Whites Hill Sustainability

Whites Hill-Pine Mountain
Community Achievements for a Sustainable Natural Environment

The sustainability of this reserve and adjoining bushland has been greatly aided by community groups active in the area. The oldest of these groups is the Whites Hill-Pine Mountain Community Group, which has been advocating for the protection of the reserve and its ecological corridors since 1981. The groups involved with this are the Whites Hill Pine-Mountain Community Group, the Bulimba Creek Catchment Coordinating Committee, S.C.R.U.B. (Save Care ouR Urban Bushlands), Jones Road, Wisteria Park, Lambertia Park, Olivia Park, Sankeys Scrub, and Basset Street Bushcare Groups, and the SOS Junior Nature Club.

Achievements

Through the efforts of the various groups working in conjunction with the Brisbane City Council and other entities, a number of positive outcomes have been achieved for the area. These include:

• Production of the Whites Hill Management Plan
• Production of the draft Salvin Creek Protection Plan (for the development assessment process)
• Production of the Bulimba Creek Catchment Management Plan
• BCC quarry to be restored to natural condition and being designated as a Conservation and Heritage area (through Cityplan and Whites Hill Management Plan). Boral Quarry to be restored to natural condition and returned to Bushland Reserve (Draft Pine Mountain Development Application). See photo to the right for a picture prediction of the outcome.
• Extensive ecosystem restoration projects - six bushcare project sites in Whites Hill Reserve, two adjoining Boral Bushlands, and four on the Salvin Creek Corridor linking to Bulimba Creek (including the Olympic Landcare Riparian Restoration Project at Salvin Park). The area has the most intensive on-ground community bushcare involvement in Brisbane City.

Nature-Based Recreation in the Reserve

The local groups have seen the importance of low impact, nature-based recreation in the reserve to help educate residents and visitors as to the ecological importance of the reserve and of natural areas in general. Achievements to date in this field include:

• Junior nature club in Olivia Park and Indus Street (Whites Hill)
• Walking for pleasure monthly walks
• Walk on the wild-side ecological walks with QLD Naturalists’ Club
• Yearly Butterfly and Invertebrates Club excursions
• Orienteering circuit
• 4 spotlighting walks in the reserve each year with expert guides

Future Priorities

The community groups have a number of priority actions which they will be striving to acheive in the near and medium term future, in addition to their current responsibilities. These are:

• Ensuring that B.C.C. acquires the highly significant habitat/corridor bushland abutting the eastern portion of reserve (on Salvin creek). This land is commonly referred to as ‘Area 13’ and is currently in private hands. These blocks are described as:
• Lot 1 RP 89931
• Lot 2 RP 89931
• Lot 2 RP 49873
• Protection of the Salvin Creek corridor linkages which exist on private lands to the east and south-east of the reserve, in the vicinity of Pine Mountain Road. These blocks are described as:
• Lot 2 RP 890202
• Lot 4 RP 868509
• Lot 8 RP 77551
• Extending the riparian restoration project at the Olympic Landcare site at Salvin Park
• Establishment of new riparian restoration site at Carnelian Street, at the southern side of the reserve.
• Establishment of a Threatened Species - 30 Species Restoration Site at the Notophyll Vine Forest remnant in the centre of the reserve. To be considered and expanded with dry rainforest species included Macadamia integrifolia and Cupaniopsis shirleyana
• Establishing private landholder agreements (1/3 for nature) on land adjoining corridor linkages.
• Establishment of a public/private land link to Oates Hill bushlands, through mechanisms such as a fauna/flora ‘friendly neighbours project’ (pending B.C.C. grant application) and private landholder agreements.

Wayne Cameron
Project Manager
Bulimba Creek Catchment Coordinating Committee, Inc.