Archived articles

GECKO TALKS-Dr. Skinner is a disease ecologist and a post doctoral researcher at prestigious Stanford University in the USA. She is now based in the Gold Coast. In her talk for the monthly event, organized by Gecko Environment Council for the Gold Coast, Dr. Skinner will focus on the relation between climate change, our environment and mosquito’s. Visit www.gecko.org.au to book a seat

Dear Councillors, Councillor vote on ASF Proposal It has been reported in the Gold Coast Bulletin that you are being pressured to vote on whether or not to proceed with the ASF Consortium possible proposal tomorrow. This appears to be happening without you receiving adequate information or time to properly consider the limited information you do have. While we always take what is reported in the GC Bulletin with a pinch of salt, in the absence of any other source of information the stories over the last few days have raised grave concerns.

Cruise terminal tribute to Prince Philip or a promise to save the park named in his honour? It is time for the Mayor to abandon the Oceanside cruise terminal. The terminal is totally inappropriate on the Philip Park site or anywhere in the Broadwater and Gecko Environment Council’s success, at long last, of getting the PwC Business Case Report, released in full, clearly reveals that. The Mayor and most Councillors should be held to account for failing to release all of this report, especially Appendix E which lists all the risks involved in this proposal. See wwewe.gecko.org.au for more info.

COMMUNITY COMPOSTING PROGRAM-As part of their wider sustainability program, Palm Beach Currumbin High School has a Sustainability Hub on the school grounds and as part of the Hub, the school has purchased an industrial composter. Gecko has partnered with the school to provide the wider community with an option to benefit from their fantastic facilities. Gecko House has a black COMMUNITY COMPOST PROGRAM bin at Gecko House to drop off your food scraps, including protein. This is what you can and cannot compost through the program.

City Planning Amendments Again! Round 4 of the latest version of the Amendments to the City Plan are out and there is an opportunity to make a submission by Thursday 8th April by email to cityplansubmissions@goldcoast.qld.gov.au or on online gchaveyoursay.com.au/ourcityourplan Gecko has put together a submission which you can find on our home page of the website www.gecko.org.au You are welcome to use any of the information from this submission or all of it or you can simply write and say you endorse the Gecko submission. More submissions tell Council the residents are watching what is happening in planning for our city’s future.

“The platypus is one of the most unique species in the world,” says Emily Vincent of environmental organisation Watergum, who will be Gecko’s guest speaker. The egg-laying mammal is endemic to the east coast of Australia, including Tasmania, populating our freshwater creeks and waterways. Gecko Talks 24th March in Currumbin RSL - see www.cecko.org.au for details

2.5 Hours on Tuesday mornings and 2.5 hours on Friday mornings (7am – 9:30am). Immediate start with a two week trial period. $30/per hour. Skills required:- Meticulous and efficient cleaning skills with high attention to detail. - Ability to work alone. - Must have their own ABN to start. - Must be able to provide references working as a cleaner.

Maria, who is the Education Coordinator for Bats Queensland (and who is also a Law Professor at Bond University), will speak at Gecko Talks on February 24th at Currumbin RSL. The bat enthusiast will shine her light on the supposed role of bats in the spread of Covid-19. “It is because different species of animals were crammed together in the wet market in Wuhan, that transmission could take place. Although bats cannot transmit Covid-19 directly to humans, we must be mindful that habitats are shrinking, which means that species that normally would not interact in the wild are more likely to do so, thereby increasing the probability of intra species viral transmission.. One more reason to give animals the space they need.” 24th February 6.45pm Currumbin RSL. Book in through www.gecko.org.au

The City of Gold Coast Council is once again proposing a cableway from Mudgeeraba to Springbrook National Park and have commissioned a feasibility study which will be presented to Councillors in February. Gecko is extremely concerned that this proposal has been raised again as the Government report in 2000 clearly stated the reasons it should not proceed.

The Spit continues to be very popular with residents and visitors as a place to relax and recreate especially in the challenging year that was 2020. Its value to the Gold Coast community cannot be disputed as the public sought to enjoy our green and blue recreational areas. The commitment of so many in the community since 2003 to protecting The Spit has been justified over and over again and they will continue to watch over it during the implementation of the Master Plan and beyond. There are many positive happenings on The Spit, but still some issues that require on going advocacy and vigilance. The positives are the projects relating to the adopted Master Plan and issues relate to the cruise terminal in Phillip Park and helicopter flights.