One of the things that makes my electorate of McPherson such a wonderful place to live is our unique natural environment. From the pristine Currumbin and Tallebudgera valleys through to the estuaries and headlands of Coolangatta and Burleigh, our amazing environment is crucial to our way of life, and it’s something I’m sure that everyone in my electorate is very keen to maintain and protect.
Last week I welcomed the shadow minister for the environment, fisheries and forestry, Senator Duniam, to the southern Gold Coast to see firsthand some of the amazing work that the community groups and individuals have been doing there for quite some time. We met with Rosalinde from Watergum alongside the banks of the Tallebudgera Creek. Watergum is doing innovative work looking at cane toad eradication and working very closely with some of the local Landcare groups. We also visited the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and saw the important work they’re doing with the preservation of a number of species, including the Kroombit tinker frog and the eastern bristlebird. We heard a lot about the work that they are doing with koalas, in particular to treat those that have been injured, perhaps on our roads or elsewhere in the environment, and the work they are doing on the eradication of chlamydia amongst koalas.
The coalition has always been very supportive of the environment and will continue to be.