Bunyaville Environmental Education Centre
Everton Hills, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Dedicated to providing environmental education to students, this State Government funded facility nestled in Bunyaville Conservation Park has unique approaches to learning about our most important asset.
This facility delivers education to school children that is focused specifically on the environment.
As part of government funding, the facility underwent a refurbishment and upgrade. The proposed landscape treatment needed to be compatible with the existing vegetation community, both from an aesthetic and ecological standpoint.
Minimising the potential build-up of bushfire fuel close the buildings was also crucial to the selection of final treatments and finishes.
Upgrades to the facility required the removal of a number of Eucalypt trees and therefore triggered a rigorous assessment process with several governing bodies including the Department of National Parks, Sport & Racing.
vegetation and bushfire risk
This project involved the assessment of relevant activities under the Vegetation Management Act 1999.
Definition
The Vegetation Management Act, Essential Habitat Map defines the area as ‘Open forest complex with Corymbia citriodora and a range of Eucalypt’.
Existing Species
Gum (Eucalypt) trees are an important part of Australia’s forests. This facility is in the centre of open-forest complex in which spotted gum is a relatively common species.
Canopy trees include Corymbia citriodora subsp. variegata and a range of Eucalypt species some of which are Eucalyptus siderophloia (Northern Grey Ironbark), Eucalyptus major and Eucalyptus longirostrata (Grey Gum).
Bushfire Risk
Due to the location, bushfire is a significant risk to the facility. A fire regime requires the maintenance of a mosaic of grassy and shrubby understorey.
Control of weeds is a major requirement, and this is part of regular planned burning. Ground litter is a hazard as well as fallen timber habitats and are only burned with sufficient soil moisture.