Sunshine Coast Council has bought an additional 16 hectare property within our Blue Heart to maintain the Maroochy River floodplain for its intended purpose and support conservation and recreation for the community.
The property, located on River Road, Maroochy River, is adjacent to existing public land and continues to consolidate the conservation and recreation network within Blue Heart Sunshine Coast.
It also complements Unitywater’s Yandina Creek Wetlands 1.7km trail walk which was opened last week (Tuesday August 25).
Blue Heart Sunshine Coast is an area of more than 5,000 hectares within the Maroochy River Catchment on the Sunshine Coast. It’s an area where effective land and water management is demonstrating environmental, social and economic outcomes.
In time, this latest acquisition will provide opportunities to restore estuarine wetland habitat and recreation opportunities, such as a district park with Maroochy River frontage.
Sunshine Coast Council Mayor Mark Jamieson said the Blue Heart partners – Sunshine Coast Council, the Queensland Government’s Department of Environment and Science and Unitywater – had been working together to progress a number of important projects for this area since the Blue Heart was launched in July 2019.
“We have bought more land and dedicated it to conservation, rehabilitated waterways, facilitated a Blue Carbon research forum to investigate economic opportunities for private landholders and created community spaces,” Mayor Jamieson said.
“Our council has a long-standing commitment to preserving our natural assets and liveability of our region for current and future generations.
“Our Blue Heart exemplifies this commitment, by retaining the area as critical flood storage for the Maroochy River catchment.
“This area also has a deep cultural connection with the Kabi Kabi First Nation peoples and council places great importance on future planning for the Blue Heart alongside the Traditional custodians.
“This latest acquisition brings our conservation estate to more than 7000 hectares of council managed land and expands the network of public lands within the Blue Heart to more than 1400 hectares.
“With approximately 300 metres of Maroochy River frontage, a future district recreation park will help to meet the needs of our growing population, and provide a diverse range of recreational experiences for residents and visitors in our local government area.
“Blue Heart Sunshine Coast is an innovative project that will help council deliver a healthy environment and liveable Sunshine Coast and reinforce our vision as Australia’s most sustainable region – healthy, smart, creative.”
Division 9 and Environment and Liveability Portfolio Councillor Maria Suarez said this acquisition further demonstrated council’s commitment to proactively respond to climate change and deliver outcomes for our community.
“As the Sunshine Coast population continues to grow, we need to be planning for the future and securing land such as this to protect natural assets, respond to climatic changes and provide further green spaces for people to enjoy,” Cr Suarez said.
“Blue Heart Sunshine Coast is one of council’s five major green spaces that will contribute to the liveability and identity of our region and will provide conservation and flood storage benefits, and recreation opportunities through open space, parks and trails.
“I’m really pleased to see council secure another parcel within the Blue Heart and I look forward to this project providing benefits for the Division 9 community and the broader Sunshine Coast population.
“It’s projects like these, that provide environmental, social and economic co-benefits, that will help us build our community’s resilience to change and ultimately become Australia’s most sustainable region.”
