Save the Steve Irwin Way​ Forest

SOME OF THE HISTORY :

South East Queensland Regional Forest Agreement

This 800 hectares of iconic native forest (containing koala habitat and critically endangered lowland rainforest) was on track to become National Park.
The South East Queensland Regional Forest Agreement had been put in place by the Labor government in 1999 to formally progress this forest to National Park once the leases within the forest expired.

However over the last 3 years the LNP state government stopped this and planned a massive interchange and a motorsports complex for this forest.

Through community effort the motorsports complex was successfully stopped in 2014 and the interchange threat to this significant forest has been reduced to 6-8ha.

EPBC referral

Background

The Department of Transport and Main Roads (DTMR) have applied to clear 12 ha of high conservation value public State Forest along the north end of Steve Irwin Way, part of the “green” gateway to the Sunshine Coast hinterland, to make way for the new Bruce Highway / Caloundra Road interchange.

This Meridan Hills section of Beerwah State Forest was to be transitioned into National Park under the Regional Forestry Agreement 1999.

The impact of this road design triggered the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.

​

The May 2016 DTMR EPBC referral:

• underestimated the area needed to be offset for critically endangered lowland rainforest by one third ie the DTMR referral document does not correspond with the DTMR appendix.

• placed no value on the giant habitat trees (estimated to be over 300 years old)

“Under the EPBC Act process, there is no offset required for the removal of old growth trees“.

• placed no value on the last coxen fig parrot sighting in the forest despite one of few reliable sightings having been recorded in this forest in 2002

“The Preliminary Documentation Report outlines that there are no hollow-dependent threatened fauna species listed under EPBC Act recorded or likely to occur within the Project area.”.

• downplayed the koala sightings and koala habitat within the forest.

 

Revocation

Application to the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection has been made to “revoke” this area of State Forest, i.e. change the tenure from State Forest to State Controlled Road, allowing the area to be cleared. This process does NOT include a public comments period.

 

Final design

Fulton Hogan Seymour Whyte Joint Venture was awarded the detailed design and construction contract for the Bruce Highway Upgrade – Caloundra Road to Sunshine Motorway.

​

​​The new innovative road design announced on the 16th September 2016 was a win for the forest, safety and the community.

In 2017, 744.558 ha area of the Steve Irwin Way Forest became National Park. The EPBC conditions have also been announced & wildlife crossings have been mandated, thanks to the fabulous submissions from Sunshine Coast Environment Council and SSIWFG and everyone else who added their submissions. Thanks & congratulations to a HUGE community effort from 2013 to 2016 in seeing this important piece of forest progress to National Park!

​