Environmental offsets and restoration program
Brisbane City Council is currently undertaking planting and restoration works across Brisbane, and has already established several environmental offset sites.
In line with Brisbane. Clean, Green, Sustainable 2017-2031, the Offsets and Restoration Program plays a vital role in helping Council achieve its goal of 40% natural habitat cover on mainland Brisbane by 2031. The selection of sites and carefully planned restoration activities, also help to ensure that Brisbane’s natural habitat cover is connected and healthy. Council is continually looking for new potential offset sites across the city, where land and habitat can be restored.
The offset restoration works balances the impacts on habitat as our city develops and are undertaken in accordance with requirements of the Queensland Environment Offsets Act (2014) (QEOA). The works may include:
- planting native species that are consistent with the existing regional ecosystem
- mulching for erosion control, soil moisture retention and weed suppression
- placing coarse woody debris (including logs, old tree stumps and large branches) to provide immediate habitat and refuge for fauna. Coarse woody debris used within restoration sites is sourced from storm clean-ups or development sites, that would have otherwise been chipped or mulched
- installing natural and/or artificial hollows, perches and nesting sites in existing trees, or on habitat poles, to provide a safe place for local wildlife
- weed management and existing native vegetation maintenance.
Watch the video
Learn more about environmental offset restoration in this video. You can also view this video on Council's YouTube account.
Video transcript
This is a transcript of the environmental offset restoration video on Council's YouTube account.
This drone video for Brisbane environmental offsets outlines the positive work of Brisbane City Council and the Environmental Offsets Program, while showing areas that have had trees planted to assist with local wildlife.
Upbeat instrumental music begins and plays throughout, as the video opens with Council workers putting together tree guards and placing them around newly planted trees. The text explains that Brisbane City Council is restoring Brisbane’s bushland.
Drone footage flies over a large clearing in the middle of dense bushland where Council has commenced planting trees. A number of newly planted trees can be seen at the top of the clearing, while the rest of the clearing has more mature plants that have been planted and grown, with logs deposited at intervals around the clearing for native animal homes. The text explains that environmental offsets balance impacts on habitat as our city develops.
The video shows a close up of a Sickle-leaved Wattle, slowly waving in gentle sunlight. The camera moves from the tip of the branch, along to the left. The text states native species are planted and sites maintained for five years.
The drone then flies down closer to the clearing seen previously in the video, showing a closer view of the mature plants and the new saplings in the bright sunlight. The text at the bottom of the screen says that logs provide homes for insects and reptiles.
The video then shows a number Squirrel Gliders in a nesting box, curled up together with gum tree leaves lining the bottom of the box. The text reads nesting boxes house native birds and wildlife.
The last section of the video shows a text box over drone footage, which is rising over the tops of trees on the edge of bushland. The text box reads ‘Keeping Brisbane clean, green and sustainable’ with an internet search icon to search for ‘Brisbane environmental offsets’. The I Heart BNE logo is in the bottom left corner and the Brisbane City Council logo with tagline 'Dedicated to a better Brisbane' is in the bottom right corner of the screen.
Environmental offset and restoration sites locations
Suburb | Location | Site details (significant fauna that may be supported by the restoration, corridor links and size of the restoration area) | Start date |
---|---|---|---|
Acacia Ridge | Colebard Street Park - 18A Loam Street | This site is located on the northeastern side of Oxley Creek and contributes to the enhancement of habitat values along the creek corridor. 26 hectares | September 2021 |
Acacia Ridge | Norma Croker Park - 34 Lismore Street | The site expands the silver leaved ironbark and narrow leaved ironbark woodland areas in Brisbane and contributes to a corridor of vegetation along Oxley Creek. 2.5 hectares | March 2023 |
Anstead | Anstead Bushlands - 456 Hawkesbury Road | Increasing habitat for the brown goshawk, eastern chestnut mouse and squirrel glider and links to Brisbane River and Anstead Bushland Reserve. 13.7 hectares | June 2016 |
Anstead | Anstead Bushlands - 506 Hawkesbury Road | Increasing habitat for the glossy black-cockatoo, brown goshawk, eastern chestnut mouse and squirrel glider. This site is part of a corridor linking the Brisbane River and Anstead Bushland Reserve. 3.1 hectares | October 2022 |
Bald Hills | Musgrave Avenue Park - 17 Musgrave Avenue | Expanding the blue gum and tea tree open forest communities and providing a linkage to the northern wetlands and foreshore ecological corridor. Enhancing habitat for small bird species, as well as providing host plants for butterfly species such as blue tiger and common crow. 9.9 hectares | January 2024 |
Bald Hills | Tinchi Tamba Wetland Reserve - 397 Wyampa Road | Increasing habitat for a variety of significant bird species such as the white-bellied sea-eagle, osprey, buff-banded rail and Baillon's crake. The site is part of Tinchi Tamba Wetland Reserve and links to Bald Hills Creek and the Pine River. 4.4 hectares | October 2020 |
Burbank | Leacroft Road Park - 106 Leacroft Road | Increasing the total area of Leacroft Road Park which is part of the Brisbane Koala Bushlands. Providing habitat for significant species including koala, squirrel glider, greater glider, red-necked wallaby, powerful owl and great barred frog. 22 hectares | April 2020 |
Burbank | Leacroft Road Park - 291 Alperton Road | Increasing the total area of Leacroft Road Park which is part of the Brisbane Koala Bushlands. Providing habitat for significant species including koala, squirrel glider, greater glider, red-necked wallaby, powerful owl and great barred frog. 15 hectares | October 2019 |
Burbank | Prout Road Park - 1306 Mt Gravatt-Capalaba Road | Increasing the total area of Prout Road Park which is part of the Brisbane Koala Bushlands. The site links to Leslie Harrison Dam via Tingalpa Creek and provides habitat for species including koala, squirrel glider, greater glider, red-necked wallaby, powerful owl, tusked frog and great barred frog. 2.9 hectares | August 2019 |
Burbank | Prout Road Park - 115 Prout Road | Increasing the total area of Prout Road Park which is part of the Brisbane Koala Bushlands. The site links to Leslie Harrison Dam via Tingalpa Creek and provides habitat for species including koala, squirrel glider, greater glider, red-necked wallaby, powerful owl, tusked frog and great barred frog. 7.7 hectares | March 2020 |
Burbank | Prout Road Park - 369 and 429 Prout Road | Increasing the total area of Prout Road Park which is part of the Brisbane Koala Bushlands. The site links to Leslie Harrison Dam via Tingalpa Creek and provides habitat for species including koala, squirrel glider, greater glider, red-necked wallaby, powerful owl, tusked frog and great barred frog. 3.9 hectares | April 2020 |
Calamvale | Doulton Street Park - 2724 Beaudesert Road | Increasing the habitat values of Doulton Street Park for species such as squirrel glider, sugar glider and red-necked wallaby. 1 hectare | August 2022 |
Carina | Preston Road Park - 5 Kate Street | Providing increased natural habitat for White-bellied sea-eagle, osprey, Lewin’s rail, beeping froglet and squirrel glider and forming part of the Bulimba Creek corridor. Preston Road Park is part of the larger Minnippi Parklands. 1.1 hectares | July 2021 |
Carina Heights | Whites Hill Reserve – 264 Pine Mountain Road | Increasing habitat for Koalas and other significant species by enhancing areas on the southern side of Whites Hill Reserve. 7 hectares | February 2024 |
Carindale | Belmont Hills Reserve - 38 Greendale Way | Increasing the habitat area for species such as koala, red-necked wallaby, and glossy black-cockatoo. This site links to the Bulimba Creek corridor via Spring Creek and with bushland areas in Burbank. 2.1 hectares | March 2023 |
Carindale | Belmont Hills Reserve – 174 Scrub Road | Providing increased habitat area for significant species such as koala, red-necked wallaby, and glossy black-cockatoo. This site links to the Bulimba Creek corridor via Spring Creek and with bushland areas in Burbank. 0.3 hectares | September 2023 |
Chandler | Chandler Bushland Reserve - 1781 Mt Gravatt-Capalaba Road | The southern boundary of this site is adjacent to Leslie Harrison Dam and provides increased natural habitat areas for greater glider, squirrel glider, koala, powerful owl, brown goshawk, tusked frog and great brown broodfrog. 4.8 hectares | February 2021 |
Chandler | Tollett Street Reserve - 2907 Old Cleveland Road Chandler | Proving increased habitat area for significant species such as koala and swamp wallaby. This site is located within the Bayside Parklands and is part of a fauna corridor, connecting Leslie Harrison Dam, in the south to Tingalpa creek and Moreton Bay in the northeast. 6.6 hectares | October 2021 |
Chandler | Toronto Road Park - 117 & 143 Toronto Road | Increasing the area of Toronto Road Park which contributes to the Tingalpa Creek corridor and provides natural habitat for Brown goshawk, osprey, koala, red-necked wallaby, swamp wallaby and greater glider. 8.1 hectares | August 2020 |
Chermside | Terry Hampson Reserve - 17 Brentwick Street | Increasing the area of Packer Place Park which provides natural habitat for many locally native species. Links to 7th Brigade Park and Marchant Park to the east of Chermside Hills Reserves and to the west via Downfall Creek. 0.5 hectares | April 2020 |
Doolandella | Armisfield Street Park - 59-79 Armisfield Street | Increasing the total area of Armisfield Street Park and providing habitat for species such as squirrel glider, green-thighed frog and wedge-tailed eagle. The site links to Blunder Creek, which is part of the Oxley Creek Catchment. 2.8 hectares | April 2022 |
Drewvale | Karawatha Forest Park South - 2900 & 2916 Beaudesert Road | Increasing the area of Karawatha Forest and providing increased natural habitat areas for brown goshawk, powerful owl, glossy black-cockatoo, tusked frog, green-thighed frog, greater glider and koala. 7.5 hectares | September 2022 |
Eight Mile Plains | Conondale Park - 135 Malbon Street, 37 Padstow Road and 9 Kandanga Street | The site contributes to the Bulimba Creek corridor providing increased natural habitat for significant species such as squirrel glider and swamp wallaby. 7 hectares | April 2023 |
Karana Downs | Kupi Park - 58 Tanderra Way | Providing increased habitat areas for significant fauna species such as koala and enhancing habitat for white browned scrub wren and rufous fantail. Also enhancing habitat for all lifecycle stages of a firefly population present at the site. 2.2 hectares | March 2023 |
Karawatha | Karawatha Forest - 139 and 161 Garfield Road and 477 Wembley Road | Increasing the area of Karawatha Forest and providing greater natural habitat areas for brown goshawk, powerful owl, osprey, glossy black-cockatoo, tusked frog, green-thighed frog, wallum froglet, greater glider and koala. 11.2 hectares | March 2021 |
Karawatha | Scrubby Creek Recreation Reserve - 50 Hashim Place | This site forms part of the corridor along Scrubby Creek. Restoration will increase natural habitat areas for species such as koala, wallum froglet and glossy black-cockatoo. 2.3 hectares | October 2022 |
Kuraby | Voyager Drive Park - 531 Millers Road | Providing increased habitat areas in the park for species such as powerful owl, green-thighed frog, wallum froglet and koala. 8.1 hectares | October 2022 |
Mansfield | Secam Street Park & Tillack Park - Bulimba Creek corridor | Providing increased natural habitat in these parks for significant species such as koala and squirrel glider and contributing to the Bulimba Creek corridor through links with other local forested parks 15.6 hectares | February 2022 |
Mansfield | Cresthaven Park - 253 Wecker Road | Increasing the natural habitat areas along Bulimba Creek for significant species such as koala and squirrel and sugar gliders. 6.8 hectares | November 2022 |
Moggill | Priors Pocket Road Park - 458-526 Priors Pocket Road | Providing increased habitat areas in Priors Pocket Park which forms part of the Brisbane River corridor. 20.3 hectares | July 2022 |
Mount Crosby | Marstaeller Road Park - 48-90A Marstaeller Road | Providing increased natural habitat areas along the Brisbane River corridor for significant species including koala, squirrel glider and greater glider. 16.5 hectares | April 2023 |
Mount Gravatt East | Lambertia Close Park - 335 Pine Mountain Road | Providing increased natural habitat in Lambertia Close Park for Brisbane’s significant species such as koala and squirrel glider and enhancing the natural values of the Bulimba Creek corridor. 1 hectare | February 2019 |
Mount Gravatt East | Carrara Street Park - 68 Carrara Street and 8 Nurran Street | Providing increased habitat for koala and other locally native species. 0.4 hectares | September 2019 |
Pallara | Pallara Bushland Reserve - 104 Ritchie Road | The site links to the riparian areas of the Blunder Creek corridor to the north and increases the local natural habitat areas. The site provides habitat for significant species such as koala, squirrel glider and sugar glider. 7.5 hectares | June 2022 |
Ransome | Molle Road Park – 173 Molle Road & Rickertt Road Park – 277 Rickertt Road | The sites link to Moreton Bay via Tingalpa Creek and provide habitat for species including koala, squirrel glider, greater glider, red-necked wallaby, swamp wallaby, tusked frog and great barred frog. 2 hectares | December 2023 |
Runcorn | Daw Road Park - 229 Daw Road | Increasing natural habitat areas adjoining the waterbodies for species such as the Tusked frog, Greater egret and Olive-backed oriole. This work supports the ecological function of the Bulimba Creek riparian corridor. 6.1 hectares | August 2024 |
Runcorn | Wally Tate Park - 95 & 109 Warrigal Road, 1251 & 1406 Beenleigh Road and 211 Underwood Road | Increasing habitat area for red goshawk and powerful owl. This site increases the natural habitat values within the Karawatha to Rochedale ecological corridor and enhances the ecological values of the Bulimba Creek corridor. 4.2 hectares | October 2023 |
Stretton | Stretton Wetland Reserve- 918 Gowan Road | Increasing the natural habitat areas of the reserve for species such as powerful owl, green-thighed frog, wallum froglet and koala. 1.8 hectares | March 2022 |
Stretton | Karawatha Forest Park, Quarry Precinct - 330 Kameruka Street | Increasing the natural habitat areas of Karawatha Forest and lands surrounding a former quarry dam. Providing greater habitat for powerful owl, green-thighed frog, wallum froglet and koala. 1.6 hectares | October 2022 |
Tingalpa | Murarrie Road Park - 380 Murarrie Road | Part of the Murarrie Road Park with links to other local forested parks via the Bulimba Creek corridor. The site provides habitat for squirrel glider, osprey, great brown broodfrog and glossy ibis. 3.3 hectares | August 2020 |
Upper Kedron | Ross Road Park - 85-91 Ross Road | Increasing the natural habitat areas across the site providing habitat for great barred frog, common planigale, sugar glider, pale-vented bush-hen and osprey. The site links to D'Aguilar National Park via Enoggera Reservoir and Cedar Creek. 17.5 hectares | March 2020 |
Wacol | Progress Road Park - 430 Progress Road | The site forms part of the Bullockhead Creek corridor and links to other parks to the south and north including Pooh Corner, and providing habitat for a variety of species including brown goshawk and osprey. 4.9 hectares | March 2021 |
Wakerley | Chelsea Road Park - 115 & 256 Greencamp Road | Increasing the area of Chelsea Road Park which links to other local forested parks via a tributary of Lota Creek. The site provides habitat for pale-vented bush-hen, brown goshawk, powerful owl, koala, sugar glider and greater glider. 4 hectares | March 2021 |
Wakerley | Greencamp Road Park - 16 & 154 Greencamp Road | Increasing the area of the Ransome Ecological corridor and connecting the Bayside Parklands wetland and bushland areas through to Lota and Tingalpa Creeks. This site provides habitat for species such as koala and greater glider. 2 hectares | October 2021 |
Nest boxes
Council has installed many nest boxes at the environmental offset sites across Brisbane. Nest boxes are installed to supplement the existing tree hollows on environment offset sites. Nest boxes assist wildlife by providing suitable nesting and roosting places which are required by many of Brisbane’s fauna species.
The provision of nest boxes is one way Council is providing wildlife habitat in line with Brisbane. Clean, Green, Sustainable 2017-2031.