Koala Habitat Restoration – Kirbys Environment Reserve

Koala Habitat Restoration – Kirbys Environment Reserve

Koala Habitat Restoration – Kirbys Environment Reserve
This project is being undertaken as part of the Commonwealth Koala Community Grants opportunity. The objective of this program is to support community-led conservation and recovery efforts to improve the extent, quality and connectivity of the Koala, as well as improve data and knowledge of Koala populations and health across their range. Kirbys Environmental Reserve is a core koala habitat area and key area of connectivity between Kondalilla National Park and Maleny National Park.

 

Our project aims to improve outcomes for Koalas within Kirby’s Environmental Reserve by addressing:

 

  1. Restoration and rehabilitation of habitat
  2. Monitoring and evaluation of pest species and threats
  3. Monitoring and evaluation of the koala 
  4. Community engagement through education and participation in citizen science 
On-ground activities will include natural assisted regeneration and weed management, planting of 2000 trees, thermal drone imaging and detection dog monitoring of koalas and motion sensor monitoring of pest species. We also aim to engage the local community through a community tree planting day and koala education and monitoring days. Much of the remaining koala habitat resides on private land, and recording sightings is a vital step in conserving koala populations.

Sunshine Coast Council – Weed Management and Restoration Works – Curramore Road, Witta

Sunshine Coast Council – Weed Management and Restoration Works – Curramore Road, Witta

Sunshine Coast Council – Weed Management and Restoration Works – Curramore Road, Witta

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.

Sunshine Coast Council – Citrus Road Koala Offset

Sunshine Coast Council – Citrus Road Koala Offset

Sunshine Coast Council – Citrus Road Koala Offset

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.

Sunshine Coast Natural Areas Management Contract

Sunshine Coast Natural Areas Management Contract

Sunshine Coast Natural Areas Management Contract

Catchment Services manages a major 5 Yr N.A. 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.

Roadtek Koala Fence – and Maintenance

Roadtek Koala Fence – and Maintenance

Roadtek Koala Fence – and Maintenance

We have renewed our maintenance agreement with Roadtek and have continued to fill gaps in there weed control programs with scattered days throughout the year. In addition, Roadtek engaged Catchment Services to spray vegetation along hundreds of kilometres of koala fencing that runs along the region’s highways. This project involved negotiating difficult terrain and hard conditions but was a great success which will be followed up in next years maintenance schedule.