Koala habitat expansion a key priority for Arundel Hills development

The proposed development of Arundel Hills Country Club is poised to preserve more than 1,500 koala habitat trees as part of a commitment to retaining a large portion of the site as a nature reserve, with plans to further regenerate the site to increase the existing area supporting the local koala population.

In a report prepared by engineering and environmental science consultancy Burchills, plans for the development have prioritised the rehabilitation of koala habitat as part of its plans to regenerate the abandoned golf course.

The site contains 13.49ha of mapped koala habitat, of which 59 per cent, or 7.97ha, will be retained by the proposed works.

“This includes more than 1,500 koala habitat trees protected within the site,” said Jonathan Cuell, Burchills’ director of urban development.

“However, under the proposal put forward by the developer, more than 23ha of the site is proposed to be environmentally rehabilitated, including 15.67ha of intensive bushland restoration to create almost double the currently mapped koala habitat area.”

Mr Cuell said that in response to concerns raised by both the City of Gold Coast and the State Government, the overall impact area of residential development and associated earthworks was reduced in the recent updated development proposal, resulting in significantly reduced impacts on koala habitat.

“This includes removing all residential development from the ‘HinterlandtoCoast Critical Corridor’, which is mapped over lot 21 east of Arundel Drive.

“Aside from areas of the site proposed to be utilised for sport and recreation, in accordance with the site’s current zoning, the remainder of lot 18 is proposed to be rehabilitated, which will bring the total area of land to be restored to 23ha.”

Some 9.03ha of the proposed bushland restoration are within a koala habitat restoration area, as identified in the South-East Queensland Koala Conservation Strategy and are proposed to formally offset the impacts on koala habitat resulting from the development.

“Currently, areas of retained vegetation and koala habitat within the site and local landscape are generally limited to areas of constrained land including steep land, watercourses, flood impacted areas and other areas not suited to urban development.”

Mr Cuell said while the site lacks large tracts of unfragmented koala habitat, it does provide connectivity for koalas undertaking seasonal north-south movements between Parkwood and Coombabah.

In order to retain this function, the proposed development design facilitates open space corridors through the site and provides for north-south and east-west connectivity.

The environmental remediation of the former Arundel Hills Golf Club land is part of a master plan proposed by Arundel Estate Developments that will deliver 380 new homes on 27 per cent of the 67ha site.

In addition to enhancing koala habitat on parts of the site, the proposal includes the gifting the bulk of the disused golf course land site to AB Paterson College for sporting fields and indoor stadiums in a move that has been heralded as a massive boost for local sporting clubs and the community.

Arundel Estate Developments has announced it will hand over approximately 17 acres of the former golf course land to the College which will transform much of the former private members-only golf course into a new sporting hub in its plans to release open green space for public use.

Director of Zone Planning Group services David Ransom says the proposed master plan provides a balanced response to the need for detached low rise housing product, for which there is strong demand, but a dwindling supply of land for such developments.

“The city is facing a significant shortage of dwellings for purchase and rent, and that the number of dwellings being constructed in the city is falling well short of housing demand from interstate and international migrants,” said Mr Ransom.

“The draft South East Queensland Regional Plan (SEQRP) produced by the Queensland Government is advocating that there will be no further expansion of the urban footprint for new greenfield detached development, and places a heavy focus on infill development within the existing urban boundaries of the City.

“Underutilised privately owned golf courses can provide an opportunity to undertake infill development at scale, while also allowing a range of other natural hazard and environmental considerations to be taken into account.”