FREE
I
Phone: 5442 6699
I
Email: editorial@cooroyrag.com.au
I
15 December 2021
Forest haven win for koalas BY ALEX PURCELL IN a win for koalas and a win for the community, Pomona’s Yurol Forest is confirmed as a dedicated koala habitat. After months of negotiations, the contracts are “all but signed” on a project to restore land that was previously cleared for soft pine and hardwood timber plantations. The award-winning project will re-establish more than 1000 hectares of ex-plantation areas in Yurol and Ringtail State Forests as a biodiverse forest to create a protected koala habitat. Noosa Landcare General Manager Phil Moran said Noosa Landcare is extremely excited about this project. “It has been some time in gestation and involves a whole lot of partners.” For the past 30 to 50 years, Yurol and Ringtail State Forests have historically been used for timber plantations. In 2016, through the initiative of Noosa Parks Association, discussions started with Noosa Council, Queensland Department of Environment and Science [DES] and Hancock Plantations Queensland to buy out the harvest lease. “It’s all thanks to the foresight of former Noosa Parks Association’s Michael Gloster, former Noosa
Council CEO, Brett de Chastel, and the Department of Environment and Science, that we have this land to restore for future generations. “All three came together to pay one third each, to buy Hancock’s plantation lease.” In 2019, $3.6 million was paid to buy out the Hancock lease for the 2400 hectares of land that will eventually be converted to National Park tenure. “Noosa Council ratepayers paid just $1.2 million. Securing that much land for the price of a house is pretty amazing. "It's an incredible value for money and a wonderful investment for our children's future.” Work on restoring the land will begin in February 2022. Noosa Landcare has partnered with Greenfleet, a leading not-forprofit environmental organisation, which will fund the restoration through voluntary carbon contributions from individuals and companies around Australia. "We are proud to partner with Greenfleet who has, as part of the first step in this project, negotiated a landmark agreement with the Kabi Kabi People’s Aboriginal Corporation."
Ringing in festive season
Ringing in Christmas Santa arrives at a packed Christmas in Cooroy. See all the photos on pages 22 and 23.
To page 4
Cooroy Rag, 15 December 2021 - Page
1