Isabel Jordan Bushland Reserve

Wildlife Preservation Society of , Sunshine Coast & Hinterland Inc, working for habitat and wildlife protection since 1963 Who was Isabel Jordan?

Isabel Jordan (1922-2004) …a Quiet Achiever working tirelessly for the environment and the community, sitting in the Gallery during Council meetings, and writing a barrage of letters to the Town Clerk…part of her success, Isabel said, ‘was because I can talk under wet cement’. A lifetime of community service

 Born in 1922 and after many challenging life experiences, Helen Isabel Jordan and her husband Frank moved to in the 1970s. Isabel, as she was known, joined WPSQ in 1978 and served as Treasurer, President and Vice- President. She became a member of the Sunshine Coast Environment Council and the Golden Beach Progress Association, and in 1981 was an inaugural member of the Landsborough Shire (later Caloundra & District) Action Group.  On Frank’s illness, she became a founding member of the Caloundra Hospital Improvement Committee at a time when the hospital had just seven beds. Isabel helped organise 10,500 signatures on a petition to improve facilities at the Hospital, and subsequently contributed as a member of the Caloundra Hospital Auxiliary Group.  Volunteer work continued with Meals on Wheels for 15 years, and at the Endeavour Foundation opportunity shop for 14 years.  Isabel was a member of the community-based Bicentennial Committee and an active contributor to the Caloundra Friends of the Library and the Library’s Learning Cooperative.  The Isabel Jordan Bushland Reserve was named in 2008 in her honour by Caloundra City Council. State & National awards & A Caloundra City Icon

 1994: Caloundra City Council Citizen of the Year Award, and the Premier’s Award  1995: Sunshine Coast Environment Award  1998: Honorary Life Membership of WPSQ  2000: Queensland Health Certificate of Appreciation (in acknowledgement of her valuable contribution as a volunteer)  2001: Commonwealth Recognition Award for Senior Australians (recognising the significant contribution of Isabel Jordan to the community of the Sunshine Coast)  2001: International Year of the Volunteer Volunteer’s Award (from Queensland Health for her contribution to the District Health Service)  2001: A Caloundra City Icon (for outstanding service to the community of the ). What and where is the reserve?  The Isabel Jordan Bushland Reserve is Lot 687, administered for the State by trustee Sunshine Coast Council as an Environment Reserve under the Sunshine Coast Environment and Liveability Strategy 2017.  The 4-hectare reserve lies either side of Pathfinder Drive at the entrance to the Caloundra Airport and the , and extends west towards Bunnings.  The western path provides access to the delicate wetland ferns, orchids and lilies found growing in the paperbark understorey, and weeping leptospermums under the eucalypt canopy on the ridgeline.  The eastern section is accessed via the pathway linking Caloundra and Little Mountain, and is a blaze of colour during the wildflower season in August/September. Lot 687 Lot 340 connects to the Isabel Jordan Bushland Reserve A variety of ecosystems The environmental values of the Reserve

 Both Lot 687 and the adjacent Lot 340 are identified by the State as ‘Bioregional corridors’ of ‘Regional significance’ and are defined as ‘Remnant’ containing ‘Essential habitat’ and ‘Special Biodiversity Values’. The SEQ Regional Plan 2017 defines Lot 687 as ‘Regionally significant greenspace, Essential habitat and High ecological value wetland’ and habitat for State Endangered, Vulnerable, Near-threatened species.  Both Lots form part of a wetland drainage system that connects to the Pumicestone Passage, filtering water and providing a corridor for wildlife.  The Reserve and Lot 340 are habitat for the Vulnerable Wallum Froglet (Crinia tinnula) & Wallum Rocketfrog (Litoria freycinetia), and the Eastern Grey Kangaroo.  92 species of birds have been recorded in Lot 687 and surrounds. (Dept Env & Science WildNet data)  40 species of wildflowers were recorded in 2020. (WPSQ records)  There are no options for viable offsetting considering the features of the Reserve and its connectivity.  The Reserve is a welcome buffer of greenery alongside busy Caloundra Road and airport and air museum, and a vital bushland remnant in the context of rapid development on the Sunshine Coast. Walks in Spring: WPSQ contributes its botanical expertise to Council’s annual Sunshine Coast Wildflower Festivals Wallum Boronia: found with up to 40 other flowering species along the eastern pathway in Isabel Jordan Bushland Reserve The Showy Parrot Pea: just one of the yellows The Native Iris: blooming in Spring close to Pathfinder Drive The future of the Isabel Jordan Bushland Reserve  Queensland Air Museum (QAM) has been seeking to expand into the western section of the Reserve to increase its holding and display space, car parking and visibility.  WPSQ believes there are alternatives to achieving these goals that do not impact on the Reserve or the connecting Lot 340, and could be considered under the revised Caloundra Airport Master Plan:  Re-planning the existing QAM layout  Working with the adjacent Air Cadets & Westpac helicopter base towards sharing space (opening up recruiting of new volunteers to the Museum), or re-allocating these functions to other areas within the airport  Using the adjacent already cleared area  Adopting highly visible signage (and perhaps an aircraft on a stand) at the junction of Caloundra Road and Pathfinder Drive. Isabel Jordan Bushland Reserve: An environmentally vital and irreplaceable habitat and a place for human refreshment on Caloundra’s doorstep [email protected] June 2021