Glossy Team Sunrise (GTS) will publicly hand over a petition to Noosa Council with over 2,700 signatures, 220 comments left by signatories and 12 letters of support from highly respected conservation organisations, ecology and birdlife experts and passionate individuals to save glossy black habitat at the proposed Blue Care development at Sunrise Beach.
On Thursday 21 March, Glossy Team Sunrise will meet Cr Ingrid Jackson in front of Noosa Council Chambers at 5:30pm to officially hand over the petition documents. The Noosa Council Ordinary Meeting will commence at 6pm and a debate about minor amendments to the Blue Care development is on the agenda.
As recently reported in Noosa News 13/3/2019, Blue Care have made some minor changes to their aged care and residential development in Sunrise Beach to retain a total of 15 out of 71 Glossy feed trees on the perimeter of the development sites. GTS supports this action however believe much more should be done. Offset planting takes years to establish and experts state that there is no evidence that it works for the fussy eating glossies.
It is only a matter of weeks before clusters of highly frequented glossy feed trees and wallum habitat will be cleared for commencement of site works. The latest minor amendment application proposes vegetation to be cleared across all 3 stages despite no timeframe for the development beyond stage 1 are being given. We fear this will leave the later stage areas vulnerable to weed infestation and also give no time for the Glossies to transition to other feed trees.
Bettina Walter from GTS says that despite Blue Care’s assurances at a meeting in January to keep an open line of communication, there has been no further correspondence and that GTS members are disappointed by their lack of response and community engagement on this.
“Uniting Church – a self-proclaimed Green Church – could show courage and integrity to rethink the development and work together with all stakeholders with the aim to arrive at a Biosphere-worthy development. It is a missed opportunity.”
“This 10 year old application based on environmental reports done in 2008 has major oversights, however GTS chose not to take costly legal action against our own Council. We understand Council is bound by planning legislation and are not able to put further demands on the developer at this time without legal risk. But we do ask for Council’s engagement regarding the wider impacts on the community including traffic and fire safety for the surrounding residences and schools,” Bettina said.
Many birding, wildlife and other conservation experts confirmed that the proposed efforts to save the birds are woefully inadequate and called saving only 15 trees a ‘token gesture’. Knowing what we know about species extinction rates and climate change, we simply need to do better.
Eric Anderson, the Birdlife SEQ representative on the Glossy Black Conservancy said: “Highly frequented Glossy Feed Trees are precious like gold dust – step away from them and just leave them alone.”
Supporters of the Glossy Team Sunrise cause are encouraged to join us on Thursday at 5:30pm in front of Council Chambers.
The Glossy Petition will be tabled at the Ordinary Meeting on Thursday evening, 21 March at 6pm. Both meetings will be live cast and also accessible on demand on Noosa Council TV on youtube.
To stay informed about developments at Sunrise Shops and the Blue Care Development, please view, contact or join Glossy Team Sunrise on Facebook.
