Council locks away key wildlife corridor from development
Published 19 April 2021
A small but vital piece of Moreton Bay Region will be protected as wildlife habitat forever, thanks to the incredible generosity of a Clear Mountain couple.
Jan and Dennis have donated six hectares of bushland on their private property to be managed in perpetuity under a Voluntary Conservation Agreement (VCA).
“We love the bush and we’ve always tried to be sustainable as well,” Jan said.
“I’m a virologist but I’ve always been interested in nature and botany and things like that, so I think it’s important to actually record what’s here – even this year I’ve just found new plant species that I’ve never seen before.
“I’m proud that this property will forever act as a corridor joining the conservation park over the road and the Council land behind us.
Her husband Dennis said he’d like to thank Council for getting the ball rolling on this project for the sake of the local wildlife.
“There are definitely koalas, and we’ve had echidnas walk past our backdoor,” Dennis said.
“I just caught and relocated a fawn-footed melomys this morning that’s been decimating my pumpkins and sweet potato vines, so we live in semi-harmony with the locals.
“We find it distressing when things are cleared and there’s no thought given to native species and what’s actually on the land, so we thought this would be our own little bit to help that.
“Because of the pressure for population in this part of the world it means there’s a lot of development going on, and we’re just trying to form some kind of buffer between that and the wildlife and trees.”
This is the 15th VCA signed in Moreton Bay Regional Council’s history.
Mayor Peter Flannery presented them with the official VCA at a private ceremony.
“This particular land has a spectacular array of flora and fauna, which makes it ideal habitat for native wildlife like koalas, possums, many bird species and more,” Mayor Flannery said.
“Thanks to Jan and Dennis we’re able to safeguard this wildlife refuge from future development, which is essential in the Clear Mountain area as the connector between our hinterland and suburbs like Eatons Hill.
“As one of the fastest growing regions in Australia it’s essential we do our part now to protect our environment into the future.
“I think this is a fantastic initiative and I hope more locals will take a leaf out of Jan and Dennis’s book, especially if you have land available on your property that you think can play a part in keeping Moreton Bay Region green.”
In exchange, Council provides VCA landowners with rates relief and grants to help maintain the land for many years to come.
Find out how you can get involved in land conservation at Council’s website: https://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/Services/Environment/Voluntary-Conservation