Ben Bennett Bushland petition to fight Caloundra Transport Corridor project
A grassroots campaign against a multimillion-dollar Caloundra road upgrade is gaining momentum as concerns grow for the impact it will have on wildlife and bushland.
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A petition with nearly 5000 signatures is gaining momentum against a multimillion-dollar roadway upgrade in Caloundra which threatens to harm bushland teaming with wildlife.
Residents have rallied against the $37.4m Caloundra Transport Corridor Upgrade Project which if it goes ahead will impact on wildlife in Ben Bennett bushland.
Conservationist and resident Jasmyne Case said the 21 hectare forest contains many different ecosystems that will be greatly affected if the project goes ahead.
This includes the Glossy Black Cockatoo, among other native wildlife.
“The noise and light pollution from the road will damage the ecosystems there and many animals will leave or die,” Ms Case said.
“Having a healthy little ecosystem isn’t common these days and to chop it away and a make a highway next to it is horrible.”
A majority of councillors in August voted in favour of compulsory land acquisitions for the remaining properties in the way of the Caloundra Transport Corridor Upgrade.
The project spanning 1.6km includes four-laning Oval Ave and connecting that road with Omrah Ave.
It will also extend Third Ave to create a new intersection at Nicklin Way.
Ms Case said the development will impact the communication and breeding of the animals as well as drastically reduce their populations.
Ms Case said more than 100 different species of birds, frogs, reptiles, mammal species and insects coexist in the bushland and were in the firing line.
“The environmental impacts will be huge as we become more and more like the Gold Coast and Brisbane,” she said.
“People come here because it’s a pretty and green space.
“If you chuck in a four-lane road next to it, it’s not going to be so pretty after that.”
Ecologist Matthew Hampton said the car danger was a significant concern for wildlife.
“It’s a landlocked sanctuary of what’s left and there’s no natural corridor that connects it, so we’ll see such a dramatic decline in wildlife,” Mr Hampton said.
“It’s the last bit of endangered habitat in Caloundra.
“The wildlife there is amazing and they will disappear due the noise and light pollution and even get hit by cars.
“It was always a beautiful park but diversity wise it’ll just turn into the surface of Mars, it’ll have nothing left.”
The Caloundra RSL sub-branch are still in talks with the council according to its senior vice president Kerry O’Connor, with the project impacting the Bob McInnes memorial garden.
Mr O’Connor said they negotiated the impact on the garden from 7m to 2.5—3m but said they were still concerned with what was being taken.
“They’re still taking a fair slice from our garden which we use for celebrations and memorials,” he said.
“We fought as hard as we could for it but all levels of government have committed to this, and it’s going ahead.”
Mr O’Connor was concerned with the impact on the bushland.
“It’s a lovely little park with loads of wildlife, and it really just doesn’t make sense to us why they would want to affect it,” he said.
Councillor Terry Landsberg said the much needed transport project would help minimise the traffic congestion in Caloundra due to rapid population growth.
“We’ve minimised the impacts the project will have on the memorial gardens, with the council being diligent in that change of scope of the road past the RSL,” Mr Landsberg said.
“We’re also working with the Department of Transport and Main Roads to minimise the environmental impact.”
Mr Landsberg said the approach to minimise the impact to vegetation and wildlife in Ben Bennett Bushland would be part of the detailed business case.
“We’re working extremely hard to minimise that impact,” he said.
“It is a very sensitive road corridor and it’s really needed.
“Anyone that is stuck in traffic there knows we need to deliver infrastructure projects like this for the future of our region.”
Mr Landsberg said the project has been through several studies and is part of the Caloundra masterplan.
Concept designs and investigations are expected to finish by the end of 2021 with detailed designs to be completed by the end of 2022.
The construction phase will begin in 2023 and will conclude in late 2024.
If you’d like to sign the petition, please head here.
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