Save Our Squirrel Glider Possum Committee.

The Brisbane City Council at their meeting held on Tuesday, 26 th November 1996 voted to refuse the application to rezone the land from Future Urban Zone to Residential B Zone and build 2 and 3 storey Town Houses on the land at 1833 Creek Road, Cannon Hill for many environmental reasons. The Company involved has lodged an appeal in January 1997 with the Planning and Environment Court and as at 9 July 1998 have not proceeded. We have decided to join the appeal and defend this habitat. The Brisbane City Council decided to purchase the land in September 1999. The Core habitat is now safer.

STOP PRESS:

The Brisbane City Council has rejected all tenders for their proposed Golf Course to be situated on the flood plain of Bulimba Creek below the flood regulation line.

The BMD company has been chosen by the BCC to discuss further the development of the Golf Course September 1999.

*A Proposed Brisbane City Council Golf Course at Cannon Hill in the bushland and adjacent Flood Plain adjacent to Creek Road and Bulimba Creek and Minnippi Parklands, funded by allowing a developer to build town houses on up to 15 hectares of land on the high areas of the bushland site. Some Brisbane City Councillors are persisting that this Golf Course must go ahead even though the Council made a decision to reject the rezoning of land at 1833 Creek Road, Cannon Hill to protect a large colony of Squirrel Glider Possums.

The development of a Golf Course adjacent to the Squirrel Glider Habitat could place the insect population on which the Possums feed in jeopardy. It would certainly place the long-term viability of the possum colony in question if dead trees and hollow dead branches were removed from the adjacent area of bushland in order to protect golfers or the public generally.

The internationally reported high uses of chemicals and fertilisers on golf courses would also be a threat to the biodiversity of Bulimba Creek, the Brisbane River and Moreton Bay, because nine of the eighteen holes were planned to be built below the Flood Regulation Line. So everytime Bulimba Creek is in flood, chemicals will be leached into Bulimba Creek. This entire area needs protection with limited or restricted access for visitors and the removal of both feral & domestic dogs and cats.

The Study of the Squirrel Glider Possums commissioned by the Brisbane City Council and the Developer recommended that no housing development be allowed on the site and only a possibly limited golf course could be constructed but this was not recommended.

Recent tests on the Bulimba Creek flood plain have shown acid sulphate soil exist. Any disturbances of this area would/could cause an serious environmental impact if the development went ahead. The area in question is below the Flood Regulation Line and work could not be undertaken until a bund wall was built around the entire area. Because fill cannot be placed below the flood regulation line, we question how any of the proposed earth works can be undertaken.

A local engineer has calculated that 1,000,000 cm3 would need to be excavated from the site to enable the raising of greens, tees and fairways.

Flooding in the local area has been a long-term problem which is becoming worse due to upstream housing development and road works. Sediment has occurred along Bulimba Creek without any Brisbane City Council or Government concerns.

The amount of sediment in Bulimba Creek is well documented within the 1991 Bulimba Creek Flood Study.

SOME REASONS FOR NO GOLF COURSE:

• The amount of chemicals, fertilisers, pesticides and insecticides used on golf courses.
• The impact on the Squirrel Glider Possums because of loss of insect breeding area.
• The loss of habitat and feed sources and movement corridors.
• The removal of habitat to build a road through the bushland into the housing area and clubhouse.
• The proposed golf course area contains a large area of conservation grade wetlands as highlighted in the 1991/2 BCC Bulimba Creek Flood Study.
• The disturbance of a large amount of Acid Sulphate Soils
• The increased flood levels due to alteration to the flood plain and creek flow corridor.
• The introduction of fill below the flood regulation line eg. sand traps.
• The lowering of the water level if the water captured within water hazards is used to water the greens
• Introduction of sewerage effluent as a water source could/will introduce higher levels nutriments releases into Bulimba Creek
• The leachate of Acid Sulphate Soils into the water table if the water table is lowered as has happened overseas with the release of other heavy metals into the water table.
• The damage to the aquatic environment during construction period due to acid releases.
• If the acid sulphate soils are treated behind a bunded wall and heavy rain occurs the flood levels would be even higher
• If excess lime is added to the soil then alkaline releases will also effect the aquatic environment.
• The practise is now to add flood lit night golf practise areas. The lighting would effect insect distribution. Glider food. BCC just announced a night pracitse area a their Victoria Park Golf Club at Herston.
• The introduction of cats and dogs which would become predators of the gilder possums and brushtail possums etc.
• The children would as most children do near bushland do make a cubby house in the bushland and with the campfires.
• Then children experimenting with cigarettes and starting bush fires.
• Then parents looking for their children dropping their unextinguished cigarettes butt causing bush fires.
• Cycle paths could also introduce smokers dropping their still burning cigarette butts.
• The removal of dead tree and trimming of dead limbs for the safety of golfers, walkers, cyclist, vehicles and joggers thus removing glider dens.

This page is maintained by

The Rivermouth Action Group Inc

E-mail: activist@rag.org.au

as a community service.

Updated: 25 June 1999