Room to go wild – levy is life for our environment
Native fauna and flora is thriving in the City of Logan’s green spaces under the care of Logan City Council and local conservation groups.
Bahrs Hill Park, near Belivah and Windaroo, is among the sites buzzing with biodiversity thanks to funding from the citywide Environment Levy.
A recent ecological survey of the 47-hectare property – purchased by Council in 2019 with levy funds – identified traces of more than 200 species including koalas,the short-beaked echidna and the white-throated needletail (a swallow-like bird).
Wildlife sighted during the study included the leaden delma (a ‘legless’ lizard), the rose-crowned fruit dove and the little bent-wing bat.
The park is also a place where vulnerable plant species can flourish.
Endangered flora species present when the park was purchased continue to grow, including the Bahrs Scrub croton, the small-leaved tamarind and the shiny-leaved coondoo.
Local environmentalist Glenn Leiper says the park is a conservation success story and its variety of ecosystems types makes it invaluable to local wildlife.
‘[Bahrs Hill Park] is a remnant of the much larger Bahrs Scrub, which was a mix of both dry rainforest and eucalypt forest, so it is good to see the values haven’t been diminished,’ Glenn says.
‘You can retain individual plants and you can retain individual animals in zoos and botanic gardens but a lot of these plants and a lot of these animals can only survive in their habitat.
‘We need to retain these habitats so that these animals have a future.’
Glenn says Council’s conservation of Bahrs Hill Park came at a critical time for the region.
‘It was very timely because of the push for housing development in the area,’ he says.
‘Logan City Council has done a great job supporting conservation and making sure that biodiversity is retained for a long time to come.’
Council’s Environmental Levy funds the protection, re-planting and restoration of natural spaces such as Bahrs Hill Park.
The levy is collected via quarterly rates notices. Under the 2023/24 Budget, the Environment Levy will increase by $7 for the year to $94.40 per property.
