On Feb. 8, I posted a message concerning a local newspaper report that the
Brisbane City Council had approved a plan to use part of the Minnippi
Parklands for an 18 hole public golf course and to give to a developer to
use for a 160 lot housing development.
I now have advice from Cr Campbell, whose ward contains Minnippi. The
proposals don't directly affect the Minnippi lake from which the weevils
have recently cleared the Salvinia (floating fern) that had completely
choked it. The lake is east of (tidal) Bulimba Creek; the golf course and
housing development proposals are all west of the creek. So the interesting
water-bird area is not involved. That's the good news.
Possible bad news is that the Golf Course and housing will extend virtually
all the way from Bulimba Creek to Creek Road, for anyone who knows the area.
Broadly speaking that means it extends over all of the public open space
land.
Why only possibly bad?
? The plan Cr Campbell provided indicates that over the main area the
fairways (Nos 1 to 6, and 10 to 18) will occupy only about a quarter of the
area and the rest will remain, or be restored, as native bushland.
? Council claims that "Independent experts from Southern Cross University
have said that the squirrel gliders actually have a better chance of
long-term survival as a result of improvements to habitat and
re-establishment of natural corridor that will be made."
However, the plan is "only indicative". If the golf course is constructed,
the designer thereof might have different ideas for the layout. And, if the
plan is only indicative, perhaps the fairways will be wider than indicated,
and the proportion of bushland smaller.
A question that seems important to me, and some golf expert on birding-aus
may know the likely answer, is whether the public would be free to walk over
the non-fairway parts of the area, if it becomes public golf course.
The Courier-Mail, Feb 18, says the area is presently leased for grazing. I
am endeavouring to ascertain whether the public has a legal right to walk
over the area, or whether one needs the lessee's permission.
BTW, on Feb. 13, Dr Catterall (Griffith University) pointed out that the
Gliders affected are Squirrel Gliders, not Sugar Gliders as the Advertiser
quoted Wayne Cameron as saying. Having recently been misquoted by the
Advertiser on another matter myself, I wonder if Wayne too was misquoted.
Syd Curtis at Hawthorne, Brisbane
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