Koala Monitoring

Curramore Road at Witta is a demonstration site undertaking a range of different weed management treatments. We’re using innovative techniques such Herbicide encapsulation, Remote Mulching, Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV/Drone) herbicide application and Hydromulching alongside our regular revegetation techniques. The overall end goal of this project is to restore the majority of the area to the surrounding mapped Regional Ecosystems.

This is another offset we are delivering for the Sunshine Coast Council that involves constructing koala habitat by planting 3,700 trees over a 4ha site along with 5 years maintenance. Although a smaller scale to the Mooloolah Acid Frog Ponds, as part of an offset rehabilitation plan the scope of works is similar. In addition to planting, we are also required to install Photo Monitoring Points, submit detailed reports, meet strategic KPI’s and follow the guidelines of the Queensland Environmental Offsets Policy. We have completed the site preparation and anticipate we will complete most of the planting before this year’s wet season begins.

ECOllaboration manages a major Natural Areas Contract for the Sunshine Coast Council. It incorporates over 180 Natural Bushland Reserves and 11 Retention Ponds and storm water biobasins that are funded partly by the Environmental levee received by Sunshine Coast ratepayers. The combined total area is over 1600 Ha; linking biodiversity corridors that enable fauna to move freely and flora seed to be spread naturally by wind, water and native fauna.

Our role is one of managing and reducing weed populations that will improve the overall biodiversity and health of each of these reserves. Occasionally we speed up that process by doing minor revegetation in gap areas that were originally weed infested. We also carry out Bushland Operational Assessments on some of the major reserves to assess the resilience indicators of the forested areas; to see how they have improved due to our management.

Inclusive also within this contract is the weed and site preparation of 20 Community sites that are worked by Community Groups in revegetation projects. Daily reports of all these reserves are sent to the Council for their staff to monitor the health of each of these reserves.

This year we have been awarded two large projects from Future Plus Environmental that will be ongoing throughout this year and next. Encompassed in the overarching offset delivery plan for the Sunshine Coast Airport Expansion is the Mooloolah Acid Frog Pond offset (which we are delivering for SSC), and the Eastern Ground Parrot Offset Project established by the Department of Environment and Science (DES). Unlike most of our project that involve constructing habitats by planting native flora – this project involves the removal of native Melaleuca trees, to create corridors allowing foraging and breeding for the vulnerable Eastern Ground Parrot. Although the idea of removing native trees at first seems counterintuitive, our team recognise the importance of this project to the conserve the long-term ecology of this landscape. This project has been delayed several times due to wet weather but is set to kick off early 2023.

In addition to this project, we are also working with Future Plus to plant over 20,000 trees across a 100-metre-wide conservation corridor connecting the southern and northern section of the airport to allow safe passage for fauna. This project also involves 5 years maintenance.