A 10.9-hectare site with a critically endangered plant will be preserved after it was acquired by Sunshine Coast Council.
Rupari Hill, home to the Coochin Hills grevillea (Grevillea hodgei), was purchased for $860,000 through the Environment Levy.
The plant is found in only two small pockets: the peaks of the Coochin Hills and rocky Rupari Hill, just outside Beerwah.
Councillor Tim Burns said the site is home to significant plants and habitat for wildlife like the koala and powerful owl.
“This is a special ecosystem here on Rupari Hill with a unique assemblage of native species, including several plants only known to occur in the Glass House Mountains,” he said.
“The volcanic rock and soil here creates conditions that these plants rely on, so it was a high priority site for council to purchase and protect.
“It really is a showcase of the unique flora our Sunshine Coast Biosphere has to offer.”
The purchase links environment reserves on either side of the site and the Coochin Hills section of Glass House Mountains National Park.
The area is within a mapped biodiversity corridor, where council aims to establish protected natural connections and habitat.
“Protecting habitat and building landscape connections are priorities for the Environment Levy land acquisition program,” Cr Burns said.
Councillor Jenny Broderick said the acquisition of Rupari Hill would enable council to more effectively manage issues with illegal dumping in the area.
“With the site now under council ownership, we can all better protect this special place we know our locals love,” she said.
“Managing these issues will ensure Rupari Hill remains a beautiful and precious natural area for our own local species and all the benefits that it brings to our community.”
Council identifies and acquires properties for conservation as it works to implement its Environment and Liveability Strategy, to contribute to the Sunshine Coast Biosphere.
Other recent land purchases include sites at Wootha, Peregian Beach (jointly funded by council and the Queensland Government), Mount Mellum and Ilkley.
The Environment Levy, paid through rates by every property owner in our region, enables council to invest in a range of environmental programs and projects to deliver a healthy natural environment.
Since the early 1990s, the levy has supported the acquisition of more than 4200 hectares of land for conservation.
