Gold Coast Council has spent $4.4 million purchasing a large parcel of land on the northern Gold Coast in order to protect native wildlife.
The 19-hectare property in Pimpama will provide a crucial link between existing conservation reserves through a major fauna underpass on the M1.
It’s the third parcel of land the council has acquired in just 12 months.
Mayor Tom Tate says council must play a role in looking after our precious native wildlife.
“It’s a priority of council to protect and enhance natural habitats around the Gold Coast,” Mayor Tate says.
“Nineteen hectares of crucial connectivity that our wildlife can cross over from huge parcel of land to the next,
“It’s no wonder why people throughout Australia are saying the Gold Coast is the greenest council in all the land.”
The Pimpama land will undergo planned restoration, to ensure it contributes to the city’s native vegetation target.
It’ll also be upgraded to make sure it’s even more usable for native wildlife and safe, including security fencing.
The purchase was secured through the City’s Natural Areas Acquisition program, funded by the $2.55 component of the levy for wildlife habitat maintenance and enhancement, introduced by the City in 2020.
The first land purchase, in late 2021, was a 1.2ha site in Burleigh Heads. This is now providing a vital link in the Burleigh-to-Springbrook critical corridor.
The second purchase was made this year and is a 37.5ha site in Tallebudgera, linking the Currumbin-to-Springbrook critical corridor.
WATCH: Vision of the Pimpama land
Council says the Pimpama site was purchased due to its high strategic value including:
- location within a critical pinch point between the Pacific Motorway and heavy rail infrastructure, connecting with a major fauna underpass on the motorway;
- habitat connectivity for priority species including the glossy black cockatoo and koala;
- strategic habitat connectivity for the endangered East Coomera koala population;
- support towards the overall health of the Pimpama River, with site restoration to deliver improvements to waterway health;
- building a critical connection in the Southern Moreton Bay-to- Wongawallan Critical Corridor;
- consolidation of existing city managed parks to provide improved land management outcomes.
