Gecko’s Campaigns and Advocacy Team brings together decades of collective experience in environmental protection, planning processes, ecological science, governance and community engagement. We are a highly informed and strategic group of Gold Coasters dedicated to safeguarding the natural character of our region while advocating for a sustainable and liveable built environment. Our advocacy is grounded in fact, informed by law and guided by a deep understanding of local ecological values.
We are a Regional Voice with State Influence!
As the regional conservation council for the Gold Coast, Gecko plays an important bridging role between local communities and state-level issues and decision-making.
We bring the environmental voice of the Gold Coast community to:
- Ministerial roundtables
- State and local government consultations
- Parliamentary and departmental processes
- Local and statewide environmental and conservation networks
Through our involvement in peak bodies such as the Queensland Conservation Council and collaboration with aligned organisations across Queensland and northern NSW, Gecko ensures that local environmental priorities are represented in broader policy discussions. Our regional insight strengthens state advocacy, and state networks amplify the Gold Coast’s voice.
We work constructively and collaboratively, aiming to influence both hearts and minds — from local residents to elected representatives and government agencies. Our approach is solutions-focused, strategic and professional.
Join our Campaigns Team.
We welcome new members who are interested in contributing their skills, deepening their understanding of environmental advocacy, or supporting informed and effective action for the Gold Coast.
New members to the team are always welcome and should contact the Gecko office on 55341412. To see the date of the next meeting visit https://gecko.org.au/calendar-of-events/
Campaigns articles
The October IPCC Special Report report finds that limiting global warming to 1.5°C would require “rapid and far-reaching” transitions in land, energy, industry, buildings, transport, and cities. The jobs of the future are in renewables and sustainability, not coal, so Gecko wonders why our Federal Government that purports to support innovation and industry and creation of jobs is not backing the growth industries
Currumbin Special School teacher, Toby Osborne, has started an inspiring programme which provides learning opportunities to hone the employment skills and social skills development for the students. The programme commenced in June 2018 after some months of setup and has met with resounding success with the students.
On 21 and 22 July the second planning workshop for the Master Plan was held at SeaWorld resort with approximately 80 people present for the ‘enquiry by design’ phase. This means that each table would discuss their topic which would then be translated onto the map of the Spit in visual form. There were 8 tables with topics such as having fun at the point, greening the Spit, commercial opportunities, all forms of getting around, promoting tourism, the cruise terminal, and participants were free to choose the table at which they wanted to work.
Volunteers are wanted to help with campaign actions. Have an hour or two a week to spare? Want to help save the environment on the Gold Coast? Do you love koalas? All help welcome; a wide variety of campaigns are being researched etc. Contact Gecko office@gecko.org.au if you can help with Campaigns and a person from the Team will contact you.
The City plan, planning scheme and the Crime and Corruption Committee
The Spit Master Plan by Lois Levy The campaign to protect the public open space of The Spit at the Gold Coast Broadwater has been a fierce and often divisive one for over thirty years. The development industry has wanted
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Our furry friends are in trouble. Despite Borobi koala being chosen as the icon for the Commonwealth Games this year, the real koalas on the Gold Coast are in dire straits. The population continues to decline regardless of measures taken to date to “save” them and experts such as Dr Steven Phillips predict they will be extinct in the wild within 5-10 years unless further immediate action is taken. You can be part of the solutions.
The campaign for this small public open space in Bundall began in 2014 and has attracted the support of thousands of people, appalled that Council is giving this lake to the Gold Coast Turf Club to fill and use as a car park. Black Swan Lake is a haven to over 50 species of birds as well as other wildlife, and is an important green space for the neighbourhood. Public open space in Gold Coast City is constantly under threat from some in the business sector, who see such land as open to commercial exploitation. There have been many examples of businesses wanting to develop public open space for their own personal profit. As many Councillors support business in these endeavours, it is left to the environment and community sectors to remain vigilant and campaign to retain essential green spaces in the city.
The elections for a new Queensland Government will take place next Saturday 25th November. Whether you will be pre-poling or will vote on the day, now is the time for you to have a close look at the positions of the various political parties, particularly in relation to their environmental policies. Gecko has compared the publicly available policies of the major parties on environmental and locally important issues (Local Government reform/ ban developer donations, action on excessive bush clearing-death to wildlife, a Spit Master Plan -3 storey height limit, a second M1 motorway through koala habitat, action on airport contamination, Climate Change action/ renewables) reflected in the scorecard below. Please consider the environment when casting your vote.