Page 16 - BOL May 21 Edition

Council locks away key wildlife

corridor from development

A small but vital piece of Moreton Bay Region will be it means there’s a lot of development going on, and we’re just
protected as wildlife habitat forever, thanks to the incredible trying to form some kind of buffer between that and the wildlife
generosity of a Clear Mountain couple. and trees.”

Jan and Dennis have donated six hectares of bushland on their This is the 15th VCA signed in Moreton Bay Regional Council’s
private property to be managed in perpetuity under a Voluntary history.
Conservation Agreement (VCA).
Mayor Peter Flannery presented them with the official VCA at a
“We love the bush and we’ve always tried to be sustainable as private ceremony.
well,” Jan said.
“This particular land has a spectacular array of flora and fauna,
“I’m a virologist but I’ve always been interested in nature and which makes it ideal habitat for native wildlife like koalas,
botany and things like that, so I think it’s important to actually possums, many bird species and more,” Mayor Flannery said.
record what’s here – even this year I’ve just found new plant
species that I’ve never seen before. “Thanks to Jan and Dennis we’re able to safeguard this wildlife
refuge from future development, which is essential in the Clear
“I’m proud that this property will forever act as a corridor joining Mountain area as the connector between our hinterland and
the conservation park over the road and the Council land behind suburbs like Eatons Hill.
us.
“As one of the fastest growing regions in Australia it’s essential
Her husband Dennis said he’d like to thank Council for getting we do our part now to protect our environment into the future.
the ball rolling on this project for the sake of the local wildlife.
“I think this is a fantastic initiative and I hope more locals will
“There are definitely koalas, and we’ve had echidnas walk past take a leaf out of Jan and Dennis’s book, especially if you have
our backdoor,” Dennis said. land available on your property that you think can play a part in
keeping Moreton Bay Region green.”
“I just caught and relocated a fawn-footed melomys this morning
that’s been decimating my pumpkins and sweet potato vines, so In exchange, Council provides VCA landowners with rates relief
we live in semi-harmony with the locals. and grants to help maintain the land for many years to come.

“We find it distressing when things are cleared and there’s no
thought given to native species and what’s actually on the land, Find out how you can get involved in land conservation at
so we thought this would be our own little bit to help that. Council’s website:
https://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/Services/Environment/
“Because of the pressure for population in this part of the world Voluntary-Conservation