Logan and Albert Conservation Association
Can we save Bahrs Scrub?
A presentation to Hon Peter Garrett, Minister for Environment, Heritage, and the Arts, with particular reference to the draft National Biodiversity Strategy was made by two of our Bahrs Scrub concerned citizens. The presentation was made by Petrina Maizey and Glen Leiper during the federal community cabinet meeting held at Beenleigh in the Forde electorate.
Bahrs Scrub has unfortunately been shuffled around and between local government areas. This happened when Logan was established as a new city and recently when our state government decided to amalgamate local councils. As a result of this Bahrs Scrub moved from the jurisdiction of the Albert Shire to become an outreach of Gold Coast Shire. Then as a reult of amalgamation this same area is an outreach of Logan City Council.
Bahrs Scrub has always been on the outskirts of the local authority boundary. Gecko - Gold Coast and Hinterland Environment Council has been actively engaged in monitoring and protecting this area and working with Gold Coast city council for many years. The area nows falls within the catchment of LACA - Logan and Albert Conservation Association as we endeavour to work with Logan City Council to achieve, we hope, best long term environmental outcomes.
Why the urgent need for this presentation and our 'campaign'?
Logan City has been targeted as an area for future development by state govenment's SEQRP or South East Queensland Regional Plan. People are rushing to SEQ and councils have been directed by state government to provide 'affordable housing' for these people. In Logan there are 8 such areas - all of which require Local Area Plans and innumerable manhours - funded by us to create our future.
This article makes use of the major points presented in the presentation - and will be followed by more. If you are interested in protecting the environmental values present in Bahrs Scrub Precinct and would like to be involved please contact us at bahrsscrub at laca.org.au or use the form on the contact page.
This week, the Noosa Biosphere is launching their new web site, described as an active place for community, special interests and visitors to connect with a broad range of biosphere reserve activity, with Michael Donovan, the Inaugural Chair of the Noosa Biosphere describing the web site as, "Punk in nature but logical in delivery and a striking example of creativity, commitment and practical outcomes from a locally based business".
The Noosa Biosphere Reserve is also hosting a visit this week from Dr Natarajan Ishwaran, the UNESCO Secretary to the Man and the Biosphere Programme and Director of Earth Sciences, with over the two days of Dr Ish's visit, the hosting a Biosphere Q&A session and today the official launch of the Noosa Biosphere Reserve website www.noosabiosphere.org.au launch and a short film produced in Noosa.
Noosa, as Queensland's first UNESCO Biosphere is all about promoting harmony between people and nature through education, conservation and sustainable activities - all of which have a direct impact on the quality of Noosa as a tourism destination.
Environmentalists and concerned citizens are dismayed at lack of foresight by state government and local councils which blindly accept SEQRP urban footprint proposals.
Ted Fensom, pictured aside, has been campaigning, and continues to campaign to assist local communities to protect what remains of open space, natural habitats and bioregional corridors, good quality agricultural lands, wetlands and riverine vegetation. Many of our rare and threatened fauna species depend of these patches of disconnected fragmented bushlands.
Glenn Leiper's presentation at the community meeting held at Windaroo Valley high school 5 November 2009 highlighted the rare and threatened and newly discovered plant species that are part of Bahrs Scrub biodiversity. Information about these rare flora will be added soon.
Albert and Logan news reported our concerns in July this year. Story is repeated here.
All too often we citizens and businesses continue to follow patterns of behaviour or ways of doing things as we have done in the past. Stopping to reflect is not a regular occurence for most of us - ie until something makes us sit up and look at what has happened because of what we have been doing.
Could our vast supplies of Australian coal be used other than for running power stations? The Science Show is reviewing the options and wants your input on the possibilities. If in 25 years we can no longer burn coal what do you think we could do with it? Have your say on the Science Show's message board.
The ABCs Science Show has a transcript and audio download of the program Alternative uses of coal. They are available here.
An extract follows
Guy Pearse: The main implication has been that coal has been seen to be too big to fail. So on the biggest environmental issue of our time and the biggest contributing factor (certainly in this country) to it, we've just assumed that clean coal will work because it has to work.
Peter Mares: That's the point, isn't it; coal is too big to fail.
Guy Pearse: We think. But it's not.
SLOW Food is an international not-for-profit organisation founded in 1986 to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions, people's dwindling interest in
the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world - people, communities, animals, plants and the environment. There are branches in SEQ and locally at Mt Tamborine. Contacts for Queensland are available here.
As the name suggests, Slow Food represents everything that fast food does not:
fresh, local, seasonal produce;
recipes handed down through generations;
sustainable farming practices (including organics);
small scale artisan food production; and
relaxed, leisurely dining in the company of family and friends.
Convivium (local Slow Food groups) activities introduce local foods and producers to both members and non-members, while Taste Workshops offer guided tastings with food experts. Find out more about the local Mt Tamborine group at their website linked here.
SLOW FRUIT is a current campaign to locate and capture images and information about sentinel fruit and nut trees and old orchards for Slow Food Australia's national Slow fruit register.
During the 1980s botanists ecologists and other environmental scientists discovered the beauty rarity and majesty of the Bahrs Scrub area - home to many unique rare or now endangered species - both flora and fauna. A proposal was made to the government of the day to declare it as a National Park. This unfortunately did not eventuate.
Those of us who value and respect landscapes with rare and endangered species will always look for lawful ways to protect preserve and enhance those species. As we work towards this end we will try to take the reader on a journey to discover the history of this special area of Bahrs Scrub and look to preserve it for posterity. Veresdale Scrub - a nearby now denuded dry vine rainforest - is almost extinguished by development encouraged by governments of the time.
Unless and until a ground truthing exercise to map all plants and animals and slopes has been conducted then it is irresponsible to plan for high density housing developments which could obliterate much of this biodiversity hotspot.
The Quest newspaper from Enoggera reports this week that almost one million hectares of Queensland has become nature refuge as more private property owners agree to set aside land for conservation. Environment Minister Kate Jones, also the State Member for Ashgrove, said 14 new conservation agreements had been signed with landholders this week, protecting an extra 172 thousand hectares across Queensland. The massive Toko Range, southwest of Mount Isa, is the largest among the latest nature refuges in the state.
Ms Jones says the new agreements bring the state's total land covered under the nature refuges program to more than 900 thousand hectares.
Wouldn't this be a great option for the current landowners of Bahrs Scrub? Better of course if the area became a National Park. However, landowners who join the nature refuge program are helped financially to maintain and enhance the landscape.
Major conservation councils, GECKO - Gold Coast & Hinterland Environment Council, and BREC - Brisbane Region Environment Council, and peak groups, Logan & Albert Conservation Association and Wildlife Logan have come together to promote responsible outcomes for Bahrs Scrub which preserve the area's unique, extremely high conservation values and acknowledge multiple development constraints.
In addition to multiple development constraints we are keen to work with Logan City Council landowners and developers to achieve an ecologically sustainable development for human settlement. As yet we have seen little on ground evidence that this concept is understood by those making decisions for us.
YOU CAN HELP US MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO THE WAY WE LIVE IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
Join one of the groups to learn more about sustainable developments.
Join one of the groups to help repair some unsustainable developments.
ALBERT AND LOGAN NEWS, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2009 page 13 article reads as follows
Activists combine to ban houses [at Bahrs Scrub]FOUR conservation groups are joining forces to fight a 4000-lot housing development proposed for sensitive bushland at Bahrs Scrub.
Spokeswoman Petrina Maizey said the Logan City Council plan to allow 10,000 more people into a 510ha zone bordered by Wuraga and Sharton roads was
''irresponsible''.
She said the area housed endangered wildlife and flora and was unsuitable for development as it had serious soil and slope stability problems.
Last call for volunteers as catchment crisis deepens
In the wake of the 'fail' report cards for the Logan Estuary and the Southern Bay, the Logan-Albert Rivers Catchment Association (LARC) is also heading for a 'fail' if a new executive cannot be found at its forthcoming AGM. LARC is the peak organisation that speaks for and works to improve the health of the Logan-Albert catchment that drains into the failing Logan Estuary and Southern Bay.
Save Bahrs Scrub
Public Meeting Invitation
Do you want to lose unique bushland with koalas, platypus and rare plants to yet more urban development?
This is the proposed fate of Bahrs Scrub.
If your answer is NO!, Gecko, LACA, BREC and Wildlife Logan invite you to attend an important public meeting to be held at:
Windaroo Valley State High School
Beenleigh Beaudesert Rd, Windaroo
Thursday November 5, 2009 6:30 - 7:30 pm.
The four peak environment groups are determined, with your help, to protect for all time this important and unique area, and hope to establish the Save Bahrs Scrub community group. The Bahrs Scrub precinct, once proposed as a National Park, has been known for more than two decades to be a hotspot for a variety of wildlife, including koala and platypus, and rare vegetation, including newly discovered species.
Despite this knowledge, Bahrs Scrub has been fast-tracked by the SEQ Regional Plan as a Local Development Area within Logan City Council, projected to accommodate 11,000 residents.
Major conservation councils, Gecko - Gold Coast and Hinterland Environment Council, and BREC - Brisbane Region Environment Council, and peak groups, Logan & Albert Conservation Association and Wildlife Logan have come together to promote responsible outcomes for Bahrs Scrub which preserve the area's unique, extremely high conservation values and acknowledge multiple development constraints.
We need your support to Save Bahrs Scrub!
If you are interested and unable to attend this meeting please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.