Our community is growing and our native wildlife live here too.

Macropods covered by this plan are our kangaroos, wallabies and pademelons.

We want them to continue to thrive across the Sunshine Coast.

We've put together a plan to help this happen.

The plan recognises that wildlife management is a shared responsibility across multiple land tenures and highlights the importance of partnerships with all stakeholders across the Sunshine Coast.

Together, we can live in a wildlife friendly biosphere.

Survey results from Draft Sunshine Coast Macropod Plan

Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback on the Draft Sunshine Coast Macropod Plan.

The Draft Macropod Conservation Plan, the Action Plan and Background Report were available for consultation from 5 May to 3 July 2023.The community was asked to complete a survey to prioritise actions from the plan, provide any general feedback about the plan and using an interactive map to mark any sightings of macropods during the consultation period.

All community groups who were involved in the early development of the plan (wildlife care groups and Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital) were invited to a stakeholder workshop.

Summary of feedback

It’s clear our community love and highly value the macropods living across our landscape.

Overall, the community was very supportive of the draft plan.

There were 189 survey responses where participants prioritised the list of nine actions which should take place over the next three years.

The highest priority was given to the development of guidelines; the installation of fauna crossing injury mitigation measures and mapping habitat and refugia. These high priority actions were also the more costly. The lowest priority out of nine actions was tourism and the roadkill app.

Based on the feedback no changes are required to the draft MCP plan as the purpose and intent of the plan and all desired outcomes are supported. However, some changes will be made to the action plan including the removal of the action to promote macropods as a tourism attraction.

For a detailed report of the consultation feedback and council’s response please read the Draft Sunshine Coast Macropod Consultation Engagement Summary.

Next steps

At the Ordinary Meeting of Council on 24 August 2023, council endorsed the final Sunshine Coast Macropod Conservation Plan.

Council is now working towards delivering on the action plan.

For more information on Macropod Conservation visit sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au

Here is a short summary of the Draft Macropod Conservation Plan—please read the full plan for more details. A link to the plan and action plan is under 'Important documents'.

The objective

The larger macropods are widespread and highly mobile. However, their numbers are dwindling as our population grows.

The Draft Sunshine Coast Macropod Conservation Plan recognises a shared responsibility between Council, the community and Queensland Government agencies.

The plan takes a whole of landscape and integrated partnerships approach.

Scope

The primary, but not exclusive focus, of this plan is the conservation and management of the eastern grey kangaroo—the most impacted by factors associated with the urban environment.

Desired outcomes

Desired outcome 1: Management is evidence based and informed by contemporary research and knowledge of Sunshine Coast macropod populations.

• How is the population changing?
• Are sunshine Coast macropods unique?
• Can genetics help us to understand movement pathways...
  • to inform development and infrastructure planning and design?
  • to prioritise locations for future investment in fauna crossings?
  • to build knowledge?

Desired outcome 2: Planning and development assessment processes and supporting guidelines are in place to support the protection of macropods and their habitat.

• future development areas: mapping data outputs are available – movement pathways; high quality habitat; priority areas
• planning, development and management guidelines - road design; suitable infrastructure; input to signage guidelines; habitat requirements
• infrastructure audit.

Desired outcome 3: The impacts of threatening processes on macropods in the Sunshine Coast local government area are understood and minimized.

• threat mapping: roadkill data, dog impacts, climate change – wild fire and flooding, hotspots and priority areas for protection
• methods – best practice: injury mitigation measures, responsible dog ownership education.

Desired outcome 4: A landscape approach to macropod conservation is achieved through advocacy, education, and partnerships with the community.

• connect: research partnerships, citizen science, wildlife rescue groups data collection, collaboration with Queensland Government agencies (Department of Transport and Main Roads) to address fauna movement hotspots.
• educate: First Nation Peoples involvement, Communication plan, Tourism
• protect: enhance habitat connectivity through community partnerships – Land for Wildlife and Voluntary Conservation Agreements.