City of Gold Coast land purchase to secure wildlife corridor

Aiming to protect endangered wildlife, the City of Gold Coast has announced the purchase of what it calls a “crucial link” along its Burleigh to Springbrook wildlife corridor.

Looking to ensure the wildlife corridor’s long-term viability as an important environmental habitat, the 1.2 hectare site in Burleigh Heads is the first to be purchased by the City under the Natural Areas Acquisition Program which allows critical ‘pinch points’ in the city’s wildlife corridors to be purchased to ensure our native flora and fauna remains protected.

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said vegetation on the $1.31 million parcel would be restored by the council to maximise its environmental value, commenting “this might seem like an innocuous piece of land but it has been identified as a vital missing piece along this corridor which is key to the survival of many native animals, including koalas, in this part of the Gold Coast

“This is the first of many purchases. We are committed to buying up several key pieces of land for this purpose and I hope to be able to make an announcement on further sites soon.”

The property was purchased because of its high strategic value. Factors included its:

• Location within a pinch point of the Burleigh to Springbrook Critical Corridor

• Linkage between existing parcels of City managed conservation estate

• Connectivity to a planned fauna underpass under the upgraded M1 (being delivered by TMR)

• Critical role in securing a movement pathway for the city’s koalas from Burleigh Headland to the hinterland.

The program is funded by the City’s Open Space including Koala Habitat Maintenance and Enhancement Separate Charge, a first of its kind levy introduced by the City in 2020.

Image courtesy of the Koala Advisory Council.