MOOLOOLAH LOGGING AREA (within the Beerwah State Forest)

• Is located on the south-eastern site of Ewen Maddock Dam and forms four islands of vegetation divided by the Steve Irwin Way and Bruce Highway with a total area of approximately 880 hectares (ha).
• This is the only sizable stand of native forest in the Beerwah State Forest as the remaining 4500ha is made up of pine plantation.
• The largest parcel is 534 ha between Steve Irwin Way and the Beerwah State Forest pine plantation
  • the site once earmarked for an off-road motorcycling facility-a proposal rightly withdrawn
• Forms part of the Sunshine Coast coastal lowlands which stretches north from Caboolture to Noosa and west of the Glass House Mountains
• Has wide representation of different forest types within a relatively small area
• Is unique within the Sunshine Coast Lowlands and can only be compared to the Tewantin National Park which has similar composition of vegetation types
• Has biodiversity significance as it contains significant habitat for endangered, vulnerable and rare fauna
• Has regionally significant and poorly conserved ecosystems
• Has a high diversity of species
• Has important areas of wetland
• Is an essential part of the bioregional vegetation corridor
• Studies describe the significant conservation values of the Mooloolah Logging Area with assessments concluding the site has ‘extremely high conservation values’ and notes the estate was recognised for its conservation values and was in the process of conversion to conservation reserve under the SEQ Regional Forestry Agreement (SEQRFA).

Marked below, is the 24ha currently the subject of an application by Main Roads to the Department of Environment & Heritage Protection (under Queensland Parks & Wildlife management) to revoke this portion from State Forest to faciliate the preferred preliminary reference design of the Bruce Hwy upgrade project (Caloundra Rd interchange to Sunshine Mwy) .

This 24ha section alone contains a range of threatened species