Glossy Team Sunrise has gained traction on Facebook, so first up a big thank you to all Glossy and Wallum enthusiasts out there.
Although we believe these conversations should have happened before this ten year old Blue Care Development Application (DA) was extended in 2017, they are happening now; and although late in the proceedings, it’s still better than after the bulldozers have moved in…
Many of us making up the Sunrise Beach community have been taken by surprise. Residents, schools and visiting bird and Wallum enthusiasts we’ve talked to have had little or no idea that this development was imminent.
Our Sunrise Beach community is as worthy as any other to be informed and engaged about how growth happens in our neighbourhood. We are no longer the same community that made only five submissions when this development came about ten years ago – the school has almost doubled in size and traffic has increased significantly with more families moving in to the school catchment area and the significant rise in short term holiday lets.
We believe the impact on traffic, noise and dust onto the fast growing adjacent schools during construction and beyond should have been revisited.
We have had many responses from council and councillors, pretty much all saying nothing can be done and all is well. However, as yet, none have been answering some of the important questions. The devil is in the detail. Here is a situation update.
Most recent events
- NICA has offered support for Glossy Team Sunrise.
- We have heard that Valda McLean on behalf of the NPA birding group has written to council in support of the objectives of Glossy Team Sunrise. The birding group too seem to believe that off set planting alone will not be sufficient to protect the Glossies.
- Annie Gaffney of ABC Sunshine Coast covered the Blue Care development in depth in her Morning show on Monday 15 October. Listen to a recording here. Noosa Council and Blue Care responded to her and Annie hooked us up with the Blue Care project manager.
- Bettina and Desiré had a conversation with Blue Care’s project manager. We were told that Blue Care have engaged the services of a environmental consultant to identify all important trees. Once they have all the information at hand, the project manager has agreed to meet with us to further discuss the development plan.
- Food Tree Mapping: We have received Heather North’s food tree map, covering some of the affected Glossy habitat. Before meeting Blue Care we would like to do an additional food tree count on the Southern side of the development.
- Building work is unlikely to commence this year.
- Sunshine Beach State High School is now aware of the development and they will investigate the traffic and health and safety impacts on the school.
The Blue Care response
We were heartened by Blue Care’s response to the interview with Annie Gaffney on Monday. A Uniting Care spokesperson provided the following statement:
“The project is in early stages of detailed design, with site assessment and vegetation surveys yet to be completed.
“We are committed to meeting all environmental conditions as outlined in the current Development Approval and would welcome a meeting with the Glossy Team Sunrise to discuss their concerns.”
We know that all approvals are already in place and that we are relying on good will from Uniting Church (Blue Care). Uniting Church proclaims to wanting to be a green church and their Eco-Mission Statement is encouraging the congregation to care for the environment as God’s creation. Well we have the perfect place to put those words into action!
Minimising the impact on our Glossies
After hearing much expert advice our worries remain. Meeting the current environmental conditions which still allows more than 5 hectares of bush, including approximately 50 mature feeding trees, to be clear felled is not a good outcome for the vulnerable Glossies or for the people living in this community.
Offset planting is good, but propagated food trees will not mature and be able to provide food for the birds for at least 6-7 years. Our Glossy knowledge has grown and better practice precedents like the Flexi Learning Centre and Ozcare development have been set.
We are asking Uniting Church (Blue Care) to retain and protect our Sunrise Glossy Black Cockatoos and Wallum. And we are asking Noosa Council to support them in this!
Uniting Church, please listen to the concerned community and
- keep Glossy food trees;
- protect the native Wallum;
- protect the Glossy drinking spot;
- DO NOT clear-fell the site;
- work with Glossy Team Sunrise members and other experts to rethink and adapt the development and vegetation plan to one that will protect our Glossies.
Looking forward
We are looking forward to working with Blue Care, Council and any other interested groups to minimise the impact to nature and humans and ultimately arrive at a Biosphere-worthy outcome.
To stay up to date you are welcome to join Glossy Team Sunrise on facebook.
In hope
Desiré, Sue, Robyn and Bettina for Glossy Team Sunrise
Thanks for the update Desire. Should we add keeping that spring where the glossies drink intact to the list? I am not sure it’s actually on the development siTe, but it should be protected before, during and after the development, or it could be seen as not important. I and many others are grateful for the work the team is doing in trying to minimise the harm in this development.
Thanks Judy, yes I agree that protecting the spring should be added to this list. In fact, it should be improved with some signage to inform the community and visitors about these beautiful birds. Bettina had a great idea to apply for naming rights for the area – Glossy Bob’s Creek – in honour of the hard work and commitment by Bob Carey. What a wonderful legacy that would be…
Hi Judy, what Desi said 🙂 It is just on the border of the development site. And you are right we need to pay special attention to it. Bob Carey has some great out of the box thinking of how already cleared or less valuable regrowth around the shops could be utilised through land swap offers and precious original growth could be protected. To be continued…
Hi Desiré, Sue, Robyn and Bettina,
My name is Penelope Gardner and I reside on the fence line of the development site. The concerns raised in your excellent posts and reporting of developments are very much on my door step. I have been in contact with a few residents in Ben Lexcen Drive and Columbia Drive and none I have spoken to were aware of this development at all. Certainly not when they purchased property.
To date I have emailed all three local school Principals, Sandy Bolton MP, Mayor Wellington and Councillors and have been in communication with the Capital Works Manager for Blue Care who impressed me with her openness and consideration.
I had the opportunity to talk with the environmental consultants commissioned by Blue Care as they were doing their surveying. They told me while I watched them survey numerous Black Glossy food trees, that they are all around the perimeter of the site. What would be the chances of creating a “green corridor” of existing trees around the edges of the site? Maybe even retaining the existing fire trail for community use as it is so popular as a walking track now.
Also, are you aware if there is an extension of the footpath area on Ben Lexcen Drive? The initial stage of the development closes the small entry road from Ben Lexcen Drive to Sunrise Beach shops, and extends the existing Grasstree Court though to Ben Lexcen Drive. The current plans do not appear to include extension of a footpath.
Following on from this, the five hectares of land commissioned for the project are to be cleared, and excavation for the development and underground car-park will proceed from then.
Myself and some local parents have become increasingly concerned about road, and more importantly, pathway access to the school for our children. Ben Lexcen Drive is the major and only access point for Sunshine State High School, Sunshine Beach Primary School and St Thomas More Primary. Without a footpath there is nowhere for kids to cross safely.
I would dearly love to hear your feedback communicate with you further.
Warm regards
Penny Gardner
Ben Lexcen Drive
Hi Penelope, thanks for your comment and I agree with all your thoughts and concerns. The lack of community engagement on this matter is quite astounding given the size of the project and the impact it will have on local residents, not to mention the environment.
In my personal opinion, no clear felling should be allowed and the design should be modified to incorporate existing Black Glossie food trees. Noosa Council is washing its hands off this project – they sold the land to Blue Care and all approvals have been granted, so our only hope is that Blue Care will be willing to listen to our concerns.
While our major focus has been around protecting a vulnerable species, traffic congestion and getting our kids safely to school is of huge concern. Read my post Biking in Noosa – identifying the missing links where I propose a bikeway that can follow the firebreak all the way from the Castaways to Sunrise bridge across Burgess Creek to the back of the school. That will then link up with the footbridge across Eenie Creek Rd for primary school children as well. It would be a lovely, shaded bikeway that will get pedestrians and bikes off Ben Lexcen Drive. If this path was done before construction started, it would greatly alleviate pressure in that area. I personally believe Noosa Council has a duty of care to do so.
The more people start calling Council and our elected representatives, the sooner we will hopefully see some sort of acknowledgement and engagement from Council on this matter. We’ll keep adding updates to Open Noosa and also on the Glossie Team Sunrise Facebook page.
Kind regards
Desiré
Keep up the fight please – this is the last of the wallum heath left of this type in SE QlD. The traffic in this area is already an issue and underground parking will interfere with water table and flow to the wetlands. Cassurina and old banksias are important food trees and this development approval is old – it should never have been approved for this size or scale or for this location, and the plans are not attached to the application anymore for public comment.
Agree with all you say. Thank you for the comment, Leonie.
We’ll be talking about it at a NICA meeting tomorrow. Come and join us if you can. Regards, Bettina
Happy to add my voice. Who are the best people to write to and what is the address of the development?
Hi Stephanie,
The aged care development site is behind Sunrise Shops, Grasstree Court. You can find relevant documentation online with Noosa Council’s development application tracking. Enter the tracking number: 132008.1128
Feel free to write to any of the Noosa Shire Councillors or whoever you think would support the cause. We are in the process of compiling a list of organisations and individuals to contact.
Please join Glossy Team Sunrise for more information.
Regards
Bettina