Boardwalk takes visitors into Tallebudgera’s hidden gems

The city’s newest nature trail has opened – adding to the Gold Coast’s 714 kilometres of trails.

Mayor Tom Tate today opened a 120m long boardwalk within the Schuster Park Natural Area, which forms part of a longer nature trail experience in Tallebudgera.

The Mayor also inspected an innovative program that creates artificial tree hollows to help wildlife flourish and shelter in our parks.

The park offers a range of recreational opportunities for residents and visitors. It is a great spot to take your family to enjoy the playground, barbecue facilities, walking trails, off-leash dog exercise area, horse riding and shoreline fishing.

“This boardwalk is along the park’s peninsula trail and offers excellent opportunities for nature observation and bushwalking,’’ said Mayor Tate.

The boardwalk was built using long-life, composite fibre technology to withstand the tidal environment and protects sensitive marine vegetation. It cost $181,500.

“Our Natural City Strategy sets a target that 51 percent of the city’s land area will be covered by native vegetation by 2020,’’ he said.

“To see this boardwalk link other nature-based sections of Tallebudgera reinforces why we need to continue to invest in our green space. It is a truly magical part of the coast.’’

The City has more than 2200 parks and reserves as well as gazetted national parks.

The City’s Urban Habitat Creation Program was also on show with a large gum tree hollowed out to provide shelter for native fauna in the park.

Hardwood trees are perfect, allowing officers to core-drill or cut hollows for the fauna to take up residence. The trees are chosen based on form, size and location. Following a canopy reduction, the trees are retained for habitat whether the tree is dead or alive.

“This is about promoting biodiversity by managing tree hollows and promoting wildlife habitat throughout our City, as an alternative to tree removal, where possible,’’ Mayor Tate said.

The program creates new homes for rainbow lorikeets, galahs, cockatoos, corellas, sugar gliders, possums. micro-bats and more than 300 species of fauna.

To date, around 350 tree hollows (in 71 trees) have been created city-wide with 70 percent of the hollows taken up by new ‘‘residents’’.

For detail to go: www.habi-tec.com (not on City webpage as yet)