Land purchase creates region’s largest environment reserve

Doonan Creek Environment Reserve in Peregian Springs is now the largest reserve in Sunshine Coast Council’s conservation estate thanks to the acquisition of an additional property.

The latest purchase adds 94 hectares to the existing reserve and brings it to an impressive 474 hectares in total.

Sunshine Coast Council Mayor Mark Jamieson said that additional land was acquired using funds generated by the Environment Levy, which is contributed to by all ratepayers.

“The importance of our Environment Levy land acquisition program is that it helps to grow our conservation network and provide opportunities for council to create new habitat to support our native plants and animals,” Mayor Jamieson said.

“The new parcel is adjacent to the existing Doonan Creek Environment Reserve and by consolidating it with the existing Reserve it will assist in providing more connected green spaces for our community.

“This purchase is particularly significant because it preserves our highly valued Maroochy-Noosa wallum biodiversity corridor and is covered entirely with native vegetation which is in excellent condition.

“This corridor includes diverse habitats such as coastal lowlands and floodplains that together form an essential corridor for our wildlife to move through the landscape.

“The Doonan Creek Environment Reserve builds on and complements the significant environmental values of council’s nearby Blue Heart project.

“It’s our council’s continued focus on preserving our important environmental assets and maintaining our desirable lifestyle that will see us realise our vision for the Sunshine Coast: Australia’s most sustainable region – healthy, smart, creative.”

Native vegetation (Eucalypt woodland) at the newly acquired site in Doonan Creek Environment Reserve.

Environment and Liveability Portfolio and Division 9 Councillor Maria Suarez said land acquisitions helped to protect our environment and helped to ensure the Sunshine Coast continued to be a great place to live into the future.

“This purchase contributes towards achieving our Environment and Liveability Strategy’s biodiversity objective to expand and connect our conservation estate,” Cr Suarez said.

“The Doonan Creek Environment Reserve, with the addition of this land parcel, will continue to protect our critically endangered rainforest and wetland, and our locally important wallum vegetation communities.

“This additional land will also protect more than two kilometres of Doonan Creek.

“Through implementation of the Doonan Creek Environment Reserve Management Plan this reserve will also provide opportunities to connect people with nature through conservation, recreation and education.

“And the community will be able to do just that this Saturday 5 June as we celebrate World Environment Day at Doonan Creek Environment Reserve with family-friendly fun, including tree planting.”

Sunshine Coast Council’s conservation estate now totals more than 7000 hectares and is one of the largest council-owned and/or managed conservation estates in south east Queensland.

Learn more about the Environment Levy via council’s website: sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au

Find out more about World Environment Day Festival and this year’s theme: #GenerationRestoration via their website: wed.org.au.