Changes proposed in Noosa Council this week for Blue Care’s aged care facility at Sunrise Beach will see the clearing of half of the glossy black cockatoo food trees earmarked for removal for the facility in its first stage of construction.
Concerns continue to be raised over the environmental impact of Blue Care’s proposed retirement and aged care facility with the proposal on the Noosa Council agenda this month to address requests by the developer to approve design and staging changes.
Blue Care seeks approval to amend its proposal to include six additional beds in its Residential Aged Care building and adapt its design for improved functionality and to improve infection control, an issue highlighted by Covid-19. It also seeks to adjust the staging of construction in order to build its Residential Aged Care facility in the first stage of construction and push back construction of independent living accommodation to later stages.
At Council’s Planning and Environment Committee meeting on Tuesday Cr Karen Finkel raised concerns expressed to her from residents about the removal from the site of food trees for the threatened glossy black cockatoos.
Officers said there were management plans in place which include the propagation of glossy black food trees from parent trees in a ratio of eight to one within the Girraween estate for those removed as well as the translocation of top soil and vegetation.
They said the first stage of the project would require clearing of about .8 hectare of land that contained about half the glossy black cockatoo feed trees earmarked for removal with the rest of the development to include clearing of 4.6 hectares of bushland.
Cr Tom Wegener said there had been a lot of knowledge sharing about black glossies in Noosa recently and people were becoming aware of what “fussy eaters“ they were. He said people would be “up in arms“ about this and ask how this could happen.
The site was previously owned by Noosa Council and rezoned in 2006 for aged care use after consideration of the needs of the community.Blue Care contracted to purchase the land around 2007/08, with the contract being subject to gaining a development approval.
Cr Brian Stockwell said in hindsight multiple objectives of the site could have been been considered. He said the ecosystem of 3000 hectares was like no other in the world apart from an area on Stradbroke Island. The glossy black cockatoos like it and there must be a reason for it, he said.
The matter was moved to Council’s General Committee Meeting on Monday because of its significance to the community.
