Gladstone Ports Corporation responds on Burnett Heads SDA plan

An environmental advocate feels his repeated call for action to save some of the region’s rarest forests has fallen on deaf ears.

An environmental advocate is calling for the conservation of a section of forest belonging to the Gladstone Ports Corporation.

The parcel of land sits off the Port Rd between Rubyanna and Hoffmans Rds and is part of a 6000 hectare State Development Area.

Landcare‘s Michael Johnson says the area has been slated for an electrical substation to be constructed by Ergon, to whom he has written to, along with MP Tom Smith and the port authority.

Mr Johnson’s concern is the age of trees in the triangular patch of land, where he says many are “well over 100 years old”.

One tree in particular, which he refers to as the “mighty octopus fig” is estimated to be about 350 years old.

He says that Landcare first raised the issue at a workshop run by the then Bundaberg Port Authority in 2008, followed by a submission to the Brisbane Port Authority and then again with the Gladstone Port Authority in 2020.

“Given that there is very little remnant vegetation left in the Bundaberg / Wide Bay region Bundaberg Landcare believes that it would be a criminal act to destroy such a precious area when there are other options available with regard infrastructure and land suitable for industrial purposes,” Mr Johnson said.

He wants to see the land preserved for the people of Bundaberg and Burnett Heads and the Taribelang people.

Mr Johnson said one company had already pulled out of interest in the site because “it would not be responsible for destroying remnant vegetation”.

A spokesman from Mr Smith’s office referred the Bundaberg NewsMail back to the ports corporation.

A Gladstone Ports Corporation spokesperson said there was a large amount of bushland that would not be developed.

The Port of Bundaberg Land Use Plan 2020 includes in excess of 30 hectares of conservation area on Burnett Heads side of the Burnett River,” they said.

“This area is home to local wildlife and native plants and Gladstone Ports Corporation have no future plans to develop the area.”

The spokesperson said the area had been put up for public consultation previously.

“The Land Use Plan identifies Strategic Port Land to be used for port and related industry and is an approved plan that underwent an extensive and considered legislative process and involved multiple opportunities for public consultation,” they said.

“Development within the Bundaberg State Development Area Development Scheme 2017 is regulated by the Office of the Coordinator General.”