Gecko’s Campaigns Team are a passionate group of Gold Coasters giving a voice to the protection of the natural environment and advocating for the improved sustainability of the built environment.
The Gold Coast is recognised as an area of exceptional beauty and diversity of natural environments from the beaches and headlands, across the flood plains to the hills of the hinterland including, the World Heritage listed, Springbrook National Park. The Gold Coast has such a diversity of native plants and animals, many rare and endangered, that it is known as a biodiversity hotspot.
It is also an area of high population growth as more people seek to make their homes here to share in this bounty. This increasing population need to be accommodated and employment provided, while still protecting our exceptional beaches and bushland. It is the challenge of better management of both protection and sustainable development that inspires the Gecko campaigners.
The Campaigns Team with its combined knowledge and skills, meets fortnightly to discuss the issues, develop advocacy strategies and take appropriate action through appealing to the hearts and minds of Gold Coasters and the decision makers in the community. The Team brings together a number of experienced campaigners ready and willing to welcome and support any new comers to the team.
Join the Team and take action: New campaign team members are welcomed. If this is you please call the Gecko office 5534 1412 between 10am and 2pm Monday to Friday or send a message on Facebook and we will contact you.
Campaigns Team Meetings
The Campaigns Team Meets every second Friday at Gecko House, 139 Duringan St, Currumbin.
A Zoom option is available for those unable to attend in person or if the Covid 19 Virus situation dictates no in-person meetings.
The Campaigns Team meets to discuss strategies and actions regarding environmental matters for the Gold Coast and further afield in the 4 areas of climate change, biodiversity, protection of public open space and sustainability.
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/
Networks
The Campaigns Team also works in close collaboration with other conservation and community organisations on the Gold Coast and northern NSW which have similar interests. On a broader scale the Team works with or supports other organisations such as the Queensland Conservation Council and its member groups on State and National environmental issues.
Monthly Campaign Reports
Archived articles
The toll on wildlife throughout the eastern states of Australia has been high, but many small and large wildlife care organisations are trying to rescue and care for injured and orphaned wildlife with limited resources. These organisations will need help for many months to come so regular donations would be appreciated
Following several letters from Gecko asking about the future of The Spit master Plan the Government finally put forward a Bill “The Implementation of The Spit Master Plan” and called for submissions from the public which closed on 16th December 2019. Gecko made a submission
Gecko is generally pleased with the result with the exception that Philip Park is still at risk of being taken over by the cruise ship terminal. Since the completion of the Master Plan the Government has committed $60 million to its implementation over 4 years and recently announced initial expenditure of $6.8 million to improve access to the Spit.
Cruise Ship Terminal – Now Called the Oceanside Terminal – the next stage In the 2019-2020 Council Budget a sum of $1.2 million was allocated to continue to gather information for various reports on the cruise terminal and an Initial
An innovative program to plant koala trees on golf courses has been developed by Helensvale Green group leader David Cuschieri. David has convinced the managers of the Arundel golf course that they can help the local koala population by planting food trees along the sides of the fairways. Golf courses are small havens of green in our city and often link remaining patches of bushland while providing safe, car free places to live, feed and breed
The public consultation period for the Coomera Connector (southern section), or M2 as some call it, will begin on Saturday 9th November, from 7am –3pm at Carrara Markets. This is the first of several opportunities for the public to see where the Coomera Connector, Stage 1, will go and to discuss its impacts with residents who live along the route and those with other concerns.
Generally Gecko members are pleased with The Spit Master Plan which provides for all of the public open space to be retained and enhance with either native planting and, where appropriate basic public facilities.
Springbrook National Park is a short drive inland from Surfers Paradise and is a national park that is so exceptional that it has the status of being a World Heritage listed area, but it too suffers from all the same threats and needs our ongoing support and protection from inappropriate development.
Regrettably there has been little improvement in the plight of the koala on the Gold Coast and throughout South East Queensland as the population continues to grow and the development juggernaut rolls over their habitat.
In recent months the Department of Tourism has called for expressions of interest for development of eco- tourism ventures in National Parks. Queensland has only 7% of its area as national park, compared to 50% in Tasmania, however the Government has decided that in order to attract more tourists, developments should be allowed in national parks. Gecko has no objection to day visitors to national parks and would like to see better facilities and interpretation in our parks, but we cannot condone development in any national park.