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MAKING TRACKS TOGETHER
by InFocus News
Recovery Plan For Our Beloved Turtles
every nest and egg for the survival and recovery of these turtles, as only one in 1000 hatchlings reaches adulthood.
Collaboration among Sunshine Coast Council, councillors, Kabi Kabi First Nation Peoples, Queensland Government, independent Technical Advisory Panel and community leaders of TurtleCare, Coolum and North Shore & Bribie Island Turtle Trackers, has shaped the draft plan.
It supports efforts by the Queensland and Australian governments' efforts to stop the decline of marine turtle populations and guides the council's decision-making efforts for conservation and management goals for nesting marine turtles and hatchlings within the Sunshine Coast Local Government Area.
The plan sets out 3 desired outcomes and supportive themes:
A new plan aims to save one of the Sunshine Coast's most beloved marine animals by supporting the recovery of self-sustaining populations of marine turtles.
The goal is to reduce threats, improve habitat quality, and strengthen communitybased management to ensure the nesting and hatchling success of critically endangered loggerhead and vulnerable green turtle populations.
The Sunshine Coast Council is seeking input from the community on the draft Sunshine Coast Marine Turtle Conservation Plan.
The plan envisions a future where marine turtles thrive on the Sunshine Coast in harmony with people.
The populations of loggerhead turtles nesting along the Queensland coastline, including Sunshine Coast beaches, have significantly declined, making them critically endangered.
Sustained population growth for three generations is needed to remove marine turtles from the threatened species list. The plan emphasizes the importance of
1. Strategic planning and policy guidance for turtle-sensitive lighting and coastal development.
2. Regional marine turtle recovery actions.
3. Sunshine Coast community based TurtleCare program delivery.
The community can provide feedback on the draft plan by visiting Council’s Have Your Say website at haveyoursay.sunshinecoast.qld. gov.au before June 16, 2022.
Information provided by the Sunshine Coast Council Media Release.
