Logan and Albert Conservation Association

250 tube stock of native understorey plants were planted at Kingston College Thursday 16 October 2008.  Some Brisbane office staff  from Pricewaterhouse Coopers spent the day at Kingston College getting down and dirty with the students. This is part of their partnership with the school and also their usual one work day per year given to a volunteer community group.

The importance of this activity was highlighted to students when both local and state government sitting members Cr Graham Able and MP Desley Scott each took time out of their schedule to help plant some trees.

The selection of well mulched and waterwise grasses and flowering shrubs will help both to restore the understorey for a range of native animal species and reduce erosion on the hillside. A gallery of pictures will be posted here soon with futher information. 

 The plant above, melastoma affine, is just one of the species planted. The students and volunteers did a fantastic job - and also had fun. Thanks to all concerned for supporting this LACA initiated  and federally funded Community Water Grant project.

 Recently Logan and Albert Conservation co-hosted a series of wildlife workshops with Wildlife Tourism Australia. A two day wildlife expo attracted people from Redcliffe to Redlands and northern New South Wales.  The former Beaudesert Shire Council supported these acticities with a Community Environmental Assistance Grant.

The many people who attended and / or presented at the workshops and expo all share a concern that the welfare of our native fauna is not given adequate protection by current local, state or federal legislation. Current road design does not make provision for safe fauna crossings. Although  some small moves towards increasing fauna protection has occurred, really nothing is happening fast enough.

Look at this youtube video, produced by registered wildlife carer Trixie. Everyday she is called to rescue birds, her paricular passion, from senseless acts of cruelty - unintended though they be. Most of us do not see the consequences of our actions and continue to do what others do because that what humans do.

Go to this link to view an environmental crisis. Wildlife carers receive almost no financial support to help care for injured fauna and locally in both Logan City and Scenic Rim Region we have as yet no planning in place for longterm care of those creaures unable to be released to natural bushland areas. We also have no wildlife hospital as exists in Gold Coast, Brisbane and Sunshine Coast areas. CAN YOU HELP US IMPROVE CONDITIONS FOR OUR LOCAL WILDLIFE?

Contact us if you'd like to help. Please go to contact page and register your interest. You can also contact Trixie at crowsinoz[at]yahoo.com.au.

Queensland Transport has engaged Maunsell Australia to undertake preliminary planning and impact assessment for the Southern Freight Rail Corridor study (previously known as the Southern Infrastructure Corridor).

The study's aim is to identify a potential route for a freight rail corridor connecting the western railway near Rosewood to the interstate railway north of Beaudesert (see map below). The Southern Freight Rail Corridor will serve as a major freight link connecting a future Melbourne to Brisbane inland railway with the existing south east Queensland rail freight network. Further information is available at this page.

Draft Assessment report has been released and you are encouraged to have your say by 31 October 2008.

Queensland Transport has engaged Maunsell Australia to undertake preliminary planning and impact assessment for the Southern Freight Rail Corridor study (previously known as the Southern Infrastructure Corridor). The study's aim is to identify a potential route for a freight rail corridor connecting the western railway near Rosewood to the interstate railway north of Beaudesert (see map below). The Southern Freight Rail Corridor will serve as a major freight link connecting a future Melbourne to Brisbane inland railway with the existing south east Queensland rail freight network.

Queensland Transport website has information about the study and community participation and comment at this page.

Current phase
Queensland Transport has released the preferred alignment for the proposed Southern Freight Rail Corridor, connecting the western railway near Rosewood to the interstate rail line north of Beaudesert.  A draft Assessment Report has been developed and is available for public comment. It is available here.

A community information day will be held on Saturday 18 October 2008  10am-4pm and community members are invited to speak with the study team about the project - location Peak Crossing Community Hall (Corner Fassifern Street and Hall Street), Peak Crossing.

Species
This recovery plan is a multi-species plan for wallum-dependent frog species of coastal south-east Queensland and eastern New South Wales. The species covered by this plan are the wallum sedgefrog Litoria olongburensis, Cooloola sedgefrog L. cooloolensis, wallum rocketfrog L. freycineti and wallum froglet Crinia tinnula.
Current species status
The species in this plan are listed as ‘Rare' or ‘Vulnerable' under state legislation, the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992 and the New South Wales Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. However, only the wallum sedgefrog is listed under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). All species in this plan are listed as ‘Vulnerable' or ‘Endangered' by the World Conservation Union (IUCN).
Habitat and distribution
The species in this plan are wholly or largely restricted to lowland sand plains, dunes and sand islands of coastal south-east Queensland and New South Wales (including coastal ‘wallum'). All breed in oligotrophic (nutrient poor) acidic (pH < 6.0) coastal swamps and/or lakes.

Threats
The species in this plan have suffered significant habitat loss due to urban and resort development, the establishment of pine plantations and sand mining. Habitat loss and fragmentation due to urban development remains one of the main threats to wallum frog species, particularly in coastal south-east Queensland and northeast New South Wales. Other known and potential threats include habitat degradation, predation of eggs and larvae by introduced fish (in particular the mosquito fish Gambusia holbrooki), inappropriate fire regimes, use of biocides in weed and mosquito control, habitat disturbance and predation by pigs, chytrid fungus infection, a possible rise in sea levels as a consequence of global warming, competition with ecologically-similar species, exotic disease and vehicular traffic.

The fourth team from Conservation Volunteers Australia have spent a week clearing, weeding and PLANTING at last. Huge thanks to LACAs project manager Carla Parker for all her work in overseeing this stage of the project! Much mulching and staking should help with plant survival - but a regular team of volunteers to water as well as continue to plant is essential. Veresdale Scrub dry vine rainforest contains significant endangered plant species.

Thanks also to  Scenic Rim parks staff for working with our team and organizing water supplies.

Photos will be added here soon.

The Greater Brisbane Area Consultative Committee (GBACC) is a non-profit organisation supporting regional growth in Brisbane, Logan and Redlands . It is part of the national network of Area Consultative Committees (ACCs) , which has been an important link between the Australian Government and rural and metropolitan Australia.

The Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, the Hon Anthony Albanese MP announced on 20 March 2008 that as foreshadowed in the Government ' s key regional election commitments, Area Consultative Committees (ACCs) would provide the basis for the creation of Regional Development Australia (RDA).

Therefore ACCs will transition to become local Regional Development Australia committees. Recently forums have been held in both Logan and the Scenic Rim.

GBACC is providing via its website an opportunity for the local community to have a say in the transformation or transitioning process. Look here for the survey and details for sending. Also available there is the earlier submission to the ferderal government.

Both the GBACC's website and www.acc.gov.au will be updated frequently until the transition to RDA is complete.

Residents in the Scenic Rim are able to complete an online survey from this page for your views on regional development on the Gold Coast and the Scenic Rim.

Where the Scenic Rim fits is confusing to me. On its website, the Ipswich & Regional Area Consultative Committee Inc (I&RACC) states that it represents a diverse region, each with its own characteristics and very different demographics including Ipswich City, the Scenic Rim, Lockyer Valley and Brisbane Valley. Covering an area of 9,502 square km's, this region has a population of approx. 189,000. (ABS Data June 2004)

With significant population growth currently facing South East Qld (SEQ), the SEQ Strategic Plan has now been developed to provide some clear direction for planning into the future for this region. The plan has clearly identified the Western Corridor including the Ipswich region as a significant growth area. The projected population for the I&RACC region is expected to grow from 189,000 to approx. 300,000 by 2016 and 392,000 by 2026. The impacts of this growth will have significant bearing on available infrastructure, transport, water, technology and employment to service the population.

The I&RACC region has identified that this can be achieved by continuing to work towards developing sustainable communities within our regional centres that provide jobs in close proximity to residential areas and available amenities.

Logan and Albert Conservation Association LACA ,Brisbane Region Environment Council BREC and Residents Action on Infrastructure Development and Environment RAIDE have been working with the EPA, Main Roads Metro, Main Roads Nerang and Logan City Council for the last 3 years to provide a dedicated fauna underpass immediately south of Stoney Camp Rd and Granger Rd (under the Mt Lindesay Highway) and to improve the environmental designs of the highway to facilitate local and regional fauna movement. This is part of the regional biodiversity corridor and is used by wildlife - eastern grey kangaroos koalas and other less visible to us fauna. Munruben Wetlands locally called Jerry's Downfall is also where the nationally endangered spotted tailed quoll has been 'spotted'. 

Deacons a leading Australian law firm states it is a leader in helping organisations meet the challenges  that climate change presents as the global environmental and economic challenge of the 21st Century  They are work ing with clients to: develop low emissions infrastructure including buildings, transportation and stationary energy infrastructure projects; negotiate low emissions and green energy contracts; navigate the emerging carbon trading markets; and better understand the climate change issues arising in relation to development projects.
Just as importantly, the firm has led by example on environment issues, establishing its first internal ‘green teams' in 2003 and, more recently, a dedicated sustainability team charged with reducing the firm's greenhouse gas emissions by up to 30 per cent by mid-2008

Their speaking engagements, updates,news views and opinions are available here.