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.
Archived articles
The campaign to stop the infill of the Lake has continued unabated over past months, but nothing has swayed either the Council or the Gold Coast Turf Club. The Lake is now partially filled and the GC Turf Club apparently intends to fill it all, except for whatever small amount is needed for flood mitigation.
Will 2019 be the year Australia takes on its responsibilities in effective action on climate change? Our Federal Government continues to fail to put into practice any meaningful policy on tackling climate change, apparently held hostage to the small group of right wing climate change deniers within the LNP
The objectives of this campaign is to amend the Planning Act 2016 so that the interests of the community are paramount over those of the development industry.
In early December another of the weekend workshops to design the Spit Master Plan was held at SeaWorld, with representatives from the community, business and community groups present. This time the focus was on pulling together outcomes of public consultation on the 72 Options.
The Gecko Environment Council Campaign Team continues to meet fortnightly and as in past years has achieved much in 2017-2018. Unlike many other environment groups formed to advocate for one particular issue, Gecko, as the peak regional environment group, does its best to respond to a wide range of issues relating to conservation of species, sustainability or transparency and accountability in government
The Spit is a unique city asset that all Gold Coasters, regardless of where they live, can enjoy and protect. Several workshops have been held. From these detailed discussions the consultants have produced an Options Paper which is now out for public consultation. The survey concludes on 25th November - please take part.
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.