Queensland Coastal Rainforest Habitat Loss

From: "Garry Thomas" <gjthomas@one.net.au>
To: <rainforestinfo@ozemail.com.au>
Subject: Queensland Coastal Rainforest Habitat Loss
Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2000

Notes from Noosa: Preemtive clearing for a "proposed" new motorway from Noosa to Tin Can Bay continues to threaten ecosystems (see press releases attached). These include mangroves along the Noosa River, heathland and of course the WD Francis' Kin Kin Scrub remnants. I believe that this latter rainforest is unique to the area as it supported (not much left) some of the largest and most extensive stands of southern penda (Xanthostemon oppositifolius - a threatened plant) in Australia (along with a host of other giants). As you are probably aware the Francis family had a farm to the north west of the Kin Kin village (ca. 5km), WD was a Queensland Gov't botanist and writer of the authoritative work "Australian Rainforest Trees" (over one-quarter of the tree photos in his book are from the Kin Kin area).  We have been in rough campaign mode to protect these habitats for, I think the last five years or so. The Queensland government (or bureaucrats) and certain people in a so-called conservation group (they are also extremely parochial), keep pushing for this unwanted/unnessecary road (see press releases). We are desperately trying to widen the debate (notice Courier-Mail articles) and could do with some extra (outside the area) assistance, such as publicity perhaps in the form of a press release in the local papers (Noosa News and Sunshine Coast Daily - same company) or state paper Courier-Mail, networking etc.

From Letters to the Editor appeared in the Noosa News 14/11/00

Effects of clearing

Around 5 years ago I stated that preemptive habitat clearing in the wake of the Noosa to Tin Can Bay Motorway was having serious effects on the ecological integrity of the Noosa shire (see NN 31/5/94; NN 15/11/96; SCD 22/11/96; C-M 23/10/96). This is especially so for rare and threatened habitat as well species.

Today, as the clearing goes on, I feel vindicated in having previously raised alarm bells. Some of Australia’s most endangered wildlife continues to be lost, including patches of the famous Kin-Kin "scrub" or rainforest, which by the way is unique to the Noosa Shire. Several other habitats which have already been destroyed contained important species such as the Swamp Stringy Bark (Queensland’s rarest gum tree), Keys Boronia (which is highly likely to be endemic to the Noosa Shire) and the threatened "acid" frogs. At least 10 other plant species, listed as rare or threatened, are also still in danger. There are reports that the endangered Coxen’s Fig Parrot has been in sighted in the Kin-Kin scrub remnants that happen to be in the path of the Motorway (NN 27/10/00; SCD 27/10/00; C-M 27/10/00).

The internal politics of a local environment group, the Noosa Parks Association, are really quite bizarre, given that the major objective in their constitution is "protection of the natural environment within the Noosa Shire and surrounding areas". How can they continue to be directed into supporting this unnecessary motorway, right in the face of such obvious adverse environmental impacts?

Garry Thomas

Marcus Beach

Fears rare parrot will go the way of the dodo

From the Courier Mail October 27 2000.

Glenis Green

BIRDWATCHERS are flocking to a patch of rainforest near Kin Kin Creek in the Noosa hinterland after recent sightings of one of the world's rarest birds: the Coxen's fig parrot.

However the excitement has been tempered with fears for the bird's survival, environmentalists saying yesterday that the parrot's habitat lay directly in the path of the controversial proposed Tewantin -Tin Can Bay road.

Sunshine Coast Environment Council project officer Darryl Fry said it was a tragedy that one of Australia's most endangered birds could be threatened with extinction on the eve of its rediscovery.

The Environmental Protection, Agency believes there may only be 100 Coxen's fig parrots left in Queensland, the species having been on the 'rare and endangered" list for many years.

Mr Fry said all sightiings were notifiable and only a handful had been reported in the past 50 years.

"We are dismayed to discover, however, that the rediscovery of this beautiful bird coincides with the planned destruction of the remainder of its habitat, to make way for a motorway," he said.

"Fortunately this bird and its habitat is federally protected, and a legal challenge to the road route would most likely proceed".

Mr Fry said he was concerned about the "frantic clearing and burning" of sensitive forests along the proposed Tewantin-'Tin Can Bay route.

And he criticised Noosa Shire Council for its slow pace in treeclearing reform, saying proposals for clearing restrictions had been with the council for almost two years and there had been no action.

However a council spokes said the guidelines had been up by the State Government's proposed tree-clearing legislation.

Transport Minister Steve Bredhasuer said earlier this year the Government was listening to community views raised from planning study into a future road corridor between Boreen Point andTin Can Bay Road.

The Minister denied then that any future northern link would connect with the existing Sunshine Motorway between Mooloola and Noosa.