Save the Steve Irwin Way Forest
**UPDATE **
August 2018 at a meeting with the TMR project team for the Caloundra Road to Sunshine Motorway upgrade of the Bruce Highway, we asked the project team the following questions and received the answers below each question:
WHAT FAUNA WERE FOUND BY THE WILDLIFE SPOTTERS/CATCHERS DURING THE VEGETATION-CLEARING PHASE?
Giant barred frogs, swamp crayfish, wallum froglets, striped frogs and a bandy bandy snake. Most of these animals were relocated
The two ‘guardian trees cleared near the cemetery were found, by ring dating, to be 387 years old.
20 cubic metres of tree hollows were retained. Nest boxes will be installed.
TMR advises that the whole project footprint has been reduced, which may also reduce the project’s environmental impacts.
6ha of Beerwah State Forest was cleared so the clearing footprint on Beerwah State Forest was at the lower end of the estimated area of 8ha.
Original approvals allowed for 35.3 ha of koala habitat to be cleared. At this stage, 15.5ha of koala habitat has been cleared and whilst further clearing will occur, TMR believes the final area of koala habitat to be cleared for the Bruce Hwy upgrade will be less than the original approval.
Only one out of the predicted 51 Richmond Birdwing Butterfly vines was cleared. Cuttings and seed from that vine are currently being propagated for replanting at one of the offset sites.
No acacia attenuata or macadamia tetraphylla trees were impacted.
EXACTLY WHERE WILL THE 5 KOALA UNDERPASSES BE CONSTRUCTED?
In addition to the planned 5 fauna specific underpasses there will be 3 new additional fauna underpasses on the Bruce Highway which will be part of drainage culverts. An additional rope crossing over Steve Irwin Way will be constructed.
We were shown a map with the location of the underpasses marked and hope to be provided with a copy in due course. (We prefer not make the locations of the underpasses widely known, because if the underpasses are used by humans and dogs, the koalas will not use them. They will be therefore ineffective as corridors for native animals to move between natural native vegetation areas.)
WILL THE KOALA UNDERPASSES BE DRY?
The 5 fauna-specific underpasses will be separate to the culverts/drains. These wildlife underpasses will remain dry except in the event of flooding.
WILL THE UNDERPASSES HAVE A TIMBER RAILING RUNNING ALONG THE WHOLE LENGTH A FEW FEET OFF THE GROUND WITH A POLE EVERY 10-20M SO THE KOALA CAN SCAMPER UP IT IF THREATENED BY A PREDATOR? IF YES, WILL THESE POLES BE FORKED?
Yes. In addition, the koala poles at the ends of each tunnel will be constructed from trees which were cleared during the road construction.
HAVE THESE UNDERPASSES BEEN DESIGNED SO THEY ARE USEFUL FOR OTHER SPECIES, NOT JUST KOALAS?
Yes
HOW WILL THESE MOVEMENT STRUCTURES BE MONITORED AND FOR HOW LONG IN TO THE FUTURE?
No decisions have been made on this yet.
PLEASE CONFIRM DETAILS OF THE WILDLIFE FENCING WHICH WILL CONSTRUCTED AT THE KOALA UNDERPASSES (FOR BOTH BRUCE HIGHWAY AND STEVE IRWIN WAY).
There is temporary koala and amphibian fencing in place during the road construction phase.
PLEASE PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE STATUS OF EACH OF THE 3 OFFSET AREAS.
Mooloolah East is legally secured under a Conservation Agreement from the Commonwealth with NRME, TMR and SCRC.
The Glenview and Mooloolah West sites are only protected under a voluntary declaration. It appears that there is no long term protection in perpetuity and TMR have been asked to provide advice on what will happen at the end of the 10 year Management Plans currently in place.
Weed and pest-animal management works have begun. Native wildlife monitoring is underway with positive results.
70 truckloads of root ball and logs from the road clearing have been placed at one offset site.