Restoring our natural environment
Councillor Hermann Vorster is passionate about protecting the local natural environment. He has restored wetlands, created new habitats, planted thousands of new trees and led efforts to eliminate pests from our waterways. A particular focus has been the protection of native bird life, including Black Swans.
Recent highlights
- Secured $20,000 for the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary to treat sick and injured wildlife from Division 11.
- Secured $7000 in Council support for the Tackle Bin Project, delivering safe disposal bins for fishing tackle along lakes.
- Personally constructed temporary fencing to protect nesting black swans from dog attacks.
- Erected advisory signage asking motorists to take care of crossing wildlife at Lake Lomandra and across Robina Parkway.
- Created new wetlands in Robina for frog and bird habitat – and to improve water quality in the Mudgeeraba Creek catchment.
- Funded publication of Birds of the Gold Coast to engender greater appreciation of natural areas across the Gold Coast.
- Hosted National Tree Day celebrations in local schools to increase native planting in local gardens and foster care of our natural areas.
- Removed noxious weeds, poisoned exotic grasses and planted 5000 new trees at the Varsity Lakes Wetland to improve water quality and support swamp wallabies.
- Secured the Gold Coast’s Biggest Tree Planting Day at Robina City Parklands, planting 10,000 native plants.
- Co-ordinated annual Clean Up Australia Day, Robina Spring Clean, and rubbish collection events to rid the area of litter and illegal dumping.
- Adopted a policy of replacing dead and dying trees with healthy equivalents to preserve habitat and canopy cover.
Councillor Hermann Vorster said council officers had been asked to identify potential [Koala conservation] sites.
“There needs to be enough land that would support the existing population and additional land that could be rehabilitated overtime to produce food,” he said.
“I think there would be widespread support for this work and the declaration of a ‘Borobi Reserve’ would reflect council’s underlying support for getting the balance right.”