Gecko will be closed for a Xmas break 2pm 11th December, re-opening 10am 4th January 2021. Best wishes to all; have a green Xmas as you live in the environment, care for it as best you can.

Gecko Environment Council Inc Assn is registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC). The organisation is run by a Management Committee that is elected each October for a one year term. The Management Committee meets once a month.

Over that time Gecko, as a leading regional environmental body, has actively participated in all consultations relating the EPBC Act, the cornerstone of Australia’s environmental protection as well as to development proposals that trigger Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES). In this instance we would like to express our strong objection to this Bill, its manner of hasty passage through Parliament and the lamentably curtailed debate that has taken place. We believe that this Bill, which has been prematurely drafted and tabled, should have been informed by the final report of the statutory independent review of the EPBC Act conducted by Prof Graeme Samuel AO. This has yet to be presented to the public, together with the government’s considered response. The findings of the preliminary report clearly stated that, “The EPBC Act is ineffective. It does not enable the Commonwealth to protect and conserve environmental matters that are important for the nation.” This view was backed up by the Australian National Audit Office which found that the federal government's administration of the EPBC Act was neither effective nor efficient. No proof has been provided to demonstrate that the Bill will provide increased efficiency or a reduction of the costs of development applications.

Dr Michael Pyne, Senior Vet of Currumbin Wildlife Hospital will be speaking at Gecko Talks on 16 December at Currumbin RSL. Gecko Talks is a monthly guest speaker event, organized by Gecko Environment Council for the Gold Coast. This December the Talk is not held on the usual 4th Wednesday, but earlier on Wednesday 16 December. Bookings essential through web site Eventsbrite link as numbers are limited.

The Federal legislation the Environment Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC) is under review by Professor Samuels, and his final report is due for release prior to Christmas. In the meantime the Federal Government is pushing through a Bill called Environment Protection Biodiversity Conservation (Streamlining Approvals) Bill which gives the State Governments the role of assessing development applications under the EPBC Act, without any national standards to guide their decisions. Gecko is opposing this undue haste and has requested that such a decision is delayed at least until February 2021 until the Review report is made public and national standards are developed.

The Ecovillage in Currumbin is a modern international award-winning sustainable community located in south-east Queensland, Australia. The 270 acre site is set in Currumbin Valley, just 7 minutes from beautiful Currumbin Beach. The village contains over 20 different types of community facilities, including a community hall, kitchen, large pizza oven, bali huts, playgrounds, oval and cafe. It is also home to some 65 resident kangaroos and numerous other Australian wildlife. Gecko Talks is on Wednesday, November 25 at Currumbin RSL. Free entrance, however a booking is necessary to comply with Covid-19 rules. Bookings via the Eventbrite link on www.gecko.org.au

This year began with the horrific fires along the eastern seaboard and we were all very distressed not only with the human loss of life and property, but also the loss and injury of an estimated 3 billion native animals. The impact of this are still with us and are compounded by the inadequate Federal and State environment laws to protect wildlife and native plants remaining. The year continued with the advent of the Covid 19 pandemic in March, which resulted in the closing of the Gecko House office for several months, but the work of the campaigns team continued during the lockdown. The Campaign team works in 4 main areas – Biodiversity, Climate Change, Protection of Public Open Space and a Liveable Green City

The clutch of Loggerhead Turtles born at Tugun earlier this year helped inspire a local environmental scientist to launch a turtle-watch program. We want to improve the information on nesting turtles here on the Gold Coast. She will explain how you can be involved – and more about turtles in general – when she speaks at the free Gecko Talks on Wednesday, October 28. Turtle Watch will begin to fill the data gap on nesting turtles not just for the appropriate authorities but so there will be better response and reporting of local marine strandings, Ms Houlihan said. She has the support of Sea World, which rehabilitated and released the Tugun clutch, and non-profit Watergum group which is already involved in citizen science and will help train locals. Local knowledge and involvement is vital. That’s where beach walkers come in. Attend FREE Gecko Talks 28th October in Currumbin RSL. Boookings must be made through gecko.org.au.

In a few weeks Queenslanders will go to the polls to elect a government for the next 4 years and those of us in the conservation movement will be examining closely each party’s policies on the environment. No major party is without fault in failing to protect the amazing biodiversity we have in Queensland or taking effective action on climate change. It is understandable that during the pandemic and in its aftermath the focus of any government will be on getting the economy going, but unfortunately this is often at the expense of the environment on which the economy depends. This is very clearly seen in the situation with Queensland national parks. See gecko.org.au for more info.

More whales with newborns were recorded in our Gold Coast waters than ever, according to Dr Olaf Meynecke, Griffith University marine scientist and whale researcher.This is just one reason why he is a passionate advocate for the health of our ocean—particularly what he terms Gold Coast Bay—and its importance for us and our local economy. Hear more at Gecko Talks 23 September in Currumbin RSL. Due to COVID-19 booking necessary through web site www.gecko.org.au.