Coffs Harbour man’s three-year fight for Australia’s first frog zoo

A man’s three-year battle to see plans for Australia’s first frog zoo approved by a Mid-North Coast council has croaked, with the amphibian lover deciding to leap onto a neighbouring shire’s lily pad to try his luck.

The Frogarium DA plans at Bonville have been rejected by Coffs Harbour City Council.

A man’s three-year battle to see plans for Australia’s first frog zoo approved by a Mid-North Coast council has croaked, with the amphibian lover deciding to leap onto a neighbouring shire’s lily pad to try his luck.

The Frogarium, ran by seasoned frog breeder and expert Peter Johnson, was a popular tourist attraction in Bonville, Coffs Harbour from 2020 to 2022, before closing its doors due to Covid restrictions.

This month a development application (DA) for a mega-version of the unique zoo was refused by the City of Coffs Harbour Council, leaving Mr Johnson with a lump in his throat.

Mr Johnson said the lengthy battle has cost him $30,000 and left him with an unused $150,000 state government tourism grant.

Peter Johnson with a giant barred frog when the Frogarium operated from Garden Mania at Bonville. Picture: Supplied.

The frog enthusiast has made several attempts to address council concerns such as noise impacts.

He wrote to council about the volume of the frogs, which he claims would be minimal even with “wild in the paddock croaking”.

Magnificent tree frogs at the Frogarium in 2019.

“It would be absolutely impossible for any noise to travel more than five to ten metres from the container,” he said.

“We were situated at Garden Mania for two years next to a resident approximately 30m from the enclosures who never heard the frogs,” Mr Johnson said.

You could say there was not a ribbit in sight.

According to the DA documents, council deemed the site unsuitable and claimed requests for further information had not been provided by Mr Johnson.

The Frogarium DA plans at Bonville have been rejected by Coffs Harbour City Council.

“The proposal is likely to cause impacts on the natural and built environment in terms of noise, traffic, waste generation and stormwater impacts,” the document stated.

“As the likely impacts of the development have not been addressed, the proposal cannot be supported.”

Mr Johnson has taken to Facebook expressing his disappointment and vows to lodge further plans in other council shires including nearby Bellingen.

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Originally published as Coffs Harbour man’s three-year fight for Australia’s first frog zoo