The restoration of a coastal (littoral) rainforest in the central Gold Coast is a step closer with about 70,000 new plants now growing on The Spit.
The City of Gold Coast, contractors, and volunteers have been planting over 100 different species of plants since 2019 to help establish the Federation Walk Coastal Reserve Littoral Rainforest on The Spit.
Division 10 Councillor Darren Taylor said the project will restore endangered littoral rainforest and help enhance the overall wellbeing of our environment.
“This is one of Australia’s largest beach front restoration projects and is a part of our commitment to maintaining the Gold Coast’s natural beauty,” Cr Taylor said.
“By restoring this coastal rainforest we will help increase valuable greenspace, provide habitat for native wildlife, and create nature-based space for residents and visitors to enjoy.
“When complete, the project will provide 37 hectares of littoral rainforest just minutes from Surfers Paradise where residents and visitors can explore trails, take time out in nature, and spot native wildlife.”
Approximately 29,500 have been planted by volunteers over the last five years.
As a part of the project, the City has installed an irrigation system that spans about 30 hectares, and includes a 320 kilolitre recycled water storage tank for the newly planted rainforest. The irrigation system installation was completed at the end of last year.
The Federation Walk Littoral Rainforest is a joint project between the Department of State Development and Infrastructure and the City of Gold Coast being delivered over five years.
The major restoration project has been made possible with a funding contribution from the Queensland Government of $4.973 million which is part of the Government’s commitment of $60 million towards implementation of The Spit Master Plan.
The City of Gold Coast has contributed $2.939 million and the Commonwealth Government $0.9 million.
The next stage of planting is expected to begin in September with about 350,000 plants in total expected to be planted throughout the entire project.
