Sunshine Coast Council has secured a 120ha former sugar cane site in the region’s Blue Heart, which it says will be restored to natural wetlands.
Council says the introduction of tidal waters will aid the natural transition to wetland habitat, helping improve the quality of water flowing into the river from the Yandina Coolum Road site and creating a place for the community to come and connect with nature.
The site adjoins the Coolum Creek Environment Reserve, which provides fish breeding areas and habitat for threatened species such as the Water Mouse.
Division 9 and Environment Portfolio Councillor, Maria Suarez said the purchase secured one of the largest and most significant single land holdings in the Blue Heart project area, bringing publicly owned land within this major green space to almost 1700ha.
“This former cane land will be transitioned back to a natural wetland state,” Cr Suarez said.
“This is already beginning to happen on other adjacent lands due to cane farming ceasing many years ago and tidal gates no longer functioning as designed.
“This is another example of what’s exciting about the Blue Heart: benefits for biodiversity; creating nature-based recreation opportunities; and increasing opportunities for Council’s ongoing Blue Carbon investigations and trials.”
Blue Carbon farming involves measuring and earning credits for carbon stored in healthy marine and coastal ecosystems.
The $6 million land purchase was secured through the SEQ City Deal, a long-term partnership between the Australian Government, Queensland Government and Council of Mayors (SEQ) that allocated $35.3 million to the Blue Heart initiative.
