A FORMER timber harvesting site south of Maleny will now be protected under a new conservation acquisition by the Sunshine Coast Council.
The council purchased 108 hectares on McCarthy Shute Road, Wootha, using $2 million from the Environment Levy.
The land expands the Annie Hehir Environment Reserve and links with Glasshouse Mountains National Park, creating a 537-hectare biodiversity corridor.
It provides habitat for at least eight threatened plant species and seven threatened animal species, including koalas and the critically endangered Maleny spiny crayfish.
Councillor Winston Johnston called it a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to protect vital habitat. The levy has helped conserve over 4,200 hectares since the 1990s, with recent acquisitions in Mount Mellum and Ilkley.
