Yurol and Ringtail Project

In October 2017, Council gave approval to Yurol Ringtail Conservation Project that was part funded by the Environment Levy and resulted in 2,400ha of land within Yurol and Ringtail State Forests to transition to National Park status over the next 10 years.

The change from State Forest to protected area results in permanent protection of this important corridor between Tewantin and Cooloola National Parks. It provides valuable habitat for a range of threatened species including the koala. The proposed change from State Forest to protected area tenure will result in permanent protection of this important corridor between Cooloola and Tewantin National Parks. It provides valuable habitat for a range of threatened species, including the koala.

This is a unique project driven by the Noosa Parks Association alongside other community conservation groups, industry, local and state government organisations to achieve a significant outcome for the environment.

Key highlights of the Yurol Ringtail Conservation Project

  1. Approx. 2,400 ha of land is being added to the conservation estate in Noosa through the expansion of the Tewantin National Park. This includes former pine plantation areas which have been harvested, replanted and transitioned into National Park. This project has added scale and regional connectivity to Noosa’s conservation estate.
  2. This complex project has had multiple stakeholders working together via a Transition Committee for the last 5 years. There has been exceptional cooperation between diverse stakeholders to achieve the project outcomes.
  3. This project has won both State and National local government awards for collaboration.
  4. To date, over 131,000 trees have been planted. A further 186,000 trees are scheduled to be planted over the next 3 years.

Yurol-Ringtail State Forests Conservation Koala Baseline and Monitoring Project

In addition to the Yurol Ringtail Conservation Project, Noosa Council partnered with Queensland University of Technology (QUT) to establish a koala monitoring program in the vicinity of the Yurol and Ringtail State Forests.

  • QUT’s drone is used to capture thermal video footage from six areas of interest throughout Yurol and Ringtail State Forests.
  • A total of 36 koalas were detected across all areas in 2023, compared to 55 in 2022 and 34 in 2021.
  • Noosa Council in collaboration with QUT, are currently continuing the koala drone monitoring through 2024.

 

Environment & Waste