FIRE RISK AT SPIT
FIRE has emerged as the major planning risk as authorities spend $8 million of taxpayer and ratepayer money on creating a rainforest at the end of The Spit.
A council report warns the site, at Federation Walk on the north eastern side of The Spit, has had several fires impacting on the work of volunteers regenerating the area, including a grass fire in 2019 which resulted in hundreds of people stranded for more than four hours.
Deputy Premier Dr Steven Miles in March announced it would take about 12 months for plantings to become established and $8 million to restore 37 hectares of native forest.
FIRE has emerged as the major planning risk as authorities spend $8m of taxpayer and ratepayer money on creating a rainforest at the end of The Spit.
The Bulletin can reveal council officers in a report on the ocean park’s big ticket item warned “wildfire is a substantial risk for the site and targeted vegetation communities”.
Councillors in a closed committee session were told council staff involved in maintenance would have to use irrigation facilities to create “wet” buffers.
Deputy Premier and State Development Minister Dr Steven Miles in March announced it would take approximately 12 months for plantings to become established and $8m required across 10 years to restore 37 hectares of native forest.
The council report warns the site, at Federation Walk on the north eastern side of The Spit, has had several fires impacting on the work of volunteers regenerating the area.
The most recent grass fire in 2019 forced police to create an exclusion zone as hundreds of people were stranded for more than four hours.
Detailed project planning would determine mown buffers around the restoration areas to minimise this risk of damage to the rainforest community, officers said.
“The presence of extensive areas of Blady Grass is also seen as a fire risk and would be managed as part of the site management to reduce fuel continuity and load,” the report said.
Officers warned the creation of vegetation communities would require a “regular and reliable supply of water during the establishment period”.
Council, helped by federal government funding, was designing “a permanent or semipermanent irrigation system within Federation Walk” but a timeline for the project had yet to be determined.
The other constraint on the project was the availability of plant supplies, and giving nurseries a long enough lead-up time for delivery.
“Areas to be restored are in close proximity to Seaworld Dve, illegal access by four wheel drive is a potential issue. The use of vegetated barriers and/or fencing will need to be considered as part of the project planning,” the report said.
Officers said wastewater from the city’s water treatment plants was being pumped along the length of The Spit and discharged into the Seaway at the northern end. Gold Coast Water had investigated the viability of using the site’s existing recycled water.
The tender package to build the irrigation system was to be released to the market in April 2021 and completion scheduled for four months after the contract was signed.