An urgent opportunity has arisen to protect a 26-acre privately-owned block adjoining Toohey Forest/Mount Gravatt Outlook Reserve. Losing this habitat could have devastating consequences for the large koala population that calls this area home. It is crucial to recognise that Toohey Forest and Mount Gravatt Outlook Reserve are interconnected habitats, and any fragmentation would diminish their ecological value and diversity.
The size, condition, and location of this land parcel means it holds immense strategic importance for conservation and restoration efforts in the City of Brisbane. By acquiring this land for its habitat values and preventing urban development, we can achieve numerous beneficial outcomes.
We urge you to sign the petition and show your support for the preservation of this precious piece of habitat.
Sign the petition here.
The significance of this land acquisition opportunity cannot be overstated. Expanding the wildlife habitat of Mt Gravatt Outlook Reserve/Toohey Forest is crucial for the security of our koalas and other wildlife. Allowing the land to be developed by a property developer could have grave consequences for these species.
While more than half of the property is already listed as state environmental significance in the BCC City Plan, there we think may be a strong push by property developers to override the council zoning.
Your support is crucial in reinforcing the council’s commitment to preserving this valuable parcel of habitat. Signing the petition and sharing it with others will help consolidate and enlarge the habitat area of the forest, benefiting not only koalas but also other species like the Powerful Owl, Squirrel and Sugar Gliders, and Echidnas.
Acquiring this land will not only enhance the habitat area of Toohey Forest/Mount Gravatt Outlook Reserve but also strengthen ecological corridors. The parcel adjoins a nest area of the vulnerable Powerful Owl, includes three waterways, and has the greatest potential for a wildlife corridor linking Mt Gravatt Reserve to Mimosa Creek and Roly Chapman Reserve. Allowing urban development in this corridor would be devastating.
Mimosa Creek Precinct currently supports 260 native plants, 45 butterfly, and 48 bird species. Preserving and enhancing the riparian and aquatic habitats, as well as the water quality, in Mimosa Creek is crucial. Urban development of the subject site would degrade the water quality in Mimosa Creek and potentially worsen flooding.
Furthermore, acquiring this land presents a significant opportunity to consolidate and enlarge the habitat area of Toohey Forest/Mount Gravatt Outlook Reserve. Incorporating lowland riparian vegetation, which has been almost entirely lost from this forest patch and the city at large, would be invaluable. Scientific evidence shows that low-lying riparian vegetation in Toohey Forest supports a higher diversity and abundance of plants and animals compared to steep slopes and ridges. Many species depend on the riparian habitat for their survival. The subject land, being low lying and riparian, currently contains regenerating vegetation and holds immense potential for strategic restoration into a more natural ecological community. Its position close to conserved bushland comprised of slopes and ridges further enhances its value.
In light of these considerations, we urge you to support the petition to save this critical koala habitat at Upper Mt Gravatt. By doing so, you will contribute to the preservation of Toohey Forest/Mount Gravatt Outlook Reserve, the enhancement of ecological linkages, the protection of riparian and aquatic habitats, and the consolidation and enlargement of the habitat area. Together, we can make a significant impact on the future of our precious wildlife and the sustainability of our local bushland.
