallum, or coastal, environment.”
Assistant Minister for Waste Reduction and Environmental Management Trevor Evans said the Communities Environment Program is empowering grassroots community organisations to protect their local environment right across Australia.
“The Morrison Government is backing hard-working local community groups such as Coolum and North Shore Coast Care who are making a positive difference and caring for and improving the environment here on the Sunshine Coast,” Mr Evans said.
President of Coolum and North Shore Coast Care Leigh Warneminde said the funding was gratefully received.
“It has helped us continue to assist in the management of native species, including threatened species, and their habitat. Threatened local fauna species in our patch include the loggerhead turtle, green turtle, water mouse, eastern ground parrot, acid frog species, spotted quoll, swamp yabby and honey blue-eye fish just to name a few,” she said.
Ms Warneminde explained the Wallum Wildlife Workshop, aimed at families with children, was one of a series of workshops the group was holding.
“The nutrient-poor coastal dunes and sand plains of the wallum are home to a diverse array of plants and animals, many of which are specially adapted to life in east Australia’s coastal sandy lowlands,” she said.
“And today we have hands-on activities for the kids as well as two ecologists to educate us about this fragile environment.”
