Black cockatoos, bush, beach and an aged care home build. What could go wrong?
A campaign to save a native bird habitat threatens a beach home for aged care residents.
Key points
- The glossy black cockatoo was placed on the threatened species list last August.
- Clearing began in March, and construction is underway.
- More than 65,000 people have signed a boy’s petition to stop further habitat removal.
Over the years, aged care provider Blue Care has secured all necessary local government, state and federal approvals for its $100 million aged care precinct at Sunshine Beach near upmarket Noosa on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.
Construction has begun, and it will house 260 aged residents when completed.
However, the locals are not happy. The area is home to the officially threatened Black Cockatoo.
Blue Care says the precinct responds to royal commission recommendations by adopting a cottage model of care with eight and nine-bed households located around a central living area.
This allows for greater access controls, sanitisation points and designated paths of travel throughout the care home.
The provider says the precinct addresses the shortage of aged care beds in Noosa, allowing people to remain in the local area close to family, friends and existing medical specialists.
It says it has consulted with the community, changed the original plans and invested $500,000 in tree removal mitigation and replanting.
More than 65,000 people have signed an online petition to stop the further destruction of the cockatoo's habitat. While the amount of habitat cleared is relatively small, Birdlife Australia says the current federal environment legislation does not account for the effects of multiple developments.
The group says it is a failure of federal legislation.
"These small actions by themselves would not trigger the environment protection and biodiversity conservation act," a spokesman said.
"However, cumulatively, they are having an impact, and it is not only for glossy black cockatoos but also for a whole range of threatened species.
The glossy black was placed on the threatened species list only last August after the developer had secured all the environmental approvals.
The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) argues this is a serious shortcoming.
"There should be an opportunity for the minister to reassess a piece of habitat which has a vulnerable species listed," the ACF's Josh Meadows said.
To meet environmental obligations, Blue Care agreed to rehabilitate three hectares of nearby Noosa Shire Council-owned land within Girraween Nature Refuge.
"Beyond our development approval obligations, we have also supplied thousands of additional she-oak seeds and seedlings to local schools, residents and bush care groups for planting in the Noosa area," Blue Care says.
Blue Care conceded some problems with the rehabilitation area, an old dump site capped with mulch and topsoil.
A spokesman said the company was awaiting Noosa Shire Council's formal approval in writing before pushing ahead with the next stage of rehabilitation.
Noosa Shire Council said 600 trees have been planted as part of the offset for the first stage of the aged care development.
To add to the controversy, the high-profile campaigner who mounted the community petition against the aged care development is an 11-year-old boy.
Spencer Hitchen wants Blue Care to build elsewhere.
"I think glossy blacks are amazing birds. I have got an amazing connection with them as well," Spencer said.
Spencer’s mum, Maxine, confirms the boy, and her family, has “fallen in love with glossy blacks”.
She said the campaigning had been tough, but her son kept pushing her along."It overtakes your life, but for him, he is so passionate about it. It is just who he is," she said.
"We can't deny him that.
"Meanwhile, Blue Care is pushing ahead with providing housing for the aged.
For further reading: ABC, Australia Ageing Agenda and Blue Care
