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Gold Coast site to become protected land

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Land at Currumbin Waters on the Gold Coast will be preserved for koalas and other wildlife.
Camera IconLand at Currumbin Waters on the Gold Coast will be preserved for koalas and other wildlife. Credit: AAP

A Gold Coast site plagued by "development uncertainty" for two decades will be annexed by the Queensland government and transformed into protected koala and wildlife habitat.

The state has begun the process of compulsorily acquiring the 148-hectare parcel of land at Currumbin Waters, locally known as Martha's Farm or Martha's Vineyard.

It will be added to the Currumbin eco-parkland, which Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon says will make the site among the biggest of its kind in Australia.

"Martha's Vineyard is already popular with hikers and nature-based activities, and we want to not just protect that access but improve it," she said in a statement.

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"This decision will protect koalas and other local wildlife, stop development from encroaching on the local blackbutt forest and, as Queenslanders rekindle their love for their own backyard, encourage more nature-based tourism."

Friends of Currumbin, a local community group which lobbied for the land to be reclaimed, said its environmental value is rare.

"Land parcels of this size with such high biodiversity are very rare on the Gold Coast, which is why we are so passionate about saving it for future generations," president Peter Kershaw said.

But the current landowners aren't happy about the government's plans.

Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development Steven Miles said the government had been negotiating with them since early 2021 to buy the site.

"Unfortunately, an agreement has not been reached, and we have had to take further action," he said.

"We remain open to a commercial resolution with the landowner."

Once the land is acquired, an entry road to the site, car parking and amenities will be constructed, before stakeholders will be invited to have their say on the future of the site.

"We listened to community concerns about preserving this unique property, and we have acted on these concerns," Mr Miles said.

"This decision also ends 20 years of development uncertainty around the site."

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